TOPICS DISCUSSED
COUNCIL MINUTES
-CWU WILDCAT SHIRTS FOR EMPLOYEES
-COMMUNITY BUILDING
-PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS
-OMBUDSPERSON HIRED AT CWU
-POLICY FOR CIVILITY IN THE WORKPLACE
-NEW EMPLOYEE COUNCIL PACKETS EXPLAINED
-EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST
-ELECTION OF EMPLOYEE COUNCIL OFFICERS
-FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER
-HUMAN RESOURCES ANNOUNCEMENTS
-NEXT MEETING/ADJOURNMENT
COUNCIL MINUTES
The minutes of the August 23 meeting were approved as sent.
CWU WILDCAT SHIRTS FOR EMPLOYEES
Have you seen a CWU employee walking around wearing a denim shirt with
a red wildcat logo embroidered on the front and wondered where you might
get one? The CWU Employee Council has made arrangements to make this
shirt available to all CWU employees. Just print and fill out the
coupon below and send it to the Foundation Office, MS 7508, along with
a check, made payable to CWU Foundation, to order a shirt. Please
be aware that it may take a few weeks to receive your shirt. If you
want to try on a shirt for size, contact the Foundation Office, Barge Hall,
Room 406. The price of the shirt includes a $4 donation that goes
towards the Central Investment Fund, which supports scholarships.
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Name ______________________________________ Employee's Dept ______________________________ Phone Number ____________ Home Phone ____________ Shirt price: $25.00 Shirt Size: Circle one (Men's) S M L XL XXL(add $1) XXXL(add $2) Select one: Long Sleeve _______
Short Sleeve _______
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COMMUNITY BUILDING
Jennie Patton and Linda Garcia spoke to the Council about their efforts
to re-activate the Community Building Committee. The purpose of the
committee is to promote positive community actions that help improve community
climate. The advisory board for this committee includes Janie Niner,
Michelle Cyrus, Ona Youmans, Jennie Patton and Linda Garcia. Their
plans include forming groups of faculty, staff and administrators to work
together in teams of 8-10 people. Community building is one of the
six emphases in the CWU strategic plan. The committee has produced
a brochure which was sent to all departments on campus. If you did
not get a copy of this brochure, please see whoever distributes the mail
in your department. Mail Services sent departments a brochure for
every employee. If you have an idea for a community building activity
or would like to participate on one of the teams, contact one of the advisory
board members. President McIntyre will be sending out a communication
regarding this program.
PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS
On Tuesday, October 9, President McIntyre will present a state of the
university address in McConnell Auditorium from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
All faculty and staff of the university are invited to attend. President
McIntyre sees this event as an opportunity to describe Central's major
accomplishments of the past year and to suggest direction for the coming
year. She hopes it will become an annual event that provides an opportunity
to "consider and react to the agenda we set together for the year ahead."
A question and answer session is planned following the president's formal
remarks.
The address will broadcast to the SeaTac (S-408) and Wenatchee (W-524) Centers. A videotape of the event will be available in the President’s Office, or viewed at the Library: Media Circulation, main floor, or by accessing the internet website: http://www.cwu.edu/president/current/ for those employees who were unable to attend. President McIntyre currently is working with Margaret Badgley, Assistant to the Provost for University Centers and Community College Relations, to arrange follow-up visits with center staff and faculty.
A committee will be formed at the next Employee Council meeting to make arrangements for the President's annual address to classified staff. It is expected to be held in mid November.
OMBUDSPERSON HIRED AT CWU
The following is a 9/25/01 press release by Robert Lowery:
Contact: Donna Kramer (509-963-1466/fax 509-963-3206/e-mail: ombuds@cwu.edu)
"I'm not a 'fix-it' person." That's an important aspect that Donna Kramer, Central Washington University's new ombudsperson, wants people to know about her new job. Even so, Kramer has been added to the university's staff, by CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre, to provide confidential and informal assistance to all members of the campus community with academic issues, employment or administrative concerns or complaints.
President McIntyre stated that an ombudsperson was hired on the recommendation of the university's task force on dispute resolution.
For the past 10 years, Kramer has worked in national and international mediation, reconciliation and conflict resolution, including for the non-profit Earthstewards Network, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Postal Service.
"As I am with the federal government, I'm an outside contractor," Kramer points out. "This position is outside the lines of administrative authority from anywhere within the university system. What that does is maintain the levels of confidentiality and neutrality that are absolutely necessary for * in this case * an ombudsperson."
At CWU, Kramer will operate independently, supplementing existing administrative and other formal grievance procedures.
"My objective is to assist people with their concerns and, in situations where there is conflict, work to help the parties understand each other's perspectives and find a way through to a satisfactory resolution," she says. "I will assist them either directly, or by referral to mediation, or another formal process."
Kramer says she will also be available to facilitate meetings between campus groups that "may have an edge of tension between them," she says.
"As a neutral facilitator, I simply come in and help the groups engage in dialogue with each other," she adds. "Often times, when groups are self-facilitated, people get bogged down in the tensions of the group."
In her new position, Kramer adheres to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the University and College Ombuds Association. To contact Kramer, call 509-963-1466 or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-3323, or e-mail ombuds@cwu.edu. Her office is in Barge 311.
"Once people get a sense of what the Ombuds Office is and how I can assist them, hopefully they will start to use these services," Kramer says.
With the hiring of Kramer, CWU joins more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada that have ombudspersons.
POLICY FOR CIVILITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Goal six of the CWU strategic plan is, “Create and sustain productive,
civil, and pleasant campuses and workplaces.” Dale Hubbard, president
of the union, would like to present a formal policy to the Board of Trustees,
which addresses civility in the workplace. He has asked the Employee
Council to consider working collaboratively to write this policy.
Dale will be invited to the next employee council meeting to present his
research and work up to date to the employee council. Dale has made
the suggestion that we review several model policies and adapt one to meet
our needs.
NEW EMPLOYEE COUNCIL PACKETS EXPLAINED
Each employee council member was given a packet of information that
contains the Statement of Purpose and Operations for the Employee Council,
the meeting calendar and a list of all the staff persons in their working
group. Kari Taylor, Chair, encouraged delegates to try to involve
their constituents as regularly as possible. If you do not know who
your Employee Council delegate is, please call Colleen Rose at 1205 in
Human Resources.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST
Employee Council discussed whether the name of the employee of the
month should be mentioned in the minutes or not. There have been
a couple of instances when the employee of the month had not been awarded
before the announcement appeared in the minutes, which took the surprise
element out of the award. The Council decided that it was important for
the minutes to name the employee of the month. In the event that
scheduling problems might delay the award by the President and Employee
Council Chair, the Chair and some of the other members of the employee
council will go to the workplace of the employee of the month to offer
their congratulations. The president and the council chair can make
the actual award at a later date.
The Employee of the Month for August is Howard Page, Maintenance Mechanic II, in Facilities Management. Here are some of the comments made about Howard “Howard always takes time to serve the residents. He handles problems quickly and if he notices something else wrong, he takes the extra effort to fix it. He always strives to improve conditions for the student in the halls that he is responsible for. Howard also goes above the call by participating in tenant association meetings that are held after hours. Howard always demonstrates a positive attitude. For the four years that I have worked with him, he has shown that he genuinely is concerned about the students and is here to help them. He is responsive to student feedback, analyzes suggestions knowing the history behind services here at CWU, and is very approachable. He is a father figure, advisor, and has been twice selected by the students through a campus wide survey as a person who goes above and beyond their assigned duties. Howard develops relationships with students that last beyond their years at Central. Former students return often just to visit Howard.”
ELECTION OF EMPLOYEE COUNCIL OFFICERS
The Employee Council voted to suspend the portion of the Statement
of Purpose and Operations that deals with the time for elections of officers
because it had been changed during the year. In the future, officers
will be elected in June. The officers elected for this year are as
follows:
Chair – Kariann Taylor
Vice Chair – Dorothy Tenney
Publicity Coordinator – Leona Lindvig
Secretary – Vacant
Assistant Secretary – Nancy Bradshaw
Employee Council wants to send Ginger Linnell
a special “Thank You for Volunteering” as the Employee Council secretary
for the 2000-2001 year and to say “Job well done and you will be missed,
Ginger”.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER
Kim Thomas reminded the Council of the October 19-20 dates for Homecoming.
This year a replica of the Vietnam Wall will be displayed near the flag
pavilion. Be sure to take the time to view this tribute to Vietnam
veterans. The alumni office is working of purchasing a permanent
US flag to fly in the flag pavilion. Please contact the alumni office
if you would like to help with homecoming in any way.
Cans to collect donations for the New York Relief Fund have been strategically placed around campus. If you wish to make a donation and be able to deduct it from your income tax, you should contact the foundation office and make arrangements to pay by check.
Tina Klampher said that CTS is offering computer orientation sessions to new faculty and staff. If anyone, new or not so new, needs computer help they should contact Nancy Taft (2392).
HUMAN RESOURCES ANNOUNCEMENTS
Benefits Fair
Annual Benefits Fair will be Wednesday, October 31, in the SUB Pit
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A retiree meeting will be held at 12:30
in the Yakima Room.
Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment is October 22 through November 30. This is your
opportunity to change your medical or dental plan coverage, add a dependent
who was not previously covered, waive coverage on medical or dental.
Medical and dental changes will take effect January 1, 2002.
Plan Changes
There are some changes in both the medical and dental coverage for
2002. Please read the material that you should have received at your
home address from the Health Care Authority. Notify the Benefits
Office at telephone 1267 if you did not receive a brochure from the Health
Care Authority this past week. Information regarding Open Enrollment
can be viewed on the WEB at the following address:
http://www.wa.gov/hca/PEBB/update2002.htm
Training and Development
Two newsletters are now available from EAS, as of September 2001.
"Frontline Employee" is designed to answer questions employees ask, and
to encourage active thought and discussion about issues we all face daily.
"Frontline Supervisor" is provided to Washington state supervisors as a
forum to share ideas and clarification about the issues that are dealt
with on a day-to-day basis. Both newsletters can be found at http://hr.dop.wa.gov/eas/newsletters.html
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 4:40.
NEXT MEETING
Next month's meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., October 18, 2001,
in Black 229-19. All new delegates should attend. If you are
a delegate and cannot make the meeting, be sure to let your alternate know
so that she/he will attend.
PRESENT:
Pam Coppersmith, Business Support
Tina Klampher, Computing and Telecommunications Services
Karol Barker, Dining Services
Marilyn Thompson, Dining Services
Dorothy Tenney, Facilities Management
Bob Peters, Facilities Management
Laury Berner, Facilities Management
Shelly Voshall, Facilities Management
Adrian Naranjo, Financial Services
Cheri Lince, Financial Services
Kariann Taylor, Instructional Support: Unit A, Chairperson
Gene Wilson, Instructional Support: Unit A
Sandra Colson, Instructional Support: Unit B
Leona Lindvig, Library Services and Academic Computing
Patti Minshull, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Kathleen McDaniel, University Centers
Janette Goodwin, University Centers
Kim Thomas, University Relations and President
Nancy Bradshaw, University Relations and President
ABSENT:
Kirsten Garland, Business Support
Pedro Garcia, Facilities Management
Lorinda Anderson-Ramsdell, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
ALSO PRESENT:
Ona Youmans
Jennie Patten, guest
Linda Garcia, guest
Mike Posada, Outgoing delegate
Ginger Linnell, Outgoing delegate