Eastern Kentucky University

STAFF COUNCIL

Annual Report
2006

Prepared by:
          Beverly Burrus
          Ann Cotton
          Stephanie King

Introduction

The Eastern Kentucky University Staff Council, with the stated purpose to provide a communication vehicle for the President and the staff concerning issues that affect staff, has had a successful second full year. The Council was established in 2004 with an initial working meeting in March. As Council members gain experience, their usefulness and success in being this conduit of information and concerns increases in value to the staff and the University as a whole.

In 2006, the Council has become an increasingly important part of the EKU campus community as more offices, committees, faculty and staff recognize the communication role the Council plays. The Council has also been successful in bringing matters of concern of the staff to the attention of the appropriate audiences. Providing awareness to the University administration of the various concerns of the staff has been a crucial part of the work of the Council. In addition, the Council provides a forum for the University administration to share information as it relates to staff. As the Council continues in its role, it is believed the Council will become an even more visible and useful tool for the University community.

Staff Council Members, Elections and Committee Memberships

Staff Council elections were held in November 2005 for the 2006 members whose terms were completed. The results were:
Area 1 – Athletics, Development, Public Relations and Marketing, Alumni Relations, University Advancement and Arlington – Donna Lazzara resigned her position on the Council and was replaced by Jey Marks. As Mr. Marks was completing the term of Ms. Lazzara, his term will expire December 31, 2007.

Area 2 – College of Arts and Sciences and College of Business and Technology and related programs – Hossein Vaez was re-elected with the term expiring December 31, 2008.

Area 5 – Continuing Education and Outreach (including extended campuses) and the Planetarium—Beverly Burrus was re-elected with the term expiring December 31, 2008.

Area 7 – Enrollment Management (includes Graduate Studies, Financial Aid, Co-op, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound) – Tamala Cox was elected with the term expiring December 31, 2008.

Area 10 – Maintenance and Skilled Trades (includes Facilities Services administration and offices, plant operations, grounds crews, carpenters, electricians, mechanics, painters, general maintenance, energy management, skilled trades/maintenance, pest control)—Bennett Rowe was re-elected with the term expiring December 31, 2008. Due to increased workload responsibilities Mr. Rowe resigned his position in October 2006.

In addition, Mr. Marks changed positions at the university and is no longer employed in Area 11 (Student Affairs and Public Safety). An election was held and Ms. Ann Cotton was elected to complete this term which ends December 31, 2007.

In Area 10, an election was held to replace Mr. Rowe. Ms. Debbie Simpson was elected to complete this term which will expire December 31, 2008.

These elections completed the Council memberships. Council membership for 2006, their offices and committee memberships were as follows:

Crystal Barger—Communications Committee and Staff Recognition and Professional Development Committee. In addition, Ms. Barger represented the Staff Council on the University Strategic Planning Committee.

Beverly Burrus—Chair of Staff Council, Chair of Staff Recognition and Professional Development Committee, and served on the Elections and Credentials Committee. Ms. Burrus also served as the Council representative on the University Budget Council, the Student Success Committee and the SACS Communications and Public Relations Committee.

Denise Conner—Service Recognition and Professional Development Committee and the Issues and Benefits Committee.

Ann Cotton—Secretary/Treasurer of the Staff Council, Issues and Benefits Committee and Elections and Credentials Committee.

Tamala Cox—Staff Recognition and Professional Development Committee and Secretary of the Elections and Credentials Committee.

Anne Cross—Secretary of the Communications Committee and served on the Issues and Benefits Committee.

Stephanie King—Vice Chair of the Staff Council, Chair of the Communications Committee and served on the Elections and Credentials Committee. In addition, Ms. King served on the University Parking Advisory Committee.

Jey Marks—Communications Committee and Chair of the Elections and Credentials Committee (Mr. Marks resigned this committee when he ran for Staff Regent).

Bennett Rowe—Communications Committee and Issues and Benefits Committee.

Joann Storie—Communications Committee and Staff Recognition and Professional Development Committee.

Carol Thomas—Secretary of the Issues and Benefits Committee and served on the Elections and Credentials Committee.

Hossein Vaez—Chair of the Issues and Benefits Committee and served on the Staff Recognition and Professional Development Committee. Mr. Vaez also represented the Staff Council on the University Benefits Committee.

Accomplishments

The Staff Council was established to serve several purposes. The first of these is to “foster communication and serve as a communication conduit between staff and the President.” In this regard, accomplishments included:

Established the Meet and Greet monthly meetings which provided an informal setting for the University administration to communicate with staff. Speakers included President Glasser, Vice President for Student affairs Dr. James Conneely, Wally Skiba and Adrienne Bauer from Human Resources and Chief of Police Mark Welker. These meetings were informal and allowed staff the opportunity to meet members of the administration and ask questions on various topics.
Each Council member served on at least two committees allowing them to be better informed about the various activities of the Council. In addition, membership on committees is encouraged for all staff members of the University.
Active participation in the Benefits Expo providing an opportunity to meet with staff and explain what the Staff Council does and receive input.
Increased information provided on the Staff Council website.

Secondly, the Staff Council “is to provide recommendations on all matters pertaining to staff.” The various committees as well as the officers of the Council have been very involved in providing input on many subjects such as:

Employee benefits such as vacation, bereavement, holidays, health insurance
Professional development
Equity pay
Staff Emeritus policy
Internship availability for all staff
Participation in the Presidential Evaluation process by Council officers.

Thirdly, the Staff Council “is to promote the welfare of all staff through professional development and formal recognition while serving the Mission of the University.”

Staff Emeritus policy, approved by the University, with the first recipient being retiring Registrar, Jill Allgier.
Worked with Human Resources to develop a professional development plan for staff members. Involved in the assessment process developed to determine professional development needs.

In addition to these accomplishments, the Staff Council was charged with conducting the election of the Staff Regent. This included two successful forums which were held in the Student Services Building O’Donnell Auditorium providing an opportunity for staff to meet the five candidates. The Council is very proud of the fact that 55% of the staff of the University voted in the election.

Work-in-Progress

Although the Staff Council will always have “work-in-progress,” of particular interest currently to staff members are:

Funding for professional development other than Faculty/Staff scholarships
Working with Human Resources in creating a “career ladder” for staff
Establishing guidelines for elections
Internship program
Increased benefits for staff such as ½ price athletic tickets
Working with Human Resources as they continue in their efforts to improve job descriptions, evaluation process, equity pay, and improved benefits

Conclusion

The success of the Staff Council will depend upon Council members remaining dedicated to their roles of becoming more visible to their constituents thereby providing the conduit for information and concerns. This awareness benefits the entire University as an informed staff can be more valuable for the students, faculty and staff of the University. Understanding the role various staff members play in the functioning of an entire University community helps them to be happier employees thus creating more productive employees.

The Council will continue to work with various committees and individuals of the University to make awareness a key component of its function.

Respectfully submitted,

Executive Committee