University of Georgia Staff Council

History: Why Are We Here and How Did We Get There?

  • 1987     In response to a group of staff concerned about lack of representation, Dr. Charles Knapp, president of UGA, establishes the Staff Representative Group (SRG), chaired by Carlton James, Director of Personnel Services, which draws one staff representative from each College and Vice Presidential Unit in the University.

  • 1991    Governor Zell Miller cuts all funds for staff raises from the state budget while retaining a 1.5% raise for faculty. A frustrated and angry portion of the classified staff of the University forms an independent group - the CCSM (Committee of Concerned Staff Members). On May 23, 1991, the SRG meets for the first time without any administration representative present, and agrees to solicit Dr. Knapp's support for the restructuring of the SRG into an elected Staff Council, and for it's recognition as an advisory body in the statutes of the University. Kenneth Schroder, SRG representative from the College of Pharmacy, is elected provisional chairman.

  • 1992    University Council approves Dr. Knapp's recommendation that gives Staff Council a legal and legitimate place in University governance as an advisory council. Representatives are now elected based on the number of employees in each vice presidential area or college. Staff Council members are appointed to the committee preparing the Strategic Plan for the next five years for the University.

    Dr. Knapp responds to racial tensions on campus by charging a Minority Issues Committee, reporting directly to him, and appointing the chair of the Staff Council as the staff representative on this important committee.

    The first Staff Council, under Chairman Patricia Lindl, submits a new employee evaluation form to the President's Council. This same form is still in use.

  • 1994     Staff Council plays a major role in getting insurance premiums deferred for faculty and staff for six months in early 1994 after the UGA insurance plan, which had surplus funds, is merged with the University System plan.

  • 1995     Parking Services proposes a significant increase in parking fees, and Staff Council petitions President Knapp to oppose the increase. Although the fees are increased, they are not raised to the level originally proposed.

  • 1996    Staff Council negotiates to allow all staff members (both those eligible for compensatory time and those who are not) to build up enough compensatory time to be off work during the Olympics without taking leave time.

  • 1997    Staff Council has representation on the 1997-98 Presidential Search Committee, one of the first of many search committees for high-level administrators since then that has Staff Council representation.

  • 1997     Staff Council starts a telephone campaign to legislators to insure that staff received the same pay rate increase as faculty.

  • 1998    Staff Council lobbies the Department of Human Resources to encourage them to review the classification and pay system at UGA. Deloitte and Touche presented a report in 2001 that acknowledged that the UGA classification and pay is inconsistent across campus. In 2002, the first departments on campus begin completing a survey of job descriptions in order to revise the classification and pay system.

  • 2001 Staff Council asks for and receives representation on University Council, the policy-making body of the University of Georgia.

Other issues addressed:

Tuition remission

Full-time staff and faculty of the University System of Georgia now have access to free classes, partly due to pressure from the UGA Staff Council and other staff organizations around Georgia.

Parking

UGA faculty and staff may now opt to have their parking fees deducted from their paychecks on a pre-tax basis. Staff Council also has representation on the Parking Task Force, which is charged with determining priority of parking spaces, as well as implementation of the new parking plan.

On-Campus Daycare

Staff Council's Needs and Concerns Committee recommended that UGA look into the possibility of an on-campus day care. Human Resources sent a questionnaire to students, faculty and staff in 2001 to determine a need. Results are still pending.

Voluntary Sick Leave Pool

Staff Council urged UGA to consider allowing a voluntary leave pool, so that healthy employees could donate their sick leave to other employees who are experiencing medical or personal hardships. This was stalled when the state legislature passed a bill allowing university employees to use sick leave as time earned toward retirement.

Better Communication with Administration

Administrators meet regularly with the Staff Council Executive Committee and make regular appearances at Staff Council meetings. Staff Council members frequently serve on search committees for administrative positions. Previously, communication from top administrators directly to staff was rare.

Computer Access for Building Supervisors

Custodial/Building supervisors are receiving computers in their offices to assist in their recordkeeping and communications duties as building and staff supervisors. Staff Council urged the director of Physical Plant to allow his staff to have computers available for them. Many departments donated equipment to their in-house Physical Plant staff to begin using the computers.

Campus-wide smoking policy

Staff Council urged UGA administration to ban smoking in all campus buildings. Right now, very few buildings still allow smoking.

UGA Dispute Resolution Policy

Staff Council initiated the campus discussion about having a place for staff to go for mediation with supervisors and co-workers. This became the current Dispute Resolution Policy, facilitated from the Office of Legal Affairs, which provides unbiased mediators for resolving disputes.

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