The University of Georgia Staff Council (UGASC)

Minutes of the 6/6/2007 meeting

Tate Center Reception Hall 12:30 p.m.

 

Began meeting with lunch and presentation provided by UGA Disability Resource Center

 

President Scott called the meeting to order @ 1:40 p.m.

Brenda Keen called roll. 28 voting staff attending.

 

Old Business

á      Minutes approved for May 2, 2007 with no revisions.

 

Year End Committee Reports are due: Turn them in to Morgan Nolan

 

Meg Ginn: Legislative

Morgan Nolan: Communications

Greg Durham: Health & Safety  

Larry Scott: (?) Needs & Concerns

Terry Blalock: Pay & Classification

University Council Appointments:

Beverly Chalk: Parking Appeals

Meg Ginn (?) Libraries:

Paul Welch: Student Affairs

Lori Lange Tiller: Facilities

Campus-wide committees:                                                                                                             

David Anderson: Parking and Transportation Task Force

Brenda Keen (?):UGARA (UGA Retirees Association)

 

 

PresidentÕs Report:

 

Statewide Staff Council is at Southern Polytechnic State, Marietta, October 4-5 Chancellor Davis will be the keynote speaker.

President Scott will provide as much transportation as her budget will allow to assist staff who want to go.

o      Asking for Door Prizes from all who wish to donate.

o      Pres. Scott will ask Morgan Nolan to put the information on the staff council website.

 

á      Need to get everybodyÕs Unit and Dean or Department Head for letter from President Adams.

 

á      Executive Committee meeting with President Adams: the notes from the meeting were circulated and picked up by the Athens Banner Herald, they wrote an article about faculty child care on campus. President ScottÕs letter of response is printed in todayÕs Athens Banner Herald. :

Shannon Scott: Child care isn't sole issue for UGA's Staff Council

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 OnlineAthens.com

I was present at the May 15 meeting with President Adams and the Staff Council Executive Committee, and I'd like to address the paraphrased comments of Adams regarding on-campus child care, as reported in a May 29 Banner-Herald story headlined "Faculty frustrated in child care requests."

The question the committee asked was, "You have addressed this issue in the past, but for the benefit of newer council members, do you foresee the expansion of child-care options for UGA employees?"

Minutes from the meeting, paraphrasing Adams' answer, indicate he said staff and faculty haven't expressed an overwhelming interest in child care from UGA.

While there may be truth in that statement, the issue is raised consistently throughout the year at Staff Council meetings. The purpose of the question is clear, and I believe President Adams answered it fairly. He discussed the lengths to which UGA has gone to provide on-campus child care, and the obstacles encountered.

In its May 31 editorial, "UGA should do something more with child care," the Athens Banner-Herald noted that the on-campus McPhaul Center is currently providing child care, and has for some time. What the editorial failed to emphasize is that the center's purpose is to provide training opportunities for students in the Department of Child and Family Development. The center doesn't exist solely for the benefit of the university community, but is also open to the community at large.

Some members of the Staff Council Executive Committee feel the Banner-Herald has presented this issue in such a manner as to be divisive in the UGA community. While the Staff Council feels quality child care is of utmost importance to all working parents, we feel it is more important to address issues such as salary compression, which affect a broader constituency - and we feel that is President Adams' focus as well.

Shannon Scott

President, UGA Staff Council

 

 

á      For upcoming year, President Scott wants to have speakers come to staff council meetings. Strategic planning and recycling are two.

á      Please look over President AdamÕs energy report and share with your SRGÕs.
The better we can handle the rising costs of energy individually, the better off weÕre all going to be. 

 

 

New Business:

 

á      New Officers for 2007-08 Executive Committee:

Jerry Daniel

Donna LeBlond

Julie Dingus

 

Lynn Parham will replace Lanora Pierce as recording secretary

 

Other Business:

Question: What do we say to our constituents when asked about making Christmas Eve a
permanent Holiday?

Answer: There have been 2 polls taken in the past and the majority wanted the Christmas Eve holiday because they felt it was easier to take annual leave on Memorial Day.

Q: What is our response to our constituents as far as what they can do?

A: SRGÕs speak to their University Council representatives.

Q: Was the reason they are giving Christmas Eve off this year because it will fall on a Monday?

A: Probably

 

President Scott adjourned the meeting at 2:00 p.m.

 

Next Exec. Committee meeting:

á      July 31, 11:00 a.m. at the Business Services Board Room

Next Staff Council meeting:

á      August 1, 2007, Student Learning Center (? Room #? ) @ 2:00 p.m

 

 

These minutes are respectfully submitted by Lanora Pierce, recording secretary.