THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSE AT CHATTANOGA
Exempt Staff Council Retreat
UTC Campus Crossroads
Exempt Staff Council Members attending: Deb Anderson, Debbie Bell, Tom Ellis, Ellen Neufeldt, Tonya Pace, Lindsay Pardue, Charles Scott, Cynthia Wood.
Employee Relations Committee Members attending: Sue Carroll, Chris Charland, Julia Cronin, Marge Fergason, Linda Gehron, Nancy Geren, Lisa Gladden, Valerah Hodges, David King, Gail MacArthur, Ita Thompson, Ruby Watkins, Suzie Weber.
Others attending: Sue Brackett, Nancy Neal, Monty Wilson, Student Services Task Force members; Dan Webb, Executive Director, Office of Human Resources; Melanie Sadler, Administrative Secretary, Office of Human Resources.
Call to Order: Ms. Anderson called the meeting to order.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Bill Stacy, Chancellor
The mission statement directs everything we do at UTC, according to Dr. Stacy. UTC is an “engaged metropolitan university” which means that we are engaged with the institution and with each other.
Five percent or $2 million has been returned to the state at its request from fiscal year 2002-2003. Each Vice Chancellor has submitted plans to reduce their budgets by 9% for next year and identify sources for additional revenues. When asked is there is a plan to replace positions in Facilities Planning and Management cut from previous years, Dr. Stacy responded that the University is striving to maintain positions and avoid lay-offs. Salaries account for approximately 75% of UTC’s budget.
Thirty faculty vacancies will remain unfilled and the first $500,000 of any increase will be used to restart searches for 10–12 faculty positions and 10 one-year appointments for distinguished visiting faculty or general education faculty.
When asked if Lupton money could fund temporary positions, Dr. Stacy replied that Renaissance funds were donated for items that would transform the University, such as start-up monies for the Sim Center (Computational Engineering Program). Of the $10 million dollars available last year, only $8.75 million was allocated. Approximately $250,000 in Lupton funds was set aside for campus beautification; employees are urged to contact Dr. Linda Collins, Chair of the Landscape Committee, if they wish to become involved with this group. The University may apply for $3 billion in bonds from the state at 2% interest for much needed maintenance of old buildings.
EMG Consultants recently completed a survey viewing the characteristics of each campus in the UT system. At UTC the emphasis is teaching, research, and service. Dr. Stacy stated that the university would increase research dollars through external funding. As UTC enters an ambitious fundraising campaign, staff are reminded that their donations may be designated to a specific department or area of the University.
Presentation: Ellen Neufeldt, Student Services Task Force, Chair
A survey to gauge student satisfaction was conducted in 2000 and the need to improve campus processes was cited. In May 2002, selected faculty and staff were invited to attend “Advanced Connections,” a workshop designed to improve customer service to both internal and external customers. In November 2002, a follow up workshop was held to identify strengths, weaknesses, barriers, and opportunities at improving customer service. From this event, staff recommended establishing a Task Force. Committee members are: Debra Anderson, Sue Brackett, Julia Cronin, Yancy Freeman, Dick Gruetzemacher, Gail Meyer, Nancy Neal, Ellen Neufeldt (Chair), Linda Orth, Tiffany Sanders (student), Roger Thompson, Dan Webb, Monty Wilson.
The mission statement of the Student Services Task Force is “to promote a culture among all UTC faculty and staff focusing on exemplary service to students, parents and UTC community.” From the mission statement, specific goals were developed: to improve sharing of information; enhance training of employees; focus on courteous service to students, faculty, and staff; improve “sense of community” among faculty and staff; identify areas of process improvement for student services. Ms. Neufeldt said Dr. Stacy has stated that it is easy to make a bad university good but more difficult to make a good university great.
Current actions have been to discuss these concepts with key organizations such as Student Government Association, Employee Relations Committee, Exempt Staff Council, Faculty Senate; study peer institutions for “best practices”; identify strengths at UTC and build on them; identify weaknesses; monthly faculty and staff breakfasts with the Chancellor.
Student objectives are to develop a system of advanced training; a one-stop shop in the University Center; a “how to navigate UTC” brochure.
Faculty and staff objectives are cross training in and between departments; a system to reward good employees; generate a sense of ownership of issues; sharing information through technology; improve communication with the administration by monthly breakfasts with the Chancellor. Faculty and staff are chosen at random to attend breakfast; the first meeting was March 25.
Those attending the Retreat formed groups to identify how UTC “glows,” or what it does well, and also how UTC can “grow.” The same exercise to identify strengths and weaknesses is performed at monthly breakfasts with the Chancellor.
From this exercise, UTC excels at the following: technology; one-stop concept; possible shareware calendar; Mocs express; Carta free pass; summer picnics; support each other; UTC Band plays at men’s and women’s games; Facilities Planning & Management does a good job with resources available; Records Office attempts to improve service; procurement card for purchasing; we work well under adverse conditions. (It was noted that the Retreat moved from UTC Place Conference Room to Campus Crossroads due to a fire that morning.)
Ways that UTC could improve were identified as: lack of signage; administrators making themselves known to students; website snapshots of individual areas and what they do; year round Carta free pass; improved search engine for UTC web site; one-stop shopping; university picnics; highlighting non-exempt employees during Administrative Professionals week; departments posting part-time positions for students in one area and maintaining the list; providing better information regarding graduation requirements and deadlines; advisor training; authorized use of procurement cards for travel and conferences; better use of technology for communication with students and staff; more staff and more money; too much red tape; more respect for university property and grounds through a program to educate students and staff.
§ Motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
Melanie Sadler
Administrative Secretary
Office of Human Resources