February 10, 2021 Minutes

The February meeting took place from 3:00pm – 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, via Zoom. 

Zoom Webinar Recording
(you must be logged into your WFU email to view) 

Stephanie Carter, President of Staff Advisory Council, welcomes and opens meeting.

First Presenter James Raper, Assistant Vice President of Health & Wellbeing, offered a Health and Wellbeing Office Update

  • Explanation of organization of the Health and Wellbeing Team, which includes the Directors for Finance and Operations, the Office of the Chaplain, Campus Fitness and Rec, University Counseling, SHS, Learning Assistance Center and Disability Services, and the Office of Wellbeing
  • Mission: To engage the WFU community in comprehensive and inclusive health and wellbeing practices.
    • Working to better meet the needs of employees and students with marginalized identities. Working to make care accessible for all.
    • Developing a strategic plan to be more proactive than reactive in care.
    • Reorganizing to strengthen leadership in the areas of preventative care for Mental Health, Sexual Violence, Sexual and Physical Health, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Utilizing skills and specializations of providers are being utilized.
  • Pandemic Halt: Health and Wellbeing has turned to Telehealth/therapy, Virtual Coaching, Academic Counseling, and Spiritual Care, Synchronous and Asynchronous Fitness Classes, and Testing and the Broad COVID Management.
  • Health and Wellbeing Staffing Update:
    • Warrenetta Mann will join the University as the Counseling Center Director.
    • Currently 3 open positions for counselor or psychologist position, hoping to have them filled by summer. Recently onboarded a term-limited clinician.
    • Office of Wellbeing Director will be announced soon.
    • Finishing the search for a Student Health Service Clinical Director.
  • Post-Pandemic Opportunities: Fostering proactive, preventative care and cross-divisional partnerships. 

Bethany Fay, Assistant Vice President of Total Rewards & HR Solutions, provides an update regarding COVID-19 vaccination planning. 

  • Task Force – Working to bring the vaccine to campus to meet the needs of faculty, staff, and students, as well as contracted affiliates.
    • Applied to be a Covid Vaccine Provider. This is a process that works toward approval for institutions to partner with a Hospital or Health Care Facility to administer the vaccine.
    • Application was submitted several weeks ago, we are waiting to hear about approval, which we anticipate.
    • It is unknown when we will get the vaccine. When we do, the goals are:
      • To encourage faculty and staff to get the vaccine
    • We are currently following the North Carolina HHS Guidelines for vaccine distribution.
      • Groups 1 and 2 are currently being vaccinated first.
      • Group 3 will open in the near future. This group includes primary and secondary educators, and higher ed. Priority is being given within this group to those that have essential job functions that require working closely with others.
        • University-wide survey was sent to determine priority for WFU employees.
        • Retirees and dependents are not currently prioritized.
      • https://findmygroup.nc.gov/ – Tool to find your group by age and characteristics.
    • DON’T WAIT to get vaccinated by Wake Forest. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine by other means before Wake Forest can become a provider, please take advantage of that!
    • Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. Please continue to follow protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Committee Updates

Kim Flowers- Pro Humanitate

  • Ellen Makaravage, former SAC member – Happy Retirement!
  • Last semester, committee wrote thank you notes to RAs. If you have ideas for further engagement and thanks, please email Kim directly.

Sandy Lail – Membership Committee

  • Elections in March and April, information for nomination in the upcoming newsletter.
  • Project to ensure correct representation throughout campus.

Elizabeth Dam-Regier – Communications Committee-

Matt Grau – Fringe Benefits

  • Met in January to recap and set future meetings.
  • Reminder that SAC members are always available to bring staff concerns to HR on your behalf! Simply send them to the SAC email address. sac@wfu.edu

Matt Grau – Capital Projects Advisory Committee

  • Capital project construction and renewal was paused due to Covid
  • Eventually three Academic capital projects were resumed and completed in 2020
    • Palmer & Piccolo renovations
    • Green Hall exterior renewal
    • Wake Downtown Engineering build-out phase II
  • Two additions projects in Fall 2020
    • Wait Chapel window restoration, including motorized window shades
    • Campus stair reconstruction, including the stairs between Kitchin and Reynolda. The south stairs and ramp of Benson and Hearn Plaza west stairs will be completed summer 2021.

Events Committee will meet later this month, no updates to share currently.

Ashley – Council on Inclusion and Diversity

  • Two members of the Wellbeing Collaborative presented their findings on the relationship between discrimination, sense of belonging, and social supports in college students. The Wellbeing Collaborative is a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional effort with the goal of understanding and promoting student well-being started here at WFU several years ago. The findings were also presented at NAFSA’s 2021 virtual conference.
  • Several working groups trying to realize four to five of the twenty recommendations from the President’s Commission on Race, Equity, and Community. This includes focus groups on Academic Engagement, Community Engagement, Student Experiences, Equitable Practices for Faculty and Staff, and Accountability.
  • Executive Order from the Biden Administration on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. Education Department must conduct equity assessments to ensure that their policies to not further systemic racism.
  • Egyptian Artist in Residence coming soon!

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