September 28, 2010 Minutes

Summary:  Speaker:  Alex Crist, Manager of Parking and Transportation, Artisan Fair and other events, Women’s Socecer Game, New Faculty/Staff Web Launch, Staff Appreciation Event, Staff Hotline, Campus wide polices.

Those in attendance:  Mary Cranfill, Cathy Chinlund, Sharon Payne, Dee Perry, Randy Cockerham, Donna Thornton, Karen Frekko, Tomma Guastaferro, Matt Lamoureux, Elide Vargas, Nicolle Gaillard, Candi Lofano,  Paul Sheff,  Prentice Armstrong, Teresa Earl, Bob Hebert, Melvin Lee

Guest Speaker: Alex Crist, Manager of Parking and Transportation spoke about changes on campus, available services, and plans for future change.

New Changes:

• Parking Management’s new location is the University Service building, former Information Systems building.
• New Flex program software—allows for on-line registration, appeals of citations.
• Re-designated faculty and staff registration to yearly—may change to a two-year registration cycle and move from May-April to July-June.  Old stickers must be removed before affixing new.
• Lots B & N have been designated for off-campus employees and visitors
• Re-opened Lot J, adding 100 parking spaces.  The campus now has 454 more parking spaces this year.
• Transportation—created the Gold and Black shuttle line services to accommodate pick-up of commuter students in local apt complexes; the Grey Line—on-campus route shuttle and employees within a 2 miles radius of campus, and the Downtown shuttle.  Shuttle ridership has doubled, freeing up space for more faculty/staff parking.
• Cracking down on citations—getting attention of students/faculty by placing boots on vehicles.

Future Plans include:

• Currently in progress is the addition of an electric Solar Shuttle that will hold up to fourteen people and run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Create a gated lot as a pilot program
• Lot M, between Kirby and Taylor will have an additional 42 spaces added; this lot will be designated for visitor parking only

Strategic Initiative goals over 5 years:

• Over several semesters, improve traffic, signage, designated lots, and zone parking on campus.
• No current plans for future parking decks.
• No current plans to begin charging faculty/staff for parking.

SAC member question/answer session:  Some questions of concern included the following:

• Lack of communication in changing staff/faculty parking areas to visitors.
• Lack of parking availability for motorcycles
• Excessive number of citations given to students before action is taken.

Artisan Fair and other events:  Dana Hutchens spoke to our group about the possibility of SAC taking over the Artisan Fair and what logistics would be involved.

Concept:  Tool by which to showcase talents of Wake’s faculty/staff employees and students, while building community connection.  This event has been run over the years by Dana and Gail Newport.  Normally, the Artisan Fair is held on a Friday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, running from 11:00 am. To 4:00 pm.  Work involves inviting of vendors to participate and outlining guidelines, screening of requests to participate, arranging for advertisement of event (working with Kerry King in creative services as well), posting fliers, arranging for display tables for all vendors, emailing campus community regarding event, and arranging non-ticketing parking with university police.  No registration fee is charged to vendors for their participation.

Challenges:

• Cost of copying advertisements for posting of fliers
• Identifying all employees and their spouses and children, students, and retirees and disseminating information and invitations to participate.
• Requires more work than two people can handle alone

Outcome of request:  SAC voted (9-6) to take on this event. It was agreed that being involved in this event and others will showcase SAC and be a tool for new membership.

• It was later agreed to table this.  SAC Events Committee to research logistics of event and duties involved—Dana and Gail will meet with this group.
• Identify what we can and cannot do.

Women’s Soccer Game – October 28, at 7:00 p.m.:  It was proposed by Matt Lamoureux that SAC take on supporting the Staff Appreciation Women’s Soccer Games.  Duties involve:

• Meet and greet people upon their arrival to the game, showcasing and discussing SAC, letting staff know we’re out there.
• Provide and serve light refreshments (beverage/cake) during halftime.

Outcome of request: SAC voted unanimously to support this effort.  Discussion followed regarding the need for SAC to acquire a budget in order to help support these types of requests.

New Faculty/Staff Web Launch:  The launch of the new site is still in preview stage.  Mary is working with Kerry King looking over the SAC Newsletter.  SAC feedback on the Newsletter was positive.  It was asked to have the newsletter list where staff members can voice concerns.  Mary requested missing SAC bios to be sent to her, along with any staff employee stories for publication in the Newsletter by October 10. 

Staff Appreciation Event:  Doris McLaughlin asked for another  SAC volunteer to help with the staff evaluation committee to replace Donna Thornton who had scheduling conflicts.

• Nicole Gaillard volunteered.

Ideas for staff employee hot line:  Ideas included for staff  reporting to SAC of concerns:

• Use of safe, anonymous web email.
• Hard copy to a P.O. Box
• Mary will investigate possibility of being issued a P.O Box at no cost.
• Karen will look into how to set up a web form for use.

Department-all hands meeting:  It was suggested that we have our departments/units invite a SAC member to speak at one of their regularly scheduled meetings to inform staff of our committee.

Campus-wide Policies:  Discussion of a possible need for all major university policies to be posted in one central area, as is done at other colleges and universities.  Comments regarding this possibility:

• Too many units such as FAS, HR, and Facilities Management have their own specific policy posted that applies to all areas of the university
• Budgets restrict all policies conforming.
• Concern expressed that many policies are not clear in who owns the policy.  Policies should clearly designate who is owner.

Next SAC meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 26 at 1:30, location TBA.  Suggestions for future guest speakers to be invited to SAC were:

• Laurel Banks—Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Andrea Ellis—HR—Professional Development Classes
• HR—someone to speak about all changes to benefits and the new health care regulations