Staff council seeks input, volunteers

Staff members who wish to donate their time or expertise for the third annual spring event should call Employee Relations Committee Chair Patsy Douglas at 325-3228; or they may attend a planning meeting on Dec. 12, 3:30 p.m., President's Reception Room at Humphrey Coliseum. A date has not been finalized.

On another staff matter, as chair of the Staff Awards Committee, Debbie Baker-Upton asked for help in planning for this spring's ceremony honoring top staff members. She may be reached at Student Support Services, 325-3335.

In other action, the council reviewed a recommendation from the Faculty Council proposing an ombudsperson program.

The faculty council's Ancillary Affairs Committee, in responding to a letter from a faculty member, presented its recommendations to the Employee Relations Committee of staff council for its input.

The faculty council recommendations, with the staff council responses in bold, follow: the university administration should consider implementing a recognized mentor program to assist new employees including faculty, professional and support staff; the administration should become more sensitive to the needs and concerns of its employees regarding fair and equal treatment in all circumstances (staff council agreed); the administration should investigate the possibility of identifying an individual who could address problems which do not fall in the category of affirmative action (The Affirmative Action Officer responds to affirmative action problems. The Employee Relations Manager, Human Resources Management, is the individual charged with investigating employee complaints and attempting to bring about positive solutions.); the request for an ombudsperson program should be referred to the Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council for review and comments back to the Robert Holland Faculty Council. (The Employee Relations Committee feels an ombudsperson program is already in place through the position of Employee Relations Manager, currently held by Paula Jernigan, in the Human Resources Management office).

The staff council approved the committee's recommendations.