Childcare Committee

Ad Hoc Committee Meeting on
Cornell’s Childcare Center
Monday, June 11, 2007
3:30 — 5:00 p.m.
MEETING OVERVIEW NOTES

I. Welcome and Introductions — 3:35 p.m.
Those in attendance; Lynette Chappell-Williams (A), Mary George Opperman (A), Charlie Walcott (A), Brenda Marston (S), Amy O’Donnell (S), Mohamed Elhawary (GS), Amy Richter (GS), Shelley Correll (F), Abe Stroock (UA/F), Sue Dale Hall (E), Mark Jasinski (E), Elizabeth Stilwell (ECC), Elaine Wethington (F), Marty Hatch (UA/F), and Zellman Warhaft (A)

Unable to attend; Bob Harris (A), Lorraine Maxwell (F) A-Administration, S-Staff, GS-Grad Student, F-Faculty, UA/F-University Assembly/Faculty Reps

Abe Stroock welcomed the participants to the meeting, and said that he and Amy O’Donnell will convene the committee until a chair is identified.

Mary Opperman suggested an employee from a bargaining unit should be invited to join the committee in order to have broader employee representation. Amy Richter encouraged the committee to include undergraduates as soon as possible- from a research standpoint their views are important and as well as for broader student representation.

II. Update from Vice President Mary George Opperman and Lynette Chappell-Williams
The idea of a childcare center on campus has been discussed since 1990. The Childcare Grant program was begun in 2001 as a way to at least help with childcare expenses.

Recently, there have been many local infant and toddler spaces eliminated by the increasingly restrictive, complicated, and expensive NYS regulations, so the idea of a CU center was revisited. The President is wholeheartedly in favor of the childcare center, and will support more daycare centers as needed.

Bright Horizons was chosen was because they have experience working in Ivy League settings, and could be contracted to be the manager of the center for at least the next 5 years. So far, CU and it’s representatives, including Lorraine Maxwell from HumEc facilities, has found them to be very understanding, accommodating, and easy to work with. Their design has been approved to accommodate 158 children — 48 infants/50 toddlers/64 preschool. CU will set tuition rates, and subsidize tuition for families as needed.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for September 2007, and the center would open at approximately 80% capacity in July 2008, which is a very aggressive schedule. The center will be available to children of those within the CU community, and additionally will do its best to continue the good works of the ECC. Admittedly, the closing of the ECC surprised everyone, and it has changed the original intent of the center to provide a diverse and enriched preschool experience, including building in observation facilities for researchers.

III. Definition of mandate and mission of committee:
A. Roles in planning, oversight, communication
B. Plan for formalization of committee in fall, 2007
Although the building location and design is set, this committee is needed to make immediate decisions for the center, including policies, hours of operation, whether to offer part-time care, etc. Bright Horizons will offer suggestions and ideas, but it is ultimately our committee, the CU community, and the administration who will have final authority.

It is important to communicate that this center cannot meet the needs of every person in the community, and that decisions made for this center will impact any future CU centers. Communication will be critical in the coming months, in order to keep the community apprised in stages, of how and who are making the decisions. Many suggestions were raised as to how to accomplish this; websites −1 or 2, blogs to accept feedback and comments, and open fora beginning in the fall semester. The mission and vision of the committee needs to be clear to minimize rumors and miscommunications.

When the fall semester begins, the committee will be formalized, likely under the umbrella of the University Assemblies and/or Human Resources.

IV. Definition of goals and committee schedule for summer, 2007
The discussion of a website and who will house it, and how HR could link with the Assemblies office and the University Assembly was discussed. The Assemblies office is a good vehicle of communication to all constituencies.

The committee will work on a press release to go out by September, to include the website link(s) for reference.

V. Discussion

VI. Adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Abe Stroock and Amy O’Donnell agreed to convene another meeting of the committee by the end of June if possible.