MINUTES
Employee Assembly Meeting
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
12:15 — 1:30pm
Physical Sciences 401

“Being an active Voice for Cornell Staff”

I. Call to Order

B. Schaffner called the meeting to order at 12:19PM.

Members present: J. Ambrosetti, N. Bell, D. Brooks, C. Ferguson, T. Grove, E. Lee, G. Mezey, B. Schaffner, M. Stefanski-Seymour, P. Thompson

Members absent: B. Cristelli, L Croll-Howell, B. Esty, L. Morris, G. Osborne, J. Rogan, L. Sayam

Also present: A. Mittman, A. O’Donnell, M. Powers, B. Murphy, B. McKinney B.J. Siasoco

II. Call for Late Additions to the Agenda

None presented.

III. Approval of Minutes from June 5, 2013

The minutes from the August 21, 2013 meeting and from the September 4, 2013 meeting were unanimously approved.

VI. Report from the Chair

a) Meeting with Mary Opperman

The EA Chair and Vice Chair met with Mary Opperman, Vice President of Human Resources. On Health and Wellness, B. Schaffner noted many departments cannot afford to have people working less time, and the Administration thinks there are some programs already in place. T. Grove asked about policy application for Exempt versus non-Exempt employees. G. Mezey said the focus was on personal wellness at the individual level, and what each person can do to make themselves healthy.

b) Employee Survey

Beth McKinney was present to represent the Employee Survey Response Team. She noted a concern about who the Non-Professorial Academic members of the university (those with titles like Senior Lecturer, Principle Investigator, etc.) are associated with: the Employee Assembly or the Faculty Senate. B. Schaffner said they fall under the Employee Assembly. P. Thompson said many Non-Professorial Academics do not feel as though the EA represents them. The issue of representing Non-Professorial Academics was to be added to the agenda for further discussion.

B. Schaffner said the survey was intended to follow a three-year cycle, and the next survey would be in the fall of 2014. She asked if it would be better to move it in line with the Faculty Survey, which would next be in the fall of 2016 and follows a five-year cycle. C. Ferguson said the Faculty Survey could overshadow the Employee Survey if they were held the same year. T. Grove noted that the changes implemented as a result of the last survey might not have fully taken effect by the time the next survey is conducted. The room agreed that, because of the changing nature of the Staff, a three-year survey cycle is best.

V. Old Business

a) Committee Appointments Update

P. Thompson said the EA needs to appoint two people to the University Assembly Infrastructure Committee and one person to the University Assembly’s Campus Welfare Committee.

b) President’s Address

B. Schaffner said it is important to ask how people heard about the event, and to find out if it is the same group of Staff members that come every year or if new Staff members come every year. The room briefly discussed the idea of ID scanner to gather additional data on attendees.

VI. New Business

a) EA Membership

B. Schaffner moved this item up on the agenda. B.J. Siasoco was unanimously confirmed as a new member of the E.A.

VII. Old Business (continued)

c) Budget Update

J. Ambrosetti is working with the Office of the Assemblies and Cornell Information Technologies to fix technological issues with budget access. It was decided the Office of the Assemblies will bring a printout of the Budget to each meeting.

d) CARE Fund Update

J. Ambrosetti and B. McKinney said the employee CARE fund is currently in deficit and is unable to grant any new requests. J. Ambrosetti said he thought the administration could assist the fund financially and feels that the fund should not have to depend on fundraising. T. Grove asked if the 10% additional cost on each grant could be removed. A. Mittman said this is due to tax laws, not a Cornell policy.

VIII. Adjournment

B. Schaffner adjourned the meeting at 1:31PM.