UA: 20090225 R 1

R 1 Resolution Regarding Relationship to University Health Services

Whereas Article 1, Section 3 of the University Assembly (the Assembly) Charter (the charter) charges the Assembly with “legislative authority over policies which guide the activities” of the University Health Services;

Whereas Article 10 provides a structure of committees to assist in the exercise of the authority granted in Section 3 of Article 1, including the Board on University Health Services (BUHS);

Whereas the BUHS was actively staffed and meeting between with mid-1990s and the fall semester of 2004;

Whereas, while it was actively staffed and meeting, the BUHS experimented with schedule changes, meeting, length, sub-committees, orientation of new members, menu, and other strategies for supporting attendance at and engagement in meetings;

Whereas the BUHS, despite the efforts of its members and the staff of University Health Services, failed to maintain sufficient involvement to meet its charge during the period between the mid 1990s and mid 2000s due to cumbersome staffing and charge specifications;

Whereas University Health Services staff reported to the Assembly on October 27, 2004 the following specific difficulties:

• Persistence of unfilled vacancies in the Board, despite recruitment efforts by assemblies, University Health Services, and the Office of the Assemblies,
• Lack of interest among members in working with the Assembly or reaching out to a broader community,
• Broad nature of the committee’s charge and difficulty of relating it to the array of specialized services provided by and disciplines involved with University Health Services since the Board was created in the 1970s, and the
• Rise of several specialized, health-related standing committees, which are partly staffed by the constituent assemblies, and which have long served as effective vehicles of communication between University Health Services and the community it serves;

Whereas the Assembly has not convened the BUHS since that discussion, but also has not yet formally acted to address the issues impeding its activity or to disband it;

Whereas the Assembly has restarted discussions with University Health Services representatives regarding how to restructure the relationship between the Assembly and University Health Services through the BUHS;

Whereas Article I, Section 7 of the charter states that the Assembly may undertake efforts to “examine other matters which involve the interests or concern the welfare of a substantial segment of the University community and make recommendations thereon to the appropriate officers or decision-making bodies of the University”;

Be it therefore resolved that the Assembly restructures the BUHS and article 10, section 7.1 of the charter be amended as follows: The Board on University Health Services ( BUHS) at a minimum shall consist of one (non-voting) member from the University Assembly who will convene and chair the meetings, and at least one representative from University Health Services. Additional members to the BUHS may be requested by the BUHS and thereafter appointed by the respective Assemblies (UA, GPSA, SA, FS, EA) on an as-needed basis at the request of the BUHS.

All members shall serve two-year staggered terms with the exception of the undergraduate seniors and last year graduate students who may serve one-year terms. The non-voting ex-officio members shall be the Director of UHS, the Health Center Administrator, the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, or their designates, and the UA liaison. In addition, one UA member shall serve as an “alternate.”

The Board’s charge shall be to advise, consult, and communicate on matters related to the development and implementation of community health issues policies and programs. The Board shall offer advice and counsel to both the UA and the UHS administration that originate from its membership and the Cornell community at-large and shall provide consultation to both the UA and the UHS when requested and on an as-needed basis.

The Board shall have the right to remain flexible and fluid in its staffing and membership to meet the needs of the Cornell community as they arise in the many important areas pertaining to health services across time, people, issues, and language. The Board reserves the right to independently research and distill issues of concern and importance to the Cornell community and develop concepts for policy and program development and management for discussion with and consideration by the UHS administration and the UA. Board members will provide communication to and from their respective constituencies in fulfillment of the aforementioned obligations.

The Board shall maintain timely communication with the UA through the Office of the Assemblies . Copies of minutes of meetings as well as of other working documents generated by it in fulfillment of this charge shall be filed with that office. As indicated, the Board shall report important issues within its purview to the UA for deliberation and guidance. Policies and policy changes shall be recommended to the UA for deliberation, endorsement, and transmittal to the President for approval.

Be it finally resolved that this resolution be provided to the President of the University for approval of Charter changes contained herein.

Respectfully submitted,

Seth Pardo
Graduate Chair, University Assembly

Sharon Dittman
Associate Director, University Health Services

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