25 March 2009

Staff Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes for 25 March 2009

Members present:

Terry McGrath, John Dukes, Tami Gura, Lois Falzone, Cathy Pescatore, Pat Hearty, Carolyn Vance, Joseph Deasey, Brady Gonsalves, Lynn Grady, and Val Gibson.

Ex Officio members present:

Melanie Young representing Human Resources and Shar LaMar representing the Equal Opportunity Office

The Staff Advisory Council (SAC) of Swarthmore College was called to order at 9:38 am on Wednesday March 25, 2009 by moderator Mary Marissen. The following items were discussed:

All Staff Meeting

  • The meeting was taped and has been made available in DVD format to departments in which employees were not able to attend the meeting.
  • The DVD will be available for employees to view in the Library at their convenience.
  • A suggestion was made that perhaps the DVD could be shown at lunch at one of the Coffee Bars.
  • Although some employees reported feeling reassured by the budget information communicated, others said they remain anxious about job security.
  • Some employees hoped that more everyday actions would be addressed during the sustainability portion.
  • Staff is reminded that the College does recycle all paper, plastic, and cans that are placed in the recycling receptacles.
  • EVS will provide a recycling receptacle for any area that is in need of one.

Election Needed

  • An election is needed in both the Rose Garden Circle and Sharples Circle to replace members whose terms are expiring.
  • It is hoped that elections can be held so that the results of the elections will be known by the May SAC meeting.

Middle States Accreditation

  • SAC members will meet with the Accreditation team on Monday March 30, 2009 at 3 pm in the Scheuer Room.
  • Ad Hoc members should not meet with the Accreditation team at this time.

Pet Policy

  • Complaints have been received about a barking dog in a private office on campus.
  • The current Pet Policy in Staff and Instructional Staff Handbooks does not specifically address this nuisance.
  • Melanie asked that Human Resources be notified so that they can take action.
  • Facilities will share the more specific language about pets used in the college housing leases with Human Resources in case the Pet Policies in the Handbooks should be reconsidered.

Financial Update

  • An announcement was made at the All-Staff meeting about a Committee formed to make contingency plans due to the economic crisis.
  • Mary Marissen has been added to the Committee based on a comment about the need for non-exempt staff presence.
  • A web site, including an electronic suggestion box, will be used by the Committee to share information about their work and should be operational very soon.
  • Open Forum meetings will be held in April so that employees can give any suggestions that they might have for the next budget year.

New Business

  • Melanie stated that the College has received a letter from the local carpenters union that they will formally begin to picket at the Greenhouse construction site.  A giant inflatable rat was used by the union as a protest on Tuesday.

Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:34 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Beth Baksi
Secretary