InTouch:
UNC Employee Forum News
Volume 4, Number 1 February 2003
From the Chair: It is Time
Women's Week March 22-29
Two Staff Members Teach in Community Classroom
Update
on the Winmore Housing Project
Housing Options Survey
A New Delegate's Perspective: C.L. Lassiter
Delegate
Rosters
From the
Chair, Tommy Griffin...
It is Time
Hello friends now is the time that we all must stand united together to get
through this year. We all know that hard times are in store for us this year
because of the economy. But I know that we will get through them together no
matter what happens. We all must let our leaders at Raleigh know that we are
struggling to make ends meet and they need to make some sacrifices in areas
other than our pay checks. It's time to pave a bit fewer miles of roads and
build a bit fewer buildings so they can at least give us a decent cost of living
raise and revamp our medical insurance. It is also time for them to pay back
the money to our retirement system that they owe to us. I know that they expect
us to make sacrifices in order for the state to survive through this economical
crises but we have been making sacrifices all ready. The last ten years we have
been coming up shorter and shorter in our in our pay checks. Its time for our
leaders at Raleigh to do something to help state employees do more than just
survive.
I know that lots of people had questions about the adverse weather decisions from December and January. Chief Poarch has passed on the memo on parking and adverse weather that was sent to deans, directors and department heads here.
I attended a meeting of the Board of Governors on January the 10th and they passed a resolution honoring all the University Employees for their hard work and dedication. It is a great Honor to receive such recognition but we really need to be honored in our pay checks. The board has assured us that they would do every thing that they could to help us with our pay and benefits. I am communicating with everyone that I can, to get them to understand our needs and how we must be a top priority for this year . We can not wait any longer, we must have help this year no matter what it takes. We have been waiting and hoping each year to see some changes in our pay checks but they have been little or none. I wonder if our leaders in Raleigh would work for the pay that most of us receive and work as hard as we do and be as dedicated as we are. The good thing that I can say is that we all still have jobs and we all still come to work every day, so that we can keep the greatness of our University. We all must continue to have hope and think positively about our future. The most positive thing that I can say is that we all still have each other and we are all still supporting each other. Do what you can every day to help each other and tell each other thank you. I want to thank all of you for what you do each day because the people are what continue to keep this a great place to work and live.
Your chair of the Employee Forum Tommy Griffin.
Women's Week 2003 on Campus March 22-29
In celebration of Women’s
History Month, the Carolina Women’s Center invites the staff, faculty and
students to join then during the many events to be held during during a weeklong
series of events at the end of March. Women’s Week 2003 will kickoff with
a reception featuring keynote speeches on women in public service from Secretary
of State Elaine Marshall, North Carolina Council for Women Northwest Director
Katherine Harrelson, and female members of the North Carolina General Assembly
on Monday March 24.
Other exciting events featured in this year’s Women’s Week include a speech from international women’s health expert Dr. David Grimes on March 24, a slideshow on the history of toxic chemicals in America from feminist activist, artist, and performer Stella Marrs on March 23, a speech sponsored by the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History given by renowned scholar and professor Tracy Sharpley-Whiting on March 25, and performances by spoken-word artist Jessica Care Moore and comedian Kate Rigg on March 27. In addition to these evening events, an array of workshops and discussions will take place during the afternoon on topics of relevance to women on campus and in the community, such as physical and emotional health, achieving success in the business world, racial identity, sexuality, faith, violence against women, and self-expression. Popular events from previous years, like the Take Back the Night march and the Women’s Health Fair, will be reprised. For a complete calendar of events, please visit http://www.unc.edu/womenscenter/
Two
Staff Members Teach in the Community Classroom
Two UNC-CH staff members will be teaching as part of the Community Classroom
Series at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education beginning
April 3. Paul Mihas, managing editor of Social Forces magazine, will teach a
six-week creative writing class entitled Shaping the Story.
Peggy Rabb, communications director for Intrah, an international health program
at the medical school, will teach Reading and Writing Poetry of Transformation.
Both people are excellent examples of the highly skilled and talented UNC staff
members interested in teaching. Staff members interested in teaching for future
Community Classroom programs are invited to contact Mary Morrison, Continuing
Education Specialist, at 843-4483 or
mmorriso@email.unc.edu
For enrollment information on the Community
Classroom Series visit http://www.fridaycenter.unc.edu/cni
Update
on the Status of the Winmore Housing Project; Other Projects
Winmore Land Management, LLC (“Winmore”) is working with the Town
of Carrboro on the development of a 66-acre tract of land on Homestead Road,
following principles that reflect social and environmental responsibility and
smart growth. The Winmore tract is contiguous to the southern edge of the University’s
63-acre tract, known as the Horace Williams satellite property. Winmore seeks
to combine the two parcels into a larger joint development that would optimize
a “new urban” design concept, increase the availability of economical
housing, and create a more walkable and integrated community with limited retail
and public space. Their proposal noted the shortage of appropriately priced,
quality housing in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area, making it difficult for the
University to attract and retain high quality faculty and staff.
The Carrboro Aldermen will set a date for public hearings on the Winmore project
at their town meeting in March. The hearing will probably be held at the end
of March. But the agenda for March 2003 is not available yet. Knowing how long
the public approval process takes, it could be a few months before any construction
begins.
One of the Winmore partners
is Bob Chapman, a traditional neighborhood developer who worked on the Trinity
Heights faculty/staff housing project for Duke University. There are some good
photos of Trinity Heights on the web at http://www.realestate.duke.edu/photosth.htm
The other partners in Winmore are local architect Phil Szostak, and Herman Greene, a local attorney and environmental activist.
The Winmore partners will
develop the infrastructure for the community (roads, utilities, other improvements)
but then they sell the lots to builders who actually build the homes and apartments.
Winmore doesn't build the homes, but they have very strict standards for sustainable
development and "green" building.
If you would like a Winmore
newsletter so you can learn more about the proposed community, please contact
Bob Knight at 962-3795 and provide your campus box number.
There are two other affordable
housing communities that are currently underway in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
that may be of interest to UNC-Chapel Hill employees:
Phone 967-1545 or 960-0076 for more information on these opportunities.
Many employees of UNC-Chapel Hill and the UNC Healthcare System are unable to
live closer to work because of the high cost of houses and apartments in Chapel
Hill, Carrboro and Orange County. Still others choose to live closer to work,
but find they are spending too much of their monthly income for housing and
don’t have enough left to meet their family’s remaining needs.
In early March, UNC-Chapel Hill will conduct a survey of employees to learn
about their needs and preferences for employer-assisted housing programs. That
might include such things such as developing reasonably priced homes and apartments,
or helping employees obtain access to low-interest mortgages.
Last month, UNC-Chapel Hill hired FGI Inc., an independent research firm located
in Chapel Hill, to hold focus group meetings with small groups of faculty and
staff, including employees of the Healthcare System. Focus group participants
were asked to discuss such questions as:
How important are these factors to your decision about where to live?
Proximity to work
Availability of public transportation
Quality and reputation of local schools
Living near other UNC employees
Proximity to shopping and recreation
Being in a neighborhood with a variety of housing types and styles and prices
The groups were also asked to consider the merits of several types of employer-assisted housing programs that are offered at other universities, such as:
Providing educational classes for first-time homebuyers
Helping employees get a low-interest mortgage (below market rate)
Helping employees get 100% financing (i.e., no down payment required and closing costs rolled into the mortgage so you have no upfront cash outlay)
Developing reasonably priced housing for employees on university property
What type – single-family houses, duplexes, townhouses, apartments?
How far from work is too far?
The focus groups came up with lots of great suggestions. The next step is to test out those ideas with a larger scientific survey of several thousand employees.
UNC-Chapel Hill encourages everyone who is contacted by the survey company to
take the time to respond and let their voice be heard. The survey will go out
by e-mail to people who are on the UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Healthcare System
computer network, and on paper via regular mail to people who are not on UNC
e-mail.
The goal of the survey is to provide faculty and staff with an opportunity to
express their opinions. FGI will collect and analyze all results confidentially
and will provide UNC with only summarized information. FGI has stated that the
confidentiality of employee responses will be protected. Only respondents will
know how they answered the survey questions or any added comments they may choose
to make.
UNC-Chapel Hill is asking all faculty and staff who are contacted to please
complete the survey, even if they are not currently seeking housing. The survey
can be completed on work time with the permission of the employee’s supervisor.
The results of the survey will provide UNC-Chapel Hill with valuable information
as it considers additional resources needed to serve the campus community.
If you have questions about the upcoming survey, please contact:
Bob Knight, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
962-3795
Elected to the UNC-CH Employee Forum autumn, 2002, I have to confess that my prior knowledge about the Forum and its focus within our University’s community was limited. Since my first meeting in October, I have been amazed and the scope and breadth of the Forum’s purview. I have also been impressed with the Forum members’ diversity of opinions on any given topic.
From the welcome session for newly-elected Delagates in October in which women’s
basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell spoke eloquently on the subject of teamwork
to the February, 2003, Forum meeting in which Associate Provost Steve Allred
spoke on the proposed University Academic Plan, a wide variety of issues have
been discussed. Chancellor James Moeser addressed the November and December
Forum meetings; at the first, he welcomed the new Delagates and spoke about
the Carolina First campaign and how funds raised would go towards the correct
University priorities. He also said that he had written a letter to President
Broad stating that staff and faculty salaries must be the number one priority
in the next legislative session. He also expressed concern over our inadequate
benefits package and ever escalating health care costs. At the December meeting,
he addressed his handling of the Susan Ehringhaus episode and that University's
State Combined Campaign had raised $986,000, almost 86% of its $1.15 million
goal.
Salary increases were discussed at the November meeting. Specifically the Chair
noted that resolution 02-10 concerning the use of tuition increases for staff
salaries was before the Forum. He said that the tuition task force would make
a decision on the use of tuition increase monies. Several of the Delagates were
uncomfortable with that idea feeling that any tuition increase would negatively
impact students. It was quickly noted that the Forum was not requesting any
tuition increase—rather that if there were to be a tuition increase that
part of those monies be dedicated towards salary increases for staff. The resolution
before the Forum passed by a substantial margin.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Laurie Charest is a frequent speaker
to the Forum addressing concerns that all UNC employees share. These include
the ever-(un)popular adverse weather policy and concerns about rising health
care costs.
The Forum Delagates were to select committees on which to serve for the next
year during the January retreat; however, adverse weather conditions forced
the retreat’s postponement and then cancellation for 2 weeks in a row.
Finally, we signed up for the various Forum committees at our February meeting.
So while this delegate feels he had to “hit the ground running,” he
is just as certain that he still has a lot to learn and, hopefully, to contribute.