May 10, 2007 Provost Vice Chancellor meeting

              Provost Bernadette Gray-Little, Vice Chancellor Richard Mann, Assistant Vice Chancellor Dwayne Pinkney, Chair Ernie Patterson, Secretary Brenda Denzler, Delegate Jane Tornow, Delegate Sue Field, Delegate Todd Hux, Delegate Brian Whitling, Delegate Sharon Hoyt, Delegate Alan Moran, Delegate Jackie Overton, and Delegate Qun He all were in attendance.

              Dwayne Pinkney noted that the UNC Health Care System was moving forward with its smoke-free policy.  The Employee Forum had approved a resolution endorsing a smoke-free campus at the University, following House Bill 760.  Ernie Patterson urged that the University get behind this bill.  Pinkney said that a deans and department heads memo described several resources employees can use to overcome the urge to smoke.  Patterson noted that the National Center for Smoke Free Kids had compiled a list of programs that the University might use.  Jane Tornow said that the bill seemed to impact the privacy of other people.  She did not think that the government or the Forum should dictate what employees do.  She also said that smoking had nothing to do with an employee’s work ethic.

              Richard Mann said that employers were moving to the next step because of the negative appearance and congestion on the outside of buildings caused by smokers taking their breaks.  He acknowledged that these bills create great hardship for some folks.  Patteson suggested that the University fund smoking cessation programs and allow employees to pursue these programs during work time. 

              Todd Hux asked if there would be no designated areas for smokers around medical buildings.  Mann said that was correct.  Hux asked why the ban extended to the Dental School.  Bernadette Gray-Little said that the line has to be drawn somewhere and that clinical activities also take place at the Dental School.  Alan Moran wondered how to represent the many smokers in Facilities Services.  Mann said that the University did not yet have the authority to enact a smoke-free policy, beyond the interior smoke-free policy already in place. 

              Hux asked where those who work at the Ambulatory Care Center could now smoke.  Mann had no answer, saying he did not know how far workers could go from their posts to smoke.  Hux asked who would enforce the policy.  Mann did not think that using police would be a good method.  He thought that the situation could be better treated as one of job performance.  Patterson suggested supplementing disciplinary warnings with instructions on how to obtain treatment. 

              Sue Field did not want to personalize or judge people who smoke.  Mann said that taking 5-10 minutes every hour to smoke could be seen as a performance issue. 

              Patterson noted that House Bill 1726 extends the number of community services days allowed to State employees from three to five.  He hoped the bill would obtain approval in the upcoming legislative session.  He also asked the University to support the bill in its negotiations with legislators.  Mike Hawkins said that the states can apply for reimbursement for these days for disaster relief. 

              Patterson noted House Bill 1727 would allow people to share sick leave with those in need as well as vacation leave, as is now currently done.  Mann did not see the issue  as presenting a problem for the University.  Hux noted that if a retiring employee has a month and four days of sick leave, those extra four days would go into a shared leave pool.  Mann said that there would not be a significant out of pocket cost to the state.

              Jackie Overton expressed concern that managers will use the no-smoking policy to punish disfavored employees.  Gray-Little said that the University would discourage this practice, instead focusing on smoking as an issue of health and safety. 

              Patterson noted reports that the House would increase state employees’ pay increases from 2.5% to 4.5%.  Gray-Little said that this step would require agencies to dissolve positions that have sat vacant for six months or more.  Mann hoped to exempt faculty positions from this proposal, since faculty positions often take six months or more to fill. 

              Moran asked about funding the comprehensive compensation system or some localized version of it at the University.  Gray-Little said that providing bonus money for SPA employees is very difficult under State rules.  Hawkins pointed to ITS’ award programs as one way to approach the problem.  Mann thought that a bonus system served as a nice motivator and a very reasonable personnel tool.  He hoped the State would grant leeway to pursue this measure.  Patterson raised the Forum’s goal to increase the starting pay for University employees to $24,000.  Mann raised questions about salary compression.  Moran wanted to find a way to consolidate the five lowest pay grades as a way to increase retention among these grades. 

                                                                                                  Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                                  Matt Banks, Recording Secretary