University Managers Association

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2002

155 Sitterson

Present: Jo Bell, Linda Carl, Katrina Coble, Libby Evans, Peter De Saix, Phill Lyons, Rebecca Mabe, Steve Weiss

Guests: Keith Todd, Barbara DeLon, Tina Hodach

Funding for Employee Appreciation Day (EAD): Keith Todd, Associate Dean for Development, School of Public Health, offered suggestions on what steps UMA could take to develop an endowment for funding EAD. His ideas and comments from UMA Board included the following suggestions:

• Raise money from employees annually until an endowment is built up. This type of fund raising might be very slow.
• Ask university vendors to contribute or sponsor EAD. Possibly ask for a 1% contribution of their gross profits.
• Solicit UNC hospitals which should have funds for activities of this type.
• Develop a strategy that secures contributions from employees before going to the administration to ask for funding. With significant employee participation we can say to the administration that we have shown we are helping ourselves, now we need their support.
• Investigate if it is possible to be included in the Carolina First Campaign.
• Consider starting development activities in a trust fund as a precursor to establishing an endowment.
• Determine the limits of activities for which funds might be used (e.g. professional development, Employee Appreciation Day, scholarships for children of employees, and awards for faculty who have served a long time).
• Engage top leadership in highly visible activities. For example, ask Chancellor Moeser to offer his help by getting him to make the first donation. His donation might become a major publicity event.

Keith Todd expressed his willingness to help UMA move forward on these activities.

Immediate Next steps: Libby Evans will contact Andi Sobbe, UNC Development Office, to find out what needs to be done to become part of the Carolina First Campaign.

Employee Appreciation Day 2002: Barbara DeLon and Tina Hodach, Human Resources, were invited to update UMA on Human Resources activities and views regarding EAD 2002. Barbara’s involvement in EAD was a result of Joanne Kucharski’s approaching Nancy Suttenfield. She was requesting funds for an EAD more substantive than an ice cream social. Nancy contacted Laurie Charest who in turn asked Barbara to review options for EAD.

Barbara then formed a committee of which UMA members Phill Lyons, Rebecca Mabe and Fran Allegri are a part. The Committee came up with the following suggestions:

1. Fully fund a “Dean Dome” type EAD or drop EAD entirely.
2. Use the $15,000 allocated to EAD to fund another ice cream social.
3. Reallocate the $15,000 to departments who wish to honor their own employees.
4. Combine funds from 20001-2002 and expected funds for 2002-03 and offer a traditional “Dean Dome” activity

The following issues were raised by Barbara and the UMA board in regard to these suggestions:

• We do not have a sense of how the majority of employees feel about EAD.
• Due to the source of the funds from the administration for EAD, funds from one year may not be able to be combined with the second year. Additionally with the reversion, the money traditionally given to EAD may be even less than anticipated for the next fiscal year.
• Because of the budget crisis, managers are feeling even more stretched. The question arises as to where the manpower will be coming from to plan such a big event.
• Barbara’s expressed her concern that in this very tough year when current employees are losing their jobs, it doesn’t feel right emotionally to support a festive event. She called upon UMA to continue the leadership role she has felt it has always served. UMA can make a difference in the campus climate by helping to be more kind and gentle. She was especially interested in other middle managers, the soul of the campus leadership and of UMA, being proactive in achieving this change.
• Committee members suggested other options such as seeing if more space in the University Gazette could be devoted to honoring the excellent work of employees.
• Enthusiasm was strongest for activities that would help direct mangers to resources for laid off employees. These resources that would help laid off employees with their job search. Such a resource packet might include:
• Sample letters on how to write letters showing interest in positions
• a website with information on how to identify possible jobs
• resources for career counseling
• information on the rights of laid off employees
• information on how to manage financial difficulties

Next steps:

§ Linda Carl will contact Employee Forum Chair Tommy Griffin to explore the Forum’s interest in putting together a resource packet.

§ Barbara DeLon’s committee will prepare a letter to the administration detailing its options. UMA and the Employee Forum will be asked to identify the aspects of this plan they feel they can support.

§ Libby Evans will contact a laid off employee to find out what services this employee would value. This would be a precursor to a possible survey exploring the needs of other laid off employees.

Uma feb 20