Thursday, May 13, 2004
12:15-1:45 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room
(Submitted by Nancy Brady, co-secretary)
Attending: Adrianne
Andrews, Suzanne Beaumier, Joseph Bialek, Nancy Brady, Terrilyn
(Cooley) Calloway, Chris Carr Hill, Janice Cole, Marti Hobbes, Susan
Hollingsworth, Patty Kimura, Linda LaFlam, Merrilyn Lewis, Jinny
Mason, Laura Matta, Janice McDowell, Steve Montiero, Linda Rainville,
Laura Rauscher, Patricia Rist, Sam Rush, Bill Sheehan, Xinh Spangler,
Janet Spongberg. Mike Washut, Tara Zidonik
Excused: Kim Allen,
Adrian Beaulieu, Karen Hebert, Kate Kilpatrick, Karen LeHouiller,
Dianne Mikucki, Janine Nye, Patricia Swan,
Guests: Sandy Bycenski,
Ferris Shelton
1. Welcome and introductions
While enjoying our lunch, Merrilyn welcomed all staff members. She
started with an overview of Staff Council explaining what we try
to do and what we don't or can't do. We then approved the minutes
from our meeting of April 29 and set the next meeting for June 10,
from 1-2:00 p.m. in the Mary Maples Dunn room. Future meeting times
will be set at that meeting and Merrilyn asked all members to send
her a schedule of their available times to meet before June 10.
We then went around the room to introduce ourselves. We included
our names, our job on campus, our first job (beyond babysitting),
and something we learned on our first job.
2. Reports from standing sub-committees
Merrilyn gave an overview of all of the standing committees. Then
each committee chair presented a short review of their committees
purpose, activities of the previous year, and their potential plans
for the future and roles for new members. The committees represented
included the Steering Committee, Activities Committee, Communications
Committee, Nominations and Elections Committee, Personnel Policy
(PPC) Committee, and the Ad hoc Diversity Committee.
Members were advised to consider which committee they would join
for the upcoming year. Choices will be made at our meeting in June.
During these reports members cut ribbons to decorate the Smith College
float being made for the Northampton 350th anniversary parade to
be held on June 6.
3. Accomplishments - "we have been busy"
Merrilyn listed and described the numerous activities of Staff Council
in 2003-04. She emphasized our role as members of many campus committees
and working with various offices on campus. She also listed the
number of invited guest speakers we hosted in the past year and
the importance of our role as campus leaders.
4. Campus leadership activity
We then formed small groups and brainstormed for "adjectives"
that described the words LEADER and INVOLVED and which began with
the letters of those two words. The results of our brainstorming
were presented to the whole group.
5. Brainstorming Goals for
'04-'05
Merrilyn asked members to close the meeting with some ideas that
we can use in our planning for the next year. Many members responded
and lots of great ideas were suggested. Some of these were:
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creating more interactive community
forums |
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creating a mechanism to note the many people
nominated for Employee Excellence awards who don't receive the
awards. This could perhaps be done by reporting how many people
were nominated and extracting a few comments from the nominations
of those not chosen (respecting privacy, of course) |
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sharing more good news in the Chronicle perhaps
about internal transfers, etc. |
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establishing more jointly sponsored events with
student groups or offices on campus to build more community |
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finding an electronic venue for staff to voice
comments, concerns or news - an electronic bulletin board of
some sort. |
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Merrilyn wrapped up this portion of
the meeting by commenting about the enthusiasm of our new Council
members, their great ideas and willingness to speak up. She also
took time to thank those members whose terms were ending for all
their hard work especially during this difficult year. She reminded
them all that they would be welcome to return to the Council in
the future or to sit on committees as off-Council members at anytime.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:45.
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