Staff Council Minutes
Thursday January 4, 2007
     2:00-3:00pm MMD Room Pierce Hall
(Submitted by Art Usher, Co- Secretary)

*APPROVED*
Quorum present

Attending:  Joseph Bialek, Nancy Brady, Sandy Bycenski, Janice Cole, Lynda DallaPegorara, Lou Ann Krawczynski, Linda Laflam, Merrilyn Lewis, Trish Mailler, Sabrina Marsh, Jinny Mason, Sam Rush, William Sheehan, Art Usher and Laurie Wyman,

Excused: Adrianne Andrews, Beverly Byrnes Navae Fenwick, Christopher Gentes, Alicia Guidiotti, Kathryn Messier, Steve Monteiro, Rick Rubin, Patricia Rist, Janet Spongberg, Kathy Yarnell and John Zaikowski

Guests: Stacey Anasazi, Ken Molnar

Approval of the Minutes –

• November minutes approved
• December amended minutes approved

Announcements-

• Sam Rush announced that he has not yet attended a S.A.M.S. meeting, in part because of timing (meeting held just before the holidays) and partly because he would like to re-look at the Morale Report before attending. Sam asked council members to re-read the report before next months meeting where there will be a discussion on the report and whether it is “dated” and if it needs updating before Sam meets with S.A.M.S. Copies of the report to be re-distributed to council members via e-mail.

Reports from standing sub-committees and ad hoc committee:

Activities Committee –

• Sabrina Marsh announced that the next self hypnosis workshop will be a weight control workshop and will be held January 19. This class is co-sponsored by Staff Councils Activities Committee and Human Resources.
• Holiday Hoopla was a success. Nearly all the food (enough for 200 people) was eaten. “Kudos” given to members of the Activities Committee as well as the Campus School Singers for their part in making the event the success that it was.
• Posters for the movie “Cars” (that will be shown on Jan. 13th in Stoddard Auditorium) were distributed as well as posters for the Weight Control Self –Hypnosis Workshop on January 19.
• Reported that the “upcoming events” calendar on the Staff Council website needs updating.

Communications Committee – No report

• Someone asked whether the, new employee tour, driver situation had been settled. It was reported that Rick Rubin and Steve Monteiro volunteered to be drivers and that there may still be a need for speakers. Committee will follow up on the situation.

 Personnel Policy (PPC) Committee – 

• Reported that the PPC Committee will meet with Larry Hunt on January 11th (see attached minutes).
• Some agenda items include: Flexible medical account plans and administrative support staff evaluations.
• Sam Rush suggested the Committee get more information on Mount Holyoke’s flexible medical plan before meeting with Larry.

Nominations and Elections –

• Nancy Brady reported that this is a quite time for Nominations and elections. She will provide a “timeline“for nominations etc. at the next meeting.

Diversity-  

• Film Series will take place the last Tuesday of each month (January through May) in the Kahn Institute from 12:00-1:15 pm. The Committee will try and tie the movie into the months holiday e.g. “Black History Month”. Guests are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Light snacks will be provided.

Old Business-  “Green” Forum

• One council member asked whether a commitment to the Green Forum had been officially made.

• Sam said that the next step was to sit down with Gary Hartwell and other interested parties for a “brainstorming meeting” on the possibility of a “green” themed forum.  Sam would then report back to the Council.

Meeting adjourned 2:40pm

The next Staff Council meeting will be on February 1, 2007 in the MMD room in Pierce Hall.