Administrative Council Minutes

Reps meeting 3-4 p.m. Jun 16, 2020

Attendance (via Zoom)

Mary Ellen Jackson, chair; Matt Bayly, Amy Blythe, Dave Block, Karen Howell, Lisa Karam, Hannah Tatu, Kathleen Williams, Lisa Rex (ex-officio, HR), Amir Tejani (ex-officio, president’s office)

Furloughs
  • Concern was expressed that in each division, staff are not aware of how furloughs have impacted their unit.
  • As HR has communicated, Lisa Rex noted that employees may not do any work while on furlough.
Athletics
  • Concern was expressed about athletics and the impact it could have on associated employees since it is still unknown if/when they will begin.
  • Athletics has discussed the “phasing” necessary to get teams back into practice and how that is going to look since they have been off for several months.
  • It’s unknown whether fans will be able to attend games.
  • The Patriot League presidents are meeting Friday, which should provide clarity on some issues.
Staff workload
  • Most divisions are devoting much of their time on operational planning for how folks will return to campus, including facilities, dining services, etc.
  • This heavy focus will be surpassed by the “tsunami” of tasks that must be done right before students return to campus.
  • Ideally, employees with a lighter summer load would be connected to their busier colleagues to assist them.
Work safety
  • Safety is the foremost concern for return to work and for students.
  • There was discussion of acquiring PPE for individual divisions and for the entire campus—main areas and back-up.
  • Discussion occurred around the supply-chain challenges in procuring PPE and other essential items for campus and how the College plans on handling that.
Students’ return
  • There were questions of whether anyone will be able to hire student workers on campus this summer to help expedite when students get back.
  • There was discussion of recreation services for students and how things will look different in the fall.
  • Students are the priority, then staff and faculty will be onboarded.
  • There are questions about the return to campus for employees and students and how the workload could/should occur, especially with the added factor of those who are out on furlough until the end of July.

Action Item: Voting needs to occur for a representative from the Development Division. Amy Blythe’s term is expiring Jun 30, 2020.

Reminder: The College has a toll-free anonymous tip hotline (1-800-539-6085) for reporting misconduct by any College employee.