Personnel Services Committee

January 16, 2003

Members Present: Ray Bailey, Kate Blackwell, Jean Braden, Janet Bush, Patti Hill, Joe Horobetz, Donna Principe, Bill Schran, Ruth Schena, Larry Shapira, Aggie Taormina, Eric Trumbull, Ellen Wertman, and Dave Williams

Members Absent: Connie Childress, Barbara Howard, Kurk Lew, Ella Moore, and Melody Seeber

1. Call to Order: Ray Bailey called the meeting to order at 2 p.m.

2. Review and Approval of the Minutes: The minutes of the November meeting were approved as distributed.

3. Chair's Report:

a. Ray reported that the president's sabbatical award winners were announced at Convocation. People were pleased, and the President seemed happy to be able to make the announcements.

b. While the Chancellor agreed to consider changes to the presidential search process, in his role as CFAC Chair, Ray has been asked to nominate a faculty member to participate in Lord Fairfax 's presidential search process. This next search will be conducted under the traditional process.

c. Ray told the committee about the organization of the President's working groups. Committee members suggested that the membership of these groups be published.

d. Ray said that the College had received conditional reaffirmation of its accreditation. This means that further follow-up is necessary before we our status is regularized. We have not been given any more information than that. The President should receive a letter stating what is necessary to accomplish unconditional accreditation.

3. Vice President's Report: Alison reported that the College's Spring Semester enrollment is down from last year. This could have budgetary impacts. OIR is investigating possible causes, and has determined that a large number of international students have not returned from the Fall and from last Spring. OIR will conduct a survey of some of these non-returning students to determine why they have not returned.

4. Old Business:

a. President's Sabbatical: Dave Williams thanked Patti Hill for her assistance with the process. The Faculty Sub-committee received only nine timely applications. The group met on December 13 and judged the applications based on three general criteria -- value to the individual, value to the College, and overall excellence. The Subcommittee recommended that the awards go to Robert Bausch, Marion Lobstein and Walerian Majewski.

The committee discussed possible changes in the procedure that could be recommended to next year's committee. The proposal should include an abstract and the entire package should be no longer than 1500 words. Applicants should submit a vita, and applicants should submit a letter of recommendation from a professional colleague or from a supervisor. There was some discussion about these suggestions.

The Committee now must perform an evaluation of the program. The subcommittee will contact the award winners and ask them to give a written testimonial regarding the value of the program. The evaluation will include a report on the quality of the reports given at Fall Convocation by the charter class award winners. Dave Williams agreed to contact Sabbatical recipients for their perspectives and then write a report that will be forwarded to President Templin after it is reviewed by faculty subcommittee members. The report will recommend that the Presidential Sabbatical program be continued in its present form.

b. Classified Emeritus: The subcommittee has accumulated nominations and will meet during January to develop a list of people to recommend. There are about 20 nominees. Janet will give the list of those recommended to Ray who will forward it to the President on behalf of the Committee.

c. Affirmative Action Issues: Everett Eberhardt did not attend the meeting. Discussion about the affirmative action statement is also going on in the Instructional & Student Services Committee. After some discussion, the Committee reaffirmed its decision at the last meeting that all published statements regarding the College's affirmative action compliance should be the same, and that political affiliation and veterans status should remain in the list of attributes. After further discussion the Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that "sexual orientation" be added to the list of attributes on which the institution does not discriminate. Ray will forward that recommendation to the College Senate for consideration and action.

b. Faculty Handbook Issues: The affirmative action statement prompted discussion about the material in the handbook generally regarding affirmative action, and about the need for a new look at the handbook. There was general consensus that the Senate should consider a major rewriting of the faculty handbook. Ray will forward that recommendation to the College Senate.

5. New Business:

a. Aggie Taormina suggested that the College entertain a policy of "liberal leave" for 12-month faculty and classified staff so that student services operations could close on non-teaching days such as the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, and on President's day. She said that little business is conducted on those days, yet many staff who would like to take leave are not able to because the operation must remain open.

b. Aggie also said that some due dates on the working calendar are inconvenient. They occasionally fall close to or during holidays or during times when people are very busy with other things. She would like the Committee to make some recommendations for change.

6. Question Time:

Joe Horibetz asked what was happening in regard to the possible teaching reduction retirement plan that the VCCS has adopted. Will NVCC adopt the plan? Ray Bailey agreed to forward the Committee's endorsement of the retirement plan to the President.

There was also a question about a possible requirement that faculty not work for the College for some time prior to returning as an adjunct instructor. Patti Hill said that there is an IRS requirement that could be interpreted that way, but until the College gets definitive instructions that it must interpret the regulation in that way, it will not change its current practices.

7. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.