12-01-2011

Attended: Jeff Geldien; Beth Gordon; Carol Huston; Norm Leatha; Rudy Mondragon; Rodolfo Pagsanjan; Angela Ruff; Allison Sather, Wendy Thompson

Absent: Molly Ayers; Toni Boggan; Daniel Bubb; Connie Hickman.

Discussion Items

Treasurer Report – Allison
Balance is $19,382. Faculty Service charges for October were more than expected. Committee and council members who make requests of faculty services need to copy the Treasurer for reconciling and tracking. Allison requested a spending allowance to set up a good filing and tracking system for her work this year, and as a set up for future Treasurers. Rodolfo made a motion to allow $60 for Allison to create a Treasurer filing system. Norm seconded. All agreed.

Branding Committee Proposal – Rodolfo
Thematic areas are promoting staff excellence, creating a greater Gonzaga community, and supporting the Gonzaga mission through strengthening the staff. The Branding committee proposes a logo contest using these themes to help announce the themes. Rebranding committee will regroup to align leadership and craft a logo contest campaign with help from the Outreach committee.

Human Resources Department (HR) Connections – Rodolfo
Rodolfo has been in discussions with Jason Swain and Dan Berryman to explore opportunities for Staff Assembly (SA) and HR to collaborate on fostering a positive workplace. Ideas include helping each other with event promotion and participation, co-hosting functions and events, and sharing information about upcoming issues. HR and SA are separate organizations with different functions. The group discussed that SA exists to represent the staff perspective, and we need to be true to our organizational purpose. This does not exclude partnering with HR, but it does require being intentional about collaborations. Rodolfo will continue discussions and incorporate council members as much as possible to consider opportunities.

Committee Updates and Announcements

• University Advisory Council on Stewardship and Sustainibility (ACSS): Ann-Scott Ettinger asked the council to promote the Sustainable Purchasing and Design Policies statement, and is exploring what impact the statement has on front-line activities and tasks performed by staff. It is not yet clear if the ACSS considered education and support needs beyond the statement being signed by Dr. McCulloh. Members discussed whether the ACSS influenced the decision for not producing the printed campus directory, despite Outlook being inaccurate and sometimes not available, as a paper-saving initiative. The result has been that departments and areas are printing and producing their own, so whether that decision has resulted in less cost or paper should be considered on a larger scale.
• SA By-Laws will meet next week.
• SA Outreach is working to add 3-5 more members, planning the January social, and moving the supply of annual gift inventory and other items to a new storage area.
• SA Regent position has been selected and will be announced by Dr. McCulloh.
• University Mission Advisory Committee will be enacted in the Spring Semester, at which time the Staff Assembly representative will be announced.
• SA Community Service has 42 employee volunteers for gift wrap activity, and many employees donated socks to the Foster Care program. Plans are in place for at least two more projects in the spring, one with Habitat for Humanity and another for United Way.
• SA Heads Up Gonzaga feature, Mark Gonzalez, will not work out since he is not coming to campus next Spring.

Next Meeting December 15, 2011 at 11am in the 1898 Room

Action Items
Allison create a Treasurer filing and tracking system
Rodolfo continue HR collaboration discussions
Rebranding Committee create a logo contest campaign
Outreach Committee plan January social and support logo contest campaign