Staff Advisory Committee
November 8, 2007
President’s Conference Room
Present: Buckner, Edwards, Gentry, Harris, McKenzie
(presiding), McNeal
Others present: President Bell, Dorothy Nash, and Terri
Watson
President’s Comments
President Bell welcomed the group to the Staff Advisory
Committee meeting.
He discussed the Athletics Department and its transitioning
from football to basketball. Tech athletes continue to receive recognition from
the OVC and beyond and provide a positive image to the University.
In October, Tech, MTSU and the State of
As an update of the campus master plan component of the
strategic plan, the new
The TTU Foundation Board of Directors is composed of members
serving the university with their time, influence, and financial resources.
Currently, the board has been instrumental in personally providing support and
in obtaining federal and private support for our campus master plan. At their
recent meeting, plans were formulated to launch a major capital campaign within
the next few years. More information will be disseminated on the campaign
closer to the kick-off.
Staff Awards
The Outstanding Staff Awards Selection Committee recently
named Carolyn Brown and Charlene True as the two clerical staff recipients.
Charlene True is a Technical Clerk in University Advancement’s Gifts and
Records area. Carolyn, now a two-time recipient, is a Secretary 3 in the Honors
Program.
Ambassadors
Since the last meeting, two individuals were selected as
Tech Ambassadors of the Month:
October Audrey Cody,
November Suzanne Robichaud,
Human Resources
Fall Colloquia
The final Campus Safety Colloquium is set for Tuesday,
November 13, in the DH Auditorium. A portion of the program will include TTU
Safety and Environmental Director Jim Cobb on “Workplace Training and Safety
Issues” and “Environmental Regulations on Universities Activities.” Gay
Shepherd’s address will cover drugs and alcohol, Family Planning in Disaster
and Crime Reporting.
Provost Search
Dr. Claire Stinson is chairing the Provost search committee. The committee has submitted a list of five
candidates for interviews. The two-day interview process, per candidate, should
be completed and an offer made and accepted by the first of the year.
Commencement
Stephen Rains is the December 15 commencement speaker.
Steve, a Tech alum, received a B.A. in English in 1985, is president and CEO of
Progressive Savings Bank and Rains Insurance Agency. Steve is a member of the
TTU Foundation Board of Directors.
Holidays
Dr. Bell announced that he and Gloria are looking forward to
hosting the Clerical and Support Staff Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday, December
4, starting at 11:00 a.m., in the RUC Multipurpose Room.
Another traditional seasonal event is scheduled for Tuesday,
December 11, as children of the Tech family are treated to a holiday party.
Special guests include Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Executive Advisory Committee
along with the
While the University no
longer designates additional days at Christmas as administrative closing days,
the University does want to be as flexible as possible in granting additional
time off for those employees who request it.
The University will be officially closed December 25, 2007, through
January 1, 2008, and will reopen Wednesday, January 2. Those who wish to take additional time off
should submit request by December 1 to supervisors. This will allow the appropriate vice
presidents to approve requests and to determine if some offices may be closed.
The committee reviewed the following comments and
suggestions with responses that were received previously.
Comments and
Suggestions
1. “Hypo-allergic pillow in dorm-rooms.”
Charlie Macke,
Director of Residential Life: “We do not provide pillows; students are
responsible to bring their own. If we provided pillows they would not last too
long and would likely get pretty nasty…”
2. “I think you need environmental facilities.”
Larry Wheaton,
Chairman, Campus Energy Task Force: The following are
environmental measures and sustainability issues currently planned or in
construction for this year that will improve TTU’s
environmental impact in the region, “Greening”. We are investigating and
planning for more than will be reported in this message for the future.
Hopefully, this will help better inform the advisory committee. There have been
Tech Times, Web sites, and Oracle Articles on our efforts and more media
releases are planned as initiatives are approved.
The Sustainability
Campus Fee Web Site list projects TTU is implementing with the new campus
student fee this year:
A.Participation in TVA’s Green Power Switch Program B.
Purchasing 2 electric cars and recharging the batteries with solar power to
reduce our carbon footprint C. Replacing Incandescent Sports Lighting with high
efficient Metal Halide Fixtures on the Southeast Intramural Field for a 70%
energy savings and lamp life extended by a factor of 3 times D. Residence Halls
heating controls have been replaced and connected to the campus Building
Automation System to throttle and cut off the steam as the outdoor temperature
warms up to save on coal consumption. E. Convert the large campus generators to
biodiesel fuel.
More importantly, TTU is
in the process of finalizing a contract through the TBR to upgrade all the
campus lighting which will permanently reduce the electrical load by
approximately ¾ megawatts or annual energy savings of 3,977,986 kWh. This
savings is the equivalent to operating over 2,000 homes per year. Dollar
savings to pay for the project are projected to be $311,525 per year.
Replace the
incandescent Football Field Lights on Tucker Stadium which waste 90% of the
energy as heat with high efficiency Metal Halide Fixtures with lamp replacement
increased by a factor of 3 times the life of incandescent lamps.
The campus is
improving the Chilled Water Distribution system for even higher efficiency and
operation with a Capital Maintenance Project from the TBR. This is Phase 3 of 5
Phases of construction. Over $100,000 in energy cost avoidance can be
attributed to the cooling system improvements.
More information is
located on the Sustainability Web site at http://www.tntech.edu/scf/
or by email at scf@tntech.edu or calling
(931) 372-3589. Faculty, staff, and student participation is encouraged.
3. “SEND SUPERVISORS AND VPs TO “HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE
SUPERVISOR,” AND “HOW TO MANAGE PEOPLE” SEMINARS. Hopefully immediately after
promoting them!!
It is ridiculous to promote people to positions where they
are required to supervise employees when they don’t have the slightest idea of
how to talk to them, never mind prioritize their time, follow up on daily
managerial tasks, and worst yet, haven’t the slightest clue, or desire, on how
to resolve conflicts!?!
It would be the best couple of hundred bucks you’ve ever
spent.”
President Bell stated,
“This is a good suggestion and will be brought up to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
Hopefully more opportunities will be made available. The progression into a
supervisory role is difficult. While this will not be high on the University
spending list, it is a good suggestion and something that should be taken more
seriously.”
The meeting adjourned at 1:57 p.m.
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Last Updated: September13, 2007
For more information, contact TWatson@tntech.edu
