Members present: Debie Connelly, Lex Davis, Nancy Dillard, Jan Gilbert, Fred Hinson, Bob Orr, Roger Turk and Tori Ellison, recorder

 The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. 

Election Procedures

The Committee reviewed the election procedures and Tori Ellison was asked to remind members of these procedures, the proposed slate and the deadline for proxy votes.

Member Satisfaction Survey

Nancy Dillard presented a draft member satisfaction survey to be given to all UAC members. The Executive Committee felt this was a great way to receive honest feedback about the Council's work over the last two years.

In addition, the Committee discussed what they believe will be the "hot" issues during the next academic year. These include health benefits, parking and the academic calendar.

Executive Committee Membership

The Executive Committee recommends the following change to the Executive Committee membership election process.

Currently

The membership of the Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the University Advisory Council, the chairs of the Leadership and Communication committees, and one representative from each campus constituency -- students, staff, faculty and administration.

Proposed

The membership of the Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the University Advisory Council and the chairs of the Leadership and Communication committees. In addition, the Chairperson of the various governance organizations -- students, staff, faculty and administration shall appoint one member from their respective University Advisory Council representatives to serve on the Executive Committee.

Rationale

The proposed change facilitates the interchange of ideas between constituencies and provides the various governance organizations greater input into the Executive Committee. The change also fosters thoughtful consideration of Executive Committee membership and eliminates an election process where, by necessity, the members are nominated and elected at one meeting.

Annual Report

Bob Orr will prepare an annual report on the activities and accomplishments of the University Advisory Council. This report will be presented to the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees, as well as to the Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina System. Each chair will be asked to submit a few paragraphs for this report by May 23, 2002.

Health Benefits Event

Keith Stiles gave an update on the activities of the Health Benefits Task Force. The committee has learned Western employees across all pay scales dropped family coverage after the last rate increase. In addition, WCU's benefits package is already having a negative impact on faculty recruitment. Human Resources expects the same negative impact to occur in staff recruitment, especially in technical fields, very soon. The group is working with Peg Shafer and Kathy Wong to schedule a Town Hall Meeting with Ron Penny, Vice President of Human Resources for the Office of the President. The Task Force also plans to invite local legislators to campus after the November elections.

Leadership Committee

The Leadership Committee is preparing a survey to conduct a campus leadership needs analysis. Chris Dahlquist from Human Resources, as well as the Office of University Planning are involved to help ensure the survey is a valid testing instrument. Staff will be the first group surveyed, since most are on campus during the summer.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.