2003-04 Annual Report
Sept. 14, 2004
To: Chancellor Ralph Cicerone
Re: Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Staff (CACSS) Annual Report 2003-04
We are pleased to submit this annual report on the activities of CACSS
for 2003-04. In the past year, we have continued the momentum
established in the 2002-03, engaging in ongoing projects and new ones
primarily coordinated by the CACSS subcommittees that included:
- Neighborhood Meetings (Mark Warner, chair)
- Communications (Susan Menning, chair)
- Community Building (Michael Chennault, chair)
- Human Resources (Gail Brooks, chair)
- Data (Marie Richman, chair)
- Annual Staff Survey (Gail Brooks, chair)
- Staff Assembly (Penny White, chair)
CACSS met monthly during 2003-04, and the subcommittees met more often,
depending on their projects. CACSS completed the following
activities during the year:
- The Data Subcommittee, working with the Chancellor’s Office and the
Communications Office, finalized a CACSS website for implementation in
fall, 2004. The site will include data on the growth and
utilization of staff at UCI as well as updates on CACSS activities and
relevant links to other websites.
- CACSS co-chairs provided the Chancellor with subjective feedback on
the status of staff in various areas of the campus resulting from last
year’s neighborhood meetings.
- The Neighborhood Meeting Subcommittee, in cooperation with the Staff
Assembly, held two all-campus neighborhood meetings, one focused on
employees with 15 plus years of experience and the other employees with
less than 5 years experience. The feedback from these meetings
will be included in the CACSS website, providing insight into the
issues and concerns of these employee groups and others in attendance.
- CACSS developed CACSS membership guidelines which were approved by the
Chancellor and implemented. The guidelines call for a CACSS
membership of about 12 staff and faculty, with staff and faculty
co-chairs serving one-year terms and members serving rotating two-year
terms. CACSS recommended new members and the Chancellor appointed
them for terms beginning in 2004-05.
- CACSS received a number of anonymous comments from Chancellor’s web
site. The co-chairs worked with the Chancellor’s Office to follow
up on specific issues raised by staff members. The co-chairs also
received signed e-mails from some staff members and responded to
concerns and provided information directly where appropriate.
- In response to a request from the Chancellor and Executive Vice
Chancellor, CACSS brainstormed on ideas to reward staff in a year in
which no one received regular merit or cost of living raises.
CACSS developed the concept of providing two extra days off for staff
during the winter holiday closing when they would otherwise have to
take vacation days. This was seen as a benefit that would show
appreciation for staff but would not impact the budget directly in
these difficult financial times. We are very pleased to note that
the UC System has adopted our idea and will provide two extra days off
for all UC staff this winter.
- CACSS held several discussions on ways to approach an important
project for the year, improving morale in tough budget times.
CACSS also supported whenever possible the goals and projects of the
Staff Assembly, which is an important group working consistently to
raise staff morale.
- In our monthly meetings, CACSS heard presentations from Human
Resources on a number of new projects to benefit staff, including the
following:
- Equity Advisor Program (to assist in evaluating equity among staff positions)
- Workers’ Compensation Improvements
- People Management Institute (a proposed UC staff development program)
- UC Staff Merit Pay Program
- Annual Staff Survey and Exit Interview Study
- CACSS devoted a monthly meeting to providing input on concerns and
status of staff to the chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council
Strategic Planning Committee on Campus Life (CACSS member Dean Meredith
Lee).
- During monthly meetings CACSS discussed many other topics including
what the campus could do to reduce negative consequences of layoffs in
the current budget climate.
We have enjoyed our two years of service as CACSS co-chairs and
appreciate the opportunity you gave us to become engaged in issues of
importance to UCI staff. We believe that staff members are a
critical part the success of UCI, and we appreciate your constant
support for efforts to improve the status of staff. We look
forward to hearing of the continued success of CACSS in the coming
years. Please let us know if you would like further information
from us.
Sincerely,
Ron Stern
Faculty Co-Chair
Mark Warner
Staff Co-Chair
Previous CACSS Annual Report
2002-03
