Comments & Questions for the Staff Association

Thank you all for your feedback relating to the proposed changes to the Staff Association and the Social Committee. Although the results will be announced on Monday, I wanted to take this opportunity to respond to specific questions and comments received in the survey. I would like to apologize ahead of time if the formality of my answers read as being in an icy tone, as I know these are very sensitive questions and it is important that each one be addressed sincerely. It appears that there is a need for an anonymous feedback form for comments, and I will see what I can do to have this put in place. Please let me know if there are any additional questions, or if I have completely missed the point when I answered the question. - Stacey K.

“I would like there to be clarification regarding the sending of cards or flowers/gift basket when someone is ill, hospitalized, or is dealing with the death of a family member.”

The guiding framework the Staff Association uses in responding to significant life events can be found in the “Cards, Gifts, and Parties Policy” of the Staff Association Constitution (http://libshare.uncg.edu/sites/bts/CGTP/Pages/sta.aspx). The Staff Association Board is only mandated to provide these services for employees of University Libraries. Because we are responsible for funds collected from library staff, there must be an all personnel vote for any deviations from the constitution. Doing otherwise is to risk accusations of misappropriation of funds. If you would like us to make changes, the suggested amendment needs to be brought to the attention of the Staff Association Board so that we may put it to vote by library personnel.      

“I know in the past, cards have or have not been sent even when appropriate, at the discretion of the social comm. chair regardless of the policy.”

If the Staff Association Board is not meeting our perceived responsibilities, my advice would be to bring this to the attention to a board member. I would need specific examples in order to address the issue. I can say that one of the incentives in the proposed changes to the Social Committee is the improvement of communication between the Staff Association and the department. The Staff Association cannot send cards or gifts until we know about the event, which is why we would like to have representation from each department on the Social Committee.

If the above explanation does not address the situation alluded to in the above question, please provide more specific information to a member of the Staff Association committee. If in-person feedback is intimidating, and we are in need of an anonymous feedback mechanism, then please bring this to the attention of the Staff Association Board so that we look into providing that service.     

“I know some individuals have nit-picked what should be considered a "family member", when really simply sending a card would be the right thing to do if a life partner, grandparent or other special people are ill or have passed away.”

I agree that recognition of illness or death is the right thing to do (though not every employee has wished us to publicly release the information, preferring to grieve in privacy), but as mentioned above, it would involve a greater expenditure of funds. Therefore, if you would like to see this change, it would need to be voted by library personnel. I would need to know examples of the “exceptions” before I could address the problem.

“Women having babies should receive something from the library.”

Line a of section 4 reads: “Gifts, cards, and parties for staff members and members of their families for weddings, births, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., will be left to the discretion of the department in which the staff member works.” The Staff Association usually does send a card. If you would like greater involvement, it would need to be voted by personnel as a constitutional change, as it would require and expenditure from funds.  

“The same good people always volunteer to bring food. How do you get those who never bring food to help out”?

I agree that we are fortunate to have specific dedicated, awesome people who bring food and help with staff social events. If you have any suggestions on how to encourage greater involvement or more publicly acknowledge our contributors, I am open to suggestions.

“Some of the folks that have never participated in the staff assoc. committee as an officer, need to get involved instead of the same one's each year.”

This is my first year in serving on the Staff Association Committee, so I cannot be but so indignant on the matter. I think we would all like to see greater enthusiasm for involvement. If you have any ideas, the Staff Association would welcome them.

“For people who are introverted or shy, a committee like this one would be much more difficult than another, more closed-door committee. I feel that, with regard to this committee in particular, any staff member should have the right not to volunteer, and not to serve, if it is something that will cause them undue stress.”

I appreciate your input. It is not required that every staff member serves on the committee board, and if this is the perception, I apologize. I would like to say that I have served on many committees during my relatively short time here, and this one is not that stressful. However, the pressure you might experience varies according to position, and I would point out that there are many behind the scenes positions in which an introvert would not feel threatened. The suggested changes to the social committee would be providing many of such positions as well—only the Social Committee Co-Chairs require a more public presence.