ELT Meeting Summary for May 15

The Executive Leadership Team met on May 15 and the primary agenda items included Core Value Mark of Distinction Award ceremony, Human Resources topics, an update on a new discipleship group for students who identify as LGBTQ+, and monthly updates on enrollment, budget, and the campaign.

Core Value Mark of Distinction Awards: Michelle Barringer, employee development specialist, introduced the four recipients of the Core Value Mark of Distinction employee recognition award for Spring 2018. Recipients are:

• Greta Schutte, assistant professor of human kinetics and applied health science, received the award for demonstrating Salt and Light
• Amy Reinhold, materials services librarian, received the award for the value of Learner
• Ben John, applications integration specialist in ITS, was given the award for being a Character Builder
• Kendall Egelke Davis, resident director for Nelson Residence Hall, also received the award for being a Character Builder

Human Resources Topics: Chief Human Resources Office Cara Wald provided updates on a few projects and initiatives:

• Faculty and Staff Compensation Plans: A number of years ago two groups began updating the Faculty and Staff Compensation plans, which were outdated. Faculty and staff groups each have different plans and as such, two groups were formed to review the plans. Both plans have been adjusted and implemented whenever possible, but no group of employees is using any system fully due to financial challenges at the university.

• Staff Advisory Council: A group of staff members have approached HR to form a Staff Advisory Council to have their voices heard. The leaders held a staff-only meeting to determine interest and priorities for the new group. They asked staff to submit questions ahead of time as well. About 40 staff members attended the meeting and 12 people turned in questions. The leaders then met with Cara and informed her the concerns mainly centered around: budget, working groups, job training, and creating a staff listserv. The leaders also worked with Cabinet to hold a Cabinet-staff meeting on May 16. Moving forward, the Staff Advisory Council will be led by staff with Cara and John Addleman, special assistant to the president, serving as Cabinet liaisons. The Council plans to draft a charter this summer and begin meeting in the fall.

• May 1 Reflections: Finally, Cara asked for feedback from ELT members on how the announcements about position eliminations and job changes were received on May 1. Campus Pastor Laurel Bunker shared that Campus Ministries made themselves available to meet with employees on May 1, but no appointments were scheduled. Other ELT members commented on the tension that was felt leading up to May and the additional tension that remains with employees knowing more eliminations are expected this fall.

Prism Announcement: Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Operational Effectiveness Joe LaLuzerne began a discussion on Prism, a new discipleship group through Campus Ministries for students who identify as LGBTQ+ or same-sex attracted. ELT had been informed about the group along with the board about a year ago, but the group officially started this month. Pastor Laurel Bunker shared more background about work that went into launching the group, including reaching out to other CCCU schools who already run similar groups on campus. Before the group was announced, talking points and FAQ documents were drafted and shared with admissions, advancement, and student life colleagues, along with informational sessions so they would feel better prepared for questions from constituencies. While Cabinet members are supportive of the group, they decided not to announce the group publicly this month.

Enrollment Update: Joe LaLuzerne shared that CAS enrollment numbers for Fall 2019 look strong when compared to year over year numbers.

Campaign Update: Mark Miles, senior vice president for university advancement, provided a hand out with up-to-date campaign numbers. He shared that we are doing well, but we are in need of bigger gifts soon to keep the building and renovation schedules on target.

Budget Update: Chief Financial Officer Pat Brooke shared that we are pushing toward the fiscal year end (May 31). Budget requests for FY19 are still being reviewed and a final budget would be approved by Cabinet in time for the Board of Trustees meeting at the end of the month.

Board of Trustees Update: President Jay Barnes and John Addleman shared the agenda for the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting to be held May 31 and June 1 at Bethel. Faculty and students will join the board for lunch and Core Value Mark of Distinction Award recipients will join the board for dinner on May 31. Board members will tour the new business and economics space on RC3. Other agenda items include committee meetings and a campaign update.