Staff Council met on Wednesday, December 21 at 3:00PM in Lakeside 101/102. Below are the meeting minutes (approved on February 15, 2017) for your review. These minutes can also be found on the K: Drive, located at K:\Staff Council\Staff Council – Meeting Minutes\June 2016 – May 2017. Please send any recommended revisions to cbostock@champlain.edu prior to the February 15 meeting.
I. Welcome – Call meeting to order (Andrew Dubuque, Facilitator)
II. Welcome New Employees – Andrew Dubuque
Joanne Silloway, Accounts Payable Specialist, introduced herself to the group.
III. Approval of the November meeting minutes (see in K:drive/Staff Council Meeting Minutes),
A motion was made to approve, motion was seconded, and the November Meeting minutes were unanimously approved
IV. Proclamation of Appreciation: David Provost – Christina Erickson
The Proclamation was read to the group. Included were statements of appreciation for David’s leadership and countless contributions in support of Staff Council and the Champlain College community. Some of the most notable achievements outlined in the Proclamation include:
- Creation of the 2007 Master Plan, which led to a positive transformation of the physical campus and forming of the Campus Planning & Auxiliary Services team
- Being a role model for the College’s commitment to wellness
- Connecting and collaborating with neighbors, local government, staff, faculty, and students
A motion was made to approve the Proclamation of Appreciation, that motion was seconded, and the Proclamation was unanimously approved
V. Student Retention Innovation Groups Update & Brainstorm – Megan Munson-Warnken & Katie LeClair
Megan began the conversation by providing some background. In comparison to peer institutions, Champlain’s retention is relatively low. Both groups were formed to explore various aspects linked to retention and aim to initiate improvement. Megan’s group is charged with focusing on retention as a byproduct of experience throughout a student’s life on campus. Some of the aspects being explored include student engagement and support services, among others.
A question was asked regarding whether or not students are surveyed about their experiences on campus. Megan noted that the group began focused surveys for students in October. There are also plans to survey staff/faculty and incorporate data from the Noel Levitz student satisfaction survey, which is administered once every other year.
Katie’s group focuses on student employment on campus, which has been identified as one of the positive indicators for retention. The group has held a number of roundtable sessions designed to acquire feedback from staff/faculty as well as student workers. Katie noted that student participation in these sessions has been low and the group will aim to add incentives moving forward.
The third innovation group, led by Katherine Birrow, focuses on retention initiatives for Pell-eligible students, which, based on the data collected by Institutional Research, is a population that tends to be less likely to persist.
A suggestion was made to shift focus on the types of students that are more likely to persist. It was noted that Institutional Research has been collecting data related to positive indicators, some of which have already been identified (e.g. student employment), however the trends are difficult to identify with small amounts of data. The “Ask Michelle” sessions held throughout the year went through much of the quantitative data collected by IR.
It was asked what the groups’ next steps will be. Megan replied that, at the moment, there is no specific ask of Staff Council other than for members to share data that may be significant to the groups’ causes, especially as it relates to interaction with students.
VI. Committee Updates
Communication & Engagement – Roland Palmer
- Roland reminded the group that monthly meeting minutes will be posted to the Staff Council blog, rather than sent via email. The minutes will still be archived on the K: drive, however, in order for staff to receive notifications when minutes are posted, they will need to subscribe to the blog. The Staff Council blog can be found here: https://staffcouncil.champlain.edu/
Staff Welfare & Advocacy – Karen Dusini
- The committee has remained focused on brainstorming improvements to professional development offerings.
Manager’s Roundtable – Roland Palmer
- The last meeting was facilitated by the Office of International Education and focused on discussion around Champlain’s commitment to global and cultural understanding.
College Council – Christina Erickson
- Some of the highlights from the last meeting included debrief of the CORE Convivium, which was a great success. The Council also discussed upcoming development of the College’s Free Speech Policy and related initiatives.
Staff Council Executive Committee – Christina Erickson
- Christina reminded the group that nominations for Staff Council Award are open. The criteria can be found on the Staff Council website, where there is an area for submitting your nomination. The award will be presented at the all-day staff/faculty engagement event held in May.
VII. EMC MakerLab Updates & Tour – Tyler Feralio
The MakerLab has been active at the Lakeside building for over 2 years. Tyler noted that it has been a challenge getting students to attend because it is only open during regular business hours. In an effort to increase student engagement, the MakerLab holds a number of various workshops throughout the year. Additionally, Tyler has begun the process of reconfiguring the layout of the lab so placement of tools/machines is more consistent with required protection. Students have also been encouraged to form a Maker Club to increase awareness and participation throughout the student body.
The question was asked whether or not Champlain is involved with the Generator Maker Space moving into Sears Lane. Tyler noted that Generator and Champlain have a wonderful partnership, giving students, staff, and faculty access to their facility and free membership. Overall, Generator’s space is more expansive, including more tools/machines for dealing with metal and jewelry, among other things. However, Champlain’s MakerLab has a 3D printer and other resources that differ from Generator’s, which is why their members will also have access to the MakerLab.
Tyler noted plans to utilize and leverage Generator’s resources to enhance the College curriculum, which will need to include getting participants certified on specific tools/machines. Certification is an anticipated barrier for student use of Generator’s resources and Tyler is hoping to obtain the necessary credentials to be able to train and certify students.
Generator will be holding a soft open on January 2nd and an all-day open house on January 18.
VIII. Closing – if you have questions, feedback, ideas – please speak to me or one of our Executive Committee members
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- Meeting Minutes