While Emory's prospects are generally bright and the University has a strong sense of forward motion, Chace said he is concerned about those in the community "who are taken for granted, those who are least well paid, the staff members who are seen as being invisible. I would like to reach out more to them."
The president also said he wants "to find better ways for everyone to feel a sense of involvement and respect. I believe that people want to work. It's just part of being human. People want to have a sense of connection between their work and some kind of work product. If you take away that sense of connection with someone's work, you're doing something unnecessary and cruel."
Chace said he hopes that a new President's Commission on Equity, whose creation he announced during his April inaugural address, will help meet the needs of "people who feel they receive something less than equitable treatment." The president said he is also concerned about women employees who feel torn between their careers and their home life, and he wants to find new ways for people to work at Emory that accommodate those needs.
In discussing the state of the University, Chace said that while Emory will have to be especially prudent with its resources in the coming years, he believes the University is faring extremely well in an era that has been difficult for many colleges and universities.
Chace said that "Emory is in excellent shape. My scale is all other private universities in the United States." He said Emory is fortunate to be located in the rapidly growing Southeast and to have a generally safe campus, unlike some other urban universities.
In other business, Associate Vice President for Human Resources Alice Miller announced that a plan to provide short-term disability insurance for staff is being considered. Currently staff members who become permanently disabled must wait six months before receiving disability benefits. After the accrued leave balances expire, the employee is left with no regular income until disability benefits begin six months after the accident.
Miller said the proposal being considered will allow employees to purchase University-subsidized short-term disability with a variety of waiting periods, depending on how large the employee's leave balances are.
The Council's Special Issues Committee discussed concerns raised by Candler Library staff over fire safety in the building. Barbara Mann of the University Libraries said some areas of the building have no readily available exit routes in case of fire. Committee Chair Joy Burnette said she will forward the matter to the University Senate.
The committee also discussed the possibility of allowing staff to pay P.E. Center access fees through payroll deduction. Currently the $55 annual fee must be paid in one lump sum.
--Dan Treadaway