Employee Council
Two of Emory's key players in dealing with the impact of the Olympics on campus gave the Council a final update on Olympic-related activities planned for Emory at the group's June 19 meeting.
University Conferences Coordinator Karen Salisbury, who also is coordinating Olympic activities on Emory's campus, said that Olympic officials and international media covering the games will be away from campus during the day at sporting venues. Salisbury said peak activity times for these groups on campus will be from 4-9 a.m. and after 8 p.m. She said that Olympic athletes training at Emory will use only the first and second floors of the P.E. Center, the adjacent track and Chappell Park baseball field.
Following Salisbury's presentation, Director of Community Services Erick Gaither discussed Olympic parking and transportation issues. Gaither said Emory parking decks will be closed to the public each day of the Olympics from midnight-5 p.m. and will be accessible by card only during those times. He said employees who wish to ride MARTA to work during the Olympics may turn in their parking hang tags at the Parking Office and receive a free MARTA transcard to use during that time. Employees who want their hang tags back before the end of the Olympics may come to the Parking Office and turn in their MARTA cards and receive their hang tags back.
Gaither also said the Emory Olympic Committee and Emory Hospital have funded a shuttle to run during the Olympics from Emory to the Decatur MARTA station. A special Egleston Children's Hospital shuttle also will serve the same route and will be open to Emory employees if space is available.
Salisbury reminded the Council that the Paralympic Games will follow the Summer Olympic Games Aug. 17-22. She said the P.E. Center arena will be the venue for the boccia ball competition, and the arena will be closed to members for several days as a result. She said the Paralympics will end two days before Freshman Orientation begins, and the event should not have a significant impact on University operations.
In other business, the Council's Special Issues Committee asked Human Resources Benefits Manager Mary Smith to address three issues of concern: staff evaluations of Emory's health insurance plans, expanding summer programs for employee children 15 and younger, and clarifying the terms of the Parental Leave policy that apply when both parents in the same family work at Emory.
Smith said that PruCare conducts its own evaluations to measure customer satisfaction with its plans through a random telephone sampling of about 230 employees. She said that Human Resources can encourage PruCare to survey a larger sample of employees. Smith also said the EmoryCare Oversight Committee is considering conducting an assessment of EmoryCare that would include all employees enrolled in the plan.
On the topic of summer programs, Smith said the Child Care Committee chaired by Vice President and Dean for Campus Life Frances Lucas-Tauchar is coordinating the planning for a second campus child care facility to serve employees and students. Smith said she knew of no initiative to expand current summer program offerings for children of employees. She said a family care referral service is available to employees through the Employee Assistance Program.
Regarding the Parental Leave policy, the Special Issues Committee expressed concern that the policy allows 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave per employee unless both parents work at Emory. In that case, the two parents must split the 12 weeks between them. The Committee expressed support at its May meeting for recommending that 12 weeks of leave per year be granted to both parents.
Smith said that implementation of the Parental Leave policy is guided by the federal Family Leave of Act of 1993, which stipulates that employers may limit leave time to 12 weeks a year per couple when both parents work for the same employer. She said no problems have arisen at Emory as a result of that stipulation, and that Emory has no plans to amend it. She said such infrequent situations are best handled on a case-by-case basis.
Council member Jo Taylor of the Emory College Office was elected as a Council representative to the University Senate. Taylor's term will begin this fall.
Communications Committee Chair Michael Crooms said that presentations on e-mail and World Wide Web use will be scheduled for future Council meetings. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21.
--Dan Treadaway