The Employee Council has officially expressed its support for a motion written by employees of the Carter Center recommending the administration rescind its pre-employment drug screening policy.

The motion, presented to the council at its November meeting and discussed among members and constituents for several weeks, asks that the University halt its pre-employment drug screening program “pending a full consultative review and redesign of a more effective and just policy.”

The council’s approval of the motion highlighted its Dec. 11 meeting at the Luce Center. Prior to the council’s vote, Del King, director of employment services in Human Resources, answered 40 minutes of questions from council members regarding the issue. The motion, with the council’s recommendation, will be presented at this month’s University Senate meeting.

In other business, Sally Corbett, assistant director of marketing and public relations for the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, discussed some of the amenities of the soon-to-open center. She also reminded employees that they were eligible for a 20 percent discount on tickets to events that take place in the center.

Gerald Lowery of the Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental Stewardship distributed a handout advertising the Universitywide stream naming project. He said the committee and project cosponsor Friends of Emory Forest will be accepting nominations through Feb. 15 for naming the campus’ four most visible streams. For more information on the project, visit www.environment.emory.edu/who/streams.shtml.

Robert Ethridge, vice president of Equal Opportunity Programs, whose office sponsors the council, also spoke briefly to laud the group for maintaining its relevance as a University governance organization.

“The Employee Council is a force to be reckoned with that it wasn’t 10–12 years ago,” Ethridge said. “You have earned the credibility that you deserve.”

President-elect Don Newsome also announced that Shelly Brownsberger, a representative from the School of Law, would fill an open council seat on the Senate’s Parking and Transportation Committee.

The next Employee Council meeting will be held in Woodruff Library’s Jones Room, Jan. 15, from 2–4 p.m.


If you have a question or comment for Employee Council, send e-mail to President Cheryl Bowie at cheryl@radonc.emory.org.