Members of Employee Council's special issues subcommittee are sitting in on new-employee orientation sessions and plan to provide comments to Human Resources (HR) on ways to improve the process, special issues chair Susie Lackey reported at the council's latest meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

Lackey was one of three Employee Council members to attend the orientation session, and the council is partnering with HR in the effort. Lackey said that Pat Douglass, assistant vice president for HR, will attend an next month's executive committee meeting so the council can provide feedback.

In other council business, communications chair Melodye Moore said the next council information fair will be held Thursday, March 11, in the Dobbs Center, and membership chair Cheryl Sroka reminded council members that nominations are still being accepted for 2004-05 officer elections, which will be held in April.

This was Employee Council's first visit to Yerkes since March 2003. Attendees were welcomed by Yerkes Director Stuart Zola, and Kelly Wilson of the Yerkes Office of Public Affairs gave a brief overview of the center's history, its nonhuman primate residents and its current research.

Guest speakers included Jodi Gup from the Association of Emory Alumni and Susan Lee of Emory College, who informed council members of volunteer opportunities for the Emory/Intown Relay for Life, scheduled for April 16 at Druid Hills High School. Funds raised will go to the American Cancer Society, and the first captain's meeting is scheduled for Feb. 9.

Volunteer Emory (VE) Director Hildie Cohen discussed VE's Winter Volunteer Fair, Jan. 27-28 in the Dobbs Center, which will bring more than 40 agencies to campus to recruit volunteers. She also mentioned that there is Books for Africa donation box located in front of the Dobbs Center Information Desk. Employees can donate books, which will be taken to understaffed libraries in Africa through the Books for Africa program. The box will be in the Dobbs Center until Jan. 30.

The next Employee Council meeting will be held at noon, Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Oxford College.

If you have a question or comment for Employee Council, send e-mail to President Don Newsome at dnewsom@emory.edu.