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July 10 , 2006
Employee Council closes out 2005–06
BY Christi gray
President Louis Burton opened the final 2005–06 Employee Council meeting—held June 21 at the Winship Cancer Institute—by introducing Winship Associate Director of Clinical and Translational Research Fadlo Khuri.
Khuri gave a brief overview of the institute’s 280,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. A council member then asked Khuri how the institute facilitates clinical trials. “In the beginning we brought in a lot of junior clinicians from other institutions, who arrived with their own trials,” said Khuri. “Those experiments are starting to come to fruition, and we are now creating new trials, producing our own compounds.”
After Khuri, Vice President of Human Resources Peter Barnes talked about the division’s two-year comprehensive plan, which focuses on communications, staff development, and HR infrastructure and strategy.
Barnes said better communications is needed, and that he and his colleagues are trying to improve how information is disseminated by analyzing how employees “talk” to each other and how to use communications tools such as the Web more efficiently. In the area of staff development, HR is considering the creation of an online training program and an emerging leadership academy to encourage and develop future managers.
Barnes also discussed HR infrastructure and strategy, including increased training and improvements in PeopleSoft, creating a supervisor-employee matrix to make information more easily accessible, revamping the HR Web site template and streamlining online benefits enrollment.
Burton gave the treasurer’s report, stating the council had $27.37 left in the budget. The council committees then gave their end-of-the-year reports, listing accomplishments and ongoing projects:
• Membership (Reported by chair Laurie Asherman): Assured campus representation throughout the University; contacted absentee members; and encouraged attendance, which averaged 60 percent.
• Special Issues (Reported by chair Ron Gatlin): On-going projects include Carter Center shuttle; booting at Emory Village; Emory retirees maintaining emory.edu e-mail accounts; Briarcliff Campus employee survey; State of the University time change and expansion to make more accessible to employees; and police ticketing in the 1525 Clifton Road parking lot.
• Communications (Reported by chair Katherine Hinson): Organized town hall meeting and brown bags, which were well received; had a good presence at Staff Fest, which included representation from all governance groups and councils; revamped council Web site; and created new brochures.
• Strategic Planning Groups (Reported by chair Woody Woodworth): Worked with campus groups to initiate strategic planning programs, which will continue next session.
To close the meeting and perform his last duties as president, Burton presented end-of-the-year awards for excellent attendance, years of service and committee chair service.
“This year the council pushed the issues to a higher level, which makes it difficult for the next group,” said council sponsor and Vice President of the Department of Equal Opportunity Programs Robert Etheridge. “But remember we are making a difference. The council is a place where Emory employees can have a voice.”
Burton passed the gavel to incoming 2006–07 President Ron Gatlin. “You are the council, not me,” Burton said. “We need to be on the forefront of employee issues.”
The first Employee Council meeting for the 2006-07 session will be held Sept. 20 at noon in the Woodruff Library Jones Room.—Christi Gray
If you have questions or comments for Employee Council, send e-mail to President Ron Gatlin at ronald.gatlin@emory.edu.
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