Hello staff members,

This is the time of year when Staff Council is asked to send names to the president to serve in various roles on campus. This year the following opportunities are available:

Community Council: one person, one-year term through June 2013. Important note: during the academic year, Community Council meets weekly from about 4-6 p.m. on Mondays (most weeks) or Tuesdays (when there is a faculty meeting on Monday). Their duties and responsibilities are described here.

Ombudsperson: two persons, each with a three-year term through June 2015. An ombudsperson serves on an “on-call” basis, available to any staff member who has a difficulty at work. The duties and responsibilities of ombudspersons are described here. (Training is provided by Human Resources.)

Staff Appeals Panel: 15 members; five members will serve a one-year term through June 2013; five members will serve a two-year term through June 2014; five members will serve a three-year term through June 2015. The Staff Appeals Panel pertains to grievances. When a staff member files a grievance, a Grievance Review Committee (one person from Human Resources, one representative from Staff Council, and one ombudsperson) adjudicates the grievance. If the staff member wants to appeal that outcome, a Staff Appeals Board (consisting of five of the members of the Staff Appeals Panel) is convened for a final decision. Members of the Staff Appeals Panel must be willing to serve on a Staff Appeals Board when one is called. A Staff Appeals Board is rarely convened.

If you are interested in serving in any of these capacities, please send your name and a short paragraph describing why you are interested. E-mail scouncil@middlebury.edu by Friday, August 3. Staff Council will forward the names of all the individuals who come forward. President Liebowitz appoints individuals to the positions. Staff Council is not necessarily notified when these appointments are made nor whom is appointed.

There are also standing committees of Staff Council, where Staff Council’s real work gets done. Below is a list of Staff Council’s standing committees, a description of each one taken from the Staff Council Constitution*, and the current Staff Council representatives who are serving on each committee. These committees are open to any and all staff members who are interested in participating:

Elections: conducts nominations and elections for MCSC positions including written notification of election procedures and deadlines; validates election results; determines and reviews representation of employee groups with the approval of the MCSC;
MCSC members: Valerie Costello, Jenn Pottinger, Naomi Neff (Chair), Cathy Tester

Staff Development: studies, develops and plans for workshops, on-the-job training, staff education/orientation, and related programs;
MCSC members: Ashley Calkins, Brook Escobedo (Chair), Wayne Darling

Publicity and Events: surveys staff employee opinions; publishes articles in Middlebury College publications regarding activities of the MCSC and staff employees; plans and coordinates MCSC activities and events (e.g. MCSC open meetings, picnics, parties);
MCSC members: Brook Escobedo, Arabella Holzapfel (Chair), Naomi Neff

Safety and Environment: conducts research and examines issues related to the campus as a workplace and worker safety.
MCSC members: Valerie Costello, Jenn Pottinger (Chair), Jackie Doty

We welcome all interested staff members to our standing committees; we only need to know your name for you to serve on these committees. If you are interested in serving on any of these standing Staff Council committees, please e-mail scouncil@middlebury.edu by Friday, August 3.

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

* http://www.middlebury.edu/about/handbook/governance/MCSC_Constitution

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