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KULSS Exec

Meeting Minutes

Thursday, Nov. 16th, 2006
Music & Dance Library – 10-11:30am

Present: Monica Claassen-Wilson (FY07 Chair), Jill Becker (FY07 Vice-Chair), Angie Rathmel (Secretary), Denise Swartz (Group 1), Kevin Fussell (Group 2), Nishon Hawkins (Group 3), Robert Szabo (Group 4)

Approval of previous meeting’s Nov. 2nd minutes
DONE

Approval of previous meeting’s action items

WHO?	BY WHEN?	WHAT?
Denise	Next Meeting	Investigate Alumni Center for possible location for Staff Development Workshop Check date Thu/Fri, Mar 22-23. Set up date to tour next week Thursday DONE – Alumni Center is not available, UNION 6th floor rooms now reserved for Wednesday Mar 21.
Group reps		Email the topics we have come up with to your groups for feedback. Bring to next meeting. DONE
Monica		Set up monthly meetings DONE thru Dec and Jan, set up with new hire for following months’ meetings.
Group reps		Add PRC special charges to list of announcements to groups and call for interest.
Nishon		Ask Eleanora if she will be willing to serve on PRC? DONE - yes

Group Reports

No Group reports this meeting.

Committee Reports

Senate Committee on Libraries (SCL) - Nancy Hawkins

No report

University Support Staff Senate - Mary Ann Baker

The minutes for the USS Senate Exec Committee on 1 November are here:
http://www2.ku.edu/~clsenate/minutes/2006_ExecMin/2006_USSExec_1101a.pdf
The full Senate meeting minutes for 8 November are not yet available. Still, most of the same stuff is covered in both meetings.

We should probably take meeting management notes from you all as we're having difficulty getting through our agendas. This is one reason why the results of the dependent tuition survey results aren't available yet, darn it! I've been making suggestions to handle things more effectively but it usually takes about 6 months for any of my suggestions (such as formally establishing the existence of the USS Work Group -- just now being set up -- and the concept of evaluating supervisors -- just now being researched -- to bear fruit.

I'll let your own esteemed University Committee on Libraries representative, Nancy H., report to you about that meeting a couple of weeks ago. I'm also on the University Senate's Organization & Administration Committee and we're monitoring the governance changes made at the end of the last academic year and looking into a revision of the Faculty and Unclassified Staff Handbook (now there's a really big mess!)

That's all I've got for now. Good luck with the staff development project. You've all done a great job so far!

I'll be off for while soon so let me know if you have any questions before Thanksgiving or after Christmas. mab

Diversity Committee (DC) – Erin Kidwell

No report

Staff Development Committee (SDC)

No report

Planning & Resources Committee (PRC)

No report

Update on KULCC-L Listserv

Mary Roach reported that there is no set person who adds and removes people from these lists. The website included in her email is for anyone to be able to do this. Usually supervisors add new hires. Mary and Kent are owners of the lists as well as usually one other person for each list. Mary Roach added Angie as an owner and per Angie’s request edited the name of the listserv from Classified Conference to KULSS. Monica will email Mary Ann Baker, re: the responsibilities of this listserv transferring to KULSS-Exec webmaster. Angie reviewed the current membership and found some USS not included. Angie will follow up with adding these folks.

Items for Discussion with the Dean and HR Officer – Monday Dec.

Majority of time will be devoted to solidifying plans, funding, etc for Staff Development workshop.

Support Staff Workshop planning

Denise confirmed Union room reservations with Donna who suggested this be two half days with an identical schedule rather than whole day so that all people will have a chance to go. KULSS-Exec still feels its important to do an all-day workshop where people choose what session to go to. Some sessions will be offered more than once so that more people can attend. Also, there was confusion about whether this was USS workshop only, although this was what was discussed and confirmed in meeting with Dean.

See below the edited list with most popular responses so far.

KULSS Exec
Library Support Staff Workshop Brainstorming: Ranking the Ideas
Edited List 11/16/06
Goals of Workshop: To send people away from the workshop feeling better about themselves and/or their jobs than they did before they came. To feel more valued and to see their own value to the KU Libraries.

The left column lists in categories the possible workshop topics that KULSS-Exec came up with.
The right “your comments” column includes most common responses in bold as well as KULSS-Exec brainstorming on these ideas.

Getting to know the libraries	Your comments:
Get to know other libraries Getting to know other departments’ tasks and complications In-depth tours Tours of different departments while people are working MARC for non-catalogers Library vocabulary terminology Library abbreviations, or sorting out the library alphabet soup Intro to library committees Why join? Can you join? What is KULSS and why should I care? What is KULSA and why should I care? Why pay dues? Where does the money go? How to use different computer programs including library programs like Voyager	Have table for KULSS, something that we can explain in welcome. Nametags with Library location/Department – have a point in the welcome to recognize each library group. KULSA handout (may be covered already) Committee tables in the welcome room. Some interest in a MARC for non catalogers workshop. Get to know the libraries, see also “Scenic Sidewalks of KU” below, as possible tour after lunch. Ted Wilson, Retired history department. (Libraries only?) Or slide show during lunch.
Development Opportunities	Your comments:
Time management Organization tips Classes available for staff Keyboard shortcuts – fun for everyone (IS Training) What’s in it for me – staff development = career development Can I go anywhere from here? Do I want to? Who am I? Is this a career or just a job? Skills – how they apply to non-library jobs Training opportunities Classes from Instructional Svcs Why take them? HR, KCMLIN, Online Why should I attend a conference or training?	See 1 and 2 below (HR and Librarians) Strong support for Training opportunities and career development. What’s available? Skills and how they apply to non-library jobs. – See Career Services. Keyboard shortcuts? (handout)
Staff Benefits	Your comments:
Things you need to know about retiring And retirement programs KPERS and your other options Merit increases How to maximize your chances of getting one Feel like you understand how raises happen, how admin makes decisions Intro to extracurricular activities at KU Sports Arts	Merit increases: maximizing impact, even if it’s vague, communicate that. Invite Lorraine to talk about this general meeting in Spring. Keep in mind that this information will apply to NEXT year. An opportunity to come up with the questions. Retirement see 1 below.
Morale	Your comments:
Try to create a positive working environment Dealing with bad attitudes from co-workers Samples of bad attitudes – what causes them?	HR offers this, but need library specific. Possible Myers Briggs evaluation or other surveys. Role playing, examples of good and bad.
Team Building	Your comments:
Deconstructing the library hierarchy – it’s not us and them – we’re all on the same team Teambuilding across the invisible line Peer pressure in the library (workplace) – how staff dev. benefits everyone, not just the trainee Or, “It’s OK to answer the phone when a coworker is at a workshop” Team building games	Deconstructing the library hierarchy.
Wellness/Stress Mgmt/Creativity	Your comments:
Scenic sidewalks of KU – a walking tour How to make healthy choices Short cooking class Necessary desk drawer snacks Options at the Unions – presentation from them – why little changes make a difference Meditation for relaxation, or other relaxation techniques Sit and be fit Chair yoga Bring in someone from the rec center Information session on fitness options at KU Have Keith Russell do one of his drum programs Creativity workshop – low-cost cubicle art Pot luck lunches – “Healthy choices” Bring in massage therapists – 5 minute massage Anger management (Why are you mad?) Bring in yoga instructor Meditation, calming down, BREATHE Fun ways to deal with stress Kickball Punching bags Sudoku	All seem very popular, esp. massage, meditation for relaxation, chair yoga (see #1 below for possible PM session?) check with Rachel re: how she set up chair massages for Retrieval Services. Laban movement expert, Janet Hamburg, professor of dance. Keith Russell’s drum program is available as welcome session and closing session which might be good. Suggested tie in to close with the ice cream social, rather than creating individual session for this. See Nancy Hawkin’s contact in the Breast Cancer resource center. Someone from Watkins to talk about Wellness, Nutrition. Set up like the Merc with stations. Guided campus tour possibly by Spencer folks or Ted Wilson, History Dept. Retiree.
Communication/Professionalism	Your comments:
Public service skills Handling grumpy people Staff/Admin communication improvements How to talk so you supervisor will listen How to approach your supervisor Learn professional behaviors Communication skills How to make your supervisor happy How he/she can make you happy Supervisor/Staff relations Supervisor training	Strong voice for supervisor staff relations and staff/admin communication improvements.
Other	Your comments:
Work Environment Space – What are my options? Who to talk to – ergonomics consultant rev. workspace, offer suggestions Feng Shui in the office To produce a more efficient and effective staff environment Efficiency – what would it look like in my job – how to analyze the workflow to improve efficiency	Efficiency Work environment, ergonomics, feng shui, space.

1) What does HR have?
Dealing with anger in the workplace
Power of Positive Relationships
Civility in the workplace forum
Yoga in the workplace

2) Librarians:
Lea, Mandy, Susanna, Shannon
Library School, MLS panels (Jill, Jeff, Nancy, other)

3) Career Services (working on resume)

Action Items for next meeting:

WHO?	BY WHEN?	WHAT?
1. Monica	Next mtg	Email PRC chair and Eleanora
2. Monica	Next mtg	Follow up with Mary Ann re: listserv and decision to add mgmt of listserv to webmaster responsibilities

PARKING LOT/ON GOING PRIORITIES

Support Staff Development Workshop