UNC employee forum discusses faculty retention and DEI on campus

The UNC Employee Forum spoke about faculty retention, student mental health resources, and on-campus diversity, equity, and inclusion at its town hall on Wednesday.

What’s up?

• Employee Forum Chair Katie Musgrove opened the meeting by introducing Jennifer Pruitt, Program Coordinator of the Office of Postgraduate Affairs, who was recently awarded the Janet B. Royster Memorial Fellowship.
  • This scholarship is awarded to full-time employees of the UNC system who are not professors and provides assistance in obtaining a degree or other professional certification.
• Becci Menghini, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, Equal Opportunities and Compliance, shared a presentation on the Future of Work Playbook, a tool that could help employees organize flexible working hours , schedules and workplaces with Internet access.
• Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz joined the meeting to discuss the playbook.
  • “If we want to provide our students with the world-class residential experience we’re talking about, we need to make sure we can retain and attract an exceptional workforce,” Guskiewicz said.
• Leah Cox, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, spoke about the Diversity Climate Survey, which was last conducted in 2016.
• Cox also mentioned a Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report, which will record and enhance past policies with the goal of promoting equity.
• Provost and Executive Vice-Chancellor Chris Clemens officially took office on Tuesday. He said it was important to retain faculty talent and nominate professors for awards to recognize their work at UNC.
  • “If you look at things like faculty awards, our faculty is certainly on par with any of our peers,” Clemens said. “But we’re falling behind because we haven’t been careful to nominate them for the awards they deserve.”
• Members of the Employee Forum also discussed their concerns regarding faculty retention. Clemens said retention is a top priority for the University administration.
  • “I really want to work with you in this forum and hear from you on issues affecting staff,” Clemens said. “Because, of course, we rely entirely on staff to run the University.”
• As of Tuesday, UNC partnered with the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit for student mental health, and was officially named the “JED Campus.”
  • “The Jed Foundation, as you may know, is a national foundation that focuses on crisis prevention, intervention and prevention. Again, our JED Campus relationship is very student-centric flavor“, said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson.
• Linc Butler, associate vice chancellor for human resources, joined the discussion to encourage employees to use the mental health resources provided by the human resources office.
  • Butler mentioned staff wellness events including group meditation and packed lunches that the University will provide.
• Menghini said the number of COVID-19 cases was trending down on campus and encouraged employees to get vaccinated, including boosters.
  • Menghini also discussed “golden ticket” incentives for UNC community members who received their booster shot, which include UNC basketball tickets and student store gift cards.

How was the Employee Forum formed?

The Employee Forum was established in March 1992 with a mission to discuss issues, concerns, and overall engagement of faculty and staff on campus.

Who is in the employee forum?

The Employee Forum is made up of approximately 60 elected delegates, who attend regular meetings of the Employee Forum. The Employee Forum is made up of nine different divisions and the executive committee is made up of one representative from each constituency.

And after?

The Employee Forum will hold a general meeting during the first week of March.

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