Campus Comments & Suggestion Box C-1111

The College of Wooster Staff Committee has established a campus box to be used by employees for comments, questions, or suggestions. Address your comments, questions, suggestions, etc. to Campus Box 111. This can be done anonymously.

All correspondence sent to the box will be read and discussed at the next scheduled CWSC meeting. The questions and the Committee's responses can be read on this site.

If an employee prefers a personal response to a question or suggestion, he or she will need to identify themselves, but their identity will not be revealed on this web site.

Questions have been submitted to the Suggestion Box related to concerns with co-workers and/or supervisors.
It is not in the best interest of the employees for the Committee to be involved in specific personnel issues. There is a process available for employees to address these concerns. Employees should go to their supervisor with these matters. When this is not feasible due to the circumstances, the employee should meet with the Director of Human Resources.

Questions addressed at the February 2008 meeting:

Q: Is it possible to offer a discounted meal on campus for employees? Employees can eat at Mom's Truck Stop, but that can be challenging with only thirty minutes for lunch.
A: The Dining Hall and Faculty Lounge are open to all employees. Lunch in the Faculty Lounge costs $3.00 for the salad bar and $5.00 for a complete lunch. Employees need a College ID and a personal charge account. Meals in the Lowry Dining Hall are $5.00 - breakfast, $7.00 - lunch, and $9.00 - dinner.

Questions addressed at the January 2008 meeting:

Q: Why do I have to go through Pam Tegtmeier for a fitness evaluation if your own personal doctor gives you the okay to participate in any of the exercise programs? My doctor would certainly know better about my health and situation then Pam. I feel it is an insult to have to be measured, weighed, etc. by a co-worker. Does Pam have a degree in nutrition or sports medicine or whatever?
A: Program Entry Concerns

• I don't want to take the required Preliminary Assessment (termed Fitness Exam in the question).
• I would rather substitute a Fitness Note from my personal physician - why can't I do this?
• The Assessment process intimidates me/I am too shy to do this.

• Why do we have to have Follow-up Assessments? (termed the Formal Evaluation Process in the question)
• Why are they required?
• Why do they happen so often?
• Is our Wellness Director qualified to make the assessments?
• I think that I am forced to assume the Director's goals, not my own goals.

We had hundreds of company wellness programs and research studies on the topic of employee wellness to guide us when our employee wellness program was setup with the assistance of a nationally-recognized company wellness consultant, author and teacher in the field of wellness programs. Our program was setup to include these long-established best practices.

**note: In response to requests from employees who have medical coverage through other sources, we have opened the Wellness Program to them at a monthly fee, so all employees/retirees have the opportunity to participate.

Why are we required to do it this way?
There is a difference between membership in an employer-sponsored wellness program and a membership in an exercise club. Because we are a college campus, there are many unique opportunities for employees to exercise right here on campus at no cost - ranging from individual activities such as walking or using the weight /exercise facilities to enjoying sporting activities such as tennis without joining the Wellness Program.

Our Wellness Program takes an additional step. It provides the members with the free service of a certified Personal Trainer and certified Fitness Specialist - our Wellness Program Director. It creates a personalized individual program, not simply an hour to work out. Employer Wellness Programs have established components that are nationally-accepted parts of membership in those programs. Just as the process to be licensed to drive an automobile requires the applicant to have personal testing and to follow regulations after receiving a license, wellness programs have requirements for membership.

The confidential and private Preliminary Assessment accomplishes several important start-up requirements:

• The employee meets his/her Personal Trainer and shares goals and interests as a start to developing a personalized fitness program.
• The new participant shares relevant medical history facts that may guide in the setup of the fitness program.
• Release Waiver forms are reviewed and signed to protect the College from future liability.
• Before working with the participant to create a personal program, the Personal Trainer needs to know information about the strengths and limitations of the new member. Medical facts such as blood pressure are measured and recorded.
• Several short physical tests are administered to benchmark the participant's overall strengths and individuals are shown how they measure against a national population in their age group.

These are the tools that are used to build a personal fitness program for the participant - activities and participation in programs that are selected by the participant based on his/her interests & fitness goals and within any constraints known from his/her medical history and balanced by his/her current strength, cardiovascular ability and flexibility and endurance.

We are asked if a "fit for exercise" note from a family physician can be substituted for the on-campus assessment. We have not agreed to waive the Assessment and substitute a doctor's note. We feel that the assessment components listed above are very important and we do not want to drop this part of the Program. If you know of a person who is concerned or angry about one or more of the parts of the Assessment, please encourage him/her to discuss the feelings with the Director. Keep in mind that participants are not forced to setup a Personal Fitness Program that does not match their goals and remember that all information given to the Director is kept confidential. The Preliminary Assessment and the Personal Meetings are done at no cost to the participant. Private physician fitness evaluations can be costly.

All research and studies show that there is a tendency of participants in all fitness/health/exercise programs to lose their drive and commitment as time passes. Thus, one of the major components of successful and quality wellness programs is the on-going relationship with a Personal Trainer. Our Personal Trainer - our Wellness Director - fills this need with what we call our Follow-up Assessments.

Since College Wellness Program members do not regularly meet with their "Personal Trainer" at the health club or fitness center, we need to keep in personal touch with the members by reaching out to them. While our Director is available for telephone calls or personal meetings and although our Director also teaches many of the fitness classes, these are not guaranteed ways to assess progress or update goals based on the member's progress. Instead, we have committed to a process that includes a Director-initiated contact with all participants for a personal and private consultation. Based on our membership size and time constraints, we have a goal of four personal meetings per year, at the convenience of the member. Once a year would not be helpful and there is not enough time to meet each week or month, so this was our compromise and is in accordance with other successful programs.

So, this is the foundation of our Program. It follows the nationally accepted model used in workplaces across our country and we are proud of it. Our Wellness Program is not completely developed. We will continue to offer new services and programs as member-interest and available resources permit. We appreciate this opportunity to tell you more about it.

Suggestions regarding the Personal Fitness Programs or ideas for new features in our Wellness Program are encouraged. These suggestions can be sent to Pam Tegtmeier, Wellness Program Director, to Gary Thompson, Director of Human Resources, or sent to the Suggestion Box of the Staff Committee. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts - the Wellness Program is provided for you.

Questions addressed at the December 2007 meeting:

Q: Can some clarification be made concerning the Galpin/Taylor parking lot? In particular, people use the "30-minute" parking spots in front of Galpin everyday as regular parking spots (including the President). Are these "30-minute" spots or not? If not, then the signs should be removed. It seems like those spots should be kept open for visitors. In addition, people are parking on the grass or in the actual entry ways themselves, instead of parking on the street like the rest of us have to do. Not a big deal, but common courtesy would seem to be the order of the day.
A: How aggressively to enforce the use of any parking spaces designated for a particular group or for a time limit is up to the Security Office. Potential violations may be reported directly to them. The Galpin visitor lot has a sign for a 'Reserved' space. This is for the President.

Q: Is there any information available pertaining to the wages of both hourly and salaried staff at Wooster in comparison to other peer schools, specifically the Ohio 5 and GLCA schools? I know that information is available for faculty, where I believe we are about in the middle of the pack. My perception, and I think it is of others, is that staff are near the bottom of these peer schools in terms of staff wages. I also wonder where we stand in terms of number of employees per number of enrolled students. It seems in this area that we are near the bottom. Forgetting the personal impact of this, it seems this is potentially detrimental to the College's professional future to be both lean and frugal when it comes to staff employment and compensation.
A: The focus of the Administration's attention is on total compensation which includes salaries and wages, but also benefits (health care, retirement, etc.), working environment, and location. A conversation about the compensation policy will most likely take place between the new President (Grant Cornwell) and the Interim VPFB (John Sell). The goal will be to establish a level of compensation that attracts and retains the kind of employees the College wants. Most hourly and salaried staff positions are filled from a local pool. When making comparisons to equivalent jobs, it should be done where the factors are similar.

Q: Does the College award merit raises? If so, why are no evaluations done of employees? I have never been evaluated in all the time that I have worked here, nor have many other employees that I have talked to. I think one of the major points of frustration for staff is that when raises come out, the employees who are not performing at a high level get the same raise as those that do. It certainly curtails the motivation to perform at a high level.
A: Every hourly employee should receive an annual evaluation. Salary staff evaluations are done by the individual administrators. Employees have the right to request an evaluation if one is not being provided. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the employee do their job, not to determine their pay. Annual increases are given across the board. Merit raises are based on performance, but are not tied to evaluations.

Q: Does the College have a policy about employees, particularly supervisors, working second jobs that cause them to miss time during the typical work period (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)? There is at least one example of this occurring on a regular basis, which seems to be unfair and sets a bad precedent.
A: The College cannot prohibit employees from working more than one job. All employees of the College should have a clear understanding of what is expected of them as part of their job description and have the obligation to give their best effort at meeting those expectations. Employees with concerns should go to their supervisor with these matters. When this is not feasible due to the circumstances, the employee should meet with the Director of Human Resources.

Q: Why do salaried staff get paid only once a month?
A: This is a standard practice for salaried staff. It does allow for cost savings and cuts processing costs in half.

Q: Comment about the PEC building. What is going on in there? The womens' restrooms on ground and first floor are deplorable. There has been blood on the stall door on ground floor for at least a couple of weeks now. The weight room is just as bad. The vents on the ceiling are black and the mirrors are disgusting. Who is watching over this? Someone needs to take this serious. No wonder people are getting sick. I have been noticing this for quite some time and it just keeps getting worse.
A: The committee shared this concern with Keith Beckett, our Director Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation. Dr. Beckett quickly agreed that he wants to operate a facility that is seen as clean and sanitary. He told us that he is actively present in the building throughout the day and evening and feels that the custodial staff performs their duties appropriately - given the constraints of three employees covering a large building that is open 18 hours-day and 7 days-week with hundreds of people coming and going, as well as actively using the facilities.

We found that at least one of the examples mentioned in the concern is not a cleaning responsibility of the PEC custodial staff and that other specific items noted in the concern may be "snapshot" issues that are not always issues 24 hours/day, every day. We all know from our personal lives and homes that 5 minutes after something is cleaned it can be dirty again.

The good news is that Keith Becket and staff supervisor, Meghan Dougherty, have the same high standards for a clean and neat facility that our suggestion box contributor has expressed. Knowing that we do not have 18 hour custodial coverage in the PEC building, they ask that any staff using the facilities assist them by reporting concerns directly to them (e-mail or telephone message if you don't see them) so the problems may be addressed immediately.

We should all keep in mind, however, that custodial resources are limited and there is no indication that additional staff will be added at the present. With plans for a new/renovated building on the horizon, there may not be an increase in the allocation of resources for upkeep beyond the current level. In the meantime, please keep in mind:

• there is heavy use of the building - students, staff, and guests.
• the custodial hours are concentrated in the evening; there is not 24-hour coverage.
• anything that appears to be blood spots should always be reported immediately.
• sanitizer is always available in the weight room and should be used before and after using any equipment.

The Staff Committee hopes that if those employees using the PEC facilities will partner with the PEC administrators and staff to pinpoint problems as they are observed, we can all support each other to take the appropriate corrective actions.

Q: Why is the College not using recycled paper for its printer/copier paper?
A: Recycled products have been tried in the past but the products didn't provide the quality needed for our printers and copiers to run efficiently. The Purchasing department continues to review new products as they become available. There is an Environmental Task Force Committee active on campus that continuously addresses these types of issues.

Q: Question addressed at January 2006 meeting:
Q: A recent article appeared in Newsweek that described Northwestern University's policy of lowering thermostats to 55 degrees during off hours to save energy and money. Should the College consider such an idea or at least issue campus reminders about energy reductions?
A: Bob Walton thought this was a great idea and will bring to Executive Staff on behalf of the Committee.
Do you know whatever might have happened to this? Seems something as simple as this, and a campus-wide awareness about turning off computers and lights would make a difference over time.
A: Some of the academic buildings, especially the newer ones, have automated systems that allow for this. A suggestion to the Environmental Task Force could be made for campus-wide awareness.

Questions addressed at the April 2007 meeting:

Q: Why is there no one representing the Support Staff on the Presidential Transition Committee?
A: We do, in fact, have representation. Michael Thompson, Chair of The College of Wooster Support Staff Committee, is serving on the Presidential Transition Committee.

Q: Why does it take so long to post the minutes and agendas?
A: We post the agendas and minutes as soon as possible. It is normal, customary practice to issue an agenda right before a schedule meeting-as is waiting to post minutes until they have been approved. In our case, we post the agenda as soon after the meeting as possible. With us being a monthly committee, minutes do not get approved until the following meeting and then are posted as quickly as possible.

Q: Does anyone have an opportunity on the agenda for open discussion or make comments?
A: Yes, every agenda has an "open floor" during both old and new business discussions. At this time, any member of the Committee is able to bring up any topic for discussion. Staff members are encouraged to make comments and suggestions to any of the representatives on the Committee or via the suggestion box. We will then discuss the issues brought forward.

Questions addressed at the February 2007 meeting:

Q: Several years ago, after the separation of Residential and Academic Custodial, the Academic side was given a generous raise in their hourly wage ($3 per hour). Is the Residential Custodial staff not deserving of the same kind of compensation?

A: The College of Wooster does not pay a "shift-differential." In various departments across campus, employees working the day-shift receive the same compensation rate as those working the night-shift. The reasoning for the differential in pay for Academic Custodial was addressed at the December 14th, 2004 meeting of the CWSC, and the minutes read as follows:
"Bob Walton reported that there were 64 "turns" in 7 months among the custodial staff, meaning that people were hired, trained, started working, and then quit. One reason for this turnover is that there are more available jobs in the community on the "graveyard shift" than there are people to fill them. Wal-Mart pays $10.50 per hour for their night shift people. In order for the College to be market competitive, the 3rd shift custodial wages had to be increased. Any custodial staff member is encouraged to apply for the night shift if they wish to earn a higher wage. Working the night shift places an additional burden on employees and their families. In order to compete in the open market place for night shift employees, the College had to increase their compensation."

Questions addressed at the August 2006 meeting:

Q: Has there been any consideration given to making some modifications to how the Wired Scot area is constructed? There are those two expensive plasma screen televisions, but there is no good place to watch them, at least nowhere comfortable. Maybe a couple small couches on either side of the televisions would make for easier viewing.
A: The Wired Scot is not meant to be a lounge. It is a campus resource meant to supply computer access to the College Community. There are plenty of couches upstairs in the Lowry Center Lounge.

Q: Has there been any thought given to cutting down on the number of computers in order to allow more room for couches, and to allow the work space to be larger, and the keyboards to be larger? It is very difficult to type on those small keyboards.
A: The Wired Scot is being revamped this summer, getting new computers to ensure that the workstations stay up and running. This area will be overseen by IT. Due to the small area, the keyboards have to be a certain size and cannot be much bigger.

Q: Has there been consideration given to expanding the menu at Mom's Truckstop to include healthier options? It seems there are an extremely large amount of grilled items and not many healthy selections.
A: Mom's does have some healthy selections, you just have to look for them. However, the nature of a truckstop is grilled foods versus healthier alternatives. It is recognized that the area needs to be reinvented at some point but we have yet to have the proper funding to do so.

Questions addressed at January 2006 meeting:

Q: An recent article appeared in Newsweek that described Northwestern University's policy of lowering thermostats to 55 degrees during off hours to save energy and money. Should the College consider such an idea or at least issue campus reminders about energy use reductions?
A: Bob Walton thought this was a great idea and will bring to Executive Staff on behalf of the Committee.

Questions addressed at March 2005 meeting:

Q: Is it possible to post the agendas and minutes from Support Staff Committee meeting on the website sooner after the meeting takes place?
A: The minutes do not get posted on the Web site until they are formally approved by the Committee, which takes place at the following month's meeting. The agenda, however, can and will be posted as soon as it is available. Also, the Campus Comments and Suggestion Box discussions will be posted as soon as possible after the meeting takes place.

Q: Some adminstrative assistants would like to attend more workshops, seminars, conferences. etc.
A: Gary Thompson suggests that any adminstrative assistants who are wishing to attend these sorts of activities should see him and let him know specifically what they are interested in.

Q: Why do exercise classes stop during break?
A: The instructors' contracts are written that way. However, Bob Walton has decided that this should be changed so contracts allow for classes to take place over winter and spring break. As for summer break, Mr. Walton will rethink it.

Questions addressed at February 2005 meeting:

Note: Answers are a summary of the discussion among committee members and Bob Walton.

Q: Why do some departments ask employees to use comp time?
A: The College does not have "comp time". Flextime, however, is practiced by some departments. Winter Break is one exception for departments that must be staffed 24/7. This issue will be discussed at an upcoming Executive Staff meeting to clarify the issue "comp time" versus "flex" time.

Q: Why does our medical benefits only allow for one cleaning per year, while dentists recommend two cleanings per year?
A: The medical committee review board elected that only one cleaning a year should be covered. Two cleanings are the recommendation of some dentists, but not necessarily required for good dental health care.

Q: Would it be possible to have department heads host open houses for special work that has been done on campus, to recognize the staff for their hard work?
A: Bob Walton will review and discuss this issue with President Hales.

Q: Would it be possible to offer more training classes, on campus, for personnel?
A: This is a subject that is being explored.

Q: Salaried staff are able to take better advantage of the classes offered by the Wellness Program due to their flexible schedules. Why can't hourly personnel be compensated for one hour of exercise time daily, so they don't have to take their lunch time to work out? Their time and progress can be monitored to keep employees from taking advantage of the program.
A: The Wellness Program offers classes and weight room hours during the early morning, day time, and evening for all participants. Due to the flex-time that is offered by most departments, employees have ample time to work out without taking time away from their work schedules. Employees are offered a great benefit with the Wellness Program and should take responsibility for their own schedules and not expect the college to pay for their participation. It would not be economical to pay every hourly person for one hour each day to exercise.

Q: Custodial Staff 3rd Shift Differential: Why is the differential so high? Third shift staff and temporary staff will be paid at higher rate then those on other shifts that have worked here much longer. It is believed that a meeting should be held to discuss this injustice. It is also thought that custodial staff is not being recognized or praised for their hard work.
A: The issue of shift differential was discussed at the Dec. 14th meeting and the answer can be obtained from the Dec. 14th minutes posted on the Support Staff website.
The First Year Satisfaction Survey, completed by students, lists very positive comments and high praise for the custodial staff. Custodial staff members are frequently recognized by name and are very much appreciated by students.