Dean Olson addresses the College's civil service staff

On March 1 and 3, the College hosted its second Civil Service and Instructional Faculty forums. The forums were created last semester to gain input and knowledge from the College’s civil service employees and instructional faculty in order to open the lines of communication and aid the College with efficiency and productivity. During the two forums, approximately 40 of the College’s employees gathered with Dean Olson to discuss issues concerning the College: renovations, summer school, budget cuts, strategic planning, updates to the English Language Institute (ELI) and CAS-IT. Civil Service employees told Olson they appreciate the recognition they have been receiving in the College, and Instructional Faculty discussed their new contract and retirement options.

Dean Olson also explained the entrepreneurial summer school model that will be tested this summer. At the Instructional Faculty Forum, faculty discussed the possibility of summer teaching opportunities if the entrepreneurial model takes hold. With more summer classes being offered, instructional faculty noted that it would help boost their salaries if they were offered summer teaching—especially just prior to retirement. Dean Olson said that he is very optimistic that the Department of Communication, which is piloting the new summer school model this year, will demonstrate its success such that the model will be employed College-wide in the coming years.

At the Civil Service Forum, one staff member asked about future renovations, specifically whether Stevenson Hall or Turner Hall would be the next major building renovation project. Olson said that decision has not yet been made, but that Associate Dean Sam Catanzaro would request that Turner be renovated first, since working on Stevenson Hall while Schroeder Hall west is still under renovation would create classroom space issues and would thus substantially disrupt College operations. Olson pointed out, though, that Stevenson Hall renovations will not be as substantial as those to Schroeder Hall. The renovation will focus on updating lighting, the heating and cooling system, and the like.

Finally, Dean Olson discussed the “preventative maintenance” taking place over Spring Break, during which time electricity will be turned off in Stevenson Hall for three days. Olson assured faculty and staff that no one is expected to work without electricity, and that the College office is in the process of making accommodations for those three days.

The next Civil Service and Instructional Faculty forums will be held in the fall.