2003 SAC Report to the President

Acknowledgements

The President's Staff Advisory Committee wishes to express its thanks and gratitude to Walter Hunter, Roberta Gordon, Luisa Pacheco, and most importantly, President Ruth Simmons. The work of this committee could not have been accomplished without the contributions of these individuals. Walter's guidance, wisdom and sense of humor greatly assisted this committee in moving forward with our objectives. Bert's tireless dedication to all of our efforts and especially her assistance to the chair were instrumental in making this a great year for the committee. Moreover, Luisa's administrative and budget guidance has been instrumental in helping keep the committee operationally effective. Finally, the inspiration and trust granted to SAC by President Simmons has been a key motivational force in our success. Together they have continued to be the guiding force that makes this committee effective.

SAC Membership 2003

James M. Adams, Financial Manager, Annenberg Institute
Albert M. Anderson, Access Coordinator, Food Services
Christopher J. Harwood, Biosafety Officer, Environmental Health & Safety
David A. Barsamian, Supervisor, University Mail Services Walter C. Hunter, Advisor, Vice President for Administration
Ann D'Abrosca, Past Chair , Academic Department Manager, Education
Margaret R. Marisi, Administrative Office Coordinator, Public Safety
Janice M. D'Amico, Administrative Coordinator, Applied Math
Deborah Moser, Director of Loans, Student Financial Services-Loan Office
Lisa D. Dimartino, Recording Secretary, Contact Database Manager, Education Alliance
Susan M. Pezzullo, Asst. Director of Admin. Management, Education Alliance
Blanca Del Cid, Administrative Assistant, Student Life
Michelle M. Ross, Administrative Assistant, Psychology
Barbara I. Fields, Associate Director, Health Services
Lora N. Rossi, Assistant to the Registrar, Registrar's Office
Dionne Gomez, Course Coordinator, Bio Med
Wanda Walker, Business Analyst, Facilities Management
Gail Goodness, Assistant Controller, Controller's Office
Joan M. White, Senior Production Specialist, CIS
Geoffrey A. Greene, CIS, Associate Director
Jane Williams, Manager, Finance and Administration, Public Affairs and University Relations
Roberta Gordon, Ex Officio Advisor, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources
William R. Wood, Chair, Manager, Media Services, University Library

Executive Summary

The mission of the President's Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) is to:

Facilitate active and direct communications between University staff and the President
Provide a forum for discussion and investigation of issues important to the staff and University
Present formal recommendations to the President

The Staff Advisory Committee, which just completed its fifth year, provides a vehicle for input to the senior leadership at Brown on a wide range of issues of importance to staff. To date, sixty staff members have participated in the program. In January 2004, ten new staff members will join the committee, bringing the total staff who have served to seventy.

Key Issues and Accomplishments

After meetings with President Ruth J. Simmons on May 7, 2003 and November 7, 2003, SAC focused on the following areas. In addition, the committee participated in multiple programs and exercises of importance during the year.

Participation in the Organizational Review: Terri Lynn Thayer of the Organizational Review Advisory Committee attended the January 28th meeting. She requested feedback and provided insight about the review. The review's purpose was to look at the effectiveness of the University, both academically and administratively.
Presidential Forums: There were two Presidential Forums held during 2003. The events were held on March 7 and October 21. The format was the same for both forums. The President attended with various members of senior administration.
Creation of SAC Archive: In January 2003, SAC identified the need for an archive of documents and physical objects created by SAC to be preserved for future committees to refer to. Lora Rossi agreed to be the first SAC Archivist.
Creation of Internal Structures and Protocols: At the beginning of the year, it became apparent that SAC needed to have structures and protocols set up as they dealt with our budget and how we handled incoming mail. We felt that since the rest of the University was tightening their belt and watching how monies were spent that SAC needed to have a formal budget created. The mail protocols were set up to handle the ever increasing mail that SAC was sent. We had to develop ways in which best to handle the volume, send the mail to the proper person/group to handle the question, and then to provide feedback to the staff member who originally sent the mail. James Adams was instrumental in working with the Chair and others to implement these protocols.
Meetings with the President: This committee was the first since the creation of SAC to have two meetings with the President in the same year. We were extremely happy and honored by this opportunity. We met with President Ruth J. Simmons and David Greene, Assistant to the President, on May 7, and with the President and Marisa Quinn, Assistant to the President, on November 7. At both meetings, we engaged in a dialogue and provided insights that help us guide our path through what was a challenging year for all members of the Brown University community.
Events: The key events that SAC participated in and helped to organize this year were the "Dump and Run" sale on September 12th, the Health and Wellness Fair on October 29th, and the Holiday Bazaar on December 4th.
Communications Proposal: As an outcome of our May 7th meeting with President Simmons, it was felt that SAC needed to present a formal proposal to the President as to how we would handle communication between SAC and staff. This proposal was written in July and August by members of the Outreach and Communication subcommittee, with special recognition given to Susan Pezzullo and Jane Williams. The proposal had three main recommendations:

Creation of a new website;
Staff newsletter/George Street Journal columns;
Informational and Educational programs. The proposal was completed in September and presented to the President.

Launch of new dynamic SAC website: In early October, several members of Outreach and Communication along with the chair and co-chair started to meet to discuss how to revamp the existing website. Our initial meetings also were attended by Kate James, Developer/Designer at the Brown News Service. This effort was spearheaded by Jane Williams who was instrumental in acting as a liaison between SAC and our web consultant Jason Pontius of White Whale Web Design.
Creation of Governance/Staff Participation Subcommittee: Another outcome of our May 7th meeting with President Simmons was her desire that we create a subcommittee that dealt with governance issues, similar to the committee that the faculty at Brown have had for years. Gail Goodness and Geoffrey Greene took on the task as co-chairs to guide the formation of this new, and what turned out to be a ground-breaking subcommittee. After extensive research, it was found that Brown University's Staff Participation subcommittee is one of the first of its kind in the country.
Membership Recruitment: Recruitment for the 2004-2005 SAC class was begun in September. This was the first time that applications were handled electronically. Staff interested in applying simply downloaded their application from the SAC website. All recruitment efforts were coordinated by Co-Chair Deborah Moser.
Staff Issues/Concerns Exercise: At the request of President Simmons, SAC began in late March to look at staff's issues and concerns. All SAC members went back to their areas and culled information from the staff that they represent, and compiled a list of the major sources of staff's concerns.
University Holiday Party Poll: SAC was requested in September to conduct a poll to find out what people thought of the University's Holiday Party, and for staff to give their feedback on possible alternatives.
Surveys: SAC conducted two important surveys in the fall. The first conducted at the Benefits and Wellness Fair on October 29th was on transportation and parking. The second was conducted at the Holiday Bazaar on December 4th and dealt with staff's level of involvement in decision making at Brown.
Committee Selection Process: The Staff Participation subcommittee created processes, as part of their work, for the selection of staff members to serve on various University committees and advisory boards.

Accomplishments

Participation in the Organizational Review

At the January 28th SAC meeting, we met with Terri-Lynn Thayer to discuss the University's Organizational Review. The purpose of the review was to look at the effectiveness of the University, both academically and administratively. There were two separate committee's formed to conduct the work of the review. The first was the advisory committee, which would conduct all of the research and data collection. The second was the steering committee which would take the data collected and make recommendations. Terri-Lynn distributed copies of the committee's interview questions and they were filled out by the SAC membership. We decided to use the SAC listserv to facilitate an electronic conversation regarding the review.

Terri-Lynn returned to the February 11th meeting, along with Nancy Dunbar, to gather our feedback. They encouraged SAC members to speak their minds and address any and all concerns. Discussions centered on improving and aligning the organization. Some suggestions were: addressing redundancies across the university and the duplication of effort that sometimes existed between different departments; provide support for faculty research; University-wide open communication; standardization of computing procedures; room reservations and space; and addressing ways to improve continuity and communications between departments.

Presidential Forums

The first Presidential Forum of 2003 was held on March 3 from 12:00-1:00 in Sayles Hall. This forum marked a departure from the previous year, when only the President spoke at the forums. This year there were additional speakers. The speakers were President Ruth J. Simmons, Provost Robert Zimmer and Richard Spies, Executive V.P. for Planning. The forum's first speaker was Robert Zimmer, Provost. He spoke to the staff about the newly formed University Resources Committee (URC) and budgetary issues. He was followed by Richard Spies, Executive V.P. for Planning who spoke about the University's ongoing long term planning efforts. The President followed Dick Spies. She spoke about "The Academic Enrichment Initiatives (AEI): What They Mean For Us Today". After the speakers were finished, there was approximately 15-20 minutes reserved for questions from the floor. The second forum was held on October 21st from 12:00-1:00 in Sayles Hall. The speakers were President Ruth J. Simmons, Provost Robert Zimmer and Beppie Huidekoper, Executive V.P. for Finance and Administration. President Simmons started off the forum by thanking all of the staff for their hard work, and she went on to list a number of accomplishments staff had contributed to during the past year. She also shared her plan for spending a portion of the budget surplus, and the implementation of a bonus program for staff. Provost Zimmer then discussed specific accomplishments of the AEI. Beppie Hudekoper addressed changes made as a result of the Organizational Review and provided information on recently created University committees and the staff representatives on these committees (this was later put on the SAC Web site). The remainder of the forum was reserved for questions from the staff.

Creation of SAC Archive

In January 2003, SAC identified the need for an archive of physical objects created by SAC (e.g., Annual Reports to the President and tapes of Staff Forums). SAC selected Lora Rossi of the Registrar's Office to be the curator. Since minutes of SAC meetings are archived electronically, they are not part of this collection. The collection is currently very small, containing some of the annual reports, a copy of the "Service and Administrative Resource Guide", and some tapes from Staff forums with the President.

At our meeting with President Simmons in November 2003, she suggested that SAC more intentionally document its work. Content of the archives should be revisited, and expanded to more effectively document the growth of SAC and its involvement within the University. We hope to have all past chairs of SAC donate appropriate documents from their tenure.

Creation of Internal Structures and Protocols

Early in January of 2003, the chair of SAC along with the advisors realized that we were facing a very challenging budget situation through the remainder of the fiscal year. At that point we appointed a financial person within SAC to closely monitor budgetary expenditures. The staff member that was chosen was James Adams, Financial Manager at the Annenberg Institute. Jim received permission to access FRS, reconciled the account, and establish policies and procedures for budgets and monthly financial reports. Some of these policies and procedures included creating a budget to share with SAC committee chairs and get input form the full committee at the end of each fiscal year; review budget with chair and advisors on a monthly basis; and to centralize financial files. This resulted in clear communication between chair and advisors; regarding what is, and is not budgeted. It also provided clear communication between chair and committee about base funding and identifying when we would have to find alternative funding. The second internal structure that had to be created was "Communication/Responding to SAC E-Mails". Once again Jim Adams of the Outreach and Communication subcommittee accepted the task. These structures provided clear communication between SAC, staff, senior administration and the various advisory boards and committees. Jim monitored the SAC e-mail box and responded to all e-mails sent to SAC. He also set up internal policies and procedures for responding to all e-mails in a timely manner. Everyone who sends mail to SAC gets a response. The e-mail is then forwarded to correct department/group to address/answer. Once the answer is received, it is posted on the SAC website.

Meetings with President Simmons

Our first meeting with the University President was held on May 7th in Rm. 229 at Faunce Hall. We met with President Ruth J. Simmons and David Greene, Assistant to the President. The President gave SAC some exciting ideas to think about for the remainder of the year. She set forth two major areas on which SAC should concentrate their efforts on. The first was the creation of a structured staff governance system. The second was to provide her with a detailed communications plan. SAC was encouraged to continue and expand its involvement with staff issues.

The second meeting with the University President was held on November 7th in the Corporation Room at University Hall. The meeting was attended by President Ruth J. Simmons and Marisa Quinn, Assistant to the President. The meeting was started off by updating the President on the various projects on which we had been working on during the year. The President congratulated the committee on their accomplishments, especially as they applied to the Communications Proposal and the creation of the Staff Participation subcommittee. She encouraged us to try to involve the larger community, and to engage the community with a sense of trust. She also said that she would like to see more of a link between staff and the academic side of the house. The President said that we should consider making a presentation to the Corporation during 2004 on our efforts.

Events

SAC was proud to participate in three events during the 2003 year. The first event was the "Dump and Run" sale, which took place on September 12th on the main green. The event's proceeds benefited Community Preparatory School, located in Providence's inner city. Community Preparatory School is in its 19th year helping primarily low-income minority students learn the skills necessary to succeed in college preparatory high school programs. The outcome of the event was very successful. Staff, faculty and students all attended the event. The outcome was that SAC was able to donate $900.00 to the school. The Benefits/Wellness Fair was held on October 29th. Members of the Events subcommittee served on the planning committee to conduct this event. While having a table at the event, SAC took the opportunity to conduct a survey on transportation. The Holiday Bazaar was another opportunity for SAC to perform a public service for a needy charity. We had a table and were able to collect and donate 5 large, 25 pound trash bags and 4 boxes worth of toiletry items, blank books, journals, popcorn, gift cards, etc. All of the collected items were donated to Sojourner House, a non profit organization for battered women, founded in 1976 by Brown University students and alumnae.

Communications Proposal

At SAC's meeting with President Simmons in May 2003, the committee addressed staff concerns about the need for timely communication from the administration, relating in particular to the organizational review. Responding to the President's suggestion that SAC help to fill the communications gap through a newsletter or other publicity, the Outreach and Communications subcommittee was given the task of developing a proposal to improve communications with staff. (See appendix for full report)

The proposal focused on three main areas:

Web Site: That the SAC web site be revamped and used as a key communications vehicle; that is serve as a resource for staff through which they could convey concerns anonymously to SAC; and to conduct staff polls.
Staff Newsletter/George Street Journal Column: The subcommittee thought that rather than committing ourselves to something that might be hard to sustain over the long term, we would start with a trial run of articles in the George Street Journal, while it conducted a feasibility study for a newsletter. Following a newsletter feasibility study involving benchmarking newsletters at peer institutions, the subcommittee recommended that, for the present, SAC should focus on using the Web and George Street Journal as its primary communication outlets.
Informational and Educational Programs: With the goal of facilitating open and direct communication between staff and senior management, the subcommittee proposed that SAC help to identify communications gaps and concerns among staff across campus, and we will work with the relevant University departments to address the needs identified. Possibilities for improving communication included staff forums with senior officers on topics of current interest.

The report was welcomed by the President, who very kindly offered to help find resources for the redevelopment of the SAC web site.

Launch of new dynamic SAC Web Site

One of the goals of the redesign of the web site was to highlight SAC's dual roles of facilitating active and direct communication between University staff and the President, and of providing a forum for discussion and investigation of issues important to staff. The new home page of the web site therefore prominently featured SAC's mission, while also highlighting information on recent news and upcoming events.

In keeping with the goal of promoting communications with staff, a number of interactive features were introduced, including a poll, an online questionnaire and a suggestion box, which allowed staff to e-mail their comments or questions anonymously to SAC.

In the four months following its launch, the new site has featured many news items and four major events. SAC has received a welcome response from staff and valuable feedback and opinions on issues ranging from communications to staff involvement in decision making at Brown. Plans for additional features, including a staff profile, frequently asked questions, information on subcommittee activities, and a search engine are planned for 2004.

Creation of Governance/Staff Participation Subcommittee

In a meeting with President Simmons in May of 2003, she challenged the members of SAC to take an active role in staff governance. She wants the staff to be as involved as possible in the governance and decision-making that takes place at Brown. In direct response to this challenge, SAC decided to form the Staff Participation Subcommittee (SPS).

We asked members of SAC who were interested in this topic to join the SPS. We began to meet every two weeks with immediate goals of creating a mission statement/charge for SPS, and to define a process whereby SPS could nominate staff representatives to the University's newly formed advisory boards and committees. We felt it was important to have an established process before we were inundated with making recommendations.

SPS defined the following charge for itself: To investigate and make recommendations on staff participation in the University's governance and on appropriate staff involvement in decision-making processes. SPS reported back to President Simmons at our fall 2003 meeting that SPS was up and running, and SAC had indeed made several recommendations for staff representatives on University advisory boards and committees. She encouraged us to set our ambitions high for ways that staff can be involved at Brown, and asked us to find new venues to meet with staff in interactive sessions.

Since that meeting, SPS has conducted a series of focus groups to meet with staff in intimate settings and to determine what are the main issues for staff today. We will be presenting our results and recommendations to President Simmons.

Membership Recruitment

Recruitment for ten new members of SAC moved towards an electronic process in September 2003. Solicitation for new members included an article in the George Street Journal. In addition, an e-mail announcement and nomination form was sent to all Department Heads and Coordinators. We received nominations for twenty staff members.

The SAC application form and instructions were posted to our web site, thereby eliminating the expense of printing paper forms. A bulk e-mail about the application process was sent to all staff, and additional information was provided at the "Dump and Run" event. Eighteen staff members applied for the ten vacant positions. Applicants represented diverse departments and staff from various grade levels.

Staff Issues/Concerns Exercise

In April while preparing for our meeting with President Simmons, SAC conducted an exercise to try to identify staff issues and concerns. Over the course of the month, we delved into what the sources of concern for staff might be. We grouped the concerns into three major groups:

Change and uncertainty due to the economy, war, organizational review, etc., which leads to fear and speculation.
Desire for more information, better communication system.
Issues associated with AEI, such as 3%, 5%, 10% budget reduction scenarios and the hiring freeze.

During most of the discussion, it was felt by many SAC members that improved communications could resolve many of the concerns that staff had. This information was brought to the President during our May meeting and led to the focus of our conversations as they pertained to a communications proposal.

University Holiday Party Poll

In September 2003, SAC was asked to obtain some feedback on the University Holiday Party. SAC members were asked to poll their departments and gather information. The poll was based on 5 different options of how the party should be run, or whether it should be had at all. There were a total of 270 total votes cast. The results are as follows:

Option 1: Traditional University Holiday Party (4 p.m. - 7 p.m.) 156 votes
Option 2: A scaled down version of option 1 (4 p.m. - 6 p.m.) 36 votes
Option 3: A Winter Skate only 9 votes
Option 4: A Winter Skate held in January 21 votes
Option 5: Do not have a University Holiday Party at this time of year 48 votes

Some observations that came from the results were that different departments had a completely different response to the party; numbers seem to represent people who generally care for the party; which it is reported is predominately attended by staff members with families.

Surveys

During the fall of 2003, SAC's Staff Participation Subcommittee (SPS) surveyed staff on two occasions concerning two important issues; transportation/parking and staff participation in decision making (governance).

At the Benefits and Wellness Fair held on October 29, SAC actively distributed the Transportation and Parking survey which was designed by SAC and the Ad Hoc Transportation Committee. A total of 297 responses (89% from staff) were collected on site. Survey results indicated that 83% of respondents drive to work and that 51% have a Brown parking permit. In addition 77% indicated that they never take a bus to work. There was mixed reception to the concept of reduced rate bus passes.

On December 4, SAC's SPS surveyed staff at the annual Holiday Bazaar. The survey inquired about staff's current level of involvement in decision making at Brown (low) as well as what the level of staff participation should be (much more involved). Of the 178 surveys completed by staff (staff only, no faculty), 58% indicated an interest in attending focus groups in order to identify new ways for staff to become more involved. Based on this level of interest, five focus groups were scheduled for March 2004.

Advisory Board and Committee Selection Processes

The Staff Participation Subcommittee (SPS) has defined a process to recommend staff members to the University's advisory boards and committees. This process includes notifying all staff members of the opportunity to serve on an advisory board or committee. The notification, which is sent in the morning mail service, include summary information as possible about the advisory board or committee, including details of membership, meeting requirements, and a link to the charge for that group.

The most important element of this process learned by SPS as part of this process is that staff members are not yet aware of the opportunities we have to participate in these important advisory boards and committees. Furthermore, the work of these groups is not publicized enough. SPS needs to further its efforts in notifying staff of the existing opportunities we have to get staff involved, and to find new and exciting ways to engage staff. We will continue to seek for more staff representation so that staff can contribute more fully to the future of Brown University.

Through 2003 SPS, had helped with the staff representation for the Human Resources Advisory Board, the Ad Hoc Transportation Advisory Committee and the Computing Advisory Board.

SAC Representation on University Committees

Associate Provost for Diversity Search Committee: Blanca Del Cid

Blanca Del Cid was suggested by SAC and appointed by the President to be a member of the Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Diversity Search Committee. The national search was conducted by a 17 member search committee, chaired by President Ruth J. Simmons. There were two corporation representatives, six faculty members, five undergraduate students, 1 graduate student and two administrators. They received an estimated 95 applications from which the committee carefully selected the ones that most closely matched the requirements of this position. Each member carefully reviewed a number of applications and presented a report on each applicant to the full committee for discussion.

The committee selected Brenda Allen for the position. As a faculty member and senior administrator, Ms. Allen approached issues of diversity with courage, understanding and skill. Her record of achievement and her ability to articulate the important role of diversity in higher education made her an outstanding choice for this position at Brown.

University Resource Committee: Gail Goodness

During the year, the staff position on the University Resource Committee (URC) increased from participation as a non-voting member to full voting membership. The URC membership includes six faculty members, five administrators as ex-officio members, four students and a staff member appointed by the Staff Advisory Committee in consultation with the Provost. The URC is responsible for offering recommendations to the President on all budgetary plans, proposals, and priorities, both current and future, affecting the University. Gail represented staff on the URC during 2002 and 2003.

The resource allocation recommendations from this committee impact the future direction of the University and have a direct impact on resources available to students, staff and faculty. This was the first staff member to represented on this important committee.

Task Force on Campus Planning: David Barsamian

The charge of the task force is to: Design and implement a process for generating questions, consider problems, evaluate opportunities for campus life programming and space, vetting ideas broadly on campus, leading to a set of options for configurations of spaces to be presented to the senior administration by the end of the fall semester of the 2003-2004 academic year.

The task force met with the architectural firm of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates to bring their expertise to the project. They interviewed representative groups on campus and conducted studies of foot travel patterns. They also looked at the pros and cons of various scenarios that would achieve our goals. Task force members and the architects exchanged ideas at meetings, through conference calls and via a very active list-serve. Members of the committee traveled to other campuses during winter break and returned with a presentation of their findings.

A presentation will be made to the Corporation at the February 2004 meetings to make recommendations on a major renovation of the Sharpe Refectory, the development of new fitness facilities, and the analysis of alternative sites for a campus center. Campus Community Public Safety Committee: Christopher Harwood The charge of the Campus Community Public Safety Committee is to serve to advise the Vice President for Administration and other senior officers as appropriate, on resources and priorities with regard to safety and security on and around the campus. The committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning policies, programs and initiatives designed to support and promote the work of the Public Safety Department and the community.

The Committee has representatives from the Public Safety Department, the BU Patrolperson's Association, Faculty, Staff, Administration, Undergraduate Council of Students, Grad Student Council, the Greek Council and the Organization of United African Peoples. The diverse mix allows the committee to conduct its work with a broad spectrum of perspectives.

Recent topics covered include: the arming of Public Safety Police Officers, the establishment of a Community Policing Station for Providence Police Department by Brown, Pin Mapping, Shuttle Operations and status of Investigations.

Campus Planning Advisory Board: Ann D'Abrosca

The Campus Planning Advisory Board was organized to advise Richard Spies, Executive Vice President for Planning, and other senior officers; on resources and priorities concerning the utilization and development of the physical campus. The Advisory Board reviews and makes recommendations concerning the University's Master Plan for the physical campus; proposals for new facilities and significant renovations or landscaping projects' and other matters related to the current and future utilization of the physical campus. The board meets 3-4 times a semester for about 1 _ hours each time.

The Board is advisory in nature and chaired by Dick Spies and co-chaired by Dietrich Neumann, Professor of Art and Architecture. The remaining committee is comprised of three faculty members, two staff members, 1 undergraduate student, 1 graduate student and 1 medical school student. Ex-Officio members of the Board are John Noonan, Associate Vice President Facilities Management; Michael McCormick, Director of Planning Facilities Management and Nancy Dunbar, Associate Provost. Architects and planners Frances Halsband, Denise Scott Brown, Silvia Fuster and Dan McCoubrey have attended and presented at sessions of the Board. At the November meeting the Board met with the firm of Venture Scott Brown and Associates to discuss the opportunity to expand the scope of education beyond the classroom by improving campus life across a wide range of social and communal activities.

The Advisory Board is currently receiving updates on the planning work being done on "The Walk" and related academic expansion space and on the campus life planning work, including progress on the idea of a campus center, fitness/wellness center.

Human Resources Advisory Board: Dionne Gomez

The Human Resources Advisory Board has been charged with advising the Vice President for Administration and other senior officers as appropriate, on resources and priorities with regards to human resources, personnel matters and the strategic directions for human resources. Members shall consist of the Vice President for Administration, four faculty members (one being a current member of the Faculty Affairs Committee), and six staff members. Members shall serve staggered two-year terms. The Assistant Vice President for Human Resources shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member.

As one of the voting members of the board representing staff, Dionne has been given the opportunity to learn about and make recommendations for H.R. policies that not only affect staff, but also members of the Brown Community at large. The experience has also given her a first hand look at the complexity of creating and or modifying policies regarding benefits, compensation, recruitment and retention of employees and training and development.

Distinguished Guests

Terri-Lynn Thayer, Executive Director, Administrative Information System: Organizational Review, February 11, 2003
Richard Spies, Executive Vice President for Planning: Campus Planning Brief, February 25, 2003
Beppie Huidekoper, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration: Review of Budget Scenarios, April 22, 2003
Drew Murphy, Director of Benefits: Relocation Benefit Change, May 6, 2003
Beth Gentry, Director of Student Financial Services: Preferred Mortgage Program, May 6, 2003
Robert Zimmer, Provost: Discussion with the Provost (About Multi-Disciplinary Initiatives, Partnership with other Institutions, Provost's role in AEP), May 6, 2003
Ruth J. Simmons, President: Meeting with the President, May 7, 2003
David Greene, Assistant to the President: Meeting with the President, May 7, 2003
Beppie Huidekoper, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration: Budget Discussion, June 3, 2003
Isabelle Hunter, Director Publications and Projects, PAUR: New Graphic Identity, July 15, 2003
Sharon Walsh, Project Coordinator, PAUR: New Graphic Identity, July 15, 2003
Anne Diffily, Senior Publications Editor, PAUR: New Graphic Identity, July 15, 2003
Ricardo Howell, Researcher/Writer, PAUR: New Graphic Identity, July 15, 2003
Melanie Coon, Interim Vice President PAUR: Presentation of Web Events/Enews, November 4, 2003,
Tracie Sweeney, Senior Associate Director/Editor, News Service: Presentation of Web Events/Enews, November 4, 2003
Brenda Allen, Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Diversity: Diversity Discussion about Staff Involvement in Diversity Issues, November 4, 2003
Ruth J. Simmons, President: Meeting with the President, November 7, 2003
Marisa Quinn, Assistant to the President, Meeting with the President, November 7, 2003

Conclusion

As the President's Staff Advisory Committee continues to move forward with our ten newly appointed members, into a new academic year, we will continue to change and embrace new and different challenges. SAC will work hard to support President Simmons' Academic Initiatives and to continue to dialogue with the President and senior leadership regarding issues of importance to staff. Finally, we will continue our efforts to identify new and meaningful venues for staff involvement in decision making and governance.

Appendix

(Communications Proposal)