At its November 15 meeting, the Faculty Council heard a report from the ongoing Com- mittee on Class and Labor. Committee chair Nadine Kaslow (psychiatry) offered an overview of the group’s work. “There are going to be multiple versions of this commit- tee,” Kaslow explained, referring to this first of a three- or four-phase conversation, later phases of which will examine academic labor. She then outlined the five main points of the committee’s charge in this phase: 1) examine whether class and the status it affords is a significant factor that influences relationships at Emory; 2) knowing the basic contours of the non-academic labor force and the attendant labor market; 3) gather data on promo- tion, advancement, and self-improvement within the non-academic labor force; 4) factually identify structural impediments to employment and career advancement; and 5) under- stand the role of contracting on campus. The Council then divided into smaller groups for a “focus group” discussion with committee members as part of their data gathering work.
Month: November 2011
Provost: Libraries Undergoing Five-Year Review
At the November meeting, University Provost Earl Lewis outlined the external review process taking place in the university libraries in 2011-12. Noting that all schools and units undergo such reviews periodically, Lewis said that this review will focus on the main Woodruff Library and the Health Sciences library.
The review process will include both an internal self-study and a visit from a team of external reviewers, which will involve librar- ians from other institutions. The process also provides an opportunity for confidential letters to be submitted to him that will be read only by himself and by President James Wagner as part of the review.
A final report will be written by the team of external reviewers. The unit head will then be given an opportunity to respond to that report.
Questions raised about retirement fund rules
During the November meeting, the Faculty Council heard from Sidney Stein, chair of the University Senate’s Fringe Benefits Committee, and Ken Walker, both of the School of Medicine, about concerns over rules governing the rates at which an employee may withdraw mandatory contributions and University-contributed funds early from a retire- ment account. (Current rules state that a “pre-retirement cash withdrawal” is available to employees who have reached 59 1⁄2 years of age. This is available on employee contribu- tions only.) Stein and Walker argued that more funds, especially for faculty (for whom retirement is not mandatory) who are well beyond the age of 59 1⁄2 , should be accessible for pre-retirement withdrawal. “We have, I think, a university interest in people having money kept available to them for retirement, versus the interest of an individual who is interested in having access to that money,” Stein said. At a meeting later in the year, the Faculty Council will hear from a Human Resources representative, who will clarify the university’s position as the Council considers the request and the issue.