In the Loop

November 20, 2014

Staff Council Report

1. Ongoing and New

a. Non-exempt vacation
i. Per the Presidents announcement, were excited that most non-exempt staff will be
getting more vacation days starting January 1.
ii. Our thanks go to President Tiefenthaler for spotting the issue and working to help non-
exempt staff.
b. Vacation and leave dates
i. While some employees work over break thank you to those in Campus Safety and
HVAC! most of the campus closes next Wednesday, 11/26 at noon. Have a great
Thanksgiving!
ii. After Winter Break, which starts December 20, the College officially opens Monday,
January 5. Some staff may need to come to work Friday, January 2 to prepare for the
start of Half Block. Our thanks go to staff in Advancement, Campus Safety, Facilities,
ITS:, and departments who work over the holidays!
iii. Fall Break
1. Many staff have asked about next year's Fall Break. If you open the "Academic
Calendar" on the CC web site, you'll see that students have a week off in
November 2015 (a Saturday to Sunday) over Thanksgiving.
2. This is a new change to the academic schedule, and it may change again after
next year. While there are five years' worth of academic calendars listed on the
web site, next year is the first pilot of the Fall Break idea.
3. The Fall Break is much like Spring Break, where the College remains open, but
classes aren't in session.
4. The College will close as usual on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, and
those days are paid time off.
5. Academic staff who dont work in the summers may have a modified schedule
next year. They might start one week before classes instead of two, for
example. Those discussions are ongoing, and, regardless, nine-month staff will
still work the same number of days they have always worked, even with Fall
Break.
c. Employer Commitment Block Project
i. Staff Council has discussed with President Tiefenthaler, the Workplace Excellence team,
and others how to continue to increase trust, transparency, and communication at CC.
This is a key part of the strategic plan and critical to our goal of being nationally
recognized as a great place to work.
1. At our request, President Tiefenthaler enthusiastically (her word!) agreed to
sponsor a Block Project in Block Five to develop an Employer Commitment, a
document that summarizes the colleges commitment to treat staff fairly.
2. While CC doesnt yet have an Employer Commitment, the College does have
written guidelines for terminations, formal policies about harassment and
discrimination, and structures in place to conduct grievance investigations and
appeals.
3. With that in mind, on behalf of President Tiefenthaler and in part responding to
the Cipher article about Roberto Garcias separation, Staff Council wants to
assure all of you, our colleagues that:
 a. If you observe or experience discrimination,
harassment, or similar behavior, you will not be
sanctioned for reporting it. Not only is retaliation for
whistle blowing unethical, it is also illegal. In fact, the
college asks that you report such behavior.
b. The formal structures in place for handling grievances
include trained staff and/or faculty members who review
complaints and make recommendations. In other words,
decisions about any grievances raised involve neutral
parties outside the departments being investigated.
c. All forced separations are hard decisions, and each one
makes it to the Presidents desk before it is finalized.
d. Very few staff are fired or asked to resign for performance
reasons. All of us work hard to hire good colleagues in the
first place, and performance issues that do arise can be
addressed with formal Performance Plans.
e. Unless staff do something egregious like steal, lie, harass,
have a physical altercation, etc. they are always given a
chance to learn from mistakes they make. This is an
institution of education, and CC doesnt fire staff for simple
mistakes.
4. Finally, as many of you in the Excel@CC classes on Communication
know, great employers prioritize candor and getting good answers to
hard questions. The organization suffers if employees dont feel free
to address problems or if leaders dont welcome constructive
dissent. Here at CC, we emphasize critical thinking, challenging the
status quo, and finding new, innovative ways of doing things.
Supervisors have a special responsibility to encourage candor from
staff.
If our staff arent candid, or if they tell us only what we want to hear,
were missing vital information. As Ed Catmull writes in Creativity,
Inc., Lack of candor ultimately leads to dysfunctional
environments. If we arent welcoming challenges, we need to
change. Staff also need that candor and openness from their
supervisors. We want trust and open communication, not gossip or
fear. So, to staff and supervisors, ask those constructive but hard
questions when you see ways Colorado College can be better, and
be open to difficult conversations.
5. As always, please speak with your supervisor, Staff Council
representative, the Ombudsperson, the Chaplains, or Human
Resources if you have questions or concerns. Were excited to see
what comes of the Block Project in January.
2. Division
Announce
ments a.
Human
Resources
i. All staff are invited to CCNEW and/or CC CONNECT, orientation sessions
 1. Upcoming CCNEW sessions are December 1 and January 6; they
typically occur on the first business day of each month
2. The next CC CONNECT dates are February 25 and April 29
3. Make sure you RSVP to Carla in HR if youd like to attend
ii. December 4th will be a Lunch and Learn following up on the biometric
screenings, titled Know Your Numbers
iii. December 9th TIAA CREF will be here to help you with retirement planning
iv. There are still spaces in next semesters Excel@CC tracks sign up from HRs
web site
v. January 15th and July 22nd, the Great CC Supervisor program will be held
as an all-day seminar. All supervisors are expected to take the Great CC
Supervisor training.
vi. Is there other training youd like to have? HR is working on the 2015-16
Excel@CC program, and please contact them with your ideas for classes
and tracks to include.
 vii. Finally, HR is piloting a CC Ambassador program, matching new staff
with current, experienced staff. Watch the Digest for more details.
3. Events
a. If youd like to join Staff Councils Block 3 luncheon tomorrow at 11:30 AM, please
RSVP to
Arielle Mari or just email the Staff Council address.
b. Mark your calendars for the Presidents Holiday Party on December 5 th from 3:00 to
5:00 PM in the Cornerstone main space.
4. Feedback for Staff Council
a. If you have feedback about Staff Council, policies, compensation, or any other
staff-related issues, you can:
i. talk to your Staff Council representative;
ii. email us using StaffCouncil@ColoradoCollege.edu;
iii. submit anonymous feedback on our Staff Council web site;
iv. come to one of our meetings, held the second Tuesday of each Block from
noon to 1:00 in the Armstrong (formerly Board) Room.
5. Videos of In the Loop and minutes from the meetings
a. Just as a reminder, you can find videos of each of these In the Loop meetings
on the Staff Council site.
b. Minutes for In the Loop meetings will also be available on our web site.