Faculty Senate Meeting 9-30-16

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

Friday, September 30, 2016 - CD 142 - 1:00PM

 

In attendance: Meg Allan, Ann Barnes, Gregg Corley, Penny Edwards, Ed Eudy, Stacey Frank, Tonia Faulling, Justin Herndon, Bill Leverette. Laura McClain, Timeko McFadden, Mourning Pace, Matthew Simon, Renee Turner, Debbie Vance, Jonathan Warnock, Paula Scales Whitmire.

Not in attendance.  Tom Hiebel, Mary Orem, Richard Reeves, Aristide Sechandice

Guests: Ashlan Ferguson,

Welcome and Agenda

Stacey Frank welcomed the new adjunct/lecturer senators, asked attendees to introduce themselves, and presented the agenda for the meeting.

Minutes of August 25, 2016

Minutes were distributed and approved via electronic vote prior to this meeting.

Old Business

Overload contracts. Stacey reported that a number of faculty expressed concerns about calculations of overload contract compensation.   Stacey looked into the matter and as a result, the following changes were implemented:

• Two (2) hours were added for the exam period for those who are giving exams.
• If after the two (2) hour adjustment an instructor’s contract amount is less than in previous terms, the higher amount would be applied, which is the practice currently in place for adjunct instructors.

Copies of Sharon Colcolough’s September 21^st e-mail, Adjunct Compensation and Overload were distributed.  In this communication, Sharon reported the above-referenced changes, and clarified the process for calculating contacts.

Stacey indicated that she was pleased that administration had responded quickly to issues raised and asked senators if there were any outstanding items related to this matter  There were two points raised: 1) faculty expressed disappointment that administration had to be contacted after the fact to remedy the contract calculations, and 2) a question remained regarding why the minimum instructional minutes in accordance with  SACSCOC guidelines of 750 minutes per credit hour were selected as opposed to the 770 minutes which would be the minimum for teaching a MWF class.

Stacey indicated she would follow up on this question and report back.

New Business

• Faculty titles.  A question was raised regarding the use of “non-official” titles on e- mail correspondence. After full discussion, the majority of the senators conveyed that they did not see a need to establish a policy or guidelines related to the matter. 
• Attendance memorandum dated 8/16/2016 and new LDA requirements.  A preliminary calculation estimated that at a minimum this new procedure would require faculty to input 13,000 LDA’s at the end of the term. Faculty senate would like to get a better understanding of why this is required.  The matter was added to the Agenda for the next Academic Leadership Team (ALT) meeting in order to obtain clarification of the potential impact.  Stacey will report back the results.
• Clemson student learning evaluation process.  Stacey brought this matter forward on behalf of Aristide Sechandice and distributed an outline of the process which was designed by a Clemson professor.  The methodology includes a pre-course knowledge essay and a post course knowledge essay which is written by the student as a method to evaluate learning.  After some discussion, it was recommended that faculty wanting more information reach out to Aristide and if there is enough interest, ask the Clemson professor to conduct an information session for faculty here on campus.

Committee Reports

• Parking. Stacey distributed a copy of an update provided by Cara Hamilton.  The update included; 1) Shuttle service to Mechanic Street parking lot now has its last run at 5:45 PM, 2) twenty (20) additional spaces behind Fulp Hall will be designated for faculty/staff,   3) parking permits will no longer be issued to work study students, and 4) when the current permits expire (Fall 2017) they will be replaced by permit stickers.
• Calendar. Meg reported that due to many considerations related to creating the calendar for each term that the following were either approved or recommended by the committee members:
  • Approved.  The Memorial Day holiday during summer 2017 term will be designated as a work day in exchange for a Monday, July 3^rd holiday to precede Tuesday’s July 4^th, to allow for a long weekend.
  • Recommended. Scheduling professional development day during fall 2017 term.  A number of alternatives were explored and the final recommendation was to schedule on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 which had originally been designated as day two (2) of fall break. This appeared to be the best way to ensure that the college could be closed the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  The plan is for “A” term to end Monday December 4, 2017 followed by 5 days for exams, and grades due on Wednesday December 16, 2017.  Post grade processing takes three business days after grades are submitted.

Senators asked if we needed to have a professional day during fall 2017 term, and if so, suggested that we recommend that professional development day be held on the day of fall convocation.  This would take some pressure off calendar restrictions allowing for a two (2) day fall break, or end the term a day earlier.  Stacey agreed to follow up with ALT and Meg agreed to present the idea to the calendar committee

• Academic Leadership Team.  Stacey reported that faculty have been assigned to the 5 key strategic initiative project teams.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Friday, October 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM.  Meg will attempt to find a larger room for the next meeting and will notify senators. 

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 2:43 PM.  

Recorded by:  Meg Allan, 9/30/2016.

 

 

Service Excellence Team 10-14-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
Meeting Minutes
 Date: October 14, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, October 14, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Scott Jaeschke, Aida Laham, Kathy Brand, Richard Parker, Lynn Lewis, Sharetta Bufford, Laura McClain,  Jeff Lawless for Lisa Anderson

Absent:

Celebrations:

·         Cara reported on how well the on-site SACS visit went this week.  The chair, Dr. Ingram commented on how well the College prepared for the visit and stated the committee had no recommendations related to the QEP.  Dr. Baird, the SACS liaison, stated there are no next steps unless we want to add/embed some of their suggestions/comments into the report. 

·         Cara mentioned she was excited about SPARK, System for Performance and Achievement through Resources and Knowledge.  Jeff will share more info on this new online employee learning and development system.

·          Lynn Lewis reiterated the fact of having no issues with assessment from the SACS team and how important this is to all programs within the College.

·         Laura McClain discussed the volunteer hours their students are required to complete.  She stated students usually complain about having to complete these activities, but in the long run see the value and learning experiences that come from it.  Students benefit from this type of real life experience.

·         Aida stated that one of the SACS visitors tweeted thanks for the southern hospitality he received while at TCTC and she re-tweeted and thanked him for the compliment.

·         Scott praised the 20 Clemson students who serve as resident assistants at Highpoint. Student conduct has been challenging this year.  He reported how dedicated, professional, and committed the residents assistants have been, stating 17 are former Bridge students themselves. 

·         Jeff praised the treatment of a recent candidate on campus for an interview.  He appreciated the welcome he received.

·         Richard stated he needed the help from maintenance to clean up an area that makes our area unimpressive.  Cara will get him Steven Wilkins, the new Budd group leader, contact information.  

 

Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:

Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).
Update for Sub teams:
Communication- Aida reported that she had taken the Tri-Day information before the Executive staff for approval and that Dr. Booth announced information at the Faculty/Staff meeting.  She stated the timeline has been pushed back due to finalizing the type of shirts, but will send an update on the timeline as soon as possible.
Talent Management: Jeff reported on 5 major areas:

1) SMART Supervisor training: Supervisor Methods Actions and Response Training has begun with Cohort 1 currently on session 3 of 4.  There will be a total of 4 cohorts, 2 in the fall semester and 2 in the spring semester, which should meet the goal of training all supervisors on campus. Going forward, one session per year will be conducted to catch new supervisors and allow open seats to those identified in succession as needed. Lynn asked about program directors who manage people, but are not direct supervisors. Jeff stated that if there is a need to have others participate, additional sessions could be added.

2) LC101 is midway through its classes, with 11 faculty and 19 staff members participating. They are working on their IDPs, Individual Development Plans. In addition, the class has been split into groups and assigned the task of developing group project charters on improving customer service as a College. This familiarizes them with the project charter process and allows them to work in diverse teams.  This activity has evolved and now reflects HIP. 

3) Professional Development Day will offer a faculty track with sessions by Dr. John Zubizarreta.

In addition, Galen DeHay and Diana Walter will offer challenges and opportunities of serving under-resourced students. Other shorter sessions are being offered and can be signed up for through the email sent on Oct. 12^th. Refresher emails will be sent.  The goal is to have all sign up by Oct. 31. 

4) SPARK: The System for Performance and Achievement through Resources and Knowledge is TCTC’s new online employee learning and development system. The email included information and has links to take a tour, TCTC values, IT information and much more.  Trainings will be added within SPARK to include: Compliance trainings, Title IX training, Harassment training, active shooter trainings, and OSHA trainings, HIPA training, and much more.  Our goal is to have all of our learning information housed in one area. New employees will be given a time frame to complete required trainings.  Current employees will also have specific trainings to complete starting in November. This information will be disseminated in the near future. Jeff reported that departments/division heads will have the ability to run reports and track employee’s activities within SPARK. Cara interjected that departments should be creative with these required learning activities doing such things as lunch and learns to complete requirements. More emails with SPARK information are planned and employee access to SPARK is through eTC on the employee tab.   The suggestion of having an advisory board for SPARK was mentioned in order to cover a cross section of ideas of things that may be added into SPARK.   

5) Competencies initiatives: Identified competencies are now part of EPMS so supervisors be able to cover these areas with employees.   

 

Recognition: Sharetta introduced Laura McClain as her replacement as the SET Recognition lead, stating she will be an asset to the group with a new prospective. Sharetta will continue to be on the recognition sub-team.  She reported that Ross has not gotten pricing for the SweeTCart to date, but will have them in the near future. Cara stated the SweeTCart needs a plan developed to include a goal, objective, purpose and cost.  This plan needs to be brought to Executive Staff for approval.  She reported talking with Lou Moritz regarding the food trucks on campus.  There is already a plan to have food trucks here on Oct. 27 when the café will be closed for the Annual Report Luncheon. Sharetta stated they may wait and plan a spring food truck event, possibly on a day the café is closed. Discussion took place regarding possible vendors. Chick-fil-a and their service and relationship to TCTC was discussed as a viable option.  Discussion also took place regarding the dissemination of recognition cards.   Cara questioned how do we keep this type of recognition alive and remind people about the cards.  It was suggested to include information in employee announcements and possibility on SPARK.
Measurement: Scott shared his excitement over the first service level agreement (SLA) workshop being held on Monday, Oct. 17 with the Library department.  Plans are to make adjustments as needed and continue presenting/training with other departments across campus developing SLA in different areas. The benchmarks for offices will be developed and used to measure and track service levels internally over time. 
Service Obstacle System- Richard stated he is schedule to present two sessions on Nov. 8 during our FS Professional Development day. He reported previous projects are moving slowly with Linda Jameison currently working on a large project and multiple smaller projects are in the works.  He reiterated the purpose of LEAN is to empower employees to make changes in processes when current processes need changing/updating.
Management Accountability: Cara reported sending out questions to her group concerning cultural changes and accountability.  She stated she received responses regarding clear expectation and better service, supporting peer recognition and managing consistency.    Discussion took place with the following mentioned: better service and expectations have improved and SLA will continue to help in all areas; work needs to continue on holding people accountable; Faculty Senate is another avenue to promote and get information out; there has been a shift in the right direction for better service; a new set of competencies has been added to EPMS and faculty needs training; new questions have been added on search committees to include behavioral expectations and passion for service, and the introduction of SPARK shows the importance of investing in employee development and training.
Academic – Member At Large:  Lynn Lewis stated that she had been watching the positive comments on social media from alumni, retirees, past principals, etc. regarding the recent SACS visit report. She stated it was a great form of marketing but reminded all the power of social media and to always use caution.  Lewis asked if the Commission spotlight in Connections had been discussed.  Cara reported she had contacted Lisa Garrett and Rebecca Eidson who are moving forward with this for future publications.

Wrap Up:

                Review Next Steps for each SET:

                Confirm Next meeting – Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 at 10:00am in RH 245

Service Excellence Team 9-9-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
Meeting Minutes
Date: September 9, 2016

 

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Scott Jaeschke, Aida Laham, Kathy Brand, Richard Parker, Lynn Lewis, Sharetta Bufford,

Absent: Lisa Anderson

Celebrations:

·         Cara commented on the smooth beginning to the Fall semester, noting the great back-to-school and welcome back activities were well received.

·         Richard shared a story of how Stan Compton had influenced the life of a student by investing time to ensure she got assistance to start at TCTC.

·         Cara shared 1) the College is investing in a Learning Management system for employees, 2) the College has engaged Hanover Research Company to complete a compensation study within our service area to gather data on who we are competing with from a salary standpoint 3) Hanover will also be engaged to interview people in our area to see what type of things we need to do to be the employer of choice. Data on what we need to do to create an environment to attract employees will be gathered and hopefully we will learn what our reputational value is in the market place.

·         Cara reported LC101 second cohort is being modified and Jeff Laws will be leading the Smart Leadership 6-week course.

·         Lynn reported how competitive the nursing programs at TCTC have become, stating there were twice as many applicants as there were seats available in the LPN and Transition nursing programs and three times as many applicants as slots for the associate degree nursing program. She was proud to see the valued programs being competitive.

 Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:

Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).

Update for Sub teams:
Communication- Aida reported on the Communication Plan for Tri-Day.  She reviewed the plan’s timeline and is prepared to move forward. Aida shared the on-line process to order Tri-Day shirts.  She stated she had a budget and a vendor has been secured for the first order. She will present the plan to Executive Staff next week.  Kathy will add her to the agenda.
Talent Management: Lisa will give an update on the Adjunct Expo at another time, but Cara stated she thought the Expo was overall a success.
Recognition: Sharetta asked Scott to give an update on the tokens.  Scott explained the tokens are another avenue for employee recognition. The tokens will be available through the IT portal and they hope to have a pilot ready in October. The outcome is for employee satisfaction to increase due to multiple pathways for recognition by supervisors and colleagues. A communication plan will be completed once the IT portal is live.  The pilot departments will be selected and if successful, roll out campus wide will take place next year. 
Sharetta reported Ross is working with Lou Moritz to bring food trucks on campus.  The location site and vendors will be finalized and announced hopefully during the fall semester.  It was stated that having these options will be exciting for employees and students.
Sharetta reported the Rak-Shack has been branded as SweeTCart.  The goal is for employee recognition and appreciation. The SweeTCart crew is researching the budget with the café and final details will be confirmed and the schedule, volunteers, and locations will be communicated.  The cart will be communicated to F/S but students will be able to enjoy treats as well.
Measurement: Scott shared that the Service Level Agreement was taken before Executive staff.  Margaret Burdett will partnered with Scott when facilitating sessions to ensure all SACS required operational outcomes are included in the measured benchmarks specific for each area/department.  It will be used in all areas/units that report to a VP.  The Library will pilot the SLA beginning the end of September.  Other areas are being targeted for April 2017.  Lynn suggested that the Academic Advisory Boards receive the data gathered and have future input. Scott stated the data will be in a permanent data-base to be used for tracking, future analysis and longitudinal review.
Service Obstacle System- Richard reported the progress of LEAN to Executive Staff last week. He shared the process of small and big projects.  He stated that Cathy Strasser will keep the data base of LEAN processes and Coaches.  To date, two processes have been implemented, four processes are in progress, four were derailed and a few that have not been reported to date. Richard stated he will be presenting on the next PD day to those interested in the process of beginning projects. He will have a complete flowchart on the process completed at that time. A steering committee will review only big projects prior to them going before Executive Staff (if needed) He also stated he can possibly conduct another coach training so the coach pool will increase. Creating a culture of risk takers and empowering employees is moving the College forward.
Management Accountability: Cara asked if anyone had suggestions of what she could report to the Commissioners at their Retreat regarding the SET.  Everyone agreed that they see action and commitment to service excellence taking place and making a difference.  The College is moving in the right direction and all agree the importance of student service is paying off. It was suggested that the Commissioners and the Foundation share their focus/stories in a campus publication like Connection, so employees can become familiar with them and have a better understanding of their passion for TCTC.  Cara will contact Lisa Garrett regarding featuring the Commissioners in the spotlight section.
Academic – Member At Large:  Lynn Lewis shared noticing in leadership meetings more of a connection regarding student service.  Cara stated senior leadership has become more visible but needs to continue to be visible over campus.

Wrap Up:

Scott has been charged to look at the Staff Advisory Board charter and insure the next set of members can fulfill the full scope of the charter. Lynn suggested Katie Walsh would be a good person to assist.  Cara stated the SAB needs to be comfortable meeting and discussing items with Dr. Booth.

Sharetta announced she wanted to be more active on the Recognition sub-committee and therefore requested her replacement on the SET.  She listed 3 options as her replacement and after discussion will contact Laura McClain to see if she will accept the position.  If Laura accepts, Cara will take the recommendation before Executive Staff.

                Review Next Steps for each SET:

Confirm Next meeting – Friday, October 14, 2016 at 10:00am in RH 245                                                                 

Service Excellence Team - 7-8-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
Meeting Minutes
Date: July 8, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, July 8, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Scott Jaeschke, Aida Laham, Kathy Brand, Richard Parker

Absent: Lynn Lewis, Sharetta Bufford, Lisa Anderson

Celebrations:

·         Cara shared the excitement of the building demolition taking place on campus starting the process of building the new Student Success Center.  She also reported that TC Central is up and running and 3 new full time staff are being trained.  The Greenwood Hall Call Center has been trained and started taking TCTC calls last Tuesday. Cara reported that in the weekly debriefing meeting they had taken over 412 one day and 425 the next with 40% being admission related, 35% being Financial Aid, and others regarding the business office or registrar. The data shows that the call volume was underestimated and wait time needed improving. Using this group will be great for gathering data and improving student service.

·         Scott shared kudos to Deborah Brock who has been working hard organizing the upcoming Adjunct Expo.  Richard expressed some concerns about relevant topics for the CCE folks during the Expo.  Cara suggested he discuss their needs with Deborah.

·         Aida shared the outcome of the 4-C-able Future Camp. She stated it was very successful, educational, and emotional for all involved.  The goal of helping the students see they had opportunities available for a successful future was exceeded.

Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:

Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).

Update for Sub teams:
Communication- Aida reported that her group had the following communication ideas to share: 1) The College vision statement should be posted in meeting rooms and classrooms throughout the College by using the vinyl lettering on walls. 2) Videos of students talking about faculty or staff that have changed their lives and made a difference can be made and shared. 3) Articles can be written in Connections interviewing students telling their stories of how their lives have been positively changed. 4) The vision statement could be put on shirts and worn at the beginning of every semester to be more visible to students. 5) Have the vision statement put on ID card for faculty/staff and possibly students in the future. 6) A Tri-Day shirt for all FTE will be budgeted for and a communication plan for sending out the detailed information on Tri-Day and ordering the shirts will be developed.
Talent Management:
Recognition:                     
Measurement: Scott shared his updated proposal of the service level agreement project. He asked the SET team to review and make any further suggestions. He requested to be on the Executive staff agenda in late July to present.  Cara suggested he set up a meeting with DeHay and Jameison to review the proposal prior to meeting with Executive Staff.  Everyone thanked Scott for his hard work on this proposal.  Scott also asked the group about the small percentage of staff using skype for business and how we can increase the knowledge and penetration of this resource. Cara suggested Scott gather some data on the % of those using this resource and then maybe we can better communicate and educate/train faculty and staff.
Service Obstacle System- Richard reported that the charter LEAN group training was complete and that projects are being finalized.  He asked to report to Executive Staff on Aug.24^th.  Cathy Strasser has volunteered to gather/organize LEAN projects as they are being completed.  Richard stated that smaller projects may not need the participation of the entire steering committee, but larger projects that involve budgets and Executive Staff approval will need to go before the steering committee.  Richard also discussed in-house plans for training and yearly reviews.  Scott made the suggestion that a LEAN question be added to the hiring/interview process.
Management Accountability: Cara reported her group continues to work to keep service excellence in front of people with constant reminders of accountability and culture change to improve the environment and student success. She shared a brochure Cheryl Garrison brought back from MUSC on IMPROVE: the voice of the customer.  The development of a library of specific real world examples from different divisions was suggested.  This type of library would be used to share real world stories and make people aware of how service excellence and student engagement changes lives.  Another suggestion was to have people watch the videos before signing off on their EPMS. 
Academic – Member At Large:  

Wrap Up:

                Review Next Steps for each SET:

                Confirm Next meeting – Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 at 10:00am in RH 245                         

Service Excellence Team 5-20-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
Meeting Minutes

 

Date: May 20, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, May 20, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Sharetta Bufford, Lisa Anderson, Scott Jaeschke, Gayle Arries, Aida Laham, Kathy Brand

Absent: Lynn Lewis, Richard Parker

Celebrations:

·         Cara shared the SACSCOC reaffirmation findings stating there were only a few easy fixes to be completed and she reiterated the great work done on the institutional initiatives and narratives in the report.  

·         Cara also stated that the College received word they had moved to the next level for the National Aspen Award. Narrowed from a pool of over 150 Colleges to about 30. A phone interview will take place next week before the top 10 finalist are announced.

·         Cara announced a soft opening of One-Stop on June 6, 2016.  Re-named TC Central and housed in Miller Hall, the summer opening will be a beta testing of the processes and procedures to prepare for Fall.  It is imperative that this College initiative be successful for students and everyone is excited and ready to assist until all permanent employees are hired.

·         Scott shared his excitement regarding the response to trainings for the hearing committee.  This group will provide stable, high level of service to students who are engaged in hearings.

·         Gayle shared her excitement over the number of responses (over 130) to the survey to name the One Stop area.  TC Central was selected as the new name. The new name will be branded and communicated in the near future.

Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:

Cara reported that Executive Staff supported the recommendation to add Aida Laham to the Communication Sub-Team replacing Gayle.  Gayle expressed her appreciation of the SET and was in attendance to transition Aida.  She was proud of all the great things that have cascaded down from SET.

Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).

 

Update for Sub teams:
Communication- Gayle introduced Aida Laham.  Shirt samples from Crowes were shared for Tri-Day options.  More samples will be gathered.  Gayle shared the draft of branded embroidery options being developed due to the limited stitching that can be done with the current branded logos.  These options would give us branding with flexibility. Gayle wants to present these options to Executive Staff for approval.  She reported water bottles prices had increased, but an order had been placed. Aida shared an idea that identifies team/employees with recognition by placing a Passionate U sticker on their office door as a “thank you” from fellow employees. Lisa stated that lots of great ideas came from the LC101 projects that she hopes can be shared across campus.  An example was the revamp of the Call Center training.  Cara would like the group to share their ideas with the steering committee for the call center. 
Talent Management: Lisa reported the successful completion of the LC101 pilot cohort.  She stated Jeff, Deborah and herself are in the process of revamping and finalizing the plans for the fall cohort starting on Aug. 15.  She reported the on-line on boarding welcome video is being planned and hopes to have it ready for fall.  Supervisor training will begin the end of June, and be completed over a 4 week span.  Job Competencies from the state level down are being included to ensure we are matching the right people during the hiring process.  Also these competencies can be used within EPMS to provide a development plan for those who need help and show that employers are invested in employees in a positive way. Gayle asked when LC101 would invite current employees to be included.  Lisa stated the class would have to have a cap set, but starting this fall current employees could participate.  Cara stated that re-educating and refreshing employees with new energy is important.  She celebrated this year’s crowded Convocation as an example of coming together as a community and having the opportunity to share the positive things happening.  It was suggested that LC101 alumni come to the Aug. 15 kickoff to share how it helped them.  It was also suggested that the LC101 alumni be used/paired as mentors for the new class member. Lisa stated the Saturday, Aug. 20 Adjunct Expo is being planned form 9-2. 
Recognition: Sharetta reported a presentation of the employee recognition project was given with positive feed-back from some of the Executive Staff.  Ideas from the presentation were to have a monthly meet and greet in order for faculty and staff to become better acquainted and understand each other’s roles. At these events, a sign-in would put the employee’s name into a portal for a chance to win a prize drawn each semester. Other opportunities to have your name entered into the portal for the drawing would come from tokens given out by fellow employees for recognition.  This would be a different avenue of recognition geared toward individuals. The information and tracking of the tokens would be housed in HR. We hope to track not only who is receiving token, but also who is giving them out (areas/departments) and the benefits for moral purposes. A pilot of this project is in the planning stages. Sharetta also shared the Random Acts of Kindness ideas of a “RAK shack” coming to different building in the way of a cart to give out “treats” to employees as appreciation.  Another idea for employee appreciation is to have food trucks or vendors on campus once a month as an optional lunch choice.  Cara suggested Sharetta engage Lou Moritz in this conversation and felt he would have no problem with this idea.                                             
Measurement: Scott explained to Aida that his group was charged with measuring what service excellent should look like College-wide and area specific.  His group has developed a service level agreement project proposal to define service excellence through interaction with employees and customers. He shared his group’s second draft of the service level agreement project proposal.  He requested input for the SET and hopes to finalize tentative dates, templates, and trainings by the next SET meeting.  The proposal will be brought before Executive Staff in June. After approval, trainings will be conducted in July, SLA development will be submitted in Aug. and tracking will start Fall 2016.  Scott recommended Della Vanhuss as the replacement on his sub-committee for Emily Danuser who is leaving TCTC. 
Service Obstacle System- Cara reported for Richard that the LEAN training program has one session left and that 7 people had agreed to be LEAN coaches.  Coach training will take place in June.  Lisa Cox is coming on May 31 to share how Clemson’s LEAN program.
Management Accountability: Cara reported she had challenged her team to come up with basic standards of accountability which she has sent to Scott.  She gave each SET member a homework assignment to come up with creative ideas of what we can do for Fall to deliver the message to our employees that student success and delivering a TSE is part of our mission and our greatest opportunity to differentiate from our competitors.  Scott suggested that a barrier to the customer service model tends to be the idea that the customer is always right.  The missing piece is to communicate that we are not giving the student power, but empowering ourselves to give better service.  We need to embed that in our message.  
Academic – Member At Large: Lynn

Wrap Up:

Review Next Steps for each SET:

Confirm Next meeting – Friday, June 10 at 10:00am in RH 245                                                                    

 

Service Excellence Team 4-8-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
 
Meeting Minutes
 
Date: April 8, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, April 8, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Sharetta Bufford, Lisa Anderson, Scott Jaeschke, Lynn Lewis, Gayle Arries, Richard Parker and Kathy Brand

Absent:

Celebrations:

·         Cara shared that the sets of Recognition cards have been given to the SET teams who have started using them.  She read an email from Rebecca Eidson praising the cards.  Others shared the appreciation from those who have received the cards and the positive attention the cards have already gotten.  Cara asked for guidance on distribution. Discussion took place on how to distribute. It was decided that Cara would give cards to the following: Deans, Division/Department Heads, and Directors/Supervisors (secretaries can keep-up with them). Cards will be placed in the Mail Rooms of each building with a sign of explanation.  Cards will also be sent to the Easley and Anderson campuses.  

Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:
Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).
Cara reported that she has sent the SET the Committee Charter for review. She plans to take this to Executive Staff on April 13, 2016. The following suggestions/recommendations for revisions were made:  1) Have the VP for the College Officer to Whom Committee Reports rotate on a 12-18 month basis. (Purpose: to have a difference prospective/focus from leadership 2) Composition of the Unit: Under Committee Type; Definition of the roles will refer to the Service Excellence manual provided by Teri Yanovitch  and adapted by the SET Standing Committee and the serving members agree to follow the defined requirements as stated. 3) The SET team will make recommendations for new team members at the appropriate times.

Cara will make the suggested changes and take the Charter before the Executive staff.

 

Update for Sub teams:
 
Communication- Gayle reported the cards are ready for dissemination.  Gayle has ordered sample Tri-Day shirts for the group to view.  She reiterated that a communication plan for Tri-Day would need to be developed for its understanding and success. No timeframe has been set to date for developing or rolling out a communication plan.  She also reported that the water bottles have been re-ordered.                      
Talent Management: Lisa reported that the pilot group of LC 101 has been very successful. She stated that participants are preparing their projects on a topic of choice to learn the process of project charters. They will present their projects in April to conclude the class.  Future plans are to continue with LC101 as onboarding for new hires and expand the class beyond new employees. The date of Adjunct Day, August 13 was briefly discussed.
Recognition: Sharetta reported she looks forward to her sub-committee meeting to get additional feedback on the Recognition cards. She stated they will also be discussing plans for the Random Acts of Kindness.
Measurement: Scott shared his draft of the Service Level Agreements: A Facilitation Guide.  He stated his hopes are that items 1-6 will eventually be put into a service book of expectations to be used as a guide for the College, and that items 7-9, which are more restrictive to specific offices/department,  will be used to define, teach, train and manage service excellence within these areas.  He also reported needing input on the secret shopper idea as a way of collecting data.  He recommended the model of an on-line survey giving feedback on service in different areas. Discussion took place over the number of students who may or may not complete a survey and that if this was incorporated in to college skill or marketing classes, some offices would not be assessed, ex. Admissions.  It was suggested he talk to Christina Houck in marketing regarding the type of surveys already being done so as not to duplicate and possibly modify a current survey for the needed feedback.  Also discussed was the need of the expectation/standard to be set before doing a survey for improvement in service.
Scott asked for ideas regarding the qualitative data. He asked if there was a way to have anonymous questions and feedback addressed at the College.  Was there a place on the TCE site or could there be for employee suggestions that remained anonymous? It was suggested that the group review the suggestion program on the eTC under the Employee tab, My input, Employee suggestion program to see if revisions or another electronic feedback comment option could be put in this area.  This would be for electronic feedback, positive or constructive, which could be used for improvements.  Scott will look into this electronic program for positive or constructive feedback.  Discussion followed suggesting that this needs to be more about processes, not people or complaints. The problems with monitoring, controlling messaging and responding effectually were discussed. Scott will take this discussion back to his sub-committee for review.
Service Obstacle System- Richard reported The LEAN classes are going well and participants were working on value stream mapping.   Students are learning the tools and starting their projects.  He plans to invite the LEAN director from Clemson, Lisa Knox, and Piedmont Tech, Lisa Bartanus, to visit and share their program’s structure and approval processes.
Management Accountability: Cara reported her sub-team had met and were working to define standards of work in the context of service excellence.  She stated this is very similar to what Scott is doing with the facilitation guide standard of work for the Service Learning Agreement. 
Academic – Member At Large: Lynn had nothing to report for Academics

Wrap Up:

  Review Next Steps for each SET:

Confirm Next meeting – Friday, May 13 at 10:00am in RH 245                                                                     

 

Service Excellence Team 3-11-2016

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TEAM
Meeting Minutes
Date: March 11, 2016

Opening

The regular meeting of the SET was held in RH 245 on Friday, March 11, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Cara Hamilton at 10:00 a.m.

Present

Cara Hamilton, Sharetta Bufford, Lauren Johnson, Scott Jaeschke, Richard Parker and Kathy Brand

Absent:  Lisa Anderson, Lynn Lewis, Gayle Arries

Celebrations:

·         Sharetta shared that Claudia Poore assisted a Bridge student’s parents with simplified directions on returning to Charleston.

·         Cara re-shared her email from a student regarding Mary Corley’s excellent student service, recovery and follow-up.

·         Scott praised Dr. Lynn Lewis and Ms. Rutledge for physically traveling to the Easley campus to meet with and resolve issues with nursing students.

·         Cara reiterated how the College culture is changing by listing examples of the many team building activities that took place in the afternoon of our last Professional Development day. Managers and supervisors were empowered to be creative and innovative and to think outside the box and have groups participate in team building activities such as bowling, painting, games, etc.

·         Lauren shared how Linda Jameison, Mr. White and Mr. Moritz assisted her passing out tickets on PD day.  They saw a need and jumped in to help.

Review Decision & Action Tracking from last meeting:

Action items were reviewed and updated from the last meeting (see tracking chart below).

Update for Sub teams:

Communication- Gayle                                                                                
Talent Management: Lauren reported that 230 Faculty and staff participated in the March1 Professional Development Day activities.  The Communication and Safety sessions had the largest attendance.  Sharetta made the suggestion to give employees a longer advance notice to register for sessions for the next time.  Cara suggested that Service Excellence be added as a session to promote awareness and to show TCTC examples/case studies for the Fall PD day.  Cara will reach out to guest speakers (Lisa or Jeff) and work on the content of the proposed session.  Lauren stated LC101 has about one month left as teams work on projects. She also reported that training for supervisors is being planned and on track and an Adjunct PD day is being planned for Saturday, August 13.  Scott requested time to speak at the Adjunct PD and Cara suggested Jonathan Finch should be asked to also speak to this group.  Richard requested the CCE group be included in this group.  Lauren stated she will take all of these suggestions back to Lisa and report back to the group.
Recognition: Sharetta reported her group is waiting on the recognition cards to be put into place and will be discussing starting Random acts of kindness using no budget at the next meeting.
Measurement: Scott reported that the secret shopper program has decided to use work-study students in real situations to gather data across campus. If needed they will also use student government and ambassador students. Plans are to meet with students in April to show them the purpose and how to complete the audit form.  The goal to gather data and share information with supervisors for improving service excellence was reiterated.  Richard reminded the group this feedback was subjective. The customer service improvement as a whole should be evaluated as a learning opportunity (not the processes). The questions should be carefully asked for specific data answers.  Hopes are that managers will collectively talk to their teams and collaborative improvements will take place. Secondly, Scott reported the method for collecting more qualitative data in an informal way by identifying touch points from divisions across campus. This group has face time within all divisions and question development along with a coding process will be developed. Thirdly, Scott asked for help with the process and best way to assess overall service of communication.  He asked if the college had a Standard Service Level Agreement or best practice in place for all divisions regarding customer service communication. He expressed concern on how to assess communication and asked for recommendations. It was suggested to have this included in supervisor training and to have a SLA facilitator guide be developed for each area after assessing students’ needs.  This guide could be developed during area staff meetings (not to be turned in, but created to better provide better service). Having a student’s point of view should be included.  The communication sessions during PD day covered this topic and may need to be needed repeated and be more specific to the needs of specific groups. 
Service Obstacle System- Richard reported the LEAN classes have started and have been scheduled on Mondays and Fridays.  He stated he had viewed Clemson’s LEAN program which was based on a tiered system of commitment. He may ask their lead to come to one of our SET meetings.  He has not been able to get to Piedmont Tech to visit to date.  He reminded the group of the LEAN’s goal and how using the learned tools can benefit the processes used in Higher Education. 
Management Accountability: Cara reported that CCE has 4 three-hour service training courses:  Reaching for Stellar Service, Caring for Customers, Healing Customer Relationships, and Dazzling Your Customers.  These courses are taught by internal people and could be offered to TCTC employees.  Cara asked the group’s opinion on the benefit/value of having persons from each division complete one or more of the courses giving a three hour commitment and how do we select those to participate. Discussion on cost, value and how to fill the cohort followed.  It was suggested that each division could identify staff members that could represent and/or benefit from the training. Cara suggested a pilot group be selected and then assessed after participating. Support of class time for participants was discussed and the suggestion of a PD day or the workday when final grades were due in July/August was mentioned.  Cara will take this before Executive Staff to determine their support.  She will also discuss SET as a standing committee with Executive Staff. Cara mentioned she was looking at “Go to Knowledge” by Innovated Educators training webinar sessions as something beneficial to employees for the cost.  The 2-4 hour sessions, covering 6 areas (Student Success, Teaching and Learning, Organizational Development, Campus Safety, At-risk populations, and Technology) include over 100 on-demand trainings, available 24/7 for $3600.  Institutional-wide access would be available.  Discussion on the content and value took place. Cara suggested we pilot this for a year to see if there is enough interest. Scott questioned how we would assess the impact/value.  The idea of having a few experts from different areas review the content and format of some sessions was suggested. Cara stated she has had many requests for trainings and will further research this as an option before moving forward.  
Academic – Member At Large:

 Wrap Up:

Scott brought to the group that our present service hours don’t match the needs of our students. He suggested the idea of possibly offering evening or Saturday hours for better customer service. Our service hours don’t match students’ needs.  Discussion on justifying the cost benefit took place.  Cara mentioned she was working with an organization called Greenwood Hall to be trained to answer calls/questions and man phones after hours. This would be like our call center, transparent to the student.  Cara will be doing more research on this project as a way to improve customer service after hours.

 

                Review Next Steps for each SET:

                Confirm Next meeting – Friday, April 8^th at 10:00am in RH 245