Faculty Council Committee Corner: Personnel and Benefits
Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing CU Connections series in which the Faculty Council highlights each of its committees and their efforts. See past installments here.
The Faculty Council Personnel and Benefits committee (PBC) serves as an advisory group to system administration on policies that pertain to faculty personnel and benefits concerns.
PBC strives to ensure that all faculty are adequately, appropriately and fairly compensated. Among the policies that are relevant to the committee’s charge are those affecting faculty salary, benefits, travel, tenure and promotion.
We address diversity, equity and inclusion relating to compensation, retirement plans and educational programs. PBC firmly believes that supporting employee recognition and reward, health and safety, growth and development, advances the mission of the University of Colorado in achieving “a diverse teaching and learning community that creates, discovers and applies knowledge to improve the health and well-being of Colorado and the world.”
PBC has been working closely for several years with system administrators including Kathy Nesbitt, former VP of Administration, CU system; Felicity O’Herron, Chief Human Resources Officer, CU system; Jeremy Hueth, VP University Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Regents; Michelle Martinez, Director of Benefits, CU system; as well as other Faculty Council committees and Staff Council to accomplish this goal.
PBC has advocated for the implementation and/or expansion of policies including Workplace Bullying (APS 5059), Parental Leave (APS 5062, Section 11), Tuition Assistance Benefits (APS 5024) and Retirement Benefits, among others. PBC also actively participated in the revisions of Article 5 of Regents Law, Faculty Course Questionnaire (FCQ) and Administrative Policy Statements (APS) regarding Multiple Means of Teaching Evaluation (APS 1009), Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Violence, and Stalking (APS 5014), and Reappointment, Tenure, Promotion, and Post-Tenure Review (APS 1022).
These efforts demonstrate shared governance in operation and the effectiveness of partnering with other Faculty and Staff Council committees to reach a positive work environment and culture. Based on websites such as Glassdoor and indeed, CU maintains a rating for pay and benefits of 4.5/5 and 4/5, respectively.
Among the committee’s key goals for academic year 2020-2021 are:
- Revising the committee charge in collaboration with Brenda J. Allen, Professor Emerita and former Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at CU Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus
- Strengthening representation and participation of CU retired faculty in the system Faculty Council and on campuses
- Protecting faculty intellectual property rights
- Supporting and advising University of Colorado efforts to implement Colorado’s Equal Pay Act that protects employees against sex-based pay discrimination, including gender identity alone or combined with other protected statuses
- Creating a true, independent and strong Faculty Affairs and Advocacy office at the system level that connects to all four campuses
- Encouraging the competitive renewal of health insurance and retirement plans for the benefit of all faculty, including instructional and retired faculty and staff
- Encouraging greater participation in the process of shared governance
- Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and primary caregivers and formulating recommendations to mitigate projected and foreseeable adverse effects on research, teaching, promotion and tenure
PBC draws on skilled and like-minded faculty from all campuses who are determined to best represent faculty interests and to counsel system administration on how to best adhere to CU’s academic mission, vision and values.
We are recruiting for two positions on the committee representing the Boulder campus. If interested, please contact Tamara Terzian.
PBC would like to thank the administrators mentioned above, in addition to Todd Saliman, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Government Relations and Chief Financial Officer, CU system; Dan Wilson, former Treasurer of CU; and all our partnering CU system administrators for their consistent and tireless collaboration over the years.
Personnel and Benefits Committee Members, 2020-21
- Tamara Terzian, Chair, CU Anschutz, Dermatology
- Jeff Zax, Vice Chair, CU Boulder, Economics
- Larry Cunningham, Secretary, CU Denver, Business
- Inge Wefes, CU Anschutz, Graduate School
- Lindsey Yates, CU Anschutz, Dental Medicine
- Joe Craig, CU Colorado Springs, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- Matt Metzger, CU Colorado Springs, College of Business
- Sherry McCormick, CU Colorado Springs, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Tom Zwirlein, CU Colorado Springs, Finance, Emeritus
- Dorothy Garrison Wade, CU Denver, Education and Human Development, Emeritus
- Michael Harper, CU Denver, Business
- Jeffrey Schrader, CU Denver, College of Arts and Media
- Michelle Martinez, CU system, Employee Services Liaison (nonvoting member)