Montclair State University
PCAA 2001-02

Minutes
February 21, 2002

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Present: B. Terry, T. Jacobowitz, C. Meneghin, L. McInerney, K. Vega, S. Shah, M. Brown, N. Firoz, N. Connolly, K. Dennis, M. Coleman-Carter, M. Cunningham, L. Rodriguez, R. Sharps K. Bledsoe (alt), I. Caprio (alt), B. Milton, J. Hain

Absent: J. Baldwin LeClair, L. Wise, E. Abreu, R. Young, J. Rivera, J. Mammaro, M. Chadband, J. Harris, I Barriera, J. Ficke, H. Gera, D. Mengara, C. Ortiz, S. Kight

I. Call to Order

A. Chairperson Jacobowitz called the meeting to order at 12:10 PM.

B. Minutes were approved midway into the meeting when a quorum was met.

II. Affirmative Action Day Report
Affirmative Action Day on February 19 was a success. Approximately 150 people attended. Students attended as part of class assignments, and we had a favorable turnout from the campus community. We distributed the book, Who's Qualified? to the PCAA membership. However, less than half of our Commission members attended. Keynoter Susan Sturm made the following salient points:

• Pen and pencil tests do not determine a person's merit or performance on the job.
  
• Socioeconomic class is a determinant of how one performs on the written test.
  
• Desire to succeed is a better predictor of performance than standardize tests.
  
• Admissions and job standards should be defined collaboratively and should reflect institutional values.
  
• Multiple assessment methods should be used, for example, simulated job performance exercises.
C. Meneghin took photographs for the PCAA web page.

III. Committee Reports

A. Status of Minorities -- B. Terry
The committee met and re-established its charge to determine which departments have underrepresentation of people of color.

B. Status of Women -- M. Coleman-Carter
The committee met in January. The major item on the agenda was University Day on March 20. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, headed by Dean Gigliotti, is responsible for the programming which will focus on the Middle East.

The committee recommends campus tours for classified employees who never get the opportunity to visit other areas on campus, like the residence halls, etc. The committee also considered having Information Technology conduct skills development workshops.

Also, the committee gave kudos to E. Abreu and the Women's Center for the Vagina Monologues and the ambitious schedule of programs for Women's Month and acknowledged the Status of Women and the CWA for having a table at Affirmative Action Day.

C. Retention & Recruitment -- R. Sharps
The committee met January. We discussed Who's Qualified? to consider possible questions for Susan Sturm at Affirmative Action Day.

To date there has been no response on the two reports submitted by the committee. Pending receptivity to the Dean's Survey, the committee discussed the possibility of a follow-up faculty survey. Also, pending responses to the recommendations for the faculty mentoring program, the committee discussed a follow-up investigation of program models.

IV. Physical Plant
VP J. Hain asked the consultants for an interim status report on the Physical Plant Initiative. The consultants have compiled data on employee responses as to what they think is working and what's not. Information was gathered at the All Employee Day for Physical Plant on October 11, 2001. The interim report will be shared with the PCAA for scrutiny and recommendations.

T. Jacobowitz distributed a copies of a memo from President Cole dated March 11, 1999 that confirms that the PCAA initiated Dr. Cole's decision to hire the consultants to improve the work environment for physical plant employees.

V. New Business
K. Dennis raised the question if MSU was monitoring ADA requirements closely. Her question was prompted by a non-working elevator in Partridge Hall that would be necessary for non-ambulatory persons to evacuate the building in an emergency. Some buildings also do not have automatic doors that some disabled people need for access.

These issues and questions should be referred to the campuswide committees on Health and Safety Committee and Crisis Management.

These questions and discussion made the absence of ADA representation at PCAA meetings conspicuous. Since action to include ADA representation, representatives have not been attending. Chairperson Jacobowitz will contact the representative about assuring that ADA has proper representation at our meetings.

J. Hain invited PCAA participation in the interview process for the Director of Organizational Development and Training. Finalist have been invited to the campus on February 26, 28, March 5, and 7 2002 for interviews and a sample training presentation.

Next meeting is March 25. Note the change of date. The Executive Board will meet March 5, 2002 at 1 PM.


Meeting adjourned at 1:45 PM.

Submitted,

Michael Brown
Recording Secretary