The Employee Assembly has a new look: it now has a full slate of committee chairs for 2017-18 and a redesigned web presence as part of the new Office of the Assemblies website that went live August 17.

“The new website is designed to be both informative and engaging, and includes enhanced features and functionality, with responsive layout for all mobile and desktop platforms. Its new layout also highlights the relationships between the assemblies, while facilitating access to each assembly’s information, resolutions and membership,” according to Gina Giambattista, director of the office.

Also over the summer, the Employee Assembly (EA) elected chairs for its committees and is now seeking members to join those committees.

All staff are welcome to join an EA committee and make a difference on campus. Contact the committee chair if interested:

Communications Committee

Carrie Sanzone, chair, at oa-ea-communications-l@cornell.edu.

The Employee Assembly Communications Committee promotes higher visibility for employees as community members, provides a sense of a unified employee body and helps to create heightened sense of community among all members of the Cornell staff community.

Employee Education and Development Committee

Marjorie Mosereiff, chair, at oa-ea-education-l@cornell.edu.

The Employee Education Committee supports employee development, goals and opportunities.

Employee Welfare Committee

Laura Johnson-Kelly, chair, at oa-ea-welfare-l@cornell.edu.

The Employee Welfare Committee reviews and recommends proposals and initiatives related to employee health and wellness, work/life, dependent care and family support, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, transportation, compensation and any other topic deemed relevant to employee welfare.

Elections Committee

Dustin Darnell, at oa-ea-elections-l@cornell.edu.

The Employee Assembly Elections Committee oversees all elections, including those conducted to fill regular vacancies that occur in the assembly each year.

Personnel Policy Committee

Suzanne Wilcox, at oa-ea-personnel-l@cornell.edu

The Personnel Policy Committee of the EA examines, reviews and comments upon personnel policies of the university.

Staff Recognition, Awards and Events Committee

Tanya Grove, at oa-ea-srac-l@cornell.edu.

The Staff Recognition and Awards Committee administers all aspects of the George Peter Award for Dedicated Service, the Opperman Award for Staff Advocacy and the Employee Assembly Appreciation Award, and investigates other staff award and recognition opportunities to present for consideration to the EA.

Transportation Task Force

Kristine Mahoney, at oa-ea-trantaskforce-l@cornell.edu.

The Transportation Task Force is an ad-hoc committee established to review employee concerns related to parking regulations, parking tier structures and the availability of public transportation and parking infrastructure with the expectation of developing recommendations for review by the full assembly.

The EA includes 28 staff members with voting privileges from across the Ithaca and Geneva campuses whose mission is to ensure collaboration with key university stakeholders, advocate for all staff interests and improve the staff experience through regular engagement at every level of the university. Working closely with members of the administration, the EA encourages a higher visibility for employees as community members and more equal participation with faculty and students in the policy-making process.

The EA meets biweekly, usually in 401 Physical Sciences Building.

For 2017-18, the EA officers are: Ulysses Smith, chair; Jeramy Kruser, executive vice chair; Kevin Fitch, vice chair for operations; Carrie Sanzone, vice chair for communications; and Pilar Thompson, parliamentarian.

The three constituent assemblies–representing undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, and staff–and the all-constituency University Assembly, along with the Faculty Senate, comprise “shared governance” at Cornell.

The assemblies serve as advisory bodies to the administration, representing matters of concern and constituent interests to university leadership. The assemblies formally advise the administration and recommend changes to policies through legislative processes articulated in their respective charters. They obtain extensive involvement of community members in the formulation and review of non-academic policies, recommendations and decisions impacting daily lives on campus.