Staff Advisory Council
College of Food, Agricultural,
and Environmental Sciences
EnVision Articles

STATE OF THE S.A.C.:
Staff Advisory Council Accomplishments and Goals

by Cathy Zirkle

The College's Staff Advisory Council (S.A.C.) will mark its first anniversary in September after completing monthly meetings, structural alterations, Project Reinvent orientation and a group workshop. Initially led by Agricultural Administration's Marilyn Trefz and Cathy Forte, the Council consists of 26 appointed staff members in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and includes members from the Columbus campus, OARDC, ATI and OSU Extension offices across the state. Noting organizational accomplishments during its inaugural year, the Staff Advisory Council takes this opportunity to share its future goals.

The Council's immediate charge was one of organization and leadership. In October, a sub-committee drafted the group's Statement of Purpose:

The Staff Advisory Council (hereafter Council) shall act in an advisory capacity to the Vice President of Agricultural Administration and Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (hereafter Vice President/Dean).

The purpose of the Council is to:

provide a formal vehicle for staff participation in the betterment of the College by shaping an environment that promotes mutual respect, builds teams, and creates a compelling place to work and learn;

increase the efficiency and scope of communication within the College and University by:

• serving as the staff voice/liaison to the Vice President/Dean,
• relaying communication from the Vice President/Dean to staff,
• facilitating staff-to-staff communication, and
• broadening university-wide communication through its relationship with the University Staff Advisory Committee;
• support the College motto of "Challenging what is.....Achieving what could be" in attitude, process, and action.

During the Council's next few meetings, detailed bylaws were written regarding officer elections and duties, meeting schedules and attendance, standing committee designations, task force definitions, membership details and bylaw amendment protocol. In February, an executive team was elected (Chair Thad Welch, Vice-Chair Christine Nielsen, Secretary/Treasurer Becky Hooper, Communications Director Cathy Zirkle) and three Council members were nominated to serve on the Vice President's Advisory Council (Shelley Whitworth, Cindy Crawford and Jim Karcher). From March 30 through April 1, seventeen Council members attended the College's Project Reinvent retreat at Mohican State Lodge, providing an opportunity to learn more about the College, its interrelation with various departments/units and mission to "change the culture" of the College by removing barriers relating to internal and external functions. In June, S.A.C. members honed their team working skills by participating in a workshop on "Working Effectively in a Group Setting," facilitated by Paul Axtell.

A reappearing agenda item for S.A.C. April and May meetings was "Goals for the Coming Year." Originally composed in December, 1998 by individual Council member ballots, the comprehensive list of objectives was reviewed and categorized by the entire S.A.C. during its spring meetings: (1.) Establishing employee rewards and recognition; (2) Implementing orientation and development issues for new and current employees; (3) Unifying extension, teaching and research; (4) Encouraging a "team concept" between faculty, staff, students, stakeholders; (5) Increasing staff involvement in College activities and processes; (6) Drafting a list of staff issues and concerns. While sharpening their team working skills during the Axtell workshop, S.A.C. members determined deadlines for each project and further revised the list of goals, including writing regular enVision articles, creating a S.A.C. web page, membership brochure and College staff list serve, developing a "wish list" survey for distribution to College staff and establishing Staff Development and Employee Rewards task forces.

The last ten months represent challenge and productivity for the College Staff Advisory Council through its initial orientation and organization, consequent restructure and proclaimed tasks to tackle. The Council has evolved from 26 individual staff members to a team striving to strengthen the communication link between the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences staff and administration.