Employees and delegate members of the UNC Employee Forum discussed updated COVID-19 protocols, vaccine mandates, library budget cuts, emergency preparedness and mental health first aid during their Wednesday meeting.
What's new?
- Provost Bob Blouin began the meeting with an update on University vaccination numbers and COVID-19 precautions.
- Blouin said 93 percent of students, 94 percent of faculty and 86 percent of staff have attested to vaccination.
- Blouin said they are responding to President Joe Biden's federal mandate requiring employees of institutions who receive federal contracts to be fully vaccinated, which must be completed by Dec. 8.
- The federal mandate applies to employees, subcontractors and student employees of higher education institutions.
- “We receive approximately $165 million through these federal contracts and growing, and so it is imperative that this University do its very best to comply with that mandate,” Blouin said.
- The consequences for employees who do not attest to full vaccination by the deadline have yet to be determined, according to Blouin and Linc Butler, interim assistant provost for academic personnel and associate vice chancellor for human resources.
- Elaine L. Westbrook, vice provost for University Libraries and University librarian, spoke on the $5 million budget cuts UNC Libraries will face over the next two fiscal years.
- Westbrook said the main reasons for the library budget cuts are a general University budget cut and the increasing price of academic journals.
- “I believe that the libraries are the heart of the University," Westbrook said. "It’s a key part of the research and academic enterprise, and the collections are critical for the research, teaching and learning of this University.”
- Darrell Jeter, director of Emergency Management and Planning, and Justin Miller, emergency management coordinator at UNC, covered the Carolina Ready Safety App and other new resources created by the department to further extend safety on campus.
- “We cannot predict when something is going to impact us, but we can prepare,” Jeter said, who encouraged all audience members to download the app.
- Other new documents released by the department include an Emergency Action Plan, Employee Preparedness Guide, Student Safety Guide and updated training policies.
- Butler and Jessica A. Pyjas shared updates from UNC Human Resources, along with health and wellness opportunities for faculty.
- Tara Bohley, director of the Behavioral Health Springboard, discussed mental health first aid training for faculty members.
- "Just like CPR and regular first aid, mental health first aid is simply the assistance that is offered to a person who might be having early signs and symptoms of a developing problem related to their mental health or substance use, or how to intervene if you find yourself in a situation where someone is having a crisis related to a mental illness or substance use," Bohley said.
- “The more people we have on campus who understand what it takes to stay well, get well, be well and what it takes to get help when we need it, the more the culture can possibly change,” she said.
What's next?
The next Employee Forum meeting will be held on Dec. 1.
