November 2022 Employee Forum recap  

The Employee Forum on Nov. 2 began with a talk by constitutional law expert Michael Gerhardt about free speech rights of University employees. 

Gerhardt, Burton Craig Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence at the UNC School of Law, told the forum that employees may exercise their freedom of expression in their private lives. He also said the University has an ability to control speech expressed on campus during formal operations or meetings. The University may also have rules regarding protests that should be applied to all groups consistently, and he suggested reviewing those rules for awareness. 

Provost’s round table 

Provost and Chief Academic Officer J. Christopher Clemens said that: 

• His office is working on hiring a dean for the School of Government, will soon charge the committee searching for a Kenan-Flagler Business School dean and is progressing on a search for a new University Librarian. 
• The University System is working on a return-on-investment study, for which campus units will be asked about their budgets.
  

Human Resources update 

Becci Menghini, vice chancellor for human resources and equal opportunity and compliance, said that: 

• The administration supports increasing salaries of its lowest-paid employees but has no authority to do so. That authority rests with the state. 
  

Menghini said the University is working on other ways to improve working conditions: 

• Finance and Operations is working with an outside firm to look at workplace structure, space allocation and reporting structure of some areas.
  

• HR is talking with facilities employees and supervisors about training and development.
  

• HR is assessing ways employees can share experiences and resources with other employees outside their units on life issues such as child care, elder care and third shift work.

In other action

Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Leah Cox said that her office is asking employees to complete the University’s first campus climate survey since 2016. Information about the survey was in an Oct. 17 email from Viewfinder, the vendor handling the survey. 

George Battle, vice chancellor for institutional integrity and risk management, reported that the University is in the final phase of testing building water fixtures for lead. Battle said that Orange County Water and Sewer Authority, which provides Carolina’s water, shows no lead in its pipes, so testing is focused on fixtures on campus. The Environmental Protection Agency does not require lead testing by universities. 

Rebecca Fry, Carol Remmer Angle Endowed Professor in environmental sciences and engineering, described the health effects of lead, saying generally, health effects in adults are associated with chronic exposure through mining or welding. “The half-life of lead in blood is about a month. If someone had prior exposure, that wouldn’t be detected now. Metals are around us all the time, all different sources.” 

Faculty, staff and students who work, study or live in affected buildings can find information about free blood testing on the EHS website.