Present: Paul Barnes, Tina Brookins, Rebecca Carroll, Frank Collins, Mary Driggers, Theresa Duggar,

Ava Edwards, Lakesha Hill, Christopher Johnston, DeAnn Lewis, Katherine Lewis, Memory Littles,

Adrianne McCollar, James Michael Morgan, John Pate, Brenda Richardson, Lindy Sherwood, Nick

Shrader, Trina Smith, Dee Thompson, Ashley Thornton, Jessica Weaver. Regrets: None. Absent: None.

at all times. GS Administration has been in communication with local authorities.

○ USG is following the guidelines set forth by the Georgia Department of Health and the

Centers for Disease Control. The link to the federal guidelines for reopening will be on

Human Resources’ webpage. Reopening will be dictated by the Governor and will involve

a phased approach.

○ Dr. Marrero was selected as one of five USG presidents to serve on the USG Reopening

Taskforce. GS will have its own taskforce to establish protocols.

○ Costs have been reduced for Summer semester to encourage enrollment. Students will

only be charged for base tuition and fees regardless of the level. The third phase of the

e-tuition differential has been accelerated to lower costs.

○ Enrollment fluctuations are expected. The numbers are down for Summer semester but

are up for Fall semester.

● Commencement

○ There are over 4,300 graduates. Virtual commencements are planned for May 8th and

9th. The online ceremony will be divided into colleges. Students have been asked to

submit a photo of their choice and a thank you message to whomever they wish to thank.

● Financial Impacts of Covid-19

○ 4400 students moved out of the residence halls. 170 remain on campus.

○ A total of $11M was refunded to students. 76% was refunded via direct deposit. 24% was

refunded via checks.

○ GS has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to host a food drive on the

Savannah-Armstrong Campus.

○ GS has donated food items including lots of cheese to the local food banks.

● Student Support

○ GS has supported students by mailing laptops and other technology from computer labs

across both campuses as well as hotspots to assist students in need of internet access.

Online students were not impacted by the shift to online courses caused by

Covid-19. A total of 15,862 students received $350.

■ Students with the lowest Expected Family Contribution (EFC) who are Pell Grant

eligible were given funds ranging from $109-$675 additional dollars based on

credits. A total of 855 students received the additional aid.

■ $550,000 is being held and will be distributed based on need for specific

emergencies. Students will have to submit an application.

■ $1M has been set aside to assist with Summer tuition based on Pell Grant

eligibility.

■ The other $11M has not been received but will go towards helping GS make it

○ The requirement for ACT/SAT scores has been waived and the GPA requirement has

been lowered to 2.5. This added 3000 students who were not initially eligible for

admission.

○ April is no application fee month.

○ The Eagle Success Program that normally takes place in the Summer has been pushed

○ Dr. Marrero recorded a video to acknowledge the faculty and staff being recognized for

their years of service and the winners of the awards. Everyone will receive in-person

recognition in August during the State of the University Address.

○ There were a total of 250 nominees, 18 individual awards and 1 team award. The

winners will receive $1000 for professional development.

● Engagement Survey

○ The campus climate survey will be administered in September. The purpose for the

survey is to gauge employee satisfaction. The results will be used to build action plans. It

● Marketing Campaign

○ Television commercials have been created and aired specifically to raise awareness of

the University’s presence in Savannah. The Savannah market was deliberately targeted

in this mini campaign.

○ STAMATS is developing new branding that will showcase and highlight all 3 campuses.

● FY20 Budget

○ The FY20 budget was reopened and amended. Revenue has fallen and will continue to

fall due to Covid-19. It is likely that funds will have to be returned to the state.

○ $141M in state E & G dollars must be spent in the fiscal year. $295M in earned dollars

must be encumbered or returned. GS has set aside funds in case the state requests a

refund of unused encumbered funds.

○ $11M was refunded from Auxiliaries. The State has authorized a one-time refund from

the end of year funds to mitigate this $11M loss and replenish the FY 20 budget.

■ Vacancies. Hiring will be limited to essential positions only.

● People, Purpose, Action

○ Dr. Marrero expressed that tough decisions have to be made but his goal is to protect the

faculty and staff. He is committed to putting people first.

Dr. Marrero invited questions from members.

Question: Is GS still considering border state waivers?

Answer: Yes. I submitted a proposal to the Chancellor to extend the waivers to Florida and South

Carolina. A response is pending.

Question: Has USG considered not starting classes until Spring 2021?

Answer: No. My intention is to begin classes in the Fall. We do not know what it will “look” like but that is

the goal at this time. We will follow the guidance of the Georgia Department of Health and the CDC.

allowed to do so? This will reduce operational costs and travel.

for any disruption that may occur in the Fall. It will establish benchmarks and protocols for acting quickly.

It will also depend on Health Services’ rapid testing capabilities.

This concluded the President’s updates.

Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Updates from AVP Dr. TaJuan Wilson are as follows:

● Pulse Survey

○ The Pulse Survey will inform the Inclusive Excellence Action Plan. This will be a

comprehensive plan that is an offset of the Strategic Plan’s Pillar 3. The survey replaces

intended events that were planned pre-pandemic. It will serve as a guide to inform how

the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion moves forward. The goal date to have the

plan developed and rolled out is June 1, 2020.

● Seed Grants

○ Seed grants awarded in the fall. The grants will be awarded to students, faculty, staff, and

student organizations. The grants will be in $5000 increments. For events, programs, etc.

Anything that drives GS forward in terms of inclusive excellence.

● Employee Affinity Groups or Employee Resource Groups

○ Dr. Wilson is exploring the idea of employee affinity groups in collaboration with Human

Resources and Dr. Marrero. He invites input from members of Staff Council regarding

this idea.

● Campus Climate Support Team

○ The Campus Climate Support Team would handle issues related to bias. It will not

address issues related to EEOC or Title IX specific. This group would help to mitigate

issues of bias as they arise.

Answer: Yes. Each college or division has its own IE committee. Staff have the opportunity to be

Answer cont’d: The Student Government Association (SGA) brought forth a resolution for a more

diverse faculty and their voices have been heard. We are working on this. The SGA did not see a problem

at the staff level but staff recruitment, retention, and advancement will also be addressed (Ava Percell).

Human Resources - Updates from Mrs. Rebecca Carroll, AVP as follows:

● Frequently Asked Questions Webpage

○ AVP Carroll encouraged that everyone be made aware of the webpage that has been

developed to answer the most frequently asked questions regarding the CARES Act and

Emergency Paid Sick Leave.

○ There have been several applications for the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and the Public

Health Emergency Leave. Those applications are under review and some have already

been approved.

AVP Caroll invited questions from members.

Question: What is the status of the Administrative Support Role Review?

This concluded updates from Human Resources, AVP Carroll.

Consent Agenda and Minutes of Meeting

● Adoption of agenda

● Adoption of minutes for February will be held via email vote. There was no meeting in March.

Committee Reports

● Treasurer Report

○ ARM Discretionary Fund (Acct#2072): $1053.62

○ A proposal has been submitted to VP Whitaker to move funds from the operating account

to the Shelley Merrick scholarship account for textbook scholarship awards in the

Summer. This has not been approved to date.

● By-Laws Committee

○ The proposed membership structure has been approved by President Marrero.

was recently adopted. In the interim the Ad-hoc Elections Committee has begun planning

will be able to move forward once the officers for 2020-2021 have been determined.

○ We are seeking to establish a standing elections committee as a subcommittee to the

By-laws Committee. Nominations for new members will be solicited at the end of this

month.

○ Work has continued on updating the website.

● Fundraising and Scholarship Committee

○ No updates.

● Staff Development Committee

○ Reviewed the surveys. Fewer than the fall conference. Over 90% positive. The negative

comments were related to things that were out of the committees’ control.

○ In the process of seeking recommendations for next years’ conferences. There is a

○ No updates.

Old Business

● n/a

New Business

● The nomination form for the Executive Committee has been sent out. The ballot will be going out

today.

● Teleworking and coping with Covid-19

○ Human Resources has resources available to help employees cope with Covid-19.

Announcements

● The search process is underway for the next Vice President of Student Affairs. The

communication concerning the candidate’s interviews and presentations (virtual) will be sent to

● Make sure that students are aware of all of the resources that are available to them in this online

environment.

this current global crisis by sending pictures, videos, etc.

● Jessica Weaver shared a folder with Zoom backgrounds. There are several Georgia Southern

themed backgrounds. The folder contains a link to Zoom where you can find instructions.

USG Staff Council - Updates from Mr. Jasper Stewart are as follows:

● USG Staff Council Nominations.

○ Nominees for Chair-elect are Ava Edwards, Georgia Southern University and David

Brown, Georgia Tech.

○ Nominees for Treasurer are Jasper Stewart, Georgia Southern University and Gretecia?

Banks

○ Nominations are due to USG by May 20, 2020.

○ The Council voted electronically via chat. There was a majority vote for Jasper and Ava.

○ There are no known issues with multiple members from the same institution.

○ The next meeting to set the agenda is Monday, April 20, 2020.

Important Dates

● University Awards of Excellence Ceremony | April 20th