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A Carolina newcomer and a longtime local fixture both made appearances at the
Employee Forum's Dec. 6 meeting.
Nancy Suttenfield introduced herself, and Howard Lee gave his take on the
upcoming session of the N.C. General Assembly.
Suttenfield started her job as Carolina's vice chancellor for finance and
administration on Nov. 20. She said she was starting a "get-acquainted" process
with the forum at the group's Dec. 6 meeting and praised the role staff
employees play in supporting the University's three-fold mission of teaching,
research and public service.
"You're the enablers that pave the way for faculty and others in those core
areas to be successful," she said.
Suttenfield said the campus is on the verge of an exciting time in its history,
given expected growth in student enrollment, research funding and facilities.
But growth also could create tensions on campus, and the Employee Forum will
play an important role in bringing any potential trouble spots to the attention
of administrators.
"You are the eyes and ears of the administration," she said.
Suttenfield also said she values open communications and would welcome candid
discussions with forum members about any topics other than personnel matters,
which must remain confidential because of privacy laws.
Carolina's new vice chancellor for finance and administration comes here from
Case Western Reserve University, where she was vice president for finance and
administration.
Suttenfield succeeded John "Jack" Evans, Ruth and Philip Hettleman professor at
the Kenan-Flagler Business School, who served as interim vice chancellor after
James R. Ramsey left the University in June 1999.
Suttenfield's candidacy for the post resulted from the work of a search
committee chaired by Robert Sullivan, business school dean. The panel included
Employee Forum Chair Joanne Kucharski.
In his comments to the forum, Lee -- a Democrat who represents Orange County in
the state Senate -- said the legislature will face its greatest budget
challenge since 1991 when it begins its next session Jan. 24.
The legislature will enter the session facing a budget deficit of more than
$300 million because of past tax cuts, Hurricane Floyd relief costs and lawsuit
settlements, Lee said.
And while North Carolina has an $11 billion surplus in its state employee
retirement fund because of good investment returns, the legislature shouldn't
use the excess to balance the budget, Lee said.
Any money taken from the surplus should go to shoring up the State Health Plan,
which faces its own $500 million deficit, he said. That's because state
employees are the ones who fund the retirement system and therefore should be
the ones who benefit from any dollars taken from it.
Lee said he would also be opposed to using North Carolina's share of the
tobacco lawsuit settlement to balance the budget. That money should go to
building infrastructure in rural parts of the state to help attract jobs to
those areas, he said.
Budget cuts shouldn't be used to balance the spending plan, either, Lee said,
though he might support shifting fiscal priorities.
Lee said the legislature's first priority next session should be to make the
State Health Plan solvent. Next should be protecting the retirement system. And
the third priority should be funding a state employee pay plan approved by the
legislature in 1993, Lee said.
Among other elements, that plan calls for preventing longtime employees from
getting paid less than new employees doing the same job.
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