UNC President Erskine Bowles has decided not to move forward in pushing proposed legislation that would create a separate human resource system for the 16-campus university system.

Bowles

In a March 16 memorandum to chancellors, Bowles said he had listened carefully to opinions about the move from human resource directors on the campuses and from the UNC Staff Assembly.

Earlier this month, the University’s Employee Forum voted unanimously to oppose the section of the President’s Advisory Committee on Efficiency and Effectiveness (PACE) report that had advocated a new human resource system for the UNC system.

Employee Forum Chair Ernie Patterson said at the March 7 meeting that the PACE process was moving too fast — and without enough input from employees.

The forum’s resolution said that “such a momentous change in the terms of employment for staff employees must have the support and confidence of all University employees and be thoughtfully considered, allowing sufficient time for University-wide input to determine whether employees would support such a move and under what circumstances.”

Jeff Davies, Bowles’ chief of staff, said Bowles’ decision to step back from legislation seeking a separate human resource system was in response to employees’ concerns that had been expressed throughout the system.

“It is clear to me that their voices were heard and that President Bowles is looking for more information,” he said.

Instead of pursuing proposed legislation in the General Assembly, Bowles said he would seek approval from legislators to create a task force to identify potential modifications to the State Personnel Act “that would provide the University with greater flexibility in personnel matters so that we can better meet the needs of our employees and improve the efficiency of our personnel operations.”

Bowles said he hoped the panel could reach a consensus on recommendations for consideration by the General Assembly in 2008.

The task force will provide representation across the UNC system, including chancellors, human resource and finance officials and staff, he said. The president will also ask the staff assembly for suggestions from staff members serving on the task force.

Chancellor James Moeser said he supported the approach Bowles was taking since it would provide more opportunities for input from staff as well as administrators across the UNC system.

“From Carolina’s perspective, there are important issues that need to be addressed so that we can be competitive with our peer universities,” Moeser said. “But President Bowles has made the right call to proceed carefully and to seek more input.”

Davies said the goal of PACE is to improve operations to become a more nimble university that can respond to marketplace pressures.

“We want to improve our ability to attract, reward and retain high-quality employees,” he said. “If some changes in the way we recruit and compensate and classify employees will help, then we are all open to change, but again, not without the full facts being known to everyone.”

There is a natural fear of the unknown that can only be overcome with more information, Davies said.

“What we really need is the time to sort through this very carefully so that all of us understand what improving our ability to attract, reward and retain the best employees really means and how it would impact each of us personally,” he said.

Patterson, speaking last week to the University Board of Trustees’ Audit and Finance Committee, said the Employee Forum would seek input into the task force’s study by surveying all SPA staff, EPA non-faculty staff and other non-tenure track employees. This effort will gather ideas on how the current system can be changed to become “more operationally efficient, cost effective and fair for everyone,” he said.