The Employee Advisory Council for the UT System, which includes two staff representatives from each UT System institution, meets three times a year to discuss issues of interest to the more than 71,000 employees (excluding faculty) at the 15 institutions within the UT System.

UTMB representatives Julie Cantini and Mary Ann Hellinghausen met March 3-4 with EAC representatives from all UT System institutions and UT System Administration in Austin. This year, the Council established four committees to conduct research on and make recommendations about the following issues: enhancing communication efforts from the EAC to our System- and campus-level counterparts (Cantini is co-chairwoman); bullying in the workplace; career development tools for individual staff employees (Hellinghausen is a member); and expanding the culture of wellness/exercise present at each UT System institution.  

Topics discussed included:

  • Proposed legislation allowing concealed handguns on college campuses. A resolution supporting Chancellor William McRaven’s position against this legislation was proposed, joining The UT System Faculty Advisory Council and Student Advisory Council in support of Chancellor McRaven’s opposition to the bill. The resolution is in process of moving forward. 
  • A tobacco-free hiring policy that UT MD Anderson Cancer Center implemented Jan. 1, 2015. All UT MD Anderson applicants are screened for tobacco use as part of the standard application process. Job seekers who test positive are not eligible for immediate employment. However, if applicants remain interested in working at UT MD Anderson, they are given tobacco-cessation materials and instructions for obtaining assistance. Applicants are then permitted to apply for open positions and undergo a new screening test following a waiting period of 180 days.
  • Report on UT System wellness efforts by Associate Vice Chancellor Dan Stewart.
  • UT System Office of Employee Benefits is not expecting any major changes to employee benefits this coming year; UT System has compiled employee disease claim information by institution, which institutions can use to develop wellness programs with a goal of keeping employees as healthy as possible and insurance premiums as low as possible.
  • No substantial changes are expected to the Teacher Retirement System retirement plan, which serves many of our employees and retirees. UT System employees covered by TRS are fortunate to have this coverage extended into retirement for those who meet vesting requirements. 
  • Wellness Tobacco Fund continues to provide needed wellness program support for all UT System Institutions. The program, which uses funds from UT Select plan members who report they and/or their family members are current tobacco users, is available for wellness program grants.

The final meeting for the 2014-2015 year will be hosted by UT Dallas in June; final recommendations from the Council will be presented to the Board of Regents at their November 2015 meeting. Minutes for the October 2014 meeting are now available online.