LFSA Exec - Annual Report - 2020-2021

LFSA/LSA/LFA Committee Final Report 

Committee Name:

Library Faculty and Staff Assembly Executive  Committee 

Committee Co-Chairs:

Brian Rosenblum (LFA Chair); Chris Bohling (LSA  Chair) 

Members (with terms): 

Brian Rosenblum (Co-Chair); 2019-2021 

Chris Bohling (Co-Chair); 2019-2021 

Angie Rathmel (Co-Vice Chair); 2020-2022 

Mary Raple (Co-Vice Chair); 2020-2022 

Karna Younger; 2020-2021 

Rebecca Schroeder (Secretary); 2020-2021 

Fiscal Year: 2021 

Standing Charges: 

Ensures the orderly and effective operation of LFSA is the first point of  contact for matters affecting all library faculty and staff, save those which  are specifically assigned to the respective assemblies or standing  committees in the Code, and where appropriate, assigns such matters to  standing or ad hoc committees 

Monitors KU governance issues that may affect LFSA, including the  University Senate and the University Senate Committee on Libraries 

Takes no action contrary to the desires of the LFSA

Standing Charges Progress Summary (please include progress and/or  accomplishments related to Standing Charges): 

The LFSA Executive Committee met monthly during FY21 and held two  general assemblies, as per the code. 

Primarily, the LFSA Executive Committee worked to address issues  impacting library staff and faculty that resulted from the Covid-19  pandemic and the related budget crisis at KU. The Committee worked  alongside the administration to advocate for the safety and security of all  KU Libraries employees, while recognizing that remote and on-site workers  faced different distinct challenges during the pandemic. 

The Committee also coordinated the LFSA’s response to the significant  budget reductions that were announced in Spring 2021, and to the  potential changes to tenure protections proposed by the Board of Regents. 

Special Charges: 

None 

Special Charges Progress Summary (please include progress and/or  accomplishments related to Special Charges): 

N/A 

Progress on Previous Year’s Recommendations

(if applicable, please  describe any progress or work towards last year’s committee  recommendations): 

The previous year’s LFSA Executive Committee recommended exploring  “more effective ways to encourage and increase participation in KU  Libraries’ governance and its events.” 

Though the Covid-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge to the LFSA  with regards to employee outreach, the Committee discovered that online and hybrid meetings allowed more LFSA members to attend compared to  before the pandemic. The Committee recommends that the Libraries  continue to host all meetings as hybrid meetings, even after the pandemic,  in order to increase participation and address some equity and accessibility  concerns. 

In June 2021 the Committee developed a report expressing concerns of  faculty and staff regarding KU Libraries’ return-to-work plan. 

Other Activities or Accomplishments:  

The LFSA Executive Committee created the position of LFSA Web Manager  to oversee the LFSA website and manage the online archiving of LFSA  documentation (such as minutes). The Committee appointed Michelle  Curttright to the position for a three-year term. 

The Committee also appointed an LFSA Web Migration Task Force to  handle the migration of the lfsa.ku.edu website to Drupal 8/9 in accordance  with KU IT’s requirements. 

Recommendations: 

1. Produce a response to the Libaries’ re-entry plan and continue  counseling the administration to adjust the re-entry plan and  further COVID-related measures based on staff and faculty  feedback. 

2. Explore possibilities for a bottom-up review of supervisors by  supervisees. 

3. Explore possibilities for an extra recognition/reward for on-site  essential employees. 

Potential Charges for Future Committees: 

Prepared By: 

Brian Rosenblum

Chris Bohling