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removed the server that contained the sensitive information. He said upon further investigation his staff discovered that Google had crawled the exposed information, made a copy of the contents and published it on the internet. Kielt was careful to point out that this is a normal business practice for Google, and it was not done maliciously. The data was exposed as the result of an honest mistake, he said. That doesnt make it any easier, but I want to make clear that it wasnt a malicious attack or cybercrime. His office contacted Google to have the information removed and it was taken down on Nov. 23. Upon noticing the sensitive information on the server, the university contracted with a commercial forensic review firm to help with the investigation. By Dec. 23, the consultant

ITS explains breach, offers support to staff

By Katie Turner, Public Relations and Communications Chair UNC employees recently affected by a data breach in the department of Finance and Administration turned out in large number to hear from a panel of administrators who are feverishly working to minimize the damage. The panel members addressed how the university discovered the breach, how it has responded so far, and steps that employees who have been affected can take to prevent fraud. Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO Chris Kielt said his office was first alerted to a possible leak of sensitive data by a Facilities Services employee in November 2013. The university took swift action and immediately

UNC staff with PhDs seek support for research

By Donna Bickford, Ph.D, and Anne M. Whisnant, Ph.D While faculty and staff are overarching categories for university employees, a group of EPA Non- Faculty staff members who occupy an interesting space in between have recently formed an Altac (alternative academic) Working Group. The altac term generally refers to a subset of the growing number of Ph.D.-prepared professionals who are locked out or have opted out of faculty careers, but continue to work within the university in professional staff positions. We estimate that there are approximately 130 of us on campus, many of whom continue to pursue our scholarly research, writing, publication, public speaking, engagement, and teaching while fulfilling our administrative responsibilities for the university; in effect, we function as administrator-scholars as we contribute in myriad ways to the academic mission of Carolina. Yet, workplace resources to support or reward these contributions are very limited. In 2010, we submitted a proposal to the Academic Plan Steering Committee suggesting the development of policies and systems to more effectively leverage the contributions of altac administrator-scholars, and we offered a similar proposal in a 2010 Chronicle of Higher Education column. This year, with the generous support of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, we invited thirteen other altacs into a formal Working Group to explore the prospect of Carolina creating an innovative and coordinated program of research and teaching support, and professional and leadership development opportunities. The members of our working group span the campus, in units as diverse as medicine, arts and sciences, student affairs, academic affairs, and athletics; we are situated at all levels of the university administrative hierarchy. The working group has undertaken three major initiatives: A survey of the UNC-CH altac community, just issued on Jan. 29. Were asking colleagues about what role (if any) their Ph.D.s and scholarly work continue to play in their current jobs and what support they currently enjoy or would most like to have. Well also try to gauge how connected they are to the larger altac conversation going on across academe. If you fit the altac description, but did not receive the survey, please contact us; the survey will be open until Feb. 21. An inventory of existing professional development, grant, and award programs at the university to assess how accessible they are to altac employees. Many of those programs are currently open to adjunct faculty members a secondary status that about onethird of us do have. We may find that some of the support we would like to see available for administrator-scholars could be accomplished with minor changes in eligibility requirements. A catalog of the scholarly, pedagogical, and professional service work our Working Group members have done in the past two years. This data will likely demonstrate the creative and innovative ways in which altacs combine scholarship and administration. The working group is also talking with campus administrators and other constituencies, including the Graduate School, provost, representatives from Human Resources, fixedterm faculty advocates, Employee Forum Executive Committee, and senior leadership in the College of Arts and Sciences. We hope to bring attention to the altac dilemma, explore See Ph.D, Page 4

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| R E A D US O N L I N E : F O RU M .U N C . ED U | FEB RUA RY 2014

Matt Brody, Kevin Seitz, and Patty Courtright participate in panel about data breach intended to provide information and resources to UNC employees affected by the breach, which was first discovered in November.

found that 6,500 records that might contain sensitive personal data had been exposed. Kielt apologized to all of the staff whose information was exposed. The circumstances and results are completely unacceptable he said.

(My office) has to find a way to do a better job. Echoing Kielts apology, Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Services Meredith Weiss called the breach unacceptable and said that her office is doing everything we

can to follow up on this. She directed affected employees to several resources where they can obtain additional information. Weiss was careful to point out that See BREACH, Page 4

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forum.unc.edu

Provost thanks staff, outlines his priorities

By Tammy Cox Forum Treasurer and Executive Committee Member Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jim Dean spoke of the importance of staff here on campus at the January Forum meeting. He said that without staff the university would be something akin to a Mad Maxx movie in apocalyptic chaos. The provost offered an apology for not attending the December meeting, which included a presentation by Chancellor Folt. The provost updated us on the major items he spends his time on: Search for the new vice chancellor for finance and administration. Employee Forum Chair Charles Streeter is part of the search committee. The vacant position is expected to be filled in the next two months. Historically this position has provided significant support to the Forum. The position was vacated by Karol Gray, who was recently conferred honorary delegate status by Forum members. Athletics reform. The provost has spent a significant amount of time working with Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham on reviewing the experience and progress of student athletes. This includes a review of processes from recruitment through graduation. Jim Dean said UNC By the end of would be in chaos this academic similar to a Mad year a sourceMaxx movie withbook will be out the hard work available to the of employees. public containing a compilation of best practices to be followed for educating and supporting student athletes. Carolina Counts. The General Assembly has reviewed the Carolina Counts initiative and considers it an exemplary implementation of streamlining university functions. Carolina Counts is a program overseen by the chancellor to carry out the key recommendations prepared in July 2009 by a business consulting firm and funded by the UNCChapel Hill Foundation. For more information, visit carolinacounts. unc.edu. Provost Dean answered questions from attendees and offered his genuine thanks for his invitation and for the work we continue to do as a group.

Executive Committee considers bylaw revision for officer elections

By Katie Turner, Bylaws Review Committee Member As a part of an ongoing review of the Forums bylaws, the Executive Committee considered a recommendation to change the method by which officers are elected. The recommendation came out of a systematic bylaws review led by the Bylaws Review Committee in partnership with the UNC Law Clinic. Two advanced law students, Amy McCrae and Kaitlin Powers, under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Kelley, have worked closely with committee members since April 2013 to address questions about the current form and content of the bylaws. The last comprehensive review occurred in 2011. Currently, the bylaws mandate that voting for officers must occur by written ballot. The Executive Committee considered whether the bylaws should be amended to change the procedure to a voice vote. Such a change would enable Forum delegates to continue to vote for officers in person at the June meeting without having their written ballots recorded in the meeting minutes. This change would eliminate the need for absentee ballots. Vice Chair Dan Barmmer said that the ability to see and hear delegates voting at the meeting could have the added benefit of making the elections process more transparent. Others felt that a voice vote is a better alternative to recording delegate votes in the meeting minutes. The Executive Committee is currently drafting a resolution to the full Forum that would amend the bylaws to reflect the proposed procedural changes. For the new procedure to be implemented, two-thirds of the Forum delegates present at the February and March meetings would have to vote in favor of the change. The Executive Committee is expected to consider other substantive revisions to the bylaws in the coming months.

The Happiness Project kicks off book club for 2014

By Katie Turner, Public Relations and Communications Committee Chair The first rule of the The Happiness Project is to show gratitude. In that spirit, the Public Relations and Communications Committee would like to thank all of the staff who have helped get the book club off to a promising start and Chancellor Folt for allocating funds to provide lunches to book club attendees. We also thank Bulls Head Books for lending us a meeting space and providing our book selections at 25 percent off the cover price! This month, the book club met to discuss The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. Rubin is a former law clerk who decides to leave her promising career behind to pursue her passion for writing. She decides along the way that despite her privileged life, she doesnt feel as a happy as she should. To discover what happiness is and how to attain it, she embarks on a year-long experiment to research happiness and put into practice techniques for being happier. Book club participants discussed ways to create their own happiness projects and put Rubins advice into practice. The next book club meeting will take place on Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. at Bulls Head Book Shop. We will discuss Prof. Tom Eamons book titled The Making of a Southern Democracy: North

Upcoming Book Club selections

Feb. 28: The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory by Professor Tom Eamon March 27: Love 2.0 by UNC Faculty Author Barbara Frederickson April 25: Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know Whats Right by Mary Gentile May 30: Guests on Earth by Lee Smith June 27: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai July 25: Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg August 29: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

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inTouch is a publication of the Employee Forum at UNCChapel Hill. Contributors include Katie Turner (Editor), Matt Banks (EF Staff), Dan Barmmer, Nancy Beach, Donna Bickford, Jacquelyn Copeland, Tammy Cox, Yvonne Sanford Dunlap, Michael Highland, Charles Streeter and Anne M. Whisnant. Special thanks to members of the Public Relations and Communications Committee. Production: The Daily Tar Heel

Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory. This book is a look at the ways in which social issues such as gender and racial equality have shaped the development of state politics. Eamon attempts to explain how North Carolina evolved as a progressive Southern state and how bipartisan efforts to improve education helped boost its reputation. Space is limited. Please register at http://tinyurl.com/pfatlsc. All UNC staff are welcome to join us for book club meetings. Meetings will take place at Bulls Head Book Shop from 12 1 p.m. Contact employeeforum@unc. edu to suggest a future book or sign up for book club email updates.

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forum.unc.edu

Forum news in brief

The Peer Recognition Awards will honor UNCCH permanent full-or parttime staff members in the following categories: Back Office Activity, Big Buddy, Call of Duty, Congeniality, Customer Service, Rookie, S e l f - I m p rove m e n t , a n d Unsung Heel. The deadline to nominate is April 25. Winners will receive a small monetary gift and a signed certificate. The Employee Forum Community Award (also known as the Three-Legged Stool Award), is designed to recognize distinguished contributions by individuals who work to promote cooperation and collaboration among faculty, staff and students. Any member of the faculty, staff or student body can be nominated and submit nominations (except current members of the Employee Forum Recognition and Awards committee). The deadline to nominate is May 16. The award will be presented at the Annual Employee Forum Retreat in June. Winners will receive a signed certificate and be rec-

Forum staff awards call for nominations

ognized on a plaque that will be displayed in the Forum Office. For more information: forum.unc.edu/awards/ or contact Michael Highland at michael_highland@unc.edu.

Help the Forum recruit new delegates

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKIE COPELAND Delegate Myra Quick wins a raffle prize at the Winter Social in Wilson Library on Dec. 4.

Chancellor Folt greets staff at Winter Social

By Nancy Beach Public Relations and Communications Committee member The Employee Forum held its annual Winter Social in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room at Wilson Library on Dec. 4. The social was open to attendance by all staff personnel with permission of their supervisors, and members were encouraged to invite their supervisors to the event. Forum delegates provided food potluck-style while the Forum supplied beverages. Chancellor Carol Folt attended the social and spoke individually with most Forum delegates and assembled guests. Other special invited guests included Ryan Hancock, chair of the N.C. State University Staff Senate, and Anna Wu, assistant vice chancellor for facilities operations, planning and design, both of whom later spoke at the Forum meeting. The social also included a raffle. The Membership and Assignments Committee, headed by Paula Goodman and comprised of delegates Karen Jenkins-Cheek, Jackie Copeland, Cindi Emerson, James Holman, Aluoch Ooro, Myra Quick, Kathy Ramsey and Charles Streeter, collected a number of prizes for the raffle. Prizes included event tickets, gift certificates, and merchandise from the University and local businesses. The committee members were later commended at the next Forum meeting for their hard work and wide variety and selection of prizes.

Its time to elect new delegates to the Employee Forum. The Forum, established in 1992, is the collective voice for employees on our campus, and its effectiveness depends on your participation and support. Chancellor Folt has expressed her appreciation for the Forum and its work on behalf of our staff. The Forum is composed of approximately 60 elected delegates. This year we will elect 36 new delegates from across all nine electoral divisions. The process of electing delegates begins in March to allow time for new delegate orientation. In April, you will receive an electronic ballot asking you to vote for your new Forum representatives. Employee Forum meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month. Term in office is from May 2014 to June 2016. Delegate

participation is considered work time. Effective service requires dedication, enthusiasm, and time. Monthly meetings are two and a half hours in length. In addition, delegates are likely to spend up to six hours per month on committee work. Staff accepting nomination should get approval from their supervisor. You may nominate any per manent UNC-Chapel Hill employee from any division, including yourself. Please verify nominees are willing to serve. Nominations must be received by March 22, 2014. Submit nominations at forum. unc.edu/nomination.

Enhancement grants under development

The Employee Forum is pleased to announce it is establishing a Professional Development Scholarship. The scholarship will cover work-related employee education and training not already covered by other resources at the University. SPA employees working at least 30 hours a week, and EPA non-faculty employees will be eligible. Look for more information in the next InTouch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKIE COPELAND Delegate Yvonne Dunlap wins a raffle prize while Chancellor Carol Folt looks on.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES STREETER Patti Thorp and Jackie Overton present 2013 Peer Recognition Award winner Yolanda Lassiter with the Self-Improvement Award. Nominations for 2014 are due April 25.

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forum.unc.edu

Brenda Denzler leaves UNC with strong legacy on Forum

By Yvonne Sanford Dunlap, Forum delegate and Personnel Issues Committee member I met Brenda Denzler recently, and we spoke about the time she spent working with the Employee Forum. One thing became clear: despite her small stature, Brenda has a big voice and a courageous heart. Brenda came to UNC in 2001 as a temp in the universitys autism diagnosis and treatment program, TEACCH. She was a natural in this area of work primarily due to her experience with her son, who is a high-functioning person with autism. She worked for TEACCH, with stints with the Center for Global Health and Department of Epidemiology. It was during this time that she served her first term as a delegate. She thought her experience with writing could help other employees. She volunteered to edit resolutions on employee issues presented to the chancellor and administrators. Brenda spent over four years performing what she calls some of the most fulfilling work I have done, worthwhile beyond making money. Brenda authored dozens of articles for the InTouch newsletter. Her articles clarified issues that might confuse employees: parking, the TIM system, changes to SPA and EPA policies. One of her final articles titled Race for the Cure Or Pause for the Cause? was in response to her 2009 inflammatory breast cancer diagnosis. Brenda considers herself lucky to be alive because inflammatory breast cancer has a survival rate of only 40-50 percent after five years. She is grateful for the care she received, but expressed her hope for more research funding for prevention and the development of cancer treatments that are less toxic and more effective. I havent known Brenda very long, but I respect her work on the Forum and have witnessed an outpouring of support when Forum members learned Brenda was recently laid off from UNC for a third time. Although Brenda is no longer a part of the university system, she made a lasting impact on the lives of those she helped through her Forum work. I had several questions for her about this work. Her responses allow us to know exactly who she is as an individual, who is not afraid to let integrity and truth guide her actions. What in your opinion is the value of the Employee Forum to the University administration and its employees? The Forum is an invaluable resource because its a conduit for information. It was created to allow information to flow from the employees to the administrationto give administrators a better idea of what staff employees are thinking, needing, and doing. But over the years, I think the organization has also become a conduit through which the administration can speak to employeesfor instance, in the recent community meeting about the data security breach. During your time on the EF, were you able to establish positive interactions and/or working relationships with the University administration? Yes, I think so. James Moeser made a big point of co-governing with faculty and staff employees, and I think the Forum helped him to achieve that with some notable successes. For instance, the Better Workplace initiative that occurred while he was chancellor. Thanks to that initiative, staff employees have seen their working conditions improve in several ways. One very notable way was the establishment of the Ombuds Office. The relationship with Holden Thorp was even more positive. Holden was a really superb listener and a very fair-minded man. One of the most important things that I think happened during Holdens tenure as chancellor was finally ridding the university of a notorious sexual predator, and calling in the outside agency to try to collect unbiased evidence from Housekeeping employees about their working conditions. That was really hugeand another indicator of the positive relationships between administration and the Forum resulting in positive outcomes for staff employees. Do you believe there is any issue or concern with the University system that is still unresolved since you left the Forum? The continual attempts to remove SPA employees from their legally protected property interest in their jobs. The highest echelons of power in the UNC system have been trying to do this since just a few years after university staff employees became a part of the state employment system back in the 1970s. It was one of the early challenges that the Forum had to face shortly after it was formed in the 1990s. The Forum is still fighting against losing this legally enforceable protection, and will no doubt have to do so for some time into the future. I think there are inequities in power and workplace treatment in those areas of staff employment where the majority of the employees are minorities. This has been a long-standing problem at UNC (and in other universities), and while in some important ways things have improved in this area in recent years, there is still much work to be done. What was the most satisfying part of your work on the Employee Forum and why? Helping people. Making a difference in the working conditions of staff employees, in larger and smaller ways. Being able to see that youve done something good. Bringing projects through from concept to completion. Andto be honestbeing a part of a team of people who were all focused on doing thatdoing good things for the larger group of staff employees throughout campus. We didnt always agree with one another, and sometimes we exchanged words that were heated. But we were always on the same team, working for the larger good. We had a cause. A purpose. And we supported each other in working to achieve that purpose. It was just an amazing experience. Exhausting and demanding and, therefore, wonderful and amazing. Is there an issue that you believe was left undone during your time on the Employee Forum? Im sure there were issues that were left dangling when I left the Forumissues that those who came after me were going to have to handle. But I do not remember what they were. I left with a sense of completion. I had done my best. I had done more than I originally set out to do (especially given that I didnt set out to do anything at all, really!). I had made a difference. And that was enough. I was ready to let the next generation of delegates have the challenge and the deep satisfactions that come from really working as a delegate on the Forumnot just showing up for a meeting once a month, but really working at it! There is always going to be a need for the Forum and for the kinds of people who are willing to work as a part of a team to speak out on behalf of the needs and interests of staff employees at Carolina. It requires energy, dedication and a certain amount of bravery, sometimes. But its the best job on campus. You wont get paid one thin dime for doing it but its the best job on campus. breach-faq or send an email to incident_questions@unc.edu. n Watch a video of the panel about the breach and the universitys response on the Forums website at http://go.unc.edu/Ss95W. capable contingent of the universitys professional workforce. We will keep the Employee Forum updated on our progress. Meanwhile, we invite staff employees with doctoral degrees to get in touch if you are interested in knowing more about our work.

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all of the materials are being translated into Spanish, Burmese and Karen and that the Facilities human resources team is meeting with people individually to answer questions.

What to do if you were affected by the breach

Affected employees should consider taking the following steps to monitor their credit, said Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources

Matt Brody: n Employees should take extra care when opening their mail and watch for a letter that contains an activation code for a year of free credit monitoring. n Sign up for free fraud alerts so a message is posted to your credit report informing creditors to the possibility of fraud. n One additional layer of protection is a security freeze that will prevent companies from accessing your credit report without your consent. Brody explained that all three

measures, taken together, will help keep employees information safe. Fraud alerts and security freezes help to prevent fraud, while credit monitoring advises you after the fact, he said.

Affected employees with questions about the credit monitoring process can: n Visit Frequently Asked Questions at its.unc. edu/2013/12/10/datatrative changes and financial support, we believe, the university could more fully realize and optimize the value of this rich existing resource to support Carolinas educational mission, while improving the quality of the workplace and the prospects for long-term retention of this highly

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specific components that an imaginative and progressive altac program could include, and consider practical and structural challenges that might exist. With relatively modest adminis-