Officials reschedule special Council meeting

After some Council members complained, the meeting on outsourcing was moved to Wednesday. In response to complaints about the timing of a special session of University Council dedicated to the controversial Trammel Crow outsourcing deal, administrators have rescheduled the meeting from tomorrow to Wednesday. University President Judith Rodin called the session last week in response to requests from more than one-quarter of Council's members to discuss the deal before University Trustees vote on the agreement later this week. But many faculty members had complained that they would be unable to attend the Tuesday meeting due to time conflicts, forcing the session to be rescheduled for the following day, according to Faculty Senate Chairperson Vivian Seltzer. A Council Steering Committee meeting scheduled for the same day will be shortened to accommodate the special Council meeting, she added. "Wednesday is when we normally have Council meetings, so those who attend regular meetings will be able to attend," Seltzer said. Last week, a petition from the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly asked that a meeting be held before University Trustees meet to discuss the deal. At their meetings Thursday and Friday, the Trustees will vote on whether to approve the deal allowing Trammell Crow to assume management of all campus buildings. About 175 University employees will need to interview with Trammell Crow to retain their current jobs. Administrators said about 75 percent will receive offers from the firm, which has agreed to maintain salary and benefit levels for rehired employees. The agenda of Wednesday's meeting will consist of discussion of a resolution proposed by GAPSA, urging the trustees to reject the Trammell Crow contract. Although Council members originally wanted the meeting to take place Wednesday, Council Secretary Constance Goodman said last week that the Tuesday meeting was better because of scheduling difficulties. But the announcement caused controversy among some Council members, who said they feared administrators had "hijacked our efforts to hold a meeting," said GAPSA representative Alex Welte, a Physics graduate student. But Rodin said she scheduled the Tuesday meeting "in response to the original request" by Council members that it take place prior to the Trustees meetings. "We had tried to be responsive to that request and scheduled it Tuesday," she said. "We're happy to request changing it to Wednesday. "I think the meeting will be an opportunity for people to hear and gain information as well as express opinions," Rodin added. Seltzer said last week that members of the Faculty Senate "respect and are in favor of wide consultation and discussion of these important issues." And because no Steering Committee members objected, their meeting, originally scheduled for 3-5 p.m., will adjourn by 3:50 p.m. Wednesday so that the special meeting of Council can convene at 4 p.m. in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge, she said.