University Operations

During the past fiscal year, the campus community recycled more than 100,000 pounds of paper, with even more in glass, plastic and aluminum. In fact, the University’s waste diversion rate was approximately 40 percent, which means more than 2.3 million pounds of recyclables avoided being sent to landfills.
The Office of Waste Recycling and Reduction spearheads the University’s efforts to control the campus’ ecological footprint, and it can provide departments/offices/units to make recycling easier.

University Policy 317 sets the standards and conditions for requesting and authorizing an allowance for business use of an employee’s personal mobile communication device (MCD).  This practice is part of a growing trend termed “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) environment.
According to Tom York, director of internal audit, promoting a BYOD environment can have positive implications for an organization including:

UNC Charlotte’s Police and Public Safety Department (PPS) has launched a new initiative to equip all campus officers with an iPad for use in the field. It is an effort to increase police proficiency through cost-effective measures.
“We are a research-based police department,” said Jeffrey Baker, UNC Charlotte chief of police.  “We continually strive to stay out in front by researching methods of policing that can help ensure that we are doing the best in providing a safe and secure environment.

UNC Charlotte has been granted associate membership in the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Founded in 1924, NASM is an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges and universities with approximately 650 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees in music.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was passed 40 years ago, and recent changes to the University’s student education records policy address advances in technology since FERPA became law in August 1974.
“Our definition of directory information was similar to that of other colleges and universities across the country,” said Jesh Humphrey, deputy general counsel with the Office of Legal Affairs. “However, a couple of months ago, the chancellor asked the Office of Legal Affairs and the Registrar’s Office to review our policy to better protect our students’ privacy.”

On Monday, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill that will enable six UNC system campuses, including UNC Charlotte, to fund construction projects.
UNC Charlotte will issue bonds to finance $129 million to complete four non-appropriated capital improvements that University leaders have identified as critical to campus growth.
“While some schools are seeing their numbers decline, demand for UNC Charlotte is growing dramatically in parallel to the Charlotte region’s rapid population increase,” wrote Chancellor Philip L. Dubois in an op-ed published in the Charlotte Business Journal.

Amy Hawn Nelson, director of research at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and director of its Institute for Social Capital, recently was named to the 2014-16 class of William C. Friday Fellows for Human Relations.

The goal of the Friday Fellowship is to cultivate a network of “courageous leaders who connect across differences in identity and ideas to develop new solutions to the complex challenges facing the people and communities of North Carolina through a human relations lens.”

The International Parking Association has given 2014 Awards of Merit to the University’s CRI Deck I and the South Village Deck.
For its competition, the association fielded entries from Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and the United States.

Effective May 1, Chandra Williams will be interim director for Lab Animal Resources. The appointment was announced by the Research and Economic Development Office.
With nearly two decades of professional veterinarian experience, Williams has served as a driving force in the development and implementation of a wide range of policies and procedures to ensure the proper use and care of animals for research purposes. She has dedicated her time and service to ensuring that researchers and facilities are equipped for the best care of research animals.

With the opening of PORTAL, Charlotte Research Institute officials have announced that Lester “Chip” Yensan will remain at CRI as associate director for infrastructure through the current calendar year.
Prior to joining CRI in August 2012, Yensan was assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island; he held positions at the University of Connecticut and Michigan State University, too.