Spring Break
Letter to the Editor
Give Current Employees First Dibs on Outsourcing
During the course of this semester, members of the Student Government Association (SGA) have been working diligently to maintain an active presence in the conversations that have been taking place about the fiscal health of the college.
The most prominent issue that has dominated these discussions has been the debate over whether the College should employ an outside company to facilitate the management and staffing of Dining and Custodial Services. The College Administration has been actively reviewing an array of potential options, and it has become clear that one very real option that could be selected is to outsource the management and staffing of those two services.
The Student Government Association has worked closely with Dr. Suzanne Mellon, Executive Vice President of the College, as well as with Dean of Students Dr. Alicia Finn, who functions as both advisor to SGA and Chair of the Dining Services Outsourcing Committee. Members of SGA have participated in study groups and select committee meetings, and in particular members of the Senate Welfare Committee and Senate Room & Board Committee have partnered to present a unified student voice in the decision making process.
Recently, the Senate passed a resolution that I authored regarding Student Government's position on the issue of outsourcing, which is that as we do recognize that it is a possibility, we advocate for first preference to be given to the current management and staff in accepting bids on contracts to provide those services to the school.
Also, if the college does elect to contract services through an outside company, we strongly support a measure to include in those contracts that current staff be hired first to fill positions within those departments, and that they also be given the same financial and other benefits as part of their employment packages that they currently enjoy.
I have come to value the individual people who currently provide those essential services to us as part of our college community. They are essential services, and I wholeheartedly believe that many members of Dining Services and Custodial Services have become invaluable members of our community here at St. A's. I know that it's Roger who keeps Brady in great shape every day, that I can always chat with Tammy at the grill and Jackie at the NHIOP, and certainly with Debbie while I'm in line at Davison. I think that we can all appreciate that a big part of student life at Saint Anselm College is community that we have built here, that the people who work in Dining Services are a visible part, and that they all really do care about students here.
I understand the attractiveness of potentially saving money by outsourcing those services, but I would argue that what we would lose in no longer having those valued members of St. A's is probably much greater than whatever we might save.
Times are tough, all of our families have worked very hard to get us, and keep us, all here. But I think that a large part of what we value here is the community aspect of our school, and so that is why I, along with many other students in SGA have been working hard to make sure that the students' voice and student experience is heard in the discussions that have been happening among members of the administration.
I would encourage every student, staff and faculty member who has been able to connect with someone in Custodial Services and Dining Services to make sure that they voice their support to the College in favor of keeping the current management and staff that we have, and to make a statement that we value all of the people who contribute to making our college community better.
John A. McDermott '11
Wellesley, MA
McDermott is the chair of the Room and Board Committee of the Student Government Association.
The most prominent issue that has dominated these discussions has been the debate over whether the College should employ an outside company to facilitate the management and staffing of Dining and Custodial Services. The College Administration has been actively reviewing an array of potential options, and it has become clear that one very real option that could be selected is to outsource the management and staffing of those two services.
The Student Government Association has worked closely with Dr. Suzanne Mellon, Executive Vice President of the College, as well as with Dean of Students Dr. Alicia Finn, who functions as both advisor to SGA and Chair of the Dining Services Outsourcing Committee. Members of SGA have participated in study groups and select committee meetings, and in particular members of the Senate Welfare Committee and Senate Room & Board Committee have partnered to present a unified student voice in the decision making process.
Recently, the Senate passed a resolution that I authored regarding Student Government's position on the issue of outsourcing, which is that as we do recognize that it is a possibility, we advocate for first preference to be given to the current management and staff in accepting bids on contracts to provide those services to the school.
Also, if the college does elect to contract services through an outside company, we strongly support a measure to include in those contracts that current staff be hired first to fill positions within those departments, and that they also be given the same financial and other benefits as part of their employment packages that they currently enjoy.
I have come to value the individual people who currently provide those essential services to us as part of our college community. They are essential services, and I wholeheartedly believe that many members of Dining Services and Custodial Services have become invaluable members of our community here at St. A's. I know that it's Roger who keeps Brady in great shape every day, that I can always chat with Tammy at the grill and Jackie at the NHIOP, and certainly with Debbie while I'm in line at Davison. I think that we can all appreciate that a big part of student life at Saint Anselm College is community that we have built here, that the people who work in Dining Services are a visible part, and that they all really do care about students here.
I understand the attractiveness of potentially saving money by outsourcing those services, but I would argue that what we would lose in no longer having those valued members of St. A's is probably much greater than whatever we might save.
Times are tough, all of our families have worked very hard to get us, and keep us, all here. But I think that a large part of what we value here is the community aspect of our school, and so that is why I, along with many other students in SGA have been working hard to make sure that the students' voice and student experience is heard in the discussions that have been happening among members of the administration.
I would encourage every student, staff and faculty member who has been able to connect with someone in Custodial Services and Dining Services to make sure that they voice their support to the College in favor of keeping the current management and staff that we have, and to make a statement that we value all of the people who contribute to making our college community better.
John A. McDermott '11
Wellesley, MA
McDermott is the chair of the Room and Board Committee of the Student Government Association.
This article was published on 12/11/09 in the Opinion section.
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