Newspapers / InterCom (Durham, N.C.) / March 2, 1973, edition 1 / Page 1
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i ntcttcom duke uniucusity mc6icM ccntcR VOLUME 20, NUMBER 9 March 2, 1973 Tel-Com Building Opening Scheduled for Sept., 1974 A three-story building that will house the university's expanding telephone and connmunications network has been completed and installation of equipment has started. The 23,000-square-foot structure, to be known as the Tel-Com Building, is located near the intersection of Science and Research drives, behind the Old Chemistry Building. The new facility is expected to be in full operation by September of 1974. Duke has been in the telephone business, owning and operating its own campus-wide system, since 1929. But in recent years, the growth of the campus and the increase in university personnel have put a strain on the system, stretching it almost to the limits of its current capability. W. K. Howard, the university's chief engineer, noted that "for this reason, in 1970 Duke employed an outside expert telephone engineer to study the situation and to make his recommendations to the university." From the findings of the study, Howard said, "it appeared that Duke would have the burden of solving its own telephone problems rather than relying on the General Telephone Co. or any other organization to provide a solution." As a consequence, Duke developed a plan, encompassing the anticipated needs of the entire university for the remainder of the century. The Board of Trustees approved the plan, and construction on the Tel-Com Building began in early 1972. As part of the plan, Duke determined University, that it is unwilling to provide DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA that it should set up a separate corporation to operate the telephone system wholly owned by the University. But for the corporation to engage fully in the telephone business, Duke was advised that a franchise would have to be obtained from the N. C. Utilities Commission. In the application to the Utilities Commission, Duke noted that the present campus-wide system provides service to approximately 5,800 stations. The new system has the capability of serving 6,500 lines involving upwards of 9,000 stations. The building provides for ultimate growth to 10,000 lines and more than 15,000 stations. The application also said that Duke requested General Telephone Co. of the Southeast "to provide the necessary equipment for interconnection with the national toll network. Gen Tel has told Duke University that it is unable to provide some of the facilities needed within the times required by the other required facilities and further that it would require installation of some facilities that are unnecessary in the opinion of the University." Subsequently, General Telephone intervened and asked the Utilities Commission to dismiss Duke's application. The commission denied the motion and the telephone company appealed the ruling to the N. C. Court of Appeals. The matter still is pending. Regardless of the final outcome-whether or not Duke is given a franchise to operate its own telephone system-Howard said the Tel-Com Building will still be used to meet the communications needs of the university. Currently Duke telephone operators are housed in quarters off the main corridor in the medical center. When the new building is completed, the central switchboard will be transferred. But, Howard said, the building is now (Continued on page 2) NEW QUARTERS—\N\n\ Leak, employe relations representative for the medical center, positions a sign on the trailer which houses the new Employe Relations Office. The trailer, which stands near the rear entrance to the Hyperbaric Chamber, will afford employes and supervisors a quiet and private place to discuss problems and to employ the counseling services offered by Mrs. Leak and her co-workers. (Photo by Joyce Schoffner) Employe Relations Office Occupies New Quarters GOOD MORNING, DUKE —University telephone operators currently work in quarters near the main lobby of the hospital. But in the fall of 1974 they will be moving to a new Tel-Com Building under construction behind the Old Chemistry Building. The operator in the foreground here is Dorothy Powers. Others are Alene Hayes (center) and Ruth Herndon, supervisor. (Photo by Jimmy Wallace) In order to provide employes and supervisors with adequate privacy under less crowded and more relaxed conditions than existed in its former location, the medical center Employe Relations Office has moved to new quarters behind the Hyperbaric Chamber. The new office, under the direction of Employe Relations Representative Wini Leak, is now located in a trailer outside the sub-basement entrance to the white zone. Mrs. Leak said that her office may be reached by walking through the double doors directly beyond the lobby snack bar, taking the white zone elevator to the sub-basement and walking outside through the white zone exit. The trailer is to the left at the end of the sidewalk beside the compressed air storage tanks. Mrs. Leak said the purpose of the Employe Relations Office is to aid employes and supervisors in solving problems which may be affecting their work or personal life. In addition, the office attempts to foster better communications between the employe and the supervisor. Herbert Aikens, director of employe relations for the university, said, "The Employe Relations Office maintains an 'open door policy' to everyone. Our office, which has branches both on the main campus and in the medical center, is people-oriented and does not represent the interests of any one group whether they are management or employes." Aikens said that his staff has experienced most of the problems faced by employes and supervisors and that if employe relations personnel are involved early enough, a good proportion of the difficulties can be resolved in a confidential manner to the satisfaction of all concerned. "We are also involved with policy evaluation," he said, "and we can help revise employe policies which have (Continued on page 3) 100% Club Lauds Staff Attendance The Housekeeping Department has announced that a "100% Club" has been formed to honor members of the hospital housekeeping staff who maintain perfect attendance each month. The housekeeping employes who have had no absences for any given month will have their names placed on posters which will be displayed in sign-in areas and on the bulletin board outside of the Housekeeping Office in the yellow zone. "To qualify for the "100% Club," employes should have no sick days, no absences and no vacation taken in blocks of less than three days," said Herb Schwarze, associate manager of housekeeping. "We know that everyone must have sick days occasionally and that employes are perfectly at liberty to take vacation days as they see fit," he said, "but the club's recognition roster, which will change somewhat each month, honors those employes who have done the most during the designated time period to keep the hospital as clean as possible." Schwarze said that the hospital depends on the "housekeeping team" as one of the most important groups in the operation of health care services. "Like any team, housekeeping functions best when all of its members are doing their share, and the 'high scorers' deserve some sort of individualized honor," he added.
InterCom (Durham, N.C.)
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March 2, 1973, edition 1
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