Agenda, Staff Alliance meeting, Tuesday, June 21, 1993
Meeting of the
University of Alaska
Staff Alliance
Tuesday, June 21, 1994
Beginning at 9:00am
via videoconference
Minutes
The Alliance determined that both the FY94 and FY95 members could
vote at this meeting.
1. Call to order and roll call
Present:
FY94 members (Chair: Bonnie Williams)
UAA: John Dede, 94-95 President, UAA Assembly; President,
UAA APT Council
UAF: Mike Mayberry, 94 President, UAF Staff Council
(continuing in FY95)
UAS Donna Chantry, 95 President, UAS Classified Employee
Council, 94 President, UAS Asssembly, Chair, System
Governance Council
(continuing in FY95)
Karen Cummins, 94 President, FY95 Vice President, UAS
Classified Employee Council (continuing in FY95)
SW: Bonnie Williams, President, Statewide Administration
Assembly
FY95 members
UAA: Barbara Tullis, 95 President, UAA APT Council
Pam Doerner , 95 Co-president, UAA Classified Employee
Council
UAF: Paula Long, 95 President, UAF Staff Council
SW: Kate Wattum, 95 President, Statewide Administration
Assembly
Others
Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance
Brian Brubaker, System Governance
2. Adopt agenda
The agenda was adopted as part of the consent agenda.
3. Approve May 24, 1994 minutes
The minutes were approved as part of the consent agenda.
4. Final status report - Compensation
The Board of Regents passed the new pay table June 3, 1994 after
8 months' effort on the part of the Staff Alliance working with
administration to develop a pay table and compensation policy
best for the employee and for the university. John Dede said the
UAA staff he talked to seemed fairly pleased with the package.
Bonnie Williams said the piece the Alliance has not yet completed
is how to provide for the bonus awards; that the Alliance needs to
work with administration on that. Then when the Alliance has
completed its work, the Board of Regents approves it and
allocates funds for bonuses, the awards program can be used.
Williams thanked Alliance members for doing a terrific job. Dede
said the Staff Alliance could not have gotten through it without
Williams, and commended Williams for a job very well done.
Mike Mayberry concurred. Williams said she was just a facilitator
on the project but agreed that it did work out nicely.
5. Status report - Program Assessment
The Alliance reviewed the new regents' policy on program
assessment that governance groups were very active in
developing, based on the Resource Alternatives Task Force
report. Williams directed the Alliance's attention to the program
assessment schedule, saying that were a lot of opportunities for
shared governance to participate in the assessment process, and
that it would be up to the Alliance to take advantage of those
opportunities.
Dede said he thought that the Fairbanks MAU has developed a
process for program assessment. Mike Mayberry said the Provost
and deans had developed a preliminary list of A, B, and C
category programs to forward to the chancellor for her review.
Administrative services is still formulating its process. Dede said
that UAF Faculty Senate President Colin Read had said on a
recent videoconference that the faculty and the provost had
developed a process for program assessment. Mayberry said that
was probably done at the Provost's Council level and that UAF
Staff Council officers are not part of the Provost's Council, thus
could not answer that.
Donna Chantry reported that at UAS, a steering committee is
being formed with members of the faculty, staff and students.
Chantry will be on the committee representing the classified and
APT staff. That committee will meet in the very near future.
Dede reported that UAA is in a temporary hiatus on program
assessment because one chancellor is outgoing and the new
chancellor doesn't take office until July 1. Dede said it may be a
week or two after July 1 before UAA develops AN assessment
process that is understood throughout the campus.
Williams reported that for Statewide, she had just received a
formal notification in today's mail the process for statewide
would be developed, but no hint of what it would be or how
Statewide would go about it.
[Ed note: On June 22, the System Governance Office received a a
copy of a letter from President Komisar to all employees
regarding the assessment process. In the memo, President
Komisar explains that:
"The chancellors will be working with their respective
employees, students, governance groups and public
constituencies to establish processes for the review and
analysis of campus programs and functions. A similar
process, including campus representatives, will be engaged
for the program review of the statewide administrative
office. I encourage you to become involved in the program
assessment process."]
Williams said most governance representatives would be
seriously involved in assessment at their own campuses, but that
the Staff Alliance should be helping communications between
MAUs so that as each MAU finds out what its process is going to
be, it is shared with the other MAUs. Dede concurred.
Mayberry asked if everyone had seen the matrix that had been
developed by the Resource Alternatives Task Force. It provides
space across the top for listing criteria for assessing programs and
draws a picture of how your programs compare with each other.
Dede asked for a copy for use in his college. Mayberry said a
couple of UAF programs are going to use it as a preliminary tool.
Williams said it was her understanding that UAF had already
categorized its programs and that everything is in Category B,
except for two things which were in the A category. Mayberry
responded that the preliminary list that he saw put the
Geophysical Institute, the Institute of Arctic Biology in Category
A; School of Management, School of Engineering, School of
Mineral Engineering in Category B; and College of Liberal Arts,
and College of Rural in Category C.
Paula Long said the provost wrote her a letter asking her to
submit names of staff to represent staff to participate in the
assessment processes, and she had submitted a list of names.
Chantry said that at UAS, initially there would be one steering
committee for get things underway and then there would be
smaller committees to work on certain areas.
6. Leave regulation, a proposed change
a. Helen Howard concern
Williams explained that before the last Board of Regents
meeting, there was a special meeting of the Board Human
Resources Committee to finalize their thoughts on
compensation. At that meeting, Helen Howard, an
employee from UAF, presented to that committee some
documents demonstrating the impact of mandatory leave
without pay on the amount of retirement pay. She did not
receive a lot of attention at that regents' meeting because
the subject of the meeting was compensation, it was very
difficult and complex, and the regents didn't have time for
her particular problem.
Williams took the issue to the Statewide Administration
Assembly and SAA elected at least for the moment not to
take action. At the time SAA did that, Williams had
already set the agenda for the Staff Alliance meeting. She
asked permission to describe the situation so that if next
year the Alliance wishes to consider it, there would be a
clear explanation on file.
On the Fairbanks campus, employees have been ordered to
take leave of absence without pay. In Howard's case, she
was ordered to take ten days over the course of a year, and
she is almost ready for retirement. She called the PERS
office and asked what impact, if any, this might have on
her retirement.
There are two possibilities. If an employee takes over ten
days of leave without pay, it reduces the employee's
credited service. That reduces one of the three multipliers
calculating the employee's pension for all the years of
retirement. It also reduces the total amount of pay an
employee receives for that year. Generally, an employee's
three highest years are their three last years, because
generally UA pay increases with time.
The PERS office calculated with Howard what the overall
impact would be on her retirement and found that she
looses money over the life of her retirement. Howard felt
this was unfair and wanted the administration to
reconsider that for people who are approaching retirement.
Williams drafted a possible draft regulation which would
address that which says in effect that if an employee is
vested in the retirement system and getting close to, or are
eligible, for retirement when ordered to take leave without
pay, that the employee would be allowed to take sick or
annual leave.
Proposed amendment to university regulation
04.07.xx, Leave Without Pay - Administratively
Ordered.
When the administration of an MAU, campus or
unit orders personnel to take leave without pay for
budgetary reasons, an employee may use annual
leave or sick leave in the following circumstances:
A. The employee is vested in the retirement
system, and,
B. The employee is within three years of
eligibility for early or regular retirement
Substituting paid leave for leave without pay is
allowable when the employee concerned would
have their retirement pension permanently affected
by either or both the temporary reduction in salary
and/or the loss of paid service days.
One of the objections of the Statewide Administration
Assembly was the use of sick leave. Williams suggested it
could be limited to annual leave.
Williams said she was not asking for action today unless
the Staff Alliance would like to take action.
Dede questioned item B., asking what the signficance is of
three years. Williams responded that she picked three
years because of the three highest years salary generally
occurs within three years of retirement, so that someone
who is 35 years old would not be within three years of
retiring so it wouldn't apply to them. If the employee was
hired before 1986 and was 52 years old, the employee
would be within three years of retiring. The age would
depend on the PERS rules at time of hire.
Williams felt it ought to be allowable to take annual leave.
The annual leave is owned by the employee. Williams said
it felt grossly unfair to balance a campus budget for a year
by permanently reducing the life time pension of an
employee.
Dede asked if there was any administrative action
occurring with Howard. Williams said none that she was
aware of. Howard's case cannot be resolved by this action,
Williams said, because she had already taken the leave
without pay. Williams said Howard did not bring this
issue forward for herself; she brought it forward for
everyone.
Mayberry said the employee could work an extra year to
offset the reduction.
Williams responded that if an employee is 55 years old or
older, he/she would not be planning to work an extra year.
In addition, there is nothing to say that the employee will
not be hit with another mandatory leave without pay in
subsequent years.
Chantry said the UAS Classified Employee Association
will be taking this issue up on Friday and would be
working on it through the summer because it was an
important issue. She felt she would have a response from
her group for the next Staff Alliance meeting.
Dede said that UAA governance doesn't have any
meetings scheduled for the summer; however may be
called into session, depending on how the program
assessment process goes. He asked if the issue could wait
until September.
Williams responded that it was a long term issue, that
long-term the university would continue to have
budgetary problems, so it was likely that mandatory leave
without pay practices would continue and even escalate.
She felt that if the Alliance got around to it in September,
that would be terrific.
Helen Howard arrived close to the end of the meeting.
Mayberry informed her that the issue would be taken to
local governance groups for review and placed on the
agenda for the next Alliance meeting.
b. UAF Staff Council revision to Regulation 04.05.03
The UAF Staff Council proposed a revision to Regulation
04.05.03.F.5 relating to use of sick leave as follows.
Administration has already incorporated it into
04.07.03.F.5. in the official regulation distributed June 21,
1994 for inclusion in official regulation manuals.
CAPS = ADDITIONS
5. SICK LEAVE WILL NOT BE USED during a holiday
or a regular day off. AN EMPLOYEE MAY USE
SICK LEAVE DURING THE THREE DAY
CALENDAR YEAR END HOLIDAY CLOSURE
UPON SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF
ILLNESS OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
APPOINTMENT.
Williams said there were other differences between the
UAF Staff Council wording and the regulation, and
requested that the UAF Alliance members take the Staff
Council amendments and the new regulations back to the
Staff Council to compare and see if there are any
differences the Staff Council still wants to bring forward to
the Alliance.
Dede asked about the absence of the Martin Luther King
holiday; that the previous version had included it.
Williams responded that the Board had deleted it.
c. UAF Staff Council revision to
Regulation 04.07.03
The UAF Staff Council proposed an amendment to
04.07.03.F.17.c.(8) regarding leave share records. This
amendment has not yet been incoporated into the in the
official regulation distributed June 21, 1994 for inclusion in
official regulation manuals.
Long reported that the UAF Staff Council felt there should
be an accounting of shared leave because of possible abuse.
Mayberry added that administration at Statewide human
resource level is very concerned about the cost of the
shared leave bank and that as a result, administration may
be leaning toward eliminating it.
The UAF Staff Council felt it was a worthwhile benefit, that
a lot of people had worked hard to put that in place, and
the Council didn't want it taken away because the cost
escalated because of abuses. Since the the personnel
officer makes the decision as to who is eligible and what
constitutes a catastrophic medical event, the Council
decided that if the personnel officers had to document the
decisions anyway, some accountability could be built in,
the program save for those who really need it, and the
personnel directors won't rubber-stamp every request that
comes in.
Kate Wattum asked how this would account for
confidentiality and wanted the report prepared in such a
way that it did not pinpoint individuals. Mayberry said
the report would just list the number of people to whom
shared leave was awarded and the reason for the award.
Dede said that while it did provide openness about what is
occurring at the different campuses and provides
accountability, it could open up the door whereby, for
example, if Anchorage was allowing people to use three
weeks from the leave bank for headaches, and Southeast
and Fairbanks are not, the other two campuses could see
that and determine that headaches were allowed.
Dede hoped the change in regulation would clarify the
kinds of uses for which employees would be eligible for
the leave bank. Otherwise, he said, it retains the aspect of a
leave pool that can be used for anything.
Mayberry said that the report would be used by human
resources to bring the MAUs into line regarding use of the
sick leave bank and educate human resource officers as to
what constitutes a catastrophic medical event. Right now
the regulation is open to individual interpretation.
Chantry said in Juneau, catastrophic means cases where
someone has both feet amputated, or a case where
someone has had open heart surgery, or a long-term illness
that has disabled a person to the point that they will be off
work for some time. Chantry said one Juneau campus
employee was out for five weeks with pneumonia who
was told this was not a catastrophic event. Thus, she felt
that in Southeast, some clarity as to what a catastrophic
medical event is, is emerging. She liked the UAF Staff
Council motion and hoped that the UAS Classified
Employee Association would pass it on Friday.
MOTION: Moved by Long, seconded by Mayberry,
passed unanimously
"The Staff Alliance moves to approve the UAF Staff
Council motion to amend University Regulation
04.07.03.F.17.c.(8) as follows:
CAPS = ADDITIONS
(8) Records
The leave share application, decision, and other
relevant documentation will be maintained
separately from employee's permanent personnel
file. Hourse used from the leave share program will
be kept in the permanent payroll file. AN ANNUAL
REPORT, DOCUMENTING EACH
CATASTROPHIC MEDICAL EVENT AND THE
RESPECTIVE LEAVE SHARE USAGE WILL BE
COMPILED BY STATEWIDE HUMAN
RESOURCES AND DISTRIBUTED TO EACH MAU.
This action is effective June 21, 1994."
7. Adopt constitution and bylaws
MOTION: Moved by Mayberry, seconded by Doerner,
passed unanimously
"The Staff Alliance moves to adopt the Staff Alliance constitution.
This action is effective June 21, 1994."
Regarding the bylaws, Dede asked if the the chair would
designate one of the vice chairs to serve as the official vice chair.
Williams responded that the chair would designate one of the
vice chairs to serve in the absence of the chair. For example, if the
Board of Regents met in Anchorage and the chair was from
another location and could not attend the Board meeting, the
chair may appoint the vice chair from Anchorage to represent the
Alliance at the Board meeting.
MOTION: Moved by Mayberry, seconded by Long, passed as
amended
"The Staff Alliance moves to approve the Staff Alliance bylaws as
amended to change all mention of "SYGABB bulletin board" to
"Internet bulletin board". This action is effective January 21,
1994."
8. FY94 and FY95 Staff Alliance budgets
Williams asked if the Staff Alliance should continue, given the
extremely small Alliance budget.
Mayberry responded that the Alliance had a very worthwhile
purpose and had demonstrated in this past year how much good
it has done for all four MAUs in the communications between the
MAUs and the issues staff governance groups have tacked
together. The exposure through the Staff Alliance was great
background for serving on other groups such as the Resource
Alternatives Task Force.
Chantry said the president had commented to her that
governance was working. She said the Alliance had developed a
lot of credibility and effectiveness.
FY94 budget
Williams reported that the Staff Alliance did not live on $6,200 for
FY94 but in fact spent approximately $1,713. This was recouped
through a donation from Statewide Administration Assembly.
FY95 budget
The Staff Alliance is budgeted at $6,200.00, the same amount as
for the other system governance groups.
Williams was asked if there was a special reason she asked if the
Alliance should continue. She said no, and felt $6,200 was a tiny
investment for such an important return. Williams said it's going
to be a very bad year for the university. The existence of a
functioning governance body is going to be even more important
in program assessment and will alleviate some of the pressure
that will build up.
Dede said it was his impression that the Alliance would be able to
have all twelve meetings scheduled for next year within the FY95
budget. Williams said it might be tough to send the chair to all
the regents meetings. There may be one or two regents' meetings
in FY95 where it is going to be important for the chair of the Staff
Alliance to attend: the one where the Board will vote on the
president's recommendations for program reductions and
eliminations, and possibly one preceding that where it may be
possible to alter direction or process.
9. Schedules
a. Board of Regents meeting schedule
and agenda matrix, FY95
This was an information item for use in determining the
FY95 Staff Alliance calendar.
b. Program Assessment Calendar
This was an information item for use in determining the
FY95 Staff Alliance calendar.
c. Staff Alliance calendar, FY95
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Doerner, passed
unanimously
"The Staff Alliance moves to adopted the Alliance meeting
calendar for FY95 meeting calendar as amended. The July
12 meeting will be held by audioconference. Meeting
methods for future meetings will be determined at the
meeting preceding each.
Date: Time: Method:
Tuesday, July 12, 1994 9:00-11:00am
audio
Tuesday, August 9, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, September 6, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, October 11, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, November 15, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, November 29, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, January 10, 1995 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, February 14, 1995 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, March 14, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, April 11, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, May 9, 1994 9:00-11:00am
Tuesday, June 13, 1994 9:00-11:00am
This action is effective June 21, 1994."
10. Employee relations policy and regulations
scheduled for Regents' action in October
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Doerner,
passed unanimously
"The Staff Alliance moves to refer employee relations draft policy
and regulations to local governance groups for review. This
action is effective June 21, 1994."
This item was placed on the Staff Alliance agenda consideration
on August 9, 1994.
11. Election of Officers
Chair - Mike Mayberry
Paula Long nominated Donna Chantry. Chantry respectfully
declined. Chantry nominated Mike Mayberry. Mayberry was
elected by unanimous consent.
Mike Mayberry has worked for the university since 1989. He
worked at the Poker Flat Research Range and is currently with the
physical plant as a maintenance mechanic. He is a nationally
certified master automobile, heavy truck, and emergency vehicle
technician. In 1990 he was United Way chairman for the physical
plant. He has elected to the UAF Staff Council in 1991, served as
president-elect in 1992 and president in 1993. Mayberry has
served on the Staff Alliance since October, 1993.
Vice Chairs
Vice chairs were elected from UAA, UAS and SW. They include
UAA Pam Doerner
Pam Doerner has been employed at the University of Alaska
Anchorage for the last 5 years, and has been a member of the
UAA Classified Employee Council for four years. Most recently
Pam was elected Co-President of the Classified Employee
Council, sharing the position with Donna Lyons. She has also
been one of the Classified representatives to the UAA Assembly
for the last 3 years. Pam, her husband Dave and their two sons
moved to Alaska ten years ago thanks to the Air Force and have
since decided to stay and call Anchorage home. In 1988 she
graduated from Chapman University and hopes to continue on
towards a Master's degree.
UAS Karen Cummins
Karen Cummins has been involved in governance since 1989, as
president of the UAS Classified Employees Association in FY94,
and has been instrumental since that time in leading the classified
employees to the legislature, urging them to make their voices
heard. She also organized the Thanksgiving and Christmas food
drives for several years in Juneau. She earned an AAS degree in
Liberal Arts-Psychology from St. Louis Community College in
1972.
SW Kate Wattum
Active within the University system, as a student or employee
since 1982, Kate received a B.F.A. in 1986 and is slowly
progressing towards a Masters in Northern Studies. Her previous
experience with governance includes being a UAF Staff Council
Representative while working for the Cooperative Extension
Service, and a member of the Statewide Administrative Assembly
in her current position. Through these meetings she gained much
insight into how a group of individuals can successfully work
together to affect change. She advocates for fair and equal
treatment for all.
12. Other items of concern
a. Grievance policy change-UAF Staff Council
UAF Staff Council proposed amendments originated out of
a meeting of the UAF Staff Council Staff Affairs Committee
with Vice President Kauffman. Kauffman proposed the
changes and the Staff Council committee passed them. Pat
Ivey was directed to compare the amendments the new
grievance policy passed by the Board of Regents June 3
and advise the differences.
If there are any differences, they will be placed on the Staff
Alliance agenda for July 12.
The comparison is shown below.
UAF Staff Council recommendations
1. Add to section II the definitions for "regulation" and
"policy."
Ed note: These definitions were not included in the
final policy.
2. In Section IV.D.2(b), delete "by the grievance
council" in the first sentence. Sentence should read:
(b) Hearing. The hearing shall be convened by
person designated to chair the hearing. Ed note:
Wording was changed in the final policy to read as
requested by UAF Staff Council.
b. Motion of appreciation for Bonnie Williams
MOTION: Moved by Mayberry, seconded by Dede,
passed unanimously
"The Staff Alliance moves to award a resolution of
appreciation to Bonnie Williams for her outstanding
leadership this year. This action is effective June 21, 1994."
This resolution will be signed, engrossed, framed and
presented to Williams at the next meeting convenient for
Williams to attend.
13. Comments
Williams said the Alliance faced another difficult year. The
compensation issue the Staff Alliance dealt with this year was a
complex issue but with a happy result in new pay tables, and the
sick leave program is still in effect. But the Alliance faces
program assessment, the kind of thing where what someone gets
is most likely a knife in the back.
Mayberry said that cuts need to be made but hopefully, it will be
from the front, not the back.
Williams said the UAA employees that went through the 1986-88
restructure knew how difficult it becomes when assessment is
done, people's livlihoods are at stake and the pressure mounts.
Dede said staff morale at UAA had already decreased in
expectation of the program assessment exercise.
Williams suggested the Staff Alliance look at in July and August
are ways to enhance staff morale despite the assessment process--
things that have nothing to do with assessment.
Dede again commended Williams for her work this past year,
stating that without her leadership, the Alliance would have near
the understanding of compensation or made the progress that it
did without her guidance. Everyone concurred.
Williams suggested publicizing the employment assistance
program and also suggested the local staff governance groups
getting together with the local student groups and create a fun
event with the students.
Dede said this year was the 40th year of formal education in
Anchorage. There have been proposals for celebrating that. The
only concern from some of the faculty was that the entity that
began higher education in Anchorage was Anchorage
Community College which no longer exists and there was still
some rancor involved with that.
14. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:50am.