Draft Minutes

 

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

10:00 am - 12:00 Noon via audio conference

 

 

1.          Call to order and roll call

 

            Members present:

 

            Lisa Sporleder, Chair; President, Statewide Administration Assembly and

                        Chair, System Governance Council

            Jeri Carey, Vice President, UAS Staff Council

            Rita Fuller, President, UAS Staff Council

            Juli Gillispie, Vice President, Statewide Administration Assembly

            Mel Kalkowski, Vice Chair; President, UAA APT Council

            Maya Salganek, President-elect, UAF Staff Council

            Kimberly Stanford, President, UAA Classified Council

            Josh Steadman, President, UAF Staff Council

 

            Others:

 

            Pat Ivey and Hans Gunderson, System Governance Office

            Bill Gregory, Director, Operations Services, UA System Information

                        Technology Services

            Tom Moyer, Manager, MyUA Project, UA System Information

                        Technology Services

            Mike Humphrey, Director, Benefits

            Jim Johnsen, Vice President, Faculty and Staff Affairs

                       

 

2.         Adopt Agenda

 

MOTION:     passed as amended without objection

 

“The Staff Alliance moves to adopt the agenda for the October 12, 2004 meeting as amended to reflect that Bill Gregory will replace Steve Smith for the update on the dial up ports. Tom Moyer will report on My UA. This action is effective October 12, 2004.”

 

3.         Approve September 7, 2004 Minutes

            http://gov.alaska.edu/staff/minutes/2004/09-07.html

 

MOTION:  passed as amended without objection

 

“The Staff Alliance moves to approve the September 7, 2004 minutes as amended to change item 4, second bullet, change ‘has’ to ‘have.’ This action is effective October 12, 2004.”                                                    

 

4          Chair’s report - Lisa Sporleder

 

Overview of the Board of Regents meeting

 

I spoke during public testimony at the Board of Regents meeting mainly to get my face seen by the Regents.  I let them know who I was, and why I was there, and told them that at this meeting, I didn’t have any gripes or complaints to bring before them, and said I thought they needed one speaker who wasn’t upset at them for some reason.  They appropriately chuckled, nodded, and smiled.

 

Kate Ripley is the new Director of Public Affairs at Statewide.  She starts Nov. 1, and was chosen from what they said was “a great slate applicants.”

 

Steve Jones talked about how he didn’t really consider UAF when he first saw the announcement.  Then he was contacted personally and asked to apply.  He said the interview sold him and his wife on Fairbanks, and he’s very glad to be here.  Before arriving, he gave “homework” to deans and directors, asking for a 2-page snapshot of their units, and key issues divided into categories of Immediate, 2nd three months, and Rest of Year.  Items that recurred were:  a new strategic plan, new reporting lines, a visible chancellor, relationship with rural campuses, “is UAF student-centered,” the need to make performance-based budgeting “real” to employees, and strengthening ties to SW and other campuses.

 

Elaine Maimon talked about UAA’s voter drive and effort to register new voters, the need to teach civic responsibility, and it’s interdependence with student success.  She talked about team building between vice chancellors, between UAA and SW, and with the other campuses.  She’s started several initiatives starting with the UAA Planning and Budget Council, revitalizing academic planning, and working with her transition team.  Enrollment is up 4.6%, with higher increases in target areas like education, which is up 22%.  She also talked about fund-raising, and UAA’s $12 million goal capital campaign fund.

 

John Pugh said he’s looking forward to better partnerships around the University of Alaska.  UAS is redoing their strategic plan and will publish soon.  Then they will revisit their Facilities Master Plan.  Enrollment is up about 10%, and succeeded in efforts to target new enrollment.

 

Mark Hamilton talked about the UA scholars program’s successes.  As expected, enrollment is plateauing, but overall is doing well.  The master teacher mentor program for new teachers is moving forward.  Video conferencing has provided a $20,000 savings in Board of Regents meetings, which does not include savings in staff time for people no longer needing to “stand by” at the whole meeting to wait for the part they want to see or participate in.  He talked about their being no capital budget passed out of the legislature for 2 years running, but we have had great success in operational budget funding during that time.  The governor has stuck to his 5% increase “deal” and items we hope will be funded under the line include PERS/TRS increases and full funding for the Alaska Scholars program.  He also asked for research investment, and that request was supported by the governor via last week’s visit by Murkowski and his cabinet to review research facilities and faculty on the UAF campus last week.

 

During the HR Committee meeting, Jim Johnsen and I presented the final report of the Staff Compensation Task Force.  The committee members appreciated the efforts of the task force and being informed of its existence and outcomes.  They seemed a bit surprised that this is the first time such a group has been convened.  Jim Johnsen also talked about job reclassification, ACAS automation upgrades, and presented the AA/EEO and Labor Relations reports.

 

Regent Usibelli gave a great quote at the end of the meeting, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.  And we’re doing that.”

 

5.         Public Comments

 

            There were no public comments.

 

6.         Staff Governance Reports - SW, UAS, UAA, UAF

 

SW - Lisa Sporleder reported that Statewide Administration Assembly is meeting tomorrow.  SAA had Ed Foster from Parking Services last month to discuss a few parking issues unique to statewide employees and the Butrovich Building.  He has assured SAA that within a year people would be able to obtain parking passes on line. SAA is planning a canned food drive,  will also adopt a family through Love, Inc. for Christmas, and is working on Thanksgiving and Christmas potlucks.

 

UAS - Rita Fuller reported that she is modeling UAS Staff Council meetings after the Staff Alliance and attempting to get top UAS executives involved.  Chancellor Pugh will do a “chancellor chat” at the next Council meeting October 21. Hopefully this will generate staff interest in attending meetings.  She has concerns about the Sitka campus director’s focus on credit hour production as the only performance measure for budgeting purposes.  However, she was assured that there are many performance measures, in addition to credit hour production, that are considered when budgets are prepared.  Fuller also reported that the Sitka campus director has resigned effective December 31.

 

UAA - Kim Stanford reported that the UAA Classified Council met last Thursday with the new chancellor and the vice chancellor for administration.  Chancellor Maimon expressed her commitment to staff governance and encouraged staff to participate in the political process.  The Staff Council officers will be meeting with the vice chancellor for administration bi-monthly.  The Council continues to work on its goals and objectives, the reissue and distribution of the governance brochure, and working with UAA Human Resources to get information out about employee rights.

 

The UAA Assembly elected new officers.  Larry Foster is president and John Mun is vice president.

 

Mel Kalkowski reported that the UAA APT Council approved the draft governance regulations as submitted.  Kalkowski said staff need to be recognized as having a service component and that service to the university is part of the job.   He would like to have it brought up with Jim Johnsen and worked on as a global issue.  Other UAA APT Council issues include developing goals and objectives, working on homecoming, and voter registration.

 

UAF -  Josh Steadman said the UAF Staff Council is involved with the chancellor’s new advisory board on diversity.  The Council also has a task force under the leadership of Liam Forbes that is working with Pat Pitney on performance measures.  The Council also has an ad hoc committee for supervisory training, and is working on the volunteer hours issue.  The Council is meeting Friday with Jake Poole, the new vice chancellor for university development and community engagement.

 

Action Items

 

7.         Other Action Items

 

There were no action items.

 

Information/Discussion Items

 

8.         Mediation Project

            http://www.hr.msu.edu/hrsite/Complaints/)

 

Jim Johnsen said that the Michigan State program was one of many around the nation that has trained mediators to informally resolve complaints before they become embroiled in a formal grievance process. He said he would pursue such a program only with the full backing of the Staff Alliance.  The Staff Alliance does view this as a high priority.  Johnsen said he wants the informal mediation process to be set up as an entity separate from the human resources offices as a place where employees can go to their peers for advice and mediation.  Josh Steadman recommended Earlina Bowden as a contact for this project.  She is the UAF director for Campus Diversity and Compliance.

 

9.         Supervisory Training

 

With the full backing of the Staff Alliance, Johnsen will pursue this issue.  As a first step, he wants to contract with a faculty expert within the university to conduct an assessment of current opportunities within UA.  Johnsen indicated there was $500,000 earmarked in the FY06 budget for faculty and staff development and thought part of this could be used for training, if he can bring forward an evidence-based proposal.  He wants to continue to receive Staff Alliance input as he goes along, obtain the assessment of current opportunities and need, and then survey employees to obtain the data.

 

CPI Adjustment to the Staff Salary Grid

 

Johnsen said a proposal for an annual cost of living adjustment to the staff salary grid, to be capped at 2 percent per year, went forward to the Business Council and the President’s Cabinet.  Adjusting the salary grid to the CPI was a top priority of the Compensation Task Force. The next step is to adjust the regulation accordingly.

 

10.        Edith Bullock Award

            http://www.alaska.edu/uafound/processPolicy/bullock.xml

 

11.        Dial Up Ports and MyUA Status

                http://www.alaska.edu/its/projects/

                http://gov.alaska.edu/council/1105-ACS-UA-Promo2_v41-final.pdf

                http://gov.alaska.edu/council/2004-10-07.MyUAPortalExecutiveTimeline.pdf

                http://gov.alaska.edu/council/2004-10-07.MyUAWorkingGroupRosters.pdf

 

Bill Gregory explained that ACS has developed special rates for university students and employees.  The university is in negotiations with GCI for a similar package.  Gregory cautioned that these packages are not contracts with the university.  He also said the university had an RFP out for a virtual private network that would allow essential university workers to access university networks via a toll free number.  Departments whose employees use the service would be charged.  The VPN would be encrypted so that data cannot be hacked into.  This should be completed by the middle to end of November.

 

Tom Moyer said that the second issue of the MyUA newsletter went out yesterday.  The MyUA team is establishing various focus groups and asking for volunteers. Regarding the pay stub issue of information not being presented in a user-friendly manner, that is a portal issue. What information is presented, however, is not. Moyer will send the contact information for the various working groups to Pat Ivey for distribution to governance groups.

 

12.        Wellness Report and September 16-17 meeting

 

Mike Humphrey reported that the wellness group met September 16 and 17, learned how risk factors impact healthcare costs, ranked priorities and talked about what incentives to apply.  The group next meets on October 28.  The intent is to send out a risk survey questionnaire at open enrollment, or whenever rollout of the program occurs.

 

13.        Agenda items for the Next Meeting

            November 9, 2004, 10:00-12:00 am by audio and/or videoconference

 

            The Staff Alliance changed the time for its audio/video meetings from 9:30-11:30 to 10:00-noon for the balance of the year.  Agenda items for November 9 may include but may not be limited to:  status of the governance regulation review, staff public service component, mediator project update, supervisory training update, wellness update, and job classification update.

 

14.        Comments

 

            Jeannine Senechal was asked for the latest electronic copy of the probationary status draft regulations.  Senechal will send the file to Pat Ivey for distribution.  Senechal would like to have input back by the end of the week because HR intends to seek approval by the president next week.

 

15.        Adjourn

 

            The meeting was adjourned at 11:35am.