Draft Minutes

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

10:00am – 12:00 noon

Audio bridge # 866-339-5580, pin  *1622936*

Fairbanks site:  Room 212B Butrovich Building

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

http://gov.alaska.edu/home/who/staff/

Members Present:

Lisa Sporleder, Chair of the Staff Alliance, and

President, Statewide Administration Assembly

Jeri Cary, Vice Chair of the Staff Alliance, and President, UAS Staff Council

Jana Ring, Vice President, UAS Staff Council

Lori Merdes, Vice President, Statewide Administration Assembly

Bob Kizer, President, UAA APT Council

Maya Salganek, President, UAF Staff Council

Kimberly Stanford, President, UAA Classified Council

Jeff Stepp, President-elect, UAF Staff Council

Others Present:

Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance

Hans Gunderson, Admin Coordinator, System Governance

Mike Humphrey, Director, Benefits

2. Adopt Agenda

MOTION: Moved by Stanford, seconded by Cary, passed without objection

“The Staff Alliance moves to adopt the agenda for the September 13, 2005 meeting. This action is effective September 13, 2005

3. Approve August 8-9, 2005 minutes

http://gov.alaska.edu/staff/minutes/2005/08-0809.htm

http://gov.alaska.edu/staff/minutes/2005/08-0809.pdf

MOTION: Moved by Cary, seconded by Stanford, passed without objection

“The Staff Alliance moves to approve the August 8 and August 9, 2005 minutes. This action is effective September 13, 2005.”

4. Chair’s report

Lisa Sporleder reported that the academic and political year has begun. She has no illusions that this year will be as easy going as the last. Legislators are going to act with an eye toward re-election and that always makes for lots of show and action. Big issues are coming. The year is going to require us to be vigilant, aware, and resourceful in developing ways to survive and thrive in the onslaught. In some ways, being the chair of this group is easy. Not that the job is not quite a lot of extra work behind the scenes, but as far as the visible part of chairmanship goes, Sporleder didn’t consider it an onerous task. She participates in the discussions and brings up issues she feels are important, but tries hard not to convince anyone that her ideas are the best and she doesn’t decide what the Alliance does. “We all do that part together,” she says. What she thinks doesn’t have any more or less value than any one else’s thoughts on the subject.

Once the Alliance works out an issue to the satisfaction of the group, all Sporleder has to do is put forth what the Alliance has decided. It takes a lot of the pressure off and helps the chair take a lot of the emotion out of the situation. This is a good thing when dealing with executives and other folks who make lots more money than she does. The Alliance chair is at Board of Regents’ meetings merely as a staff conduit in that place and time to put forth the concerns and opinions of those staff who have elected Alliance members to serve in local governance and of those governance representatives who have elected Alliance members to serve as their leader.

Today, the Alliance is going to revisit the senior tuition waiver issue and decide how to present the Alliance views to the Board of Regents next week. The Alliance will look at the university budget that will be finalized by the Regents in November and presented to the legislature—a budget that absolutely blows away any requests the university has ever put forth with retirement and healthcare costs leading the way, but also emphasis on preparing Alaska residents for the next boom cycle in this boom-and-bust state we live in. These issues come at a time when the state and the nation are scrambling for adequate resources to pay healthcare and retirement costs.

There will be an attempt to change a section of the state constitution that safeguards the retirement systems under which each of us have been hired. Politicians will try to remove those safeguards. Luckily, changes to the Alaska constitution require a lot of people to agree on the necessity of that change. But it is not an impossible thing to do, and we are going to have to work hard to mobilize the troops as this issue heats up.

In the face of these very large issues, the Alliance is also trying to push forward some of the things the group has been working on for a long while—staff and supervisor training, health care cost containment efforts like the wellness program, and performance-based budgeting. The Alliance also needs to keep track of what is going on with respect to mediation opportunities for non-represented staff.

The Alliance has its work cut out. It is not going to be an easy year. Each member will be tasked with a lot of issues and still have their regular jobs to do. This group has the knowledge, thoughtfulness and heart to do the job but it is going to take all the resources at the group’s disposal and a lot of that vigilance mentioned earlier.

5. Public Comments

There were no public comments.

6. Staff Governance Reports

UAF: http://www.uaf.edu/uafgov/staff/index.html

Maya Salganek reported that the first UAF Staff Council meeting is tomorrow. Issues on the agenda include the wellness program, and a recap of PERS and TRS and where things are going. The Council is presenting a letter to the chancellor which he is going to co-sign, that will go to all the Council representatives. The letters will also be copied to the respective supervisors as a way of reminding people of their commitment to serving on Staff Council and what that means, and also to give recognition for the work they have done. There have been some changes on the Rural Affairs Committee. There have been two new chairs in the last six months, and it has finally settled down with a new chair appointed from Ketchikan by Rural Student Services. The Council also discussed the senior tuition issue, is working on a Council retreat, on ways to pump up recruitment, and on establishing on-line elections.

Statewide: http://gov.alaska.edu/saa/

The Statewide Administration Assembly met the day after the Staff Alliance retreat and talked about the senior tuition waiver among other issues. The group generally felt that a compromise would be appropriate.

UAA: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/governance/

Kim Stanford reported that the Classified Council met September 1 to discuss plans and events for a community campaign, heard a presentation from Mike Humphrey, worked on Staff Development Day, goals and plans for the coming year, and formed an ad hoc committee for special projects like the annual chili feed. Bob Kizer reported that the UAA APT Council also met September 1 and held a general orientation session for new members, received a UAA APT staff list and set goals for the coming year. The UAA Assembly has not yet met.

UAS: http://www.uas.alaska.edu/staffcouncil/

Jeri Cary reported that the UAS Staff Council met on August 18, is working on the Council web site, heard a report on the Staff Alliance retreat, discussed the senior tuition waiver and university advocacy.

7. Employee Relations

7.1 Employee Communications Specialist

Lisa Sporleder reported that she was invited to review the applications for the employee relations specialist and agreed with the main choice. The employee relations specialist will be hired shortly and will attend all Staff Alliance meetings.

7.2 Timing of Grid Adjustments and Health Care Cost Increases

This item was postponed until the next meeting. Anchorage staff want to see the increase in the salary gird and the timing of healthcare cost increases occur in the same pay period. The Staff Alliance requested that Vicky Gilligan be present to hear Staff Alliance concerns about the issue.

7.3 Staff and Supervisor Training

Staff and supervisor training are two different issues and need to be kept separate. The communication from President Hamilton relating to faculty and staff training should be titled faculty and EXECUTIVE staff training.

Regarding supervisor training, there is currently no consistency and no requirement for supervisors to obtain supervisory training. There is no tracking or accountability. Staff training needed is very often not available by tuition waiver. There needs to be an assessment of the kinds of supervisor and staff training available on each campus and make them available through tuition waiver.

7.4 Wellness Project

Mike Humphrey reported that the on-line wellness questionnaire will go live on October 17. Employees who fill out the form will receive a $100 credit toward their employee and dependent health care charges. People who opt out of the health care program may not participate in the survey and not part of the wellness program. Alliance members were concerned that with only two weeks to go, communications to employees have not been forthcoming. Communications need to be very clear that the university does NOT receive data on individual employees or their dependents; only aggregate statistics. The questionnaire takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

7.5 Other Employee Relations Items

7.5.1 Student Employee Grid Increases

Jeri Cary brought up the issue of student employee pay increases, stating that supervisors are confused about what the regulations are regarding consistent student employee pay increases. Kim Stanford read the regulation 09.05.02.C.2. as follows:

Salary step progression occurs annually through continued satisfactory performance by the student in the same assigned student grade level. Two semesters of active satisfactory performance within a twelve-month period will warrant a one step increase on their anniversary date. Employment for at least twelve weeks during the summer will be equivalent to one semester.

8. MyUA Project

This item was postponed until the next Alliance meeting.

9. Senior Tuition Waivers

Alliance members were sympathetic with seniors over the issue but were not in consensus regarding possible solutions. Members were, however, concerned about the effect the publicity might have on employee and dependent tuition waivers.

MOTION: passed without objection

“The Staff Alliance moves to request that Mike Humphrey explore the possibilities of offering tuition waivers for UA retirees. This action is effective September 13, 2005.”

10. Regents’ Summer Briefing August 8, 2005

http://gov.alaska.edu/2005-08-08.regents-summer-briefing.html

This was an item of information. No action was required.

11. Regents’ Meeting, September 20-21, 2005

http://www.alaska.edu/bor/agendas/2005/050920agenda.html

This was an item of information. No action was required.

12. Agenda items for next meeting, October 11, 2005

Agenda items should be submitted to Lisa Sporleder and Pat Ivey ten days in advance of the next meeting.

13. Other items of interest

13.1 PERS/TRS and Legislative Action

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3047017,00.html

The House Ways and Means Committee suggested a constitutional amendment to remove the language relating to diminishing benefits. Mike Humphrey said he was in that meeting, and it was mainly from one person but was not a pervasive point.

13.2 Recruiting and Staffing

There have been some proposed changes to the recruiting and staffing regulations that Jeannine Senechal distributed. She asked that input be sent to her on the changes as soon as possible.

14. Comments

Pat Ivey reported that Hans Gunderson was leaving to live in Minnesota. Lisa Sporleder called for a resolution of appreciation from the Staff Alliance, which was passed, and directed that a plaque be prepared and sent to Hans for his service to the Staff Alliance. Gunderson thanked the body and announced that his replacement was Jodi Bailey, who has a long history in governance, having served on the Statewide Administration Assembly, and was one of the persons responsible for getting him started in the position.

15. Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 12:01pm.