Draft Minutes

 

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

10:00am – 12:00 noon

Fairbanks location:  Butrovich Building – Room 204

Anchorage location: ULB Videoconference Room.

 

  • Public participation is welcome. 
  • Please do not disrupt proceedings when the meeting is in progress

 

1.          Call to order and roll call

 

Members Present:

 

Lisa Sporleder, President

Lori Merdes, Vice President

Isabel Martinez, Secretary

Tami Choquette

Leah Shepherd as proxy for Betty Dupee

Larry McGrady

Alicia Wyse as proxy for Bess Rounds

            Mike Molnia

Vince Yelmene

Nikki Blake

Barb Rusher, Alternate

 

            Others Present:

            Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance

            Jodi Bailey, Administrative Coordinator, System Governance

            Debra Carter, Employee Relations Specialist

            Ramona McAffee, Military Outreach

 

2.         Adopt agenda

 

            MOTION:  passed without objection by Barb Rusher and seconded by Larry McGrady.

 

“The Statewide Administrative Assembly moves to adopt the agenda for the October 12, 2005 meeting.  This action is effective October 12, 2005.”

 

3.         Approve minutes of September 14, 2005 meeting                    Attachment 3.

                http://gov.alaska.edu/saa/minutes/2005-09-14.html

 

            MOTION:  passed without objection by Barb Rusher and seconded by Tami Choquette.

 

“The Statewide Administrative Assembly moves to approve the minutes for the September 14, 2005 meeting.  This action is effective October 12, 2005.”

 

 

4.         Guest/Public Comments

 

            No guest or public comments.

 

5.         Staff Alliance Update – Sporleder

 

Staff Alliance met yesterday and discussed numerous topics which included Debra Carter and her responsibilities to notify staff of important projects concerning them.  Staff and supervisory training was a main topic for discussion and how there is no consistency of offerings of the classes.  Education benefits for staff and their dependants was also discussed in detail and how there is a 50% failure rate that staff either passes or fails. The process of how the funds change hands between statewide and the MAU because it is legislature money was also mentioned.  If they implement a new policy regarding the education benefits Vince Yelmene would like to have the current students grandfathered. 

Currently, TVC does not accept tuition waivers as a form of payment yet they offer the staff training classes and Staff Alliance would like to have that changed. 

Carolyn Weaver was a guest and discussed the timing of the pay grade increases and why staff receives deductions before an increase in pay.  Pete Kelly was also a guest and he offered two draft letters to send to particular members of the house sub-committee members concerning the budget and the university.  Last year it was an internal fight of who fought for funds but this year it will be the opposite in that external influences will be assisting the legislature.  Staff Alliance agreed to sign and send the suggested letters as a group.

The group also discussed in detail how the wellness project and the communication between Summex and the University to the staff has not been consistent compared to the rollout of the new health plan.

Lisa also mentioned that the governance regulation that Staff Alliance had drafted for approval from the President had been rejected by the suggestion of general council. 

                                                                                                           

6.         Staff Development                                                                  Attachment 6.

http://gov.alaska.edu/faculty/2005-08-19.SAC-facultystaffdevelopment.html

 

Lisa and Jim Johnsen met this morning to discuss a memo that was received by SAC regarding the faculty and staff development.  The memo discussed covering the costs for staff members to receive their PhD or doctoral degree.  She expressed to him that the group would like the name to be changed because it only assists faculty and executive staff members and does not cover staff.

 

 

7.         Senior Tuition Waiver Regulation                                           Attachment 7.   

http://www.alaska.edu/bor/contents/pt5.xml  

 

Lisa informed the group that at the last Board of Regents meeting they discussed the tuition waiver extensively and decided to let it remain with new guidelines.  They raising the age to social security, full retirement age and they did grandfather individuals who were admitted before September 21, 2005.  The regents have asked for a review to be done of how the program is being managed because they were quite alarmed of how staff is abusing the benefit.  Saichi Oba and Mary Gower are working on drafting a new regulation for the regents.

 

 

 

 

 

8.         IT Merger                                                                                Attachment 8.

http://www.alaska.edu/itmerger/

 

Staff Alliance is trying to figure how IT will be represented by governance since they are not SW or UAF.  Leah offered governance to be determined by the funding organizations but Barb Rusher suggested using the geographic location.  Nikki Blake informed the group that OTS does not operate off of geographic location but by how their funded and their pay is determined by what projects they are currently working on.

Lori reported that OIT staff will be having a meeting at IARC 501 and the President, the Chancellor and staff from the human resources department will be there to offer information.  The managers and directors had a final meeting yesterday to discuss the structure that was worked on during the summer.  Tomorrow morning the draft organization structure will be put online for comments and suggestions.  During the 3rd week of November, Steve Smith will start to announce the staff allocations and the reporting structure. In December they will begin to relocate staff, if suggested, and every sixty days they will do an assessment until there is a finalized structure which is expected by July 1, 2007.  The IDD recommended an increase of staff by 89 which is reduced by 39 as a long range plan.  There are quite a few current positions available and they are focusing on filling those before approaching the new positions.

 

9.         Military Outreach Project                                                       Attachment 9.

                http://gov.alaska.edu/saa/2005-10-07.FRGdonationltr.pdf

                http://gov.alaska.edu/saa/2005-10-11militaryoutreach.pdf

 

Ramona McAffee (356-2295) met with Lisa Rotte, leader of the family readiness group of an aviation unit, to discuss the possibility of putting together a welcome home basket.   They are asking for baskets for the single soldiers who are returning home in December with items to make their first couple days feel more like home.  Izzy Martinez volunteered to send an email to the SAA members requesting items for a welcome home basket for 4 soldiers that will come directly from the group.

Jodi Bailey discussed the option of SAA assisting with collecting items from the staff for single soldiers who are currently deployed.  She informed the group that most soldiers are not receiving packages and the facilities that are offered to them are minimal.  The group decided to support the effort and suggested her to send an email requesting care package items from the building to sdemail.com.  The donation drive will only run until November 1st and may do it again after the first of the year for their welcome home baskets.

 

10.        Thanksgiving Potluck November 18

 

Bess Rounds will be coordinating the Thanksgiving potluck this year and the theme will be the traditional turkey festivities.  The reservation has been made by Bess for the Regents conference room and the notices of the potluck will be sent out to staff a week before the event.

 

11.        Christmas Potluck December 16

 

Barb Rusher suggested that Mardi Gras be the Christmas Potluck theme and it was agreed upon by the group.

 

12.        Canned food Drive

 

Laura Letuligasenoa will continue with coordinating the drive with David Rower and Matt Walker with the governance office, will create fliers and distribute them again this year.   The food drive will start on November 18th and will end on December 16th.  Debra Carter will add notices to the monthly newsletter to staff to include the Thanksgiving and Christmas potlucks and the canned food drive.  

 

13.        Love Inc. Project

 

An adopt a family form has been received by Leah Shepherd from Love Inc. requesting what size of a family SAA would like to adopt.  Leah gave a history of the program and what size of a family the group has received in the past.  (Three teenagers, a mother with two children and a mother and father with two kids with one on the way and there was a special connection with this family because it was the son of a janitorial worker in the building.)  Leah suggested to the group to stay with a four person family or under but not to make it to big.  She informed the group that the selection of which family goes to which organization is done by Love Inc. themselves.  The group decided after hearing from Leah that they want a four person family this year.  Barb Rusher and Betty Dupee are coordinating the project this year because Leah is moving to Tennessee. 

 

14.        Change Meeting Date from December 14 to December 15     Attachment 14  

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

 

There is a conflict reserving conference rooms on December 14th to satisfy the needs of both locations and would like to move the meeting date to December 15th.

 

MOTION:  passed by Lori Merdes and seconded by Barb Rusher without objection.

 

“The Statewide Administration Assembly moves to move the meeting date from December 14th, 2005 to December 15th, 2005.  This action is effective October 12, 2005.”

 

15.        Agenda Items for the Next Meeting – Wednesday, November 9, 2005

 

Agenda items may include, but not limited to: the IT merger, the staff tuition regulation, the military outreach projects, the potlucks, the Love inc. drive and the canned food drive.

 

16.                Member Comments

 

Debra Carter is looking for ideas to put in the statewide newsletter having to do with personal or work projects that would interest the staff.

 

17.                Adjourn

 

The meeting adjourned at 11:40 AM.