Consistent with the Commission of 125:
- "…the University must base decisions on its vision to create a disciplined culture of excellence while building a community that reflects the face of Texas."
The university currently has two advisory groups: the Faculty Council and the Staff Council.
Vice Presidents Pat Clubb and Gregory Vincent and President Powers recognized gaps exist in the current advisory structure of the university.
Therefore, they have approved the creation of University Resource Groups to advise the administration, each from its own perspective.
By giving university groups advisory status, the university demonstrates its support for inclusion and diversity, while receiving important advise and counsel.
URGs
- Black Faculty/Staff Association
- Hispanic Faculty/Staff Association
- Asian Asian-American Faculty/Staff Association
- Pride and Equity Faculty/Staff Association
The approved proposal included the provision of a reasonable work time allocation for URG participation.
Given the university's authorization to Staff Council for four hours per month of work time, the same allocation will be provided for URG participation.
Critical for the support of URGs is the use of work time to 'travel' to monthly meetings which are held during the lunch hour. The remaining time would be utilized for subcommittee work.

Classification Workgroup Exempt/Non-Exempt Support Titles - Rich Burns

Fair Labor Standards Act Issues
- Exempt versus Non Exempt
- Requirement to pay overtime
- Rules changed 2004
Tests:
- Administrative
- Executive
- Professional
Review of job descriptions and positions as are being posted indicate that we have issues in our support family of titles
Implications for compliance and exposure to penalties
Interim title created to accommodate non exempt jobs; however, we need a permanent solution
We are soliciting campus participation in the project

State Employment Cleanup - Rich Burns

Unverifiable state employment
- Procedural issues
- Calculation issues
Cleanup effort began in September
HRS is currently reconciling state employment records in the following instances:
- Those who acknowledged no additional time
- Those whose time was verified
- Communication to affected individuals (copied to HR Contacts) will occur this month
Others still in work
- Non responders
- Issues getting results from agencies

WorkSource Changes - Rich Burns

Partnership with WorkSource
- Best use of facilities, services, accessibility
- Use of Work In Texas (WIT) Job Application
  - Pre qualification of applicant pool
  - Reduced transaction/processing
Partnership Model modifications
- Based on input from customers—departments and applicants
- Dual Sourcing: WS and our standard application
- Consolidation of multiple applications to a single UT Job Application

Staff Excellence and Service Awards - Jim McElroy

Nomination Period
- December 11, 2006 – January 19, 2007
Eligibility
- Classified and Administrative & Personnel (A&P)
- At least 20 hours per week
- Continuously employed from
- September 1, 2004 – August 31, 2006
- If an employee has won in the last five years, the employee is ineligible for nomination.
Ceremony Date May 3, 2007
- Texas Union Ballroom

HRS Call Center - Jim McElroy

Human Resource Service Center “Call Center”
- "Committed to Employee and Organization Effectiveness"
Coming Soon!
Mission - to be the first point of assistance for department customers by serving as a clearinghouse for information about university benefits, employment opportunities, and department services.
Process
- Walk-in customers via appointment system
- Single phone number – 471-HRSC
- Customer Issue Tracking Software
Staffing
- 5 Call Center operators
- Led by Ray Scott
Communication materials will be forthcoming!

New Separation Reason Code - Jim McElroy

Student Employees
- & = End student assignment (NEW)
Non-Student Employees (all others)
- Use a valid separation reason code
Use AC* or AUR
Automated reappointment documents (AR*)
- Delete record and assign separation reason code

Optional Retirement Program - Kelly Lomasney

ORP Matching Contribution Rate Increase
- Effective 1/1/07 for participants enrolled in ORP on or after 9/1/95
- Rate increases from 6.5% to 7%
- Subject to Board of Regents approval, rate will increase .5% each year until it reaches 8.5%
- Participants enrolled in ORP as of 8/31/95 receive 8.5% matching
- On 1/16/07, communication will be sent directly to participants affected by increase

Upcoming Work/Life & EAP Events - Connie Deutsch, Ph.D.

5-Part Work/Life Series: "Stress Relief"
- Presented by Connie Deutsch, Ph.D., & Jeff Stellmach, LCSW, of the EAP; Brooke Webb of University Health Services; and staff from RecSports
  - Tuesdays, noon to 1:30 p.m.
  - January 16 to February 13
  - North Office Building A (NOA),
  - Registration Required
Work/Life Brown Bag: "End-of-Life Care Conversations"
- Presented by Suze Miller, LMSW
  - Thursday, January 18, noon to 1 p.m.
  - Texas Union Sinclair Suite, UNB 3.128
Group: "Nurturing Your Child’s Mind"
- Presented by: Kathy Scherer, Ph.D.
  - Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  - February 2 to March 2
  - North Office Building A (NOA)
  - Registration Required
Group: "First-Time Supervisors' Coaching Group"
- Presented by: Monica Scamardo, M.S., Psy.D. & Susan Harnden, LCSW
  - Every other Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  - February 2 to May 25
  - North Office Building A (NOA)
  - Registration Required
Group: "Managers' Coaching Group"
- Every other Thursday, noon to 1:30 p.m.
- March 8 to May 17
- North Office Building A (NOA)
- Registration Required

How to Find Your Human Resources Representative - Cindy Posey

"Find Your HRS Contacts" Web page

Scheduling and Staffing Management - Lisa Milne

Administrative Leave

When is it appropriate to use administrative or emergency leave?

Policy 7.D.2., Exemplary Service Award, of the University’s Revised Operating Procedures is based on Government Code § 661.911 and states:
"Up to thirty-two (32) hours of administrative leave per fiscal year can be awarded to an eligible employee who performs specific services or activities that demonstrate truly exemplary performance…"

Emergency Leave

Gov’t Code § 661.092. Emergency Leave
1. A state employee is entitled to emergency leave without a deduction in salary because of a death in the employee's family.
2. The administrative head of an agency may determine that a reason ... is sufficient for granting emergency leave and shall grant an emergency leave to an employee who the administrative head determines has shown good cause for taking emergency leave.

Working Hours Flexibility

Gov’t Code § 658.007. WORKING HOURS FOR EMPLOYEES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
1. The governing board of an institution of higher education or a university system ... may make exceptions to the minimum length of the workweek and the maximum length of a workday established by this chapter to achieve and maintain operational efficiency at the institution of higher education, university system, or an office, department, or division of either.
2. A full-time salaried employee may not be authorized under this section to work less than 40 hours in a calendar week.

Flexible Work Schedule

A flexible work schedule is an alternative to the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 40-hour work week. It allows employees to vary their arrival and/or departure times. Alternative work arrangements such as flexible work schedules are a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee.

Time Off and Leave

Although the university allows for some flexibility in employee’s schedules, granting time off to employees without requiring them to use their accrued leave is only within the authority of the President of the university or his designee.

What About Investigations?

This is work time
The employee’s assignment is to be available to come in at any time during their scheduled work hours and not impede the investigation
How do we record it? As work time, with the comment "Home Assignment Pending Outcome of Investigation"

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