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Officers & Executive Committee
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Minutes for December 2008Thursday, December 18, 2008 Members present: Ben Bond, Steve Brahm, Tony Bumpass, Mary Campbell, James Cooper, Jackie Dana, Lara Eakins, Joe Gregory, Martha Harrison, Phillip Hebert, Janice Hejl, Troy Johnson, Sarah Kitten, Vicki Kullberg, Sarah Lind, David Macha, Gary Martt, Jennifer McAndrew, Jennifer McClain, Rita Moreno, Louise Nelson, Linda Overton, Pamela Owen, Cynthia Podolnick, Janell Ross, Meredith Taylor, Peter Telck, Mindy Thompson, Heather Vacek, Robert Walker, Bobby Wawak, Brandy Whitten, Blake Willms, Brittany Wilson, Luis Zamora, Sunni Zuniga Members Absent with Notification: Denise Berry, Stephanie Cardenas, Suzanne Ewing, Danielle Fournier, John Goutier, Chrissi Guerrero, Lori Hamilton, Keith Hill, Charles King, Dianne Kline, Janet Larsen, Pamela Owen, Eric Patkowski, Cindy Posey, Tina Radke, Martha Ramey, Janet Reed Jo Ann Richmond, Madison Searle, Candace Shye, Rachel Sidopulos, Mark Smyth, Barbara Welch, Ashley Williams Members Absent: Jose Barroso, Lewis Bowen, Patrick Buckner, Mary Campbell, Nellie Cano, Melva Harbin, Bobby Hemby, Robert Meyer, Jimmy Moore, Amy Olson Call to OrderWith a quorum present, Chair Ben Bond called the business meeting to order at 2:00pm. in the Avaya Auditorium, ACES. 2.302. AnnouncementsNext month's meeting is scheduled on Thursday, January 22, 2009 from 2-3:30pm in the Avaya Auditorium, ACES 2.302. Officer ReportsChairBen Bond encouraged committee chairs to try and schedule committee meetings before the January 22, 2009 general assembly meeting, in order that committee updates can be presented at that meeting. Executive Committee made a decision to forgive any representative’s absence at a meeting that occurred on a Wednesday, as this is not the regularly scheduled day for general assembly meetings. Resolution 2008-01, entitled ‘Support of Pride and Equity Faculty Staff Association’, was signed by Staff Council executive officers. Copies were sent to President Powers, PEFSA co-chair Karen Landolt, Faculty Council Chair David Hillis and Student Government President Keshav Rajagopalan. Mr. Bond reviewed some of the Council’s past successes, including: * Staff Education Benefit * Career Smart Program * Employee Discount Program * Share Pass program * Employee Emergency Fund * Increased staff representation on University committees He encouraged Council members to become familiar with these and other successful initiatives, on behalf of staff, in order to help increase awareness of the organization’s efforts among the campus community. Mr. Bond reviewed results of the UTSC survey, which was distributed earlier this month. Top issues include: * Campus safety and security * Educational opportunities * Staff ombudsman * Staff benefits * Wellness (including gym memberships) * Workplace environment The survey was reviewed by the Executive Committee during their annual retreat on December 16, 2008. Among the results, representatives responded that approximately 50% of their respective district constituents have an awareness of Staff Council, and 69% of representatives communicate with their district constituents on an “as needed” basis. Other areas of the survey examined included other mechanisms of communications between representatives, and representatives and their constituents, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Results were very helpful in identifying organization goals for the future. Jennifer McClain (District 660.1): There may be a concern about using a social networking mechanism like Facebook; mixing professional with personal lives may be distasteful to some constituents. Ben Bond (District 160.1): That’s good feedback, thank you. Mr. Bond presented that an Operations Committee is being considered for creation and implementation in the new UTSC term. This idea was discussed at the Executive Committee retreat this month. This committee would be a “virtual” committee in that it would not meet in person; instead, committee members would be assigned simple chunks of work to perform, on behalf of Staff Council. Mr. Bond opened the floor for discussion on this item: Linda Overton (District 190.2): This sounds like a good idea to spread the workload to more people within the organization. I think it would also foster more cohesiveness within the Council. Jennifer McClain (District 660.1): I have had experience with this type of committee in other organizations to which I’ve belonged, and it worked very well. Brandy Whitten (District 712): I love this idea; can we explore the option of using virtual meetings for other committees as well? Ben Bond (District 160.1): Thanks for that question; I’ll make a note of it and we’ll look into the feasibility of that. This committee would be a “work group” tentatively, until the end of the current UTSC term at which time it would be implemented as a committee. Vice ChairSteve Brahm had no updates to report at this time. Recorder/SecretaryApproval of Minutes Committee ReportsAd Hoc Committee on Ombudsman Erin Waneck reported that this committee met on December 8, 2008. There were seventy (70) responses who were interested in serving on this committee; thirty-five staff attended the December meeting. Reviewed the definition of an ombudsman and how it can help staff at UT Austin. One positive for staff is that an ombudsman is confidential and does not keep records. Also reviewed was a handout prepared based on the responses received from individuals interested in serving on the committee. Committee will try to meet again in the second week of January 2009 and break down into work groups to continue researching other institutions. The graduate student group from LBJ School has been very helpful in researching how other universities have obtained and implemented an ombudsman position. One idea is to move the Dispute Resolution Officer out of Human Resource Services and have that position report directly to the Provost’s Office as the faculty ombudsman currently does. Texas Tech University has a full-time staff ombudsman; UT Dallas is currently working on securing an ombudsman position. Ms. Waneck will gather information on the remaining institutions in UT System and present at the January 2009 meeting. Luis Zamora (District 442): What did the handout include? Luis Zamora: Can you ‘vet’ those responses and identify what situation(s) people were in at the time they responded (i.e. last day of work, grievance with a supervisor etc)? Bert Herigstad (Radio/TV/Film): Is there a staff person representing Human Resource Services on this ad hoc committee? Ms. Waneck: Cindy Posey, who works in HR Services, is on the committee. There is no one else that I know of from HR Services serving. Bert Hergistad: Does she represent staff and Human Resource Services? Ms. Waneck: She is there primarily as a staff person. Bylaws Committee Committee Vice Chair Joe Gregory presented a proposal to change the Infrastructure & Parking and Workplace Environment Committees from “ad hoc” to “standing” committees. After much discussion, a decision was made that the committee would continue working on the wording in the definitions of both committees to reflect more positive initiatives, and to make sure that issues concerning safety and security are properly included in one of these committees. Without a quorum present, a vote on this proposal change could not be taken, and will be postponed until the January 22, 2009 meeting. Erin Waneck (ex-officio): I would suggest that the committee descriptions be removed from the proposal, and that we just vote simply on adding these committees as standing committees at this time. The Bylaws & Procedures Committee can then go back and work on changing the wording and present that proposal at the January 22, 2009 meeting. Benefits Committee Committee Chair Danielle Fournier was unable to attend today’s meeting. Committee on Committees Committee Chair Blake Willms reported no new updates at this time. Communications Committee Committee Chair Ashley Williams reported that the Communications Committee is continuing to work on the web site re-design. Infrastructure & Parking Committee Committee Chair David Macha reported that the committee is continuing to work on a couple of outstanding issues. Issues Committee Committee Chair Cindy Posey reported no new updates at this time. Nominations & Elections Committee Committee Chair Joe Gregory reported that the committee was beginning work to prepare for the upcoming elections in spring. Resources Committee Committee Chair Gary Martt reported no new updates at this time. Old BusinessThere were no Old Business items to discuss at this time. New BusinessChair Ben Bond introduced guest speaker Rhonda Cox, Membership Coordinator for Division of Recreational Sports, who was invited to share an update on Recreational Sports programs. Ms. Cox thanked the Council for invitation to speak at today’s meeting. Division of Recreational Sports includes ten recreational facilities campus-wide; facilities in Gregory Gym and Recreational Sports buildings operate for a combined 120 hours per week. Facilities include a variety of meeting spaces, faculty/staff weight rooms, and from November 1, 2008-February 28, 2009, an outdoor heated pool is available for use. Memberships are offered to UT faculty, staff and students as well as spouses, partners, friends and UT employees’ children up to age 18. Facilities are funded through student fees included in tuition each year. Annual membership costs for 2008-2009 are $302, and include use of facilities in Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Payroll deduction is offered to all eligible students and employees, including those employees appointed for nine-month employment agreements. Gary Martt (District 540.1): Can employees use the facilities on a daily basis? Ms. Cox: Yes. For consecutive daily use, cost is $10/day; for 3-7 days, cost is $26; for 15 days, cost is $40, and for 30 days, cost is $70. For consecutive use more than 30 days, cost increases. Bobby Wawak (District 550.01): Are there personal trainers available? Ms. Cox: Yes. We try to match personal trainers with the availability and needs of our clients. Jackie Dana (District 262): It seems that availability of weight rooms, working exercise equipment and classes for faculty/staff is low even though we pay the same membership costs as students? Is it possible to have some weight rooms and classes designated for faculty and staff? Ms. Cox: Our class coordinators do their best to schedule classes at times that are most convenient for staff and faculty. Weight rooms are not limited for use by students. When exercise equipment breaks down, it is our goal to post signs and make repairs to get that equipment back to service within 24 hours or less, if possible. We rely on feedback from our clients to identify broken equipment and repair it as quickly as we can. Janice Hejl (District 122): What kinds of credentials do the personal trainers hold? Ms. Cox: They are certified as Professional Fitness Instructors through national associations, and maintain their certifications through training with Recreational Sports and Continuing Education programs. Trainers also receive evaluations from their clients, which are used in reviewing their skill levels. Blake Willms (District 652): Can you share anything about future plans for renovations of the Intramural Fields at 51st & Guadalupe? Ms. Cox: A feasibility study has been completed. The monies for these renovations would be obtained through fundraising. Membership costs may go up slightly in order to cover costs to maintain the facilities. Blake Willms: Are there plans to update current recreational facilities or to build new ones? Ms. Cox: It has yet to be seen if we would be able to raise enough funding for those types of initiatives. All campus building projects must be first approved by the Campus Master Plan. Brandy Whitten (District 712): Is it correct that non-members who want to utilize the massage therapy services are required to pay cost of a day pass and additional cost to the massage therapy clinic? Ms. Cox: Yes. The price for massage therapy services at Rec Sports is less than the average or customary charge for massage therapy services in the community, and the membership fees include this discount. Non-members must purchase a day pass if they want to utilize the massage therapy services. Brandy Whitten: Why does staff that are non-members have to purchase a day pass in addition to paying for massage therapy services? Ms. Cox: Once individuals enter the facility and go past the front desk, they essentially have access to all other areas and services available in the gym. Though individuals may come in to use an “open area”, they may also try to use an area/service that requires a membership or day pass. As we cannot monitor all areas, non-members must purchase a day pass in order to use the massage therapy services. Brandy Whitten: Is it correct that Gregory Gym Café doesn’t require a day pass? Ms. Cox: Yes, the café is open to all. Also available are equipment rentals, such as burner stoves, coolers and package equipment. The Outdoor Rental and Resource Center can assist you in determining equipment needs. Brandy Whitten: Members can use these services, including bike rentals, at no additional cost? Ms. Cox: Yes, however, bike rentals are not included in memberships at this time. We are working to see how we can incorporate those equipment rentals. Is that explanation satisfactory to your question? Brandy Whitten: Yes, the explanation is clear, however, I disagree with the policy. Sarah Kitten (District 210.2): Has there been consideration of offering a childcare facility for staff that wants to use the recreational facilities? Ms. Cox: We have looked into offering this option for staff/faculty, however, the longer the duration of stay is for a child, the more restrictions there are to consider. So, we do not currently have a child care facilities. Jennifer McClain (District 660.1): For staff registered for a credit class using the Staff Education Benefit under the flat-rate tuition program, Rec Sports fees are included. Can you address what happens if someone signs up for a year of Rec Sports membership, but then decides the next semester to take a class using the Staff Education Benefit that would cover Rec Sports fees? Ms. Cox: There is a $25 cancellation fee assessed for anyone who cancels a Rec Sports class, but we can definitely work with staff on an individual basis, and waive the cancellation fee for individuals using the Staff Education Benefit. Ben Bond (District 160.1): Wellness is a high priority issue for staff. Would a sliding scale for membership costs be considered? Ms. Cox: It is true that well employees are the best employees. We have examined the possibility of a sliding scale, but gathering staff salary information would involve gaining access to personnel records, which could be tricky. Erin Waneck (ex-officio): Salaries are public information. Following her presentation, Mr. Bond thanked Ms. Cox for her time in speaking to the Council today. Chair Ben Bond opened the floor for any other New Business for discussion: Linda Overton (District 190.2): There are constituents concerned about employment retirement and how that will be used in the future. Louise Nelson (District 540.2): There was a proposal floated around to have Teacher Retirement System and Employee Retirement System to invest in bonds to support toll roads. However, that is not actually being pursued at this time. Linda Overton: Should we do more research on this, and if so, how do we go about that? Ben Bond (District 160.1): Best approach would be to submit this as an issue and assign it to a committee for further research; will employ use of an ad hoc committee if needed. Erin Waneck (ex-officio): Danielle Fournier has more information on retirement benefits that are being worked on and/or proposed in the Legislature. For instance, there may be a change from the “Rule of 80” to a “Rule of 90” for future state employees; however, current employees may be “grandfathered” under the Rule of 80, depending on their employment start date. Benefits seem to be diminishing so we should be proactive on this issue. Questions For The CouncilBert Herigstad (Radio/TV/Film): Are representatives who serve on the University committees selected by University Staff Council? Bert Herigstad: How are the representatives chosen to serve on the committees? Blake Willms: University Staff Council Executive Committee reviews names of volunteers, and selects individuals to serve on the various committees, on a first come first serve basis. Those names are then presented to the entire Staff Council. Erin Waneck (ex-officio): Representatives are asked to submit a letter of interest, including background and interest for committee(s) on which they want to serve. Volunteers are matched, as closely as possible, to the committee(s) that interest them. Staff Council recommendations are usually accepted by the President’s Office. Bert Herigstad: How many representatives are there on Staff Council? AdjournmentMotion 1: Joe Gregory – that the meeting be adjourned. Second: Linda Overton There were no objections; the motion passes. The Staff Council general assembly meeting adjourned at approximately 3:25pm. |
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