Minutes - January 15, 2004

These minutes were approved at the UT Staff Council meeting on February 19, 2004.

Members present: Michael Acuna, Pat Alfano, Karis Beasley, Helen Burnette, Alanna Burney, Oscar Carmona, Melba Catchings, Johnnie Conley, Julie Cunniff, Laura Davis, Neil Fahlund, Phil Gavenda, Royce Gehrels, Sandra Godfrey, Suzanne Goodman, Andrew Gordon, Kathy Guajardo, Christy Habecker, Bert Herigstad, Gayle Hight, Dora Hilgart, Margaret Hill, Tom Horn, Marcus Horton, Kim Johnson, Elizabeth Korves, Noah Lowenstein, Kim Montroy, PG Moreno, Peggy Mueller, Greg Murphy, John Nelson, Sam Owens, Chuck Pearson, Amy Pinkston, Jorge Puig, Ana Raley, Jo Ann Richmond, Leslie Saucedo, Jennifer Scalora, J.R. Schlesinger, Ann Seago, Frank Simon, Sandra Sleeper, Didi Smith, Jerry Spillar, Erin Waneck, Glen Worley

Members absent with notification : Vickie Amidon, Janet Bensman, Alison Louise Brown, Philemon Brown, Joni Burks, Marlis Dagg, Phillip Dubov, Margaret Evans, Patrice Fox, Rick Garza, Jim McElroy, Mary Beth Mercatoris, Kay Randall, Stella Smith, Joe Sosler, Kitty Villa, JR Watson

Members absent : Mack Andrews, Augustin Collazo, George Hughes, Earl McMannis Jr., Sheril Smith, Shane Williams

Guests :

Human Resource Services : Debra Kress, Monica Reed

Quorum: 75 filled UTSC representative places divided by 2 = 38 (for quorum)

Welcome:

Chair Glen Worley called to order the regular meeting of the UT Staff Council at 2:04 p.m. on Thursday, January 15 in Main 212. 48 UTSC representatives were present.

Announcements:

The next regular meeting of the UTSC is February 19, Main 212, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. The May meeting will be held in the ACES auditorium because of graduation.

Resignation: William Sederholm, District 251

Welcomed Joan Richmond, new representative for District 621

The Deadline for the Staff Excellence Awards is Friday, January 30, everyone is encouraged to submit.

Minutes from the previous meeting:

Tom Horne requested that the spelling of his name be corrected. The minutes of the December 12, 2003 meeting were then approved.

Chair's report:

Letter from President Faulkner, re: UTSC resolution in support of tuition increase. Chair received a letter from President Faulkner concerning the resolution we passed in November endorsing the Regents' decision to implement an academic sustainability tuition.

"I appreciate very much the Staff Council's support. The approval of the proposal was crucial to the future health of the institution, and it is appropriate that the Staff Council acted publicly to recognize the fact."
–Larry Faulkner, President

Update on proposed grievance policy

Kyle Cavanaugh called the Chair to update us on the progress of the proposed grievance policy. He presented the draft policy to the Vice Presidents' Council meeting in December. President Faulkner asked each vice president to go over the policy with their management staff and report any concerns or issues with the policy to Kyle in late January. After Kyle hears from all the vice presidents, then he will contact the Chair to let us know if there are any issues that may need to be resolved.

Once all issues have been resolved, the President's office will send the policy to UT System where a similar process will begin

The Chair reminds UTSC that this is the first time that UT-Austin will depart from the UT-System grievance policy – if this goes through.

Question: after the Vice Presidents council, will we get to see the comments regarding this new policy.

Chair: yes, we will have a chance to see the comments before it goes to System.

President Faulkner will speak at the February 19 meeting. All UTSC members should plan on attending this meeting.

Vice-Provost and Head of the General Libraries Fred Heath will speak to UTSC at the March 11 meeting.

Vice Chair's report:

None

Recorder/Secretary: 

Minutes approved from December's meeting.

Committee Reports:

Standing Committees:

Issues Committee, Didi Smith, Chair:

No new issues to submit. Updated UTSC on the status of the Issues Tracking Database. There will be a finished product in time for next months meeting.

Nominations & Elections, Noah Lowenstein, Chair

Preliminary Report on Elections process and schedule.

Chair of N&E gave UTSC a timetable for the upcoming elections:

• March 1: Eligibility calculation date (6 months as of March 1 to nominate and vote, 1 year as of March 1 to run.
• March 22-26: Nomination period
• April 5-16: Campaign period
• April 19-23: Election period
• April 28-May 4: Run-off election period
• May 20 – Newly elected reps attend first UTSC Meeting.

Winners will be announced on the UTSC web-site and will receive a letter confirming and congratulating them on their role as UTSC representatives.

Question: Why haven't we received any information?

Chair of N&E: This report at this meeting is the first Announcement.

Question: Although you said that the schedule is currently tentative, is it true that the March 1 calculation date is set and not negotiable?

Chair of N&E: Yes, that is correct. The rest of election schedule is pending final approval (which BTW it has now received), but the March 1 eligibility calculation date is officially set and will not change.

Working Committees: (Classification and Compensation, Grievance; Insurance; Miscellaneous Benefits; Parking and Transportation; Retirement)

Miscellaneous Benefits, Amy Pinkston, Chair

Update for (Staff Education Benefit Enhancements)

1) 2003-2: Chair of MB met with Kyle Cavanaugh and Faye Godwin. The summer session issue is still being looked at. The thinking is it will be up to the employee's manager/supervisor as to whether the employee will have time off to attend class.

2) and 2003-7: The Dissertation Issue is much further away to being finalized. UT thinks if this is ok'd people would take longer to finish their Ph.D.s. There is someone is pushing for this though.

3) 2003-14 (Increase Staff access to Rec Sports Benefit) Would like to form an Ad Hoc committee to create a Wellness/Fitness program for staff. RecSports has already created the infrastructure for a Wellness Network.

Question: What would be the goal of the program?

Chair of MB: Walking programs, Brownbag seminars, Fitness groups created to help people get fit without having to join Rec Sports.

4) 2003-21 (Change admission standards for staff) The admission standards will not change. There are other options, for example one can audit a course for $25.00 if can't get admitted to UT.

Recommendation is that no action be taken.

One Rep commented that in some schools auditing is discouraged because of space issues.

Voted: No action be taken.

Parking & Transportation, Marcus Horton, Chair

Report on Issue 2003-20 (Fees for temporary D permits). At this time the fee is waived for Garage F permit holders. Motion is that the P&T committee recommends a reduced charge for A&C permit holders who would be giving up their right to an A/C space to park in a D space. 

Discussion:

Comment: Can't understand the bureaucracy needed to track this.

One Rep asked that there be no fee rather then a reduced rate.

Chair of P&T: the committee will ask what kind of costs recovery is involved before going further with a recommendation.

Motion passes

Unfinished Business:

None

New Business:

Should UTSC create the position of Parliamentarian?

Discussion:

One Rep commented that with the departure of William Sederholm the Bylaws committee needs a new member. Please contact the committee if interested. Also recommends that 3 to 4 people be responsible for knowing parliamentary procedures.

Chair: Are you making a motion? If not then need to give the floor.

This Rep then moved that an Ad Hoc committee be set up to study the need for the position of Parliamentarian.

Chair: Is this seconded? It was not.

Another Rep put forth that if a motion is not seconded, the motion fails. He moved that the Bylaw committee study this need.

A motion was made to have the Bylaws committee study this issue.

This was voted on and motion was passed.

Chair: In his readings of Robert's Rules, etc. he found that the Chair makes the decisions on how to run the meetings, the Parliamentarian just advises the Chair.

Chair will ask HR to buy more copies of Robert's Rules in Plain English.

One Rep announced that there is an on-line tutorial for Robert's Rules.

Chair once again reminds UTSC that President Faulkner will be at the next meeting.

Adjournment:

There was a motion to adjourn which was seconded. The meeting ended at 2:50 pm.

The next regular meeting of the UTSC is February 19; 2:00-3:30 p.m., Main 212.