OPERATING STAFF COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES 7/13/06
8:30AM –
Present: Elizabeth Buck, Judy Burgess, Gay Campbell,
Marcia Dick, Glenda Jones, Theresa Kinniry,
Joe Koch,
Jay Monteiro, Nancy Schuneman, and LaRonda Thuestad.
Absent: Sara Clayton, Margie Foshe, Linda
Jennings, Andy Small, Julia Sober, Rachel Turner.
Guests: Tim Griffin
Vice President Joe Koch called the regular meeting
of the Operating Staff Council to order at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, July 13,
2006.
A motion was made to accept the agenda with two
additions. The motion was seconded and
passed.
III. Approval
of Minutes of the June 8, 2006, Meeting
A motion was made to accept the minutes. The motion was seconded and passed.
IV. Treasurer’s Report
The treasurer’s report was presented for discussion.
A motion was made to accept the Treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded and
passed.
A. LaRonda
Thuestad announced there will be a retirement party for Larry Sallberg from 2
to 4 p.m. on July 31 in the lobby at the
B. Koch passed around a letter from President Peters concerning salary increments that was sent to all employees.
C. The minutes from the June 7 meeting of the Secretarial Advisory Council were passed
around. The SAC also published a phone list of various campus offices for staff use.
D. A memo from SPS President Bobbie Cesarek was passed around. Cesarek has asked
the Council for its support in an effort to establish a Ride Share program for staff
members. According to Cesarek, a ride share database is currently being created for
Non-Traditional Students and Cesarek hopes the program can be expanded to include
employees.
E. An e-mail from a constituent was passed around. The constituent wanted to know if the
Council had recommended an across-the-board increment increase. Turner responded that the Council had in fact recommended the 3% across-the-board increment increase.
F. 1. Highlights of the Board of Trustee meeting were discussed. Items discussed at the
meeting included:
- The re-election of Barbara Giorgi Vella as chair.
- A NIU Foundation report stating that more than $90 million has been raised in the past 6
years. The Foundation also received $1.1 million endowed chair in music for violin.
2. The President’s report included the approval of several items including:
- The FY 2008 budget (including a 6% faculty and staff increase)
- The FY 2007 internal operating budget (1.2% GR base increase) and salary guidelines.
- The FY 2007 tuition rates (excluding those covered by Truth-in-Tuition). The rates
include a 7% increase for continuing undergraduate students, a 10% increase for new
degree-seeking undergraduate students and a 7% increase for graduate and law school
students.
- NIU Institute for Neutron Therapy (pass through)
- Faculty promotions and tenure and appointments with rank and tenure.
- New PhD degree program in Art Education.
- Various allocations for west campus development, construction easements, off campus
lease agreements and equipment.
- development agreement for housing for students with dependent children.
3. A special report on underprepared student
programs was also presented. The report stated that a summer camp held at NIU
last summer to expose underprepared students to math and science in a college
environment was very successful so it will be offered again this year to
A.
Personnel/Staff Developments/Benefits – No
Report.
B. Elections and Appointments –
Elections for officers for the Council were
held. Six Council members voted by
absentee ballot. The following Council
members were elected to the offices indicated:
for President Rachel Turner; for V.P. Sara Clayton; for Secretary Theresa Kinniry; and for Treasurer Elizabeth Buck.
Nominations from the floor were also taken for the
second voting member of the University Council.
Clayton had expressed an interest in the position in an e-mail and
Marcia Dick was nominated from the floor.
Dick was elected by a show of hands and will serve as the second voting
member of the University Council.
Koch said there are a few committee positions
available and he will forward all the information to Clayton who is the new
vice president of the Council.
C. Special Events –
LaRonda Thuestad reported that more
than 1300 reservations have been made for StaffFest. The deadline for reservations is July 13, but
late requests will still be accepted. However, those who register late will not
be eligible for the door prizes. The
final count is due July 20. Those
tickets that are to be mailed will be sent out on July 19th. Historic photos from the library, as well as
photos from Dr. Glen Gildemeister’s new book about NIU are being used as decorations for the event. Dr.
Gildemeister has also donated a copy of the book to be used as a door
prize. Thuestad said there are some
administrators scheduled to serve, but more are needed. She asked Council members if they could
recommend some people.
Nancy Schuneman has been
soliciting various businesses for door prizes. She has spoken with more than 40
businesses in the area. The goal is
50. The deadline for submitting door
prizes is July 20. Dick is working with
the Athletics department as well.
D. Public
Relations – No report.
E. Visiting Committees/Guests. – None.
F. EAC – No Report.
G. UAC – No Report.
H. University
Council – No Report.
VII. Old Business
– None.
VIII. New Business -
1. Evaluation Policy
At the June meeting Steve
Cunningham asked the Council to consider changes to the current employee
evaluations. Cunningham said many of the supervisors he has talked to have
indicated that they would like more time to complete evaluations and do not
like the rigidity of the annual requirement.
It was decided that the issue should be tabled until the next meeting
since many members of the Council were not present at the meeting.
2. Merit Increment – SPS
The SPS Council has
drafted proposed definitions to help determine which employees would be
deserving of the merit component of the annual increment increase, should merit
raises be forthcoming in future years.
The SPS Council has asked the OSC Council for its input and support of
the proposed criteria. Kinniry will make
copies of the proposed definitions and forward them to Council members for
perusal. The discussion will be tabled
until the next meeting. Koch said it
should be tied into the evaluation process.
3.
Meeting Refreshments
Kinniry pointed out that
the menu for the HSC has changed and that the only options for refreshments
will be to choose package deals. Copies
of the refreshment portion of the menu were passed around. The new system will likely cost the Council
more money. It was decided that
refreshments would not be ordered for the next meeting until the Council has an
opportunity to discuss it. The Council
suggested that Turner write a letter to HSC Director Mitch Kielb asking why the
procedure was changed and informing him that the Council may no longer order
refreshments. Kinniry will e-mail Council members informing them of the
decision not to have refreshments in August.
4. SURS Representative
Larry Sallberg, the
current SURS representative, will be retiring at the end of July 2006 and a
replacement is needed. Sallberg
recommended that Judy Burgess be appointed as the new representative. Burgess was asked to leave the room so the
remaining Council members could discuss it.
The position was not advertised on the ballot because Sallberg’s term
will not end until July 31. Dick
suggested that Burgess be appointed for a year as interim representative until
next year when the position can be advertised along with all the other
committee vacancies. A vote could not be
taken because there was no quorum. The
issue was tabled until the next meeting.
5. Discussion Items for Provost
Turner received an e-mail
from the President’s office inviting Turner and the other council presidents to
a luncheon to meet with the new Provost Raymond Alden on August 7. If Council had any questions or items for
discussion that they would like Turner to address at the luncheon, they should
e-mail Turner since the luncheon will take place prior to the next Council
meeting.
IX. Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 10:05 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Theresa
Kinniry
OSC Secretary