OPERATING STAFF COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
12/14/06
9 AM –
Present: Elizabeth Buck, Judy Burgess, Gay Campbell,
Sara Clayton, Marcia Dick, Linda Jennings,
Glenda Jones, Theresa Kinniry, Joe Koch, Jay
Monteiro, Dorothy Razniewski, Nancy Schuneman, Andy Small, LaRonda Thuestad,
Rachel Turner
Absent: Julia Sober
Guests: Mary Crumbacher, Dawn Ericksen, Julia Fauci, Tim Griffin, Sandy Sosnowski, Jodi Tyrrell
President Rachel Turner called the regular meeting
of the Operating Staff Council to order at 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 14,
2006.
A motion was made to accept the agenda with two
additions. The motion was seconded and passed.
III. Approval of Minutes of the November 9,
2006, Meeting and the Minutes of the Special Meeting of November 16, 2006.
A motion was made to accept the minutes with minor changes. The motion was seconded and passed. A motion was also made to accept the minutes from the Special Meeting on November 16. That 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. Turner
passed around a letter from Dependent Award winner Stephen Clark.
B. Turner passed around a Christmas card from Tim Griffin.
C. Turner also passed around a letter from Joe Koch officially resigning from the Council. Koch will retire on December 31. Koch has served on the Council for 28 years.
D. Turner passed around the Secretarial Advisory Council minutes and annual report.
E. Turner said that Bobbie Cesarek from the SPS Council pointed out that the Employee Indemnification Act is something that many people don’t know about. The act states that if a person is acting as a faculty or staff advisor for a student group and it is not part of their job description, they must fill out a separate form for insurance purposes.
F. Turner passed around the minutes from the Faculty Senate meeting.
G. Andy Small presented each Council member with a glass ornament from the Chemistry Department. The blown-glass ornaments are made in the department and sold as a fundraiser for the Chemistry Club.
A.
Personnel/Staff Developments/Benefits – No
report.
B. Elections and Appointments –
Sara Clayton said letters were sent out to Donna
Mathesius from the University Council and also to Tom Krepel for those
individuals nominated for commissions and committees. She also pointed out that there will be a
special election to fill the vacancy left by Koch’s retirement.
C. Special Events – No Report.
D. Public
Relations –
Nancy
Schuneman reported that the flyers for the Outstanding Service Award will be
going
out in January just after the break. The
deadline for nominations is February 28,
2007. Jay Monteiro reported that
work is continuing on the brochure.
E. Visiting Committees/Guests –
Dawn Ericksen and Julia
Fauci from the Strategic Planning Task Force were present to provide an update
on the work of the Task Force and also to solicit input from the Council about
issues that the Operating Staff would like the Task Force to address.
Some of the topics
discussed included:
- Community and university relations.
- Alternative funding sources as appropriations dwindle.
- Crime on campus.
- The continuance of the shared governance system.
- Transportation and infrastructure concerns.
- Employee benefits.
-
Meeting students needs in both services and curriculum.
F. EAC
Clayton reported that the
Merit Board Meeting was held at the System’s Office in
- There was one discharge
from UIUC because the employee was drinking on the job and was belligerent with
a supervisor.
-There were 16 written
cases for discharge last year. There
were 5 hearings, 3 were settled, 1 hearing and 1 pending. The Board adopted an amendment to Section 80
of the Illinois Administration Code, Section 250.110.
- Starting in January
2007 the Board will need a forum of 6 members in order to do business. They hope to have video conferencing
available for members soon
- The Merit Board gave
authority to the System’s Office to establish temporary demonstration projects,
pilot programs to gather information and feedback on new human resource
operational procedures.
- The Board approved the
FY 08 budget.
- Board members will be
given a secure website to view previous discharge cases. This should assist
them when considering future discharges.
- In 2007 the Board will
meet on February 14, May 23 and November 14 at the
- Jodi Tyrrell said the
HR Directors Committee also met with Tom Morelock. She said they are mostly concerned with
procedures within the Civil Service System.
They also discuss things that are going on at other campuses.
H.
UAC –
The BOT meeting was held December
7.
- Coach Novak, Athletic
Director Jim Phillips, Garrett Wolfe, and Dustin Utschig were present at the
meeting in recognition of the NIU football team’s invitation to the Poinsettia
Bowl.
- The Board also
discussed the construction of the proton therapy facility. The university is currently seeking bids on
the project.
- President Peters said
the decision to close the University on December 1 was made primarily because
of the inability of the Huskie buses to run due to the snow.
- The Board talked about
enrollment numbers. Fall 2006 enrollment
numbers represented the largest freshman class in over a decade.
- President Peters talked
about the gift from the Yorden family for the new Athletic and
- Northern View Community
was approved as the name for the new Student Housing for Dependents. Dr.
Hemphill gave a presentation on the community plans, which include 1, 2, and
3-bedroom units, as well as a clubhouse, study rooms, computer labs, and a
playground.
- Approved the budget for
renovations for financial aid office to provide for more privacy to patrons.
- Approved construction
on
- The Board also
discussed FY2008 Programmatic Budget Request, Illinois Public Acts that may
affect higher education, and members attending the BOT meetings via satellite
from other campus locations.
- Ken Davidson is now
Vice President and General Counsel.
- The Board voted to
approve the purchase of the property between the library and the parking garage
(previously the Wesley Foundation).
- President Peters said
the mid-year increments will be 1% across the board and 1% for those on the
approved list.
- Scott Peska presented a
report on the University REACH Program, which helps under prepared students by
having upperclass students contact at-risk first-year students for support.
H.
University Council
–
- There was concern about
pensions, CMS, and about the minimum wage increase because that will translate
into about $1 million for NIU. This will
limit the number of student jobs available.
- There was also
discussion of the affordability of higher education. Non-tuition costs are having the biggest
impact on affordability.
- There was discussion
about Fit Gap issues related to NIU Connect.
VII. Old Business
–
A.
Strategic
Planning Task Force
Members of the Task Force
will return to give periodic updates.
Information about the Task Force’s activity is also posted on line.
B.
Old
Photos for Website
Old photos will be placed
on the new OSC website to provide a historical perspective of the Council. Turner will begin training in January for
Council members on maintaining the OSC website. There will be an archive
section for old photos.
C. Increments
All employees will get
the 1% mid-year increment and Turner handed out a list of classes who will get
the additional 1% supplemental increment.
Supplements were based on looking at the averages of the salary ranges
statewide and comparing it to NIU. A
total of 832 Operating Staff and 441 SPS positions will get the additional 1%.
VIII. New
Business -
A. Leave Policies for University Closures.
Many people are asking
why they had to use benefits on December 1 when the university was officially
closed. The matter was referred to the
benefits committee for further investigation.
IX. Adjournment – A motion was made at 11:55 a.m. to
adjourn.
Respectfully Submitted,
Theresa
Kinniry
OSC Secretary