Approved Minutes For Meeting On December 18, 2013 | Administrative Professional Staff Council | SIU

Date: December 18, 2013

Program:

1.The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. by the Chair, Kathy Jones. Visitors and guests were welcomed

2. Roll Call

Members Present:  Todd Bryson, Don Castle, Jon Geiger, Kathy Jones, Colleen Kuczynski, Don Patton, Charlotte Sarao, Rod Sievers, Matt Sronkoski, Jill Gobert, Valerie Brooks-Wallin

Members Absent:  Jeannie Killian, Angela Cummings-Hunter

Visitors and Guests:  Tracy Bennett, Dawn Null

Guest: Dawn Null, Healthy Campus Coalition

Guest speaker was Dawn Null, a Wellness Coordinator and Dietitian in the Student Health Services. Dawn was invited to speak to the council about the Healthy Campus Coalition Project. The American College Health Association has developed a program similar to the Healthy People 2020 Project.  They have looked at college student statistics from a health assessment survey. College Health looks at numerous topics, such as mental health, weight, nutrition, family planning, sex, drugs and alcohol plus more. The Coalition was borne to help students by encouraging healthier behavior. The Coalition was started at SIU in September and is still mobilizing and taking volunteers.  D. Null showed a short video on how student health fits into campus life and how the campus can be involved in healthier students.  Healthy Campus Coalition is identifying partners on campus, performing audits throughout campus, assessing where we stand as a healthy campus, then will look at the data collected and begin to prioritize the needs of the students.  Research shows that healthy students are more successful academically. The coalition will determine what changes need to be made on campus such as,  environmental factors, imparting knowledge to students and determining priorities of the students.

D. Null asked for questions from the Council. One of the questions asked: how is the information getting to the students?  D. Null said the Healthy Campus Coalition has not started marketing yet but plan to use social media and there has been great success in using the sidewalk chalk.   Other discussion from the Council included the discussion of cutting the Human Health classes such as Health Ed 101, Nutrition 101, and Kinesiology 101.  Some institutions have cut these courses, but they are important to student health initiatives. It was recommended the A/P Staff Council endorse saving these courses on our campus.  T. Bryson remarked that during the second week of January, Housing will be hosting five free fitness classes for students in Grinnell and Thompson Point. The Healthy Campus Coalition meets the first Friday of the month at the Student Health Center, Room 111-112 at 9:00 a.m.  For more information contact Dawn Null at dawnnull@siu.edu or call at 618-536-4441; they welcome the support.

4. Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes of the Council meeting on November 20, 2013, was made by Don Patton and seconded by Matt Sronkoski, minutes approved as presented.

5. Adoption of Meeting Agenda:  Chair Kathy Jones asked to add a discussion of the Chancellor’s remarks at the last meeting to the agenda under Old Business. Jon Geiger moved to adopt the agenda as amended; seconded by Charlotte Sarao. Motion carried.

6. Reports

6.1  Chair
K. Jones reported that the Constituency Heads meeting for November had been cancelled, but the December meeting is scheduled for later today.  K. Jones received notice from Linda McCabe-Smith’s office that the Campus Climate Survey that was being planned has been cancelled by the President’s office. The Council was reminded to read the minutes closely to catch any errors or corrections within them before approving and posting to the web.

6.2 Board of Trustees 
K. Jones attended the Board of Trustees meeting December 12th in Carbondale. It was a short meeting. During the academic matters portion, before the Board meeting, it was Carbondale’s turn to have presenters. There was a presentation from the Chancellor’s Scholars program and Applied Research Consultants or ARC. The presentations were very nice. Jones’ report is attached. (attachment A)

After the meeting, an Open Forum was held by the Presidential Search Advisory Committee similar to the one held on the Edwardsville campus.

6.3 Human Resources (HR) 
Tracy Bennett reported the changes/questions with retirement system are being sent to SURS.  There is information on the SURS website on the proposed changes. Another change for HR is there will be no more mass emails to employees on HR updates. HR will be putting information in the SIU Today online newsletter.  That is where employees need to look for announcements from HR.  W-2s will be coming out in January and now is the time to make sure your address is correct and other information is up-to-date. Keep using the self-service module and encouraging others to use it.

6.4 Representatives to University Committees

6.4a      Recreational Sports and Service Advisory Committee – Rod Sievers
The Committee meets once a month throughout the semester. R. Siever’s report is attached. (attachment B)  Sievers asked that if anyone has any recommendations for the Committee, pass them on to him.

6.4b      University Joint Benefits – Linda Drust
No report.

6.4c      Presidential Search Advisory Committee – Charlotte Sarao
The committee met on Carbondale campus on December 12th. An open forum was held to get information from the public on qualities required in a new president. C. Sarao’s report is attached. (attachment C)

6.5 Standing Committees

6.5a      Executive Committee – Jon Geiger
J. Geiger reported that the Committee discussed the minutes and how thorough they are and need to be.  Dawn Null was added to the agenda for the December Council meeting. The Moe Wallace catering bill was discussed; it is still being disputed. The Executive Committee discussed the operating paper and the research regarding A/P sectors from other councils around the state.  

6.5b      Committee on Committees – Charlotte Sarao
C. Sarao reported that there are now two vacancies on the Judicial Review Board. Todd Bryson volunteered to replace Yvonne Spencer. Sarao said she would be seeking a volunteer to fill the other vacancy.

6.5c      Constituency Relations – Rod Sievers
No report.

6.5d      Operating Paper – Kathy Jones
K. Jones referred Council members to the document she sent via email comparing the constituency membership criteria and sector representation for A/P staff between the University of Illinois, SIU and Northern Illinois University. She noted that the Operating Paper Committee had researched operating papers for a number of Illinois public universities examining how councils representing administrative professional staff on those campuses define their membership and divide the constituency into sectors for voting purposes. 

The Committee is looking for guidance from the Council on how to proceed with three questions in regard to revisions to the Operating Paper.  Should we:
1.         Revise the current definition of our electorate to make it more specific?
2.         Increase the number of members on the council to facilitate getting the council’s work done?
3.         Look at the concept of increasing the number of sectors in order to improve representation?

After some discussion, T. Bryson moved and R. Sievers seconded that the Committee should continue their research into coming up with a more specific definition of the electorate.  After further discussion on the need to enlarge the Council to accommodate its workload and to increase the number of sectors to improve representation, the Council agreed that the Committee should continue to explore growing the Council and increasing the number of sectors.

6.5e      Staff Benefits/Staff Welfare – Don Castle
D. Castle reported that the committee has met once since last council meeting. Committee is continuing to research the term/continuing contract issue.  The Committee is going to rework the list of current A/P staff and continue to analyze the data. The Committee is going to review the issue with of dual A/P and faculty appointments. D. Castle has scheduled a meeting on Jan. 16th for JRB training and electing a chair. Hopefully the JRB will be active in January.  D. Castle recommends that the Staff Benefits and Welfare Committee be split again because of the work load. 

K. Jones brought up that the Council needs to explore the possibility of a member of the Council serving on the Chancellor’s Planning and Budget Committee.

7. Old Business -

K. Jones opened the discussion of the chancellor’s comments at the November meeting.  It was a very good exchange, and Jones felt the chancellor heard the council about the concerns expressed by some staff members.  K. Jones suggested the council look at the six things that the chancellor listed as important that A/P could help with, to try to do something positive with one or two of those items moving forward into 2014.

  
8. New Business

J. Geiger brought up scheduling a happy hour for the end of January.  Nominations are needed for Staff Excellence Awards, deadline is Jan. 17th.  K. Jones announced putting together an Ad Hoc Elections Committee – Valerie Brooks Wallin is chair because she is the Secretary; Charlotte Sarao and Jill Gobert volunteered to serve.

9. Announcements

No announcments.

10. Adjournment

Motion was made by Todd Bryson to adjourn and seconded by Matt Sronkoski. Meeting was adjourned at 3:12 p.m.