Approved Minutes For November 28, 2007

Date: November 28, 2007 

Program:

1. The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Tuesday Ashner. Visitors and guests were welcomed and introduced.

2. Roll Call

Members Present Tuesday Ashner, Phil Bankester, Don Castle, Carla Coppi, Patty Cosgrove, Mike Cubley, Paulette Curkin, Brad Dillard, JP Dunn, Gabriele Hoffmann, Heidi Jung, Cordy Love, Lisa McKennedy, Dana McKenzie, Barbara Nowack, Sandra Rhoads, Allison Sutphin, Sharon Walters.

Members Absent: Dave Hahn.

Proxies: Allison Sutphin for Mary Stammer.

Visitors and Guests Terry Clark, Jake Baggott, Tammy Morris, Marge Selinger.

3. Minutes

The minutes of the October 17, 2007, meeting were approved as presented.

4. Adoption of Meeting Agenda: C. Love asked to amend the agenda to move item 5.2, the presentation by Barking Dawg Productions, to item 5.1. P. Curkin so moved; seconded by S. Rhoads. Motion carried.

5. Guest

5.1 T. Clark discussed the role of Barking Dawg Productions and provided information on demographic and enrollment trends in Illinois. He also presented the most recent print and video ad campaigns that have been developed, which include ads that are currently running on ESPN and in the Chicago area. The ads can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eeGYiovikQ&#160" class="regLink">

6. Reports

6.1 Chair 
T. Ashner reported: i) the Executive Committee will be creating an A/P listserv policy to bring to the Council for approval. There are 256 A/P subscribed to the discussion listserv. She suggested that if a policy is approved, the Council can campaign to get more people subscribed. She explained that the Council has two listservs one is a discussion (subscriber) list and the other is for announcements only. There needs to be some determinations made about what types of postings should be put on each; ii) there are 231 full-time A/P on the Springfield campus; iii) she has not been bringing the Board of Trustees binder to Council meetings because all the information is online at the Board's website. However, since she has been receiving requests to bring the binder, she will do so; iv) a plagiarism committee is being formed for the Board of Trustees because they do not have a plagiarism policy. There is also going to be an SIUC marketing committee formed.

6.2 Board of Trustees 
T. Ashner reported that at the November 8 meeting, it was announced that: i) SIU is acquiring a new Alumni Development System; ii) a fund raiser was held at Shedd Aquarium in October, and dinner was served to 100 donors and alumni; iii) the Autism Center received a grant; iv) funding was not renewed for the McNair Program. P. Curkin noted that SIU has since received its funding for the program; v) in FY08, there was a 1.9% increase in public university funding, and the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) received a full pension payment; vi) there is a capital bill at the legislature; vii) five MCMA students won Emmy awards; viii) the Forestry Club won first place at the Midwest Conclave; ix) last year, 34,000 hours of service to 60 different community organizations were performed by SIUC students; x) faculty pulled in $21 million in grants in the past two months; xi) SIUC has a 42% undergraduate graduation rate, which is figured on a six-year plan. This has held steady for the past 30 years and needs to increase; xii) there are 57% men and 43% women on campus. She believes the Board would like to see closer to 50-50. Other universities that were cited had more females than males; xiii) President Poshard announced that SIU must solve the issue of low numbers of minority faculty, staff and administrators on campus. He also reported that 85% of undergraduate students who receive the undergraduate assistantships graduate, so SIUC will put more money into that program; xiv) half of SIUC's graduates come from community colleges. The U.S. News and World Report lists SIUC's two shortfalls as low graduation rates and the fact that the top 10% of high school graduates do not come here; xv) a resolution approved $83 million for the Saluki Way budget, half of which is to be paid by students; xvi) Mario Moccia announced that he has four seven-figure donations adding up to $5.5 million. He has 300 prospects still to contact but is holding off until a budget is approved. There was a lengthy discussion about the attempts to decrease seating in both the Arena and the Stadium.

6.3 Human Resources - None.

6.4 Representatives to University Committees

6.4a Dining Services Advisory - Natalie Branca 
D. Castle reported the committee has not met but should soon because there is an RFP out for the new dining services contract. The committee should have some say in the process. He hopes N. Branca will have something to report some time in the spring.

6.4b SURS Members Advisory - Jake Baggott 
J. Baggott reported on the October 16 meeting: The committee spent some time discussing securities litigation updates in light of all the stock markets losses that occurred. The impact on SURS investments was substantial. Since then, SURS has been involved in litigation to recover some of those losses. They have compiled a 20-page list of claims against different corporations from which they are attempting to recover losses. They have recovered $6.2 million in settlements since 2001.

J. Baggott provided information on SURS investment returns, which are doing well; he also provided and discussed information about SURS funding and the state net annual required contribution (ARC) payment (see appendix). This is a new governmental accounting standard that not only requires the state to determine their liability for the pension system, but also what the liabilities are for other benefits. The state has not been reporting that, and it is now a requirement. The current $43 billion deficit will jump up significantly, and that will impact bond market rates and the cost of borrowing money across the state. J. Baggott indicated there is concern that this information could be used to make changes in pension benefits. In order to do that, however, the state would have to make some constitutional changes. Next fall, there will be a question about a constitutional amendment. This has to occur every 20 years, and the last was in 1988. The constitution currently protects annuities/pension with wording that states, "benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired." J. Baggott noted the last time there was a constitutional convention and a vote was taken, it failed. He does not expect that it will pass the next time, but as pressure continues to cut costs, it is something to which attention will need to be paid. There was much general discussion about the public's lack of understanding about the cost of funding and issues of public pension systems.

J. Baggott reported the committee passed three resolutions, the first expressing appreciation that the state paid what it was required to pay to the pension system this year. The second resolution cautions the Board and state to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities, and the third asks SURS to examine the use of the traditional plan as the default when new employees do not select an option. J. Baggott noted the next meeting will be in April.

T. Ashner asked about the legislation relating to receiving a state pension and social security. J. Baggott responded that it is federal legislation, and work is onging. JP Dunn indicated he was recently asked to serve on the State Universities Annuitants Association's (SUAA) political action committee. That group is lobbying for the legislation, called the Windfall Elimination Provision, to pass. J. Baggott pointed out that the PAC is a separate organization from SUAA; they are funded separately and have been very successful in generating support for those activities.

6.4c Traffic Appeals - To be rescheduled.

6.5 Standing Committees

6.5a Executive Committee - None.

6.5b Committee on Committees 
S. Rhoads reported: i) four new people were hired in October; ii) eight individuals responded to the call for mentor volunteers that went out on the [subscriber] listserv this month; iii) the committee was asked to recommend one person for the Board of Trustees Plagiarism Committee. S. Rhoads then presented for approval the nomination of Greg Scott, Institutional Advancement, to serve on the Board of Trustees Plagiarism Committee. Nomination was approved; iv) Pat Eckert (Continuing Education) was appointed to the Screening Committee for Director of the Student Health Center. No appointment was made to the Search Committee for Dean of the College of Engineering as the search has been put on hold until spring.

6.5c Constituency Relations 
P. Curkin asked staff to consider submitting nominations for the outstanding A/P and the outstanding A/P teaching support awards. Nominations are due January 22, 2008. She indicated the committee met one time to make a decision on the posters, but nothing has gone out at this time. The information is somewhat hard to locate on the web. In other business, T. Ashner commented that the joint A/P Staff Council and Civil Service Council luncheon with the Board of Trustees went well.

6.5d Operating Paper 
C. Love distributed and reviewed a draft of proposed changes to the Council's Operating Paper. He asked for Council members to review the changes and submit to him any questions or suggestions prior to the December Council meeting. A final draft will come before the Council as a first reading in December.

6.5e Staff Benefits 
D. Castle reported the committee met and received a report from M. Selinger on all A/P staff that includes job titles, classifications, salary ranges, departments, etc. The committee is working on supplementing that with some other information. At this point, the committee is attempting to determine the breadth of the constituency.

6.6f Staff Welfare 
JP Dunn reported the committee met and discussed the mentoring survey. He is awaiting more comments and hopes to have it ready for review at the December meeting. The committee is moving ahead on the survey to determine the needs of constituents in order to put together a nice package of welcome material. They would also like to know what common questions constituents who have been here a while might have. JP Dunn indicated there is a question for Kathy Blackwell (Human Resources) that will hopefully appear in Southern Spotlight.

7. Old Business

H. Jung reported the Ad Hoc Website Committee is set to meet December 4. They are gathering information and ideas.

8. New Business - None.

9. Announcements

P. Curkin announced that this is AIDS Awareness Week on campus. Free HIV testing is being offered on November 28 at the Student Center for those who might be interested. December 1 is World AIDS Day.

10. Adjournment