Approved Minutes For Meeting On December 19, 2007

Date: December 19, 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, JP Dunn, Dave Hahn, Heidi Jung, Cordy Love, Dana McKenzie, Sandra Rhoads, Allison Sutphin.

Members Absent: Barbara Nowack, Lisa McKennedy, Mary Stammer, Sharon Walters.

Proxies: Patty Cosgrove for Brad Dillard, Allison Sutphin for Gabriele Hoffmann.

Visitors and Guests: Paul Bennett, Jon Geiger, Vanessa Sneed, Kim Taylor.

3. Minutes

The minutes of the November 28, 2007, meeting were approved as presented.

4. Adoption of Meeting Agenda: P. Curkin moved to approve the agenda; seconded by C. Love. Motion carried.

5. Reports

5.1 Chair 
T. Ashner reported: i) she is serving on an SIUC marketing implementation committee, formed as a result of the SimpsonScarborough research. That group is currently collecting information from all SIUC employees. The only survey that is now closed is the prospective student survey. The administration is positive about the results and has indicated that the firm's recommendations will be implemented; ii) she received an e-mail from Chancellor Treviño indicating that individual constituency heads meetings will not be scheduled in advance, but on an as needed basis. P. Curkin noted that at one time, the only groups that met one-on-one with the chancellors were Faculty Senate and Graduate Council. These individual meetings are important and put the Council on par with the faculty groups. She believes discontinuing the meetings would send the wrong message and suggested T. Ashner raise the issue with the other constituency heads. D. Castle commented that it may be an efficiency issue for the Chancellor. Also, it seems redundant to meet one-on-one with the Chancellor and also meet with him as a part of the constituency heads. T. Ashner responded that there are issues that come up occasionally that might need to be raised privately with the Chancellor. She is also concerned that giving up the one-on-ones now might result in losing them permanently.

T. Ashner expressed thanks to Council members for their work this year, especially the Ad Hoc Website Committee for coming up with recommendations to make the Council's website more user friendly. She also thanked S. Rhoads and the Committee on Committees for their work on the mentoring program. T. Ashner reported her goal for next semester is to meet and begin a relationship with the A/P Council in Springfield.

5.2 Board of Trustees - None.

5.3 Human Resources (HR) - None.

5.4 Representatives to University Committees

5.4a Traffic Appeals - To be rescheduled.

5.4b Recreational Sports and Services Advisory - Paul Bennett 
P. Bennett reported on the activities of the Advisory Board (see hol 1). He asked the Council whom he should be representing at the meetings, i.e., should he be doing what is best for the University or what is best for A/P. He noted he tries to take into consideration what is best overall. P. Cosgrove believes P. Bennett should be representing the A/P Staff Council at the meetings, but also believes that it is the responsibility of Council representatives to do what is best for the University.

5.4c University Joint Benefits - Vanessa Sneed/Kim Taylor 
V. Sneed reported the committee has met twice since she and K. Taylor were selected to serve. At the first meeting in September, committee members re-elected Steve Kraft as chair and elected Jeff Beaulieu as vice chair. There was also discussion about the question and answer sheets the committee has been working on for the past year on pension benefits and health care. There were concerns raised about using state resources to send the information sheets out to employees. At the November meeting, this concern was again briefly discussed. In addition, it was reported that in 2008, Illinois voters will be asked to vote whether to call a constitutional convention. There is concern that if such a convention is held, then constitutionally-protected benefits such as the 3% annual increase for retirees and [how the pension plan is funded] would be in jeopardy.

5.4d Academic Calendar - Jon Geiger 
J. Geiger distributed and discussed his report (see appendix 2). He pointed out the committee had three versions of the calendar from which to choose. He believes Version A most closely resembles what has been done in recent years. He expressed his concern about the difficulty of some A/P being able to get compensatory time off if they had to work on the weekend, which would likely occur in some offices with the other two versions. T. Ashner pointed out that A/P are not entitled to comp time, as are civil service. P. Cosgrove commented that A/P sign a contract when they are hired to work whenever needed. J. Geiger indicated the committee overall favored Version A, and he supported that version as well.

5.5 Standing Committees

5.5a Executive Committee 
A. Sutphin reported the committee reviewed the agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting. There was discussion on the request for Vice Chancellor McCurry (Institutional Advancement) to address the Council regarding the comprehensive capital campaign.

5.5b Committee on Committees 
S. Rhoads reported: i) three new people were hired in November; ii) the committee was asked to recommend a person to serve on the Judicial Review Board to replace Kari Bruce, who has left the University. The committee nominated Matt Baughman, Public Policy Institute, to complete the term. Nomination was approved.

5.5c Constituency Relations 
P. Curkin reminded everyone that applications/nominations are due on January 22 for the outstanding A/P award.

5.5d Operating Paper 
C. Love presented for a first reading a draft of the proposed changes to the Council's Operating Paper (included with the December agenda). A vote on the changes will be taken in January.

5.5e Staff Benefits 
D. Hahn reported the committee met on December 17 and discussed individual findings and comments with respect to the data that was available on A/P staff. Several areas of concern were discussed. The committee will continue to analyze the data and formulate questions and goals associated with those questions to bring to the Council either in January or February.

5.5f Staff Welfare 
JP Dunn reported the Judicial Review Board met on December 18 to discuss a case that was brought before the Board. M. Baughman, who is a former chair of the JRB, was in attendance; however, current Board Chair Carlos Del Rio was out on leave. JP Dunn reported the Board reviewed the case and decided there was not enough merit to proceed. He will be sending out a communication to all parties involved.

6. Old Business

H. Jung reported the Ad Hoc Website Committee met and discussed several ways to simplify the Council's website. Unless there is some disagreement, the committee believed it best to begin drafting a revision that could be seen by the Council some time in the spring.

7. New Business - None.

8. Announcements

C. Love reported that on January 14, New Student Programs is hosting a new student reception for all newly- admitted students. Also, if anyone has any important dates that they would like listed on the August 2008-July 2009 Saluki Family Association Calendar, please e-mail them to him at cordy@siu.edu so they can be included on the calendar.

9. Adjournment