Staff Senate Minutes
November 15, 2006
The Staff Senate met on November 15, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in Reynolds 210. Senators in attendance were Jill Bond, Rebecca Chiles, La’Tricia Davis, Wayne Garner, Brenda Garrett, Diane Johnson, Pat King, Kellye Ogle, Beth Scroggins, Cledis Stuart, Houston Taylor, and David Wingfield. Julie Stroebele served as proxy for Dr. Roger Guevara and Brenda Garrett served as proxy for Art Horne. There was one visitor, Amanda DeAnne Creed, in attendance.
Approval of Minutes
Since there was not a quorum of senators present, the minutes for the October meeting were unable to be approved, nor were any motions or voting issues able to occur. The remainder of the meeting consisted of several committee reports and an exchange of ideas and opinions on issues.
Committee Reports
Health Promotion
Dr. Roger Guevara and Cledis Stuart met with Roger Giles to discuss the possibility of establishing the University Preventative Health Promotion Program. Mr. Giles offered the following suggestions and considerations:
-There should be a 75%-80% rate of participation
-Taking time off during the work hours will be a challenge for a state agency
-Establish a funding plan before introducing program
-Initiate program with a concentration on health education and awareness
-Coordinate with local agencies (i.e. hospitals, clinics, physicians, University Health Services, etc. to conduce annual and/or semi-annual check-ups
-Who will coordinate program or act as clearinghouse?
-Difficulty in measuring success of program
Overall, Mr. Giles thought the program was a good idea, however challenging. He mentioned that in order to notice an economical gain the program would have to exist for at least four to five years and even at then, measuring the gain would be somewhat cumbersome. Additionally, he stated that the program is an aggressive goal to achieve.
Academic Affairs
It is anticipated that several new degrees, in Agriculture, Chemistry and Industrial Technology, will be added soon.
Commencement
Fall 2006 Commencement will be held Friday, December 15, 2006. Nursing commencement will be held at 2:30 p.m. in Harton Theater, and regular commencement will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the W.T. Watson gym.
It was also mentioned that soon there may be Honor Graduates in the Associate Degree Programs.
There has been a change in one department — Broadcast Journalism has now become Digital Media.
Fringe Benefits
Proposals by USAble and Aflax for flexible spending plans and cafeteria plans were considered. It was decided to stay with the USAble. A new proposal for a 403B plan may be considered soon.
New Business
Staff Awards Breakfast
The date for the next Staff Awards Breakfast is March 26, 2007. This event has been scaled down a bit and an effort has been made to not be so elaborate for the purpose of ease in planning and implementing. We will need a new chair person this year. La’Tricia has served very well in this capacity, but wishes to decline the position this year.
Other
There was a question about the employee retirement contributions made by the university. Houston indicated that in his communication with Roger Giles, the contributions to the two state retirement systems are set by the state legislature and the boards of the two systems. The legislature provides an authorization and then the boards set the contribution rate based on the authorization. The contribution to the state retirement funds is by the university, with an option for the individual to contribute more. In addition, the university offers supplemental retirement plans. Roger is currently reviewing the state statute to determine if additional funding can be placed into the alternate retirement plan (TIAA-CREF).
There are new hours for Thanksgiving week. We will be working 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with 30 minute lunches on Monday and Tuesday and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. This time schedule will allow us to get our hours in for the week while also being able to take off work a little early (noon on Wednesday). The Staff Senate expressed agreement with this policy.
Adjournment
There was no official adjournment, since we cannot make motions. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in Reynolds 210.
