February 2004

1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Notre Dame Room, LaFortune 

 

Present: Don Anglin, Julann Bauer, Dawn Bell, Bettye Bielejewski, Lisa Buckland, Karen Casey, Becky DeBruyn, Amy Dorn, Maryellen Fetherolf, Jim Gloster, Sharon Harwell, Jennifer Ihns, Annette Klimek, Sharon Konopka, Stephanie Maenhout, Susan McGonigal, Roberta McMahon, Angela Miller McGraw, Jane Nielson, Terry Oxender, Joy Schosker, Kathy Stopczynski, Irene Stines, Terrell Ward-Thomas, Holly Webb, Troy Webb, Melodie Wise, and Lisa Yates.

 

Absent (Excused): None

 

Absent (Not Excused): None

 

HR Liaisons: Barbara Villarosa and John Whelan.

 

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Melodie Wise at 1:05 p.m. Melodie welcomed new district representatives and provided a brief overview of the Robert’s Rules of Order. 

 

II. Approval of the January 12, 2004 Council Minutes

A motion was made by Jane Nielson and seconded by Irene Stines to approve the minutes from the January 12, 2004 meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved as presented.

 

Special Recognition: As the departing Chairperson of SAC, Melodie requested that Stephanie Maenhout conduct the balance of the meeting. John Whelan presented a certificate to Melodie in recognition of her contributions as the SAC Chairperson from 2000-2004 and expressed his sincere appreciation for her hard work and efforts over the years. The Council then enjoyed some refreshments in honor of Melodie. 

 

The meeting resumed with brief introductions from district representatives.

 

III. Election of Officers

Stephanie described the role of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary/Treasurer, which serve a one-year term, and asked for self-nominations. Without any self-nominations, Stephanie Maenhout accepted the nomination of Chairperson. Susan McGonigal volunteered to serve as Vice Chairperson, and Lisa Yates as Secretary/Treasurer. The Officers of the Staff Advisory Council for 2004-2005 stands as follows:

Chairperson Stephanie Maenhout

Vice Chairperson Susan McGonigal

Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Yates

 

There was brief discussion regarding district elections and the information transferred to Stephanie. John Whelan stated that he would review District 22 and report back to the group.

 

IV. Committee Reports and New Committee Representatives

Promotions Committee: Susan McGonigal explained the charge of the Promotions Committee and asked for one volunteer. Barbara Klowetter volunteered to join the committee. John Whelan suggested that the group consult with the University’s media group on such issues as promotional materials and a new logo design.

 

Parking Committee: Stephanie Maenhout will continue to represent SAC on the Parking Committee. She stated that this committee only meets once or twice a year and suggested putting it on the agenda as needed and not on a regular basis. The Council concurred.

 

Parking Appeals Committee: Stephanie Maenhout will continue to represent SAC on the Parking Appeals Committee, which meets regularly and has dealt frequently with violations regarding improper parking and complaints about the lack of parking.

 

Ad hoc Committee on Women’s Issues: Susan McGonigal explained the purpose of this committee and highlighted some upcoming events. After some discussion, the Council agreed that men should not be excluded from attending functions and events sponsored by this committee if they express an interest but that promotional materials should continue to be targeted to only women. Two new members volunteered to join the Ad hoc Committee on Women’s Issues. They are Terry Oxender and Joy Schosker.

 

Web Page Article: Lisa Yates volunteered to maintain the SAC website.

 

Archive of Minutes: Stephanie Maenhout updated the group on her progress with organizing and purging duplicates of SAC minutes and other materials. Once completed, SAC minutes and related documents will be retained by year and archived in the Library for easy access and reference. Information related to the Ad hoc Committee on Women’s Issues will be reviewed and archived by the committee.

 

V. NDWorks Feedback from Constituents

The group discussed feedback from constituents on the recent issue of NDWorks. John Whelan indicated that he would share the group’s feedback with Gail Mancini and report back to the group. Comments shared were as follows:

 

? Parking article was helpful.

? Easier not to have labels for sortation reasons.

? Too long and too technical. Renovare article was too long. 

? The Staff News was a “feel good” – this is too formal.

? More faculty related. People feel it is more about faculty and administrators as opposed to non-exempt staff. Maybe just one page geared toward staff.

? Where’s the trading post? Where are the bus trips?

? People appreciate hearing about deaths, births, anniversaries – what goes on with US.

? Needs more information about campus-wide issues and happenings.

? Liked when one department or office was profiled in HR Connections.

? NDWorks is not personally labeled. It is up to the department to distribute throughout.

? Some people don’t know what it is. It sits on a table without being picked up. Many people didn’t even look at it.

 

VI. Review Goals for 2004

John Whelan suggested that the group review the 2004 goals as established at the last SAC meeting and select the top five areas/issues to focus on throughout the year, retaining the balance for future discussion. 

 

Benefits: The Council briefly discussed the goals under the Benefits category and suggested that Denise Murphy, Director of Benefits, attend the next meeting to address the feasibility of some of these issues as well as stated concerns regarding the administration of Flexible Spending Accounts by NAHP. 

 

Stephanie then reviewed each of the remaining categories with the group commenting on each as follows:

 

Communications & Promotional Materials: The Promotions Committee will review and address promotional materials and public awareness initiatives. Stephanie directed the Council to the Bylaws regarding SAC responsibilities. Communications with CAAG will occur as needed, specifically when similar issues are being addressed or focused on, which could include the sharing of minutes and attending CAAG or SAC meetings. Once an Executive Vice President is appointed, it will be important to establish a regular schedule for him/her to address the Council.

 

Employment Opportunities: John will present information at the next SAC meeting regarding the process used to fill new and vacant positions, promotions and transfers, and other career opportunities as well as the difference in benefits between non-exempt and exempt staff. John will also look into the issue involving the perceived termination of Hall Monitors.

 

Payroll: John will check with the Payroll Department on the feasibility of being paid bi-weekly instead of twice monthly. John will also discuss with Payroll and Athletics any limitations associated with a payroll deduction for Season Football Tickets over a specified period of time. John briefly discussed tentative plans for the staff annual pay increase effective July 2004. He stated that he would provide additional information when it becomes available regarding the approved percentage and how the percentage was determined (i.e., was the cost-of-living index factored into the percentage and, if so, how). John encouraged the group to review the University’s Annual Report, highlighting University costs and finances.

 

The group agreed to postpone discussion on the remaining categories (Presentations, Professional Development, and Reward Systems) until the next meeting.

 

VI. Adjournment

With no further business to come before the Council, motion to adjourn was made by Jane Nielson and seconded by Don Anglin, and unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Barbara Villarosa, Recorder