July 1997

Minutes-July 10, 1997 Meeting

Staff Advisory Council Minutes
Thursday, July 10, 1997
LaFortune Student Center - Notre Dame Room
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Present: Sue Baum-Lentine, Jan Blazi, Larry Born, Rachel Boyd, Dan Brazo, Tammy Chapman, Gina DeLaruelle, Julie Ferraro, Debbie Fox, Rita Grontkowski, Carl Hubbard,Chuck Klein, JoAnn Longenecker, Sue Penrod, Tracie Santicola, Jennifer Schafer, Amy Tremel, and Scott Uekert.

Absent: Rhonda Barkley, Phyllis Campbell, Victoria Cotton, Pat Dillman, Toby Green, Pam Jobin, Norma Mezykowski, Don Newsom, Michael Presnell, Diane Schlatterbeck, Fred Sonneborn, and Deanna Zukowski.

HR Liaisons: Pam Zarazee and Wendy Mott.
Dan Brazo, Chair called the meeting to order at 1:07 p.m.

Dan Brazo welcomed two new Council members from District #14 and District #22. Gina DeLaruelle, Telecommunications, will be replacing Pat Trost who has been promoted and transferred to the Alumni Department in District #14. Carl Hubbard, South Dining Hall, will be replacing Barbara Wiggins who has transferred to the new Food Services Support Facility in District #22.

I. Approval of Minutes from the June 12, 1997 meeting
Amy Tremel made a motion to accept the June 12, 1997 meeting minutes. Sue Baum-Lentine seconded the motion. A vote was taken and all present Council members voted in favor of passing this motion.

II. Ad Hoc Committee Reports
Parking Committee:(Larry Born)
Larry Born attended his first meeting as the Staff representative for the Parking Committee. At this time, discussions are continuing concerning the University parking situation.

Ad-Hoc Retirement Committee: (Chuck Klein, Toby Green and Sue Baum-Lentine) Chuck Klein stated that this committee has attempted to reach many organizations. The committee agrees information with regard to pension programs is hard to obtain and comprehend for comparison purposes. Chuck Klein and Sue Baum-Lentine reviewed with the Council the committee's Retirement Ad-Hoc Committee Proposal. Dan Brazo shared with the Council that Rich Nugent asked to continue the discussion on this topic when he and Rita Winsor would be present to answer specific questions and provide information with regard to the Staff Pension Plan. Dan stated that this topic would be tabled until the next regularly scheduled meeting.

III. Update on District Assignments and Election Situation Dan Brazo gave an update and explained that the Elections Committee will need to run a special election for District #23 and District #24. Pat Dillman, South Dining Hall has been transferred from The Huddle to the South Dining Hall and Tracie Santicola, Catalog Center has been promoted and transferred to another department on campus and each district had no alternates. The Elections Committee will meet to get the special election underway as quickly as possible.

Tracie's vacancy on the Council will leave an opening on the Standing Elections Committee and the Communications Committee. Dan asked for volunteers from the Council to fill those vacancies. Gina DeLaruelle will now serve on the Elections Committee and Julie Ferraro will serve on the Communications Committee.

IV. Night Differential Discussion
Debbie Fox made a motion to table this discussion until the Council members who are directly involved with this issue are in attendance. JoAnn Longenecker seconded the motion. A vote was taken and all present Council members were in favor of the motion.

V. New Business - Review list of new issues
The Council held a discussion of issues that they feel are important to those they represent. The Council worked on accumulating a draft list of these issues they include (in no particular order): anniversary date for vacation schedule, sick-leave, workers compensation, night shift differential, parking (on-going), supervisors/promotions with regard to fair performance evaluations, retirement pension, educational benefit for non-exempt employees, new ideas for staff recognition, grievance procedure (pending), and continuous communications regarding the Classification Review Project.

The Council requested that a future presentation be given by Risk Management and Safety with regard to educating Council members on the University's workers compensation program.

Also, the Council requested some statistics on the exempt/non-exempt winners of presidential awards from the Staff Recognition Dinner for the past five years. Wendy Mott stated she would gather this information.

VI. Set the Agenda for the Thursday, August 14, 1997 meeting
A tentative agenda is as follows:
I. Approval of Minutes from the July 10, 1997 meeting
II. Night Differential
III. Retirement Benefits
IV. Finalize New Topics List
V. Set new agenda for the Thursday, September 11, 1997 meeting

A Council member recommended and the Council agreed that the Human Resources Liaisons attending each meeting should be listed in the minutes.

The Council discussed the importance of participation in the meetings by every Council member. Dan Brazo stated that the Executive Council will be sending a letter to those Council members who were not in attendance and did not notify an Executive Council Member within 24 hours, or as soon as possible of the meeting as is stated in the by-laws (Article III, c, #2.)

Julie Ferraro made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 2:55 p.m. Sue Baum-Lentine seconded the motion. A vote was taken and all Council members present were in favor.

The next regularly scheduled meeting is Thursday, August 14, 1997 at 1 p.m. in the Notre Dame Room of the LaFortune Student Center.

Respectfully Submitted,
Communications Committee