October 9, 2014

Staff Advisory Council Minutes

Thursday, October 9, 2014

McNeill Room, LaFortune Student Center

Present:          

Tami Springer, Evelyn Mitchell,  Char-Anna Koblick, Robyn Karkiewicz, Michael Mueller, Kristi Lax-Walker, Kim Miller, Daniel Juckett, Joe Reimers,  Bobbi McMahon, Kathy Troth, Susan Nugent, Amanda Huerta, Elaine Brown

Excused:        

Patrice Mullen, Jan Solkey, Shebra Guidry, Marilyn Ipsen

Unexcused:     

Adam Zielinski, Tricia Dalenberg

Guests:           

Denise Murphy, HR Benefits

HR Liaison:    

Sharon Hawkins

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 1:10 pm by Tami Springer. The late start was due to a change in location.

September minutes were reviewed – Char-Anna Koblick made a motion to approve with a second by Bobbi McMahon.

II. Committee Updates

Benefit Committee

No meeting.  Denise Murphy was at the SAC meeting to present changes in benefits.

Parking Appeals

No report. The SAC rep (Tricia Dalenberg) was absent.

Promotions Committee

Nothing to report.

Website Committee

Website is updated.

ECDC

Nothing to Report. No meetings scheduled until 2015.

Compassion Fund

1 request was funded this month.

III. New Business

Denise Murphy presented the new insurance rates for 2015. There were no changes to EyeMed or Delta Dental. The supplemental life insurance is increasing due to an increase in deaths this year. Also, the emergency copayment is increasing from $150 to $200 and the outpatient surgery copay is increasing from $150 to $350 on the Meritain HMO. Overall, increases in health insurance premiums were not substantial.

Denise announced that the OB/GYN practice at South Bend Clinic will no longer accept St. Joseph Hospital as a provider for delivery of babies only. Pregnant women who are patients at the South Bend Clinic will have to switch to OBGYN of Michiana to access services at St. Joseph Hospital on the Select Network.

The University plans to roll out a new plan for short term disability and the way absences are calculated in 2016.

IV. Additional Business

Sharon Hawkins will try to have samples from the vendor of the polo shirts at the November meeting so we can decide on a color.

ND Voice is online now. They have gathered information through this survey every even year since 2006.

Tami announced November’s guest is Doug Marsh, the University Architect, and that there will be a potluck at December’s meeting to celebrate Christmas with a sign-up sheet at November’s meeting.

Tami asked if any members in the odd districts plan to quit SAC for this year’s elections, and Elaine Brown indicated she did not want to be on SAC after this year.

Tami announced that elections will be underway by mid-November to allow time before Christmas break for choosing new representatives so they can be in place by January’s meeting (unlike last year, which was delayed one month).

Town Hall Meeting was discussed briefly. Of particular interest was the restriping of the Bulla parking lot. This is being done to increase the number of parking spots. Also, the Legends/stadium parking lot will be torn up again after the last home football game for construction work on the Crossroads project.

V. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn at 2:15 pm. by Kathy Troth and seconded by Robyn Karkiewicz.