1. Call to order and roll call

Members Present:

Marie Scholle, Chair: President, UAF Staff Council
Art Bukowski, President, UAA Assembly
Barb Tullis, Vice President, UAA Assembly
Don Lynch for Eric Heyne, President, UAF Faculty Senate
Scott Kawasaki, Representative, Associated Students of UAF
Rita Dursi Johnson, President, UAS Faculty Senate
Donna Chantry, President, UAS Staff Council
Betty Dupee, President, Statewide Administration Assembly
Ann Kennedy, Net Representative, Matanuska-Susitna Student Government Council

Members Absent:

Thomas Walker, President, Union of Students of UAA
Michael Willyerd, President, United Students of UAS-Ketchikan

Others Present:

Pat Ivey, System Governance
Jeannine Burnett, System Governance
Patty Kastelic, SW Office of Human Resources

2. Adopt agenda

MOTION (Passed, as amended to include Salary Structure)

"The System Governance Council moves to adopt the agenda for the January 19, 1996 meeting. This action is effective January 19, 1996."

MOTION (Passed unanimously, as presented)

"The System Governance Council moves to approve the minutes for the December 12, 1995 meeting. This action is effective January 19, 1996."

Scholle reported that she was still in the process of working with Patty Kastelic to find out when SW Human Resources had discussed the salary structure changes with governance, if at all. She stated that the tapes from the minutes of all the various groups had been reviewed and there was no evidence of Kastelic discussing the issue.

Art Bukowski stated that the UAA Assembly feels that there has been a major violation of policy and they are very concerned.

Scholle stated that it was her understanding that the changes to the upper ranges was a request from the Business Council.

Scholle stated that the Staff Alliance members would all be meeting in Juneau on February 14, 1996. Members would also be meeting with the legislators on the universityÕs behalf, along with members of the Alliance of Faculty Senate and the Coalition of Student Leaders, at the capital and would be attending the Board of Regents meeting on February 15 and 16.

5.1 Internet network: request for funding for new web server

Ivey stated that with the increasing usage of the internet, the needs of the System Governance Office have changed dramatically. Currently, the office is using the UNIX system, which is very time consuming because the current system requires the office staff to work cross-platform. The office is also maintaining the homepage for the Regents' Affairs Office and the Statewide Administration Assembly. Both of these groups have agreed to contribute up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new webserver computer system which would be housed in the System Governance Office and would maintain all the files for these offices. Ivey asked the Council if they would also be willing to contribute to this new server.

MOTION: (Passed, with one abstention)

"The System Governance Council agrees to contribute up to a maximum of $1,500.00 towards the purchase of a new webserver computer system, to be maintained by the System Governance Office staff. This action is effective January 19, 1996."

5.2 Other items of concern

Salary Structure Concerns

Patty Kastelic stated that in the Spring of 1995, the Business Council observed that the new salary schedule for staff had a higher Step A in the higher ranges than was required, in terms of market, i.e., to retain and attract qualified staff. She stated that the job evaluation system ranks jobs in the university at equal relative value to the market. In the higher ranges particularly, there may be a greater diversity of jobs in a single range, so some of these jobs, because of market, may require that the university pay more for a qualified person with the appropriate experience at that level for that particular job.

Because of this, the Business Council requested that SWHR lower the Step A of some of the higher grades and allow greater step authority to include the old A thru C, but adding some lower steps. Kastelic stated that this would have no impact on existing employees, since they had all been moved up to the original Step A at the point this was originally proposed.

She stated that she discussed this with Staff Council members from each of the MAUs, but did not discuss it with Faculty, since this is not a faculty issue. She stated that she heard no objections in her conversations. She stated that since this is a Regulation, and not a Policy, the President of the University is allowed to promulgate it.

Kastelic stated that the reason this was done during the summer months is because there is a preponderance of hiring for staff positions for the beginning of the academic year in the fall.

Bukowski stated that many of the Staff and APT Council members first became aware of the salary changes when the green salary book had been published, after the fact. He stated that the only discussions they had with Statewide was regarding the blue book.

6.1 Special Regents' meeting January 26

Scholle explained that there was to be a Special RegentsÕ meeting on January 26, 1996 in Fairbanks. The Academic and Student Affairs Committee will be meeting to talk about Review and Revision of Policies and Regulations regarding Academic and Student Affairs. Finance Facilities and Land Management will be meeting on Deferred Maintenance and in executive session for the appointment of general counsel. The Board would also be discussing faculty issues and possibly union issues.

6.2 Legislative information

Ivey noted that the System Governance Office had been asked to revamp the Legislative Affairs homepage and that it would available soon.

6.3 Budget update

This item was not discussed.

6.4 Statewide PAC: any more interest?

Scholle asked if any of the members had discussed this issue in their councils. Bukowski stated that he had discussed it with the UAA Assembly and they did not feel that there would be any need for it. Dursi Johnson also stated that at the UAS Faculty Senate meeting there was a lack of interest.

Don Lynch stated that it had been discussed at the UAF Faculty Affairs meeting and there appeared to be a lot of support for it.

None of the Staff Council had had a chance to discuss the issue.

6.5 Other information/discussion items

Scholle stated that her only concern is that she would like to see more involvement from the students because she is not real aware of what their concerns are. Ann Kennedy noted that since she is new with the Coalition, that she is just now in the process of getting up to speed.

7.1 Alliance of Faculty Senates

There was no report from the Alliance of Faculty Senates, except that they would be meeting on site in Juneau on February 14, 1996.

7.2 Coalition of Student Leaders

Ivey stated that the Coalition would be meeting in Juneau for their annual Student Leadership Conference after the Board of Regents meeting in Juneau, on February 17-18, 1996.

7.3 Staff Alliance

Scholle reported that the Staff Alliance has been very involved with the lobbying effort that will take place in Juneau in February.

7.4 Local governance groups

Chantry stated that the UAS Staff Council had met with the Chancellor and has received a lot of support from him and from the Deans and Directors. They are hoping to get more involvement their meetings.

Bukowski stated that the UAA Assembly had met in January and their main concern was the announced restructure of the academic units at UAA. This is in an effort to save up to $250,000. The Assembly will be discussing how governance will take a part in this restructure. Their other main concern was the salary structure implementation and the lack of governance input.

Bukowski stated that the UAA Provost announced that the Academic Affairs would be dealing with faculty compensation and setting up a committee to deal with salary equity. Dursi Johnson stated that the UAS Faculty Senate would also be working with this issue on the Juneau campus.

Don Lynch reported that the UAF Faculty Senate approved the American Sign Language as fulfilling the foreign language requirement in the core curriculum. They also passed a motion of sensor against the chancellor for violating the policy on selection of deans and directors.

7.5 Other reports

There were no other reports.

The next meeting of the System Governance Council was set for February 23, 1996. [ed. note: This date was changed to March 1, 1996]

There were no other items of concern.

There were no additional comments.

The meeting adjourned at 2:35pm.