UA System Governance Council
Meeting
Thursday, December 3, 1998
2:30-4:30pm by audioconference
Draft Minutes
1. Call to order and roll call
Voting members present:
Marie Scholle, Chair
Rita Bowen, President, UAS Staff Council, 1997-1999
Hilary Davies, President-elect 1997-1998 and President, 1998-99,
UAA Assembly
Betty Dupee, President, Statewide Administrative Assembly, 1998-99
Ron Gatterdam, President-elect, UAF Faculty Senate, 1998-1999
Jean Richardson, President, ASUAF, 1998-1999 at 3:00pm
Patti Thorne, Vice President, UAA Assembly, 1998-1999
Shannon Christensen, President-elect, UAF Staff council for Darlette Powell, representative
Others present:
Lauren Bruce, President, UAA Faculty Senate
Ann Ringstad, Director, UA Government Relations
Absent:
Janet Dye, Chair, UAS Faculty Council, 1998-1999
Josh Hunter, President, USUAA, 1998-1999
Josh Horst, President, USUAS-J, 1998-1999
Rob Fitch, President, Kodiak College Student Association
2. Adopt agenda
MOTION: Moved by Dupee, seconded by Davies,passed without objection
"The System Governance Council moves to adopt the agenda for the December 3, 1998 meeting. This action is effective December 3, 1998."
3. Approve minutes
/Council/Minutes/1998/07-23.htmlMOTION:
Moved by Davies, seconded by Dupee, passed without objection"The System Governance Council moves to approve the minutes for the July 23, 1998, meeting. This action is effective December 3, 1998."
/Council/Minutes/1998/1998-09-24.pdf
MOTION: Moved by Davies, seconded by Dupee, passed without objection
"The System Governance Council moves to approve the minutes for the September 24, 1998, meeting. This action is effective December 3, 1998."
Citing his belief that no meetings should be held unless action is scheduled to be taken, Mr. Gatterdam introduced a motion to adjourn.
MOTION: Moved by Gatterdam, seconded by Davies, with 2 voting yes and four voting no, the motion failed.
"The System Governance Council moves to adjourn the December 3, 1998 meeting. This action is effective December 3, 1998.
MOTION: Moved by Gatterdam, the motion failed for lack of a second.
"The System Governance Council moves to abolish the System Governance Council."
Mr. Gatterdam departed the meeting, thus a quorum was lost. The meeting was temporarily turned into a workshop so the discussions could continue until other members arrived.
A discussion of the Council’s responsibilities , per the Council constitution ensued. The discussion focused on the responsibility of the Council to provide a forum for discussion of issues affecting the university community and to draw support for the university .
Council constitution
ARTICLE III.B. Role
The Council shall provide an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to interact with the university president, regents and others regularly to discuss matters including, but not limited to, the following: policies and procedures for, and participating in, the university budget process; the framing of long range plans; university development; enhancing the university's public image and educating the public. The Council shall communicate the results of those discussions to the university community. The Council may also coordinate matters of mutual concern to the Alliance of Faculty Senates, the Staff Alliance and the Coalition of Student Leaders.
6. Chair’s report
Marie Scholle asked Rita Bowen to represent the Staff Alliance at
the Governor’s inauguration.
7. OLD BUSINESS
7.1.1.Coalition of Student Leaders
Richardson reported that the presidential retreat went fairly well. They talked about course transferability.
The larger issue is that classes are taught very differently depending on where they are taught. Not every UA campus will teach a biology class the same way or to the same the standard. UA professors know what kind of courses are taught at the various campus and to what standard and are therefore much more stringent about what transfers and applies when the courses are from a UA campus as opposed to those from other institutions where they do not know.
Ivey mentioned the Faculty Alliance work on grade policy and course level definitions. Davies responded that despite anything written down to police faculty, the individual faculty member in the classroom determines the standards and whether or not courses transfer.
Richardson responded that students want their classes, regardless of on which campus they are taught, to be of quality, that the text is of quality and will meet everyone’s requirements. Davies indicated that standardized course standards and content may not be possible because of the different institutional missions and programs.
Davies said the key to transferability is good advising. Students have a right to know what transfers and what doesn’t. Davies suggested that the issue of advising should be discussed by faculty governance.
Bruce cautioned against trying to make everything standard across the system to solve a 5% transfer problem.
Richardson said students want to know whether or not courses transfer and apply to degrees BEFORE they take the courses, not after. Bruce suggested guidelines be available at registration advising students to check with their professors and advisors before taking courses.
7.1.2 Faculty Alliance
Bruce reported on the Faculty Alliance retreat with the president where he challenged UAA resulted in a 42 page response from the Anchorage faculty. Some of the Anchorage faculty felt that the president had a lot of misinformation about UAA. The president had several issues he wanted addressed.
The UAA report is on the internet at
The UAA report provided the president with a lot of useful information. A retreat summary was sent to Faculty Alliance members, and to the president. It was also included in the report to the Board of Regents and was distributed by e-mail to the Council.
Ivey reported that the alumni association retreat went very well, that alumni were enthusiastic and that followup meetings of the president with individual alumni associations were planned. The alumni are talking about a joint fly-in to Juneau in March. The UAF alumni assocition will host a reception at the Capitol for legislators in February.
Thorne reported that the retreat with the President was a positive thing. It was good to have face-to-face contact with the president, for him to see the people who work at the university and know the people he can contact when he has questions. The most positive outcome from the entire day was the letter from the president to the chancellors encouraging them to support staff governance and people who serve in a governance capacity. That support seems to have been improved by his input. The participants didn’t want the retreat to end when it did with the president being called away to another special meeting.
As a result of the letter the president sent to the chancellors, the UAS chancellor informed supervisors that they had to release staff to attend governance meetings, eight UAS staff volunteered to participate in staff governance where none were willing before. Elections will be held in January to elect officers to take office in May.
Quorum was re-established at this point with the arrival of Jean Richardson.
7.2 Survey results (legislative and gubernatorial candidates)
This was an item of information. No action was required.
7.3Other old business
Scholle and Bruce reported that they had misgivings originally when the directive first came out from the president, but after having tried it out at the November Board meeting are now very positive about the process and the discussions with Board committees.
8. NEW BUSINESS
Ann Ringstad reported that the revenue forecasts were pretty grim and now the legislators are looking for alternative funding and advising departments to do the same, to make up for the alleged $2 billion shortfall. Meanwhile the Board of Regents are still going forward with their budget as requested with the additional $16.2 million per year for the next three years. The UA budget was submitted to the Governor two days ago. It is uncertain what the Governor’s reaction will be.
Ringstad is putting together a number of advocacy groups to support the university in the legislature. She is preparing some fact sheets and information packets are being prepared for the groups and for the legislators so they know what the university is about, what the UA issues are and so that university advocators will have some good information.
Ringstad is also assisting with the finalization the details of the scholarship program so the president can send out notices in January. President Hamilton will be meeting with principals and counselors in Fairbanks and Anchorage in January and in Juneau in early February. Everyone is excited about the program. Several students have already called about the program.
Scholle said new governance buttons will be prepared .which will hopefully be in campus colors. The proposed slogan is
"Everyone wants jobs for Alaskans. UA trains Alaskans for jobs." Hilary suggested that the word "trains" might make it seem like the UA is only voc-tech and suggested that "trains" be replaced with "prepared."
MOTION: Moved by Davies, seconded by Dupee, passed without objection.
"The System Governance Council moves that the slogan for this year’s UA support campaign buttons shall be ‘Everyone wants jobs for Alaskans. UA prepares Alaskans for jobs.’ These buttons are to be prepared in the respective campus colors. This action is effective December 3, 1998."
Scholle asked when the Staff Alliance should go to Juneau.
Ringstad said it would be good for the staff to get together with another group and go with them. She will look at her calendar and advise when would be the best time. She wants to spread the groups out so that one per week goes to Juneau and that way provide a constant source of UA support to the legislature. April is a good month. The legislature will be working on the budgets then.
Once the revenue projections come out in March Ringstad will have a better feel for when would be a good time to go.
She strongly suggested that the Staff Alliance pair up with another group and all go together.
Scholle said last year, the faculty, staff and students all went together, supported each others programs and it was very effective. She requested that members submit their campus priorities, including the extended sites.
The grievance policy draft was officially submitted to governance today, was distributed to governance and posted on the internet.
Regarding healthcare benefits, Patty Kastelic wants to begin talking about plan changes and will be talking with various governance groups as well has holding public forums to explain the proposed changes in January and February. A presentation will be made to the Board of Regents in January.
Regarding the holiday closure, each MAU will be responsible for allowing people into buildings but they have now given them some leeway to work if there is work to be done.
The UAA Classified Council and APT Council, as part of its community outreach "Socks and Sandwiches" effort, made over 200 sandwiches to give to the Anchorage Rescue Mission and also contributed socks, hats and clothing to them as well.
The Statewide Administration Assembly is conducting a canned food drive for the Fairbanks Food Bank. SAA has also adopted two families for Christmas. Statewide employees will be contributing gifts to these needy family.
ASUAF did a clothing drive for the rescue mission and a food drive. ASUAF is also going to do a blood drive.
Staff Alliance members presented Christmas decorations and loaves of special breat to the Board of Regents in November. Scholle received many calls about the bread which was very well received. Pen sets were also presented to outgoing Board members.
10. Date, time and agenda items for next meeting,
Thursday, January 28, 1999 2:30-4:30pm audio
Patty Thorne will be chairing this meeting.
11. Comments & other items of concern
The Council adjourned at 4:01pm.