Meeting of the
University of Alaska
System
Governance Council
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Via audioconference
Beginning at 3:30pm
DRAFT MINUTES
1.
Call to order and
roll call
Members present
G. Stacey Banks, Chair, System Governance Council and President, ASUAF
Larry Duffy, Chair, Faculty Alliance and President, UAF Faculty Senate
Kerry Digou, President, Statewide Administration Assembly
David Woodley, Chair, Staff Alliance; President, UAA Classified Employee Council and Chair, UAA Assembly
Debbie Narang, Representative, UAA Faculty Senate
Robert Sewell, President, UAS Staff Council
Voting members absent
Scott Culbertson, President, UAF Staff Council
Mark Graves, Senator, USUAS-Juneau
David Marvel, Chair, UAS Faculty Council
John Newman, President, USUAS-Sitka
Skye Rubadeau, President, USUAA; Commissioner Alaska Postsecondary Ed Commission
Others present
Ann Ringstad, Director, Government Relations
Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance
Brian Brubaker, Admin. Assistant, System Governance
2. Adopt agenda
The agenda was adopted without objection
3.
Approve December,
2000 minutes
The minutes were approved without objection.
4. Chair’s report
Stacey Banks apologized for the length of time it took to prepare this meeting. He said that he is leaving the country for three weeks for the National Guard.
A member asked Stacey Banks about the appointment of a new student regent. A new student regent will be appointed this year. Stacey Banks said that he believes that there are at least five candidates being considered for the position. There hasn’t been a student regent from Anchorage in the past twelve years.
5. Awards
5.1 Award for Outstanding Distance Educator
Pat Ivey said that this award was initiated on the behest of the President. Nominations are due March 16, 2001. The award is alleged to include $5,000 in cash. The faculty member and/or person who is nominated has to have at least one class going by distance education. The other requirements are mentioned in the website.
5.2
Make Students Count
Award
Pat Ivey said that this is the third year that this award is being given. The award is for classified or APT staff who have given outstanding service to students. Pat Ivey said that some of the packets she has received have been really amazing with multiple endorsements. The award consists of two domestic airline tickets on Alaska Airlines and $1,000 in cash (tax-free).
6.
Legislative update
Ann Ringstad reported that the House Finance Committee on the University reported out the university budget. The Subcommittee did not recognize the postsecondary education funds from last year as part of the university’s base budget, which means that there is disagreement over what is the university’s base budget.
The Department of Health Services was the only other agency to receive an increase.
The House Finance Committee is taking public testimony on March 8 and 9, 2001 by teleconference. This is the only opportunity to give public input to the House. University supporters are being asked to show up at the hearings and to give testimony in favor of the university budget.
A member asked if the legislators specified where they wanted the increased funds to be spent. Ann Ringstad said that the regents would decide the allocation of the increase.
A member asked about the UA Museum expansion in the capital budget. Ann Ringstad said that there isn’t a lot of information yet regarding that budget. She said that she has listed capital request items in her next bulletin.
Ann Ringstad said that a UAF alumnus, Mike Everette, wants to do ads regarding the theme of, “UA is Good Business.” He’s hoping that various businesses could be featured and could help pay for the ad(s) also.
Ann Ringstad said that legislators need to know that the $16.9 million is very important.
Robert Sewell asked about the possibility of a 1.5% increase in staff compensation, was that in the budget proposal that was sent to the legislature? Ann Ringstad said that the timing of a 1.5% increase in staff compensation depended in part on union negotiations, which were not completed by the time the governor’s budget was due. Ann Ringstad said that an increase for represented employees are not normally requested without an increase for non-represented employees simultaneously, and vice versa.
Larry Duffy asked how the university budget is looking in the Senate. Apparently there has been no action in the Senate yet. It was noted that Wendy Redman had mentioned that the House would be easier to work with than the Senate.
7. Program Initiatives Update
Dave Veazey was scheduled to present information on this but was unable to attend the meeting at the last minute.
Larry Duffy said that campuses have selected initiatives to forward to statewide review from among competing proposals.
8. Tuition
Stacey Banks said that tuition for FY2003 would be on the agenda at the Board of Regents meeting in March 2001 in Juneau.
The Coalition has recommended a lower division tuition freeze.
Larry Duffy said that he is not against a lower division tuition freeze. Each year the regents seem to automatically raise graduate student tuitions without much thought. Applications for admission to graduate programs have continued to fall while applications for undergraduate admissions are up. The economy has an impact on graduate applications, but it still seems that raising the price for graduate tuition when no one is applying for it is not a good business plan.
The price of a two-year degree is not competitive with the western states while the price of a four year or graduate degree is competitive.
Robert Sewell mentioned that everything is frozen in Fairbanks. (This was a bad stab at a joke)
How are our graduate tuitions comparable with western state public institutions? There doesn’t seem to be data readily available on this.
The WICHE report on tuition, which is used as a benchmark for comparisons of undergraduate rates, apparently doesn’t list graduate price comparisons.
9. System governance reports
9.1. Coalition of Student
Leaders
Stacey Banks said that the Coalition is focusing on their lobbying campaign. This year the work is being spread out a little bit. It is hard to communicate on a daily basis throughout the state. Hopefully everything will be together by next week. This year they have signs that say, “UA is Good Business.” They have legislative trading cards and the adopt-a-legislator program again. Key Bank is helping us with a $16.9 million check campaign.
9.2. Faculty Alliance
Larry Duffy reported that they have been involved in the faculty presence in the initiative process. We’ll know before school is out what the results of initiatives will be. Another big issue they are working on is distance education. Distance education has changed; it is students sitting in their dorm room and taking courses from Juneau, for instance. They are trying to work with three individually accredited MAUs to sort out distance education policies, requirements and so forth. Residency, ownership of degrees and how that effects accreditation are some of the issues. Hopefully students across the state will have access to courses everywhere. If agreement with respect to definitions can be made, then that will be a significant step forward.
9.3. Staff Alliance
David Woodley said that there have been many discussions about the new compensation system for staff. The Staff Alliance has been providing some consultation with Statewide Human Resources on this. Salary upgrades across the board have been considered, and a statement on this issue was passed unanimously to be delivered to the Board of Regents. A new leave buyout proposal would let employees cash out leave which is in excess of 240 hours. The Staff Alliance is preparing for its retreat in Juneau on April 10-12. Robert Sewell has graciously agreed to host an event during the retreat at his home.
Robert Sewell said that the compensation news is some of the most encouraging that has been heard in a long time.
David Woodley said that redlining is an issue that was listed in the Staff Alliance goals and objectives for the year, but no action has taken place yet.
Pat Ivey said that the redlining of senior staff has been mentioned by Janet Jacobs as not making much sense to her.
Larry Duffy said that it seems amazing to him that there are many senior staff who work very hard year after year without any increase in compensation whatsoever (due to redlining).
10. Local governance reports
10.1
UAA
Debbie Narang said that the UAA Faculty Senate has been discussing many of the same issues as have the Faculty Alliance.
David Woodley said that the UAA Assembly has been discussion communications between faculty, staff and students. They have recently approved a plan that requires mandatory listserves. The Assembly also reviewed a new student fees structure that reduces fees for students taking fewer than 6 credits and increases fees for full time students. This student fee plan has been approved by Chancellor Gorsuch.
David Woodley said that the proposal was initiated and driven by the administration, rather than by the students or the UAA Assembly. Would the overall revenue from fees increase? It was believed that the overall UAA fee revenue would remain pretty close to the same.
Larry Duffy said that he was skeptical that the fee changes being proposed at UAA would be revenue neutral. There was more discussion regarding the fee changes being proposed at UAA.
10.2. UAF
Larry Duffy said that the UAF Faculty Senate has been working on accreditation and also bylaw changes. One new degree being considered is a Bachelor of Arts in Education. A change in the B.S. in Computer Science is being considered to add a M.S. option
Stacey Banks said that ASUAF is working on a student saver program to get discounts for students who show their IDs. They hope to have a big kick-off in April 2001. Larry Duffy recommended that big discounts on cars would be a good option for that program.
10.3. UAS
Robert Sewell said that the UAS Staff Council is in a period of busy change and improvement. The mood and morale are pretty good these days. Staff eyes are collectively focused on the compensation issue. Dale Seay of SWOHR made a presentation at UAS today regarding possible options for compensation and changes in compensation strategies. Many staff feel that they are markedly underpaid and that the classification system (JEF- Job Evaluation Form) is archaic and cumbersome. Job reclassifications often occur months or even years late, and opportunities for advancement that would normally be expected are unavailable as a result. There will be another open forum tomorrow for more feedback.
It has been at least seven years since there was any change in base pay (apart from longevity increases). It is troublesome that the increment request for compensation increases is to be added on as an after-thought.
10.4. Statewide Administration Assembly
Kerry Digou said that compensation is a very hot topic, as are job family descriptors. Dale Seay of SWOHR is presenting to statewide employees in Fairbanks on Friday, March 3. The issue of parking fees as well as parking arrangements in the Butrovich parking lot are being considered.
11. Other items of concern
Brian Brubaker asked that members who haven’t yet sent in their photos or bios to please do so.
Larry Duffy mentioned that it hasn’t been easy to find governance web pages from the main university web pages.
Stacey Banks mentioned that past university president William Wood passed away on Sunday, February 25, 2001. There will be a memorial service in the UAF Patty Center on Saturday, March 3, 2001. Dr. Wood was a university supporter throughout his life and his death is quite a loss for the university. There is a press release on the UAF web site if you want more information.
12. Comments
Larry Duffy suggested that Stacey Banks conduct the next meeting from a cell phone in the jungles of Honduras.
13. Adjournment
The meeting was 4:36 pm.