Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Regents Conference Room, Fairbanks

Draft Minutes

 

 

1.         Call to order and roll

 

            The meeting was called to order at 2:07pm

 

            Members present:

 

            Lisa Sporleder, Chair of the System Governance Council; President,

                        Statewide Administration Assembly

Pete Pinney, Chair, Faculty Alliance; President, UAF Faculty Senate

Justin Whittington, Representative USUAS-Juneau

Storm Dee, President, Kuskokwim Campus Student Government

Janet Dye, Chair, UAS Faculty Senate

Rita Fuller, President, UAS Staff Council

Cheryl Wright, President, UAA Assembly; Past President, UAA Classified        Council

Rory O’Neill, Chair; Staff Alliance; President, UAF Staff Council

Cheryl Mann, Representative, UAA Assembly

Lisa Sporleder, Chair; President, Statewide Administration Assembly

Lilly Capell, Vice President, ASUAF

 

            Others:

 

            Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance

            Eva Kopacz, Academic Liaison

 

2.         Adopt Agenda

 

            MOTION: passed without objection

 

            “The System Governance Council moves to adopt the agenda for the November           1, 2003 meeting.  This action is effective November 11, 2003.”

 

2.                  Approve September 25, 2003 Minutes

 

            MOTION: passed without objection, 2 abstentions

 

            “The System Governance Council moves to approve the September 25, 2003   minutes.  This action is effective November 11, 2003.”

 

3.                  Chair’s Report

 

Lisa Sporleder thanked everyone for attending the retreat and distributed a written         report, the text of which appears below.

 

The University of Alaska governance system has one group in which students, faculty, staff, and alumni can all join together to talk about what’s important to each and every one of us:  the continued strength of the University of Alaska.  We need to work together, in spite of differences and difficulties, to make our University of Alaska a place that makes us all proud. 

 

Whenever you get different groups of people together, you have a gathering of different agendas.  Our job is to make those differing agendas work together.  It can be done.  Each group comprising the System Governance Council is an integral part of this puzzle we call UA, but without the inspiration and input of each of us, a big piece of the puzzle goes missing.  I hope that we can remember that even though we all look at our University from different perspectives, with different ideas about what it will take to make it even better, we have a common goal:  to put our puzzle pieces together to make one Big Picture, a picture of health and vitality for the University of Alaska.  Those of us in the System Governance Council have already overcome a major hurdle to achieving our goal, that of apathy.  Apathy, which I see as a lack of caring whether we move ahead or stagnate, is a huge hurdle in the forward momentum of any institution.  Fortunately, it is not our hurdle.  If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be in governance in the first place! 

 

One of the largest difficulties facing the University of Alaska is funding.  Alaska, like every other state in the union, is fiscally constrained.  The Legislature is looking for every opportunity they can find to cut expenditures.  Alaska has a largely “boom and bust” economy, and we’re not exactly booming right now.  We need to show that we are working hard with the money entrusted to us by the State, making the University of Alaska strong in ways that will make our state strong.  One of the ways we are doing that is through Outcomes-Based Budgeting.  System Governance Council members, and especially faculty members, have been working hard with the Statewide Office of Budget and Institutional Research on this new process.  Outcomes-Based Budgeting will provide a way to measure how we are doing as an institution.  It will guide us toward providing our students with a solid, well-rounded education that also gives them the skills they need for jobs today and in the Alaska of tomorrow.  System Governance Council members will continue these efforts in the coming year.

 

4.                  Chancellor’s Search Status

 

The UAF chancellor search process has not been launched due to labor relation’s constraints.  UAA ready to begin advertising and is probably two months ahead of UAF. Cheryl Mann’s college (health and social work) is not represented. Jim Liszka is chair of the UAA search committee.  Liszka is former UAA Faculty Senate president.

 

  1. Governance Representation on Administrative Councils

 

The Council will send a memo to administrative councils requesting copies of the administrative council agendas.     Eva Kopacz advocates among the administrative councils to inform people of meetings.  She advised that it was easier to attend Board of Regents meetings now that they are by audioconference and videoconference.

 

6.                  UA Institutional Accountability and Sustainability Task Force

 

Joe Beedle outlined who was on the task force. Rory O’Neill put out a solicitation for staff representatives and forwarded them to the chancellor, but the chancellor appointed O’Neill.  Chancellors are wary of this task force because it challenges their authority to manage the campuses.

 

7.                  Outcome of the BOR meeting

 

This was an item of information.  There were no further comments.  Regent’s agendas are available in advance.

 

8.                  System Governance Reports

 

8.1              Faculty Alliance

 

The Faculty Alliance met October 15 and with President Hamilton in a retreat October 16 in Anchorage.  The next Faculty Alliance meeting is November 11.  The Alliance expects to pass a proposed regents policy on GPA calculations for honors that will allow students to use letter grades across the system for honors as calculated by the MAU in which they are enrolled.  Also up for action are policy and regulations relating to assessment, uniform grading system and course level definitions.  The Alliance will also have a discussion on the Engaged University presented by Tony Nakazawa.  Cheryl Wright suggested also inviting Nancy Andes from UAA. The vice president for UAF Faculty Senate created a metric for measuring statewide administration.  He did a detailed analysis of the UAF budget and is now doing a detailed analysis of statewide administration.  Cheryl Wright asked for a copy. Statewide Administration Assembly also wants a copy.

 

8.2              Staff Alliance

 

Rory O’Neill reported that the Staff Alliance is tuned in to all the task forces.  The UA Staff Compensation Task force headed up by Jim Johnsen.  A quite lengthy list of staff nominees to the task force have been forwarded to Johnsen from the Alliance but the list needs to be pared down.   Criteria for nomination are that appointed individuals agree to come all the meetings and come prepared to represent the staff of their MAU.  Jim Johnsen wasn’t interested in having a lot of Human Resources people in the room.  Johnsen hoped to have the task force off the ground in late October.

 

He is also interested in governance/administration relations, the role of governance, bring in an outside facilitator and confirm that the regent’s policy and regulations play out at the MAUs.  This is likely to take the shape of a retreat.

 

The deadline for soliciting input to present to BOR participation requests was yesterday.  The Staff Alliance chair will be attending the BOR meeting in Anchorage.

 

8.3              Coalition of Student Leaders

 

There have only been to a couple of Coalition meetings, working to get a head start on the Coalition’s legislative campaign.  One aspect is a post card campaign on the campuses to get registered voters asking Murkowski to honor his campaign promise.

 

8.4              Alumni Associations

 

Alumni will meet with President Hamilton January 30 and 31 in Anchorage. Alumni Associations need to be asked if they still want to be included on the Council.

 

  1. Local Governance Reports

 

9.1              UAA

 

There is a real desire at UAA to turn on the Banner module requiring requisite checks for students. One third of students in Calc II haven’t taken Calc I, for instance and this effects grades. Students fulfilling prerequisites makes a big difference in student success.

 

An employee grievance manual has just been completed.  Wright is finding a number of employees are being discouraged from participating in governance.  She met with chancellor last week over possibility of establishing an ombudsman position.

 

Cheryl Mann’s department offers a certificate in conflict resolution.

 

USUAA encouraged its senators to take on special projects, including gathering information and collaborating with faculty and staff as to where UAA stands regarding PhDs in engineering psychology and biology. 

Also looking at expanding food vendor options, such as Taco Bell, and has a student discount program, solicited business around town for discounts.

 

USUAA is trying to get administration to take over the recycling program and take on some of the costs.

 

USUAA is also trying to get state representatives and senators to come to the campuses and to get student representation on the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and other groups

 

9.2              UAF

 

Payroll deductions are going up exponentially for healthcare benefits.  The Staff Council has an ad hoc committee on workplace ethics, and participates in institutional climate forums.  Chancellor is supportive of this. At entry in the system, every employee should receive EEO training.  The provost agreed to support an awards program for outstanding governance volunteers.

 

Pinney chaired the last climate forums and learned of several discrimination situations for which resolutions are being sought.

 

9.3              UAS

 

Missed last meeting.  Working with Mike Humphrey on benefits.

Outcomes based budgeting is making Sitka very nervous.

 

USUAS-Juneau reported that the postcard campaign is paramount to them. Next up is a blood drive. UAS just had groundbreaking on November 8 for a new student recreation center.  Their legislative affairs coordinator is Venietia Santana.  USUAS-J members are training to become voter registrars, and are moving recycling to UAS administration to fund so it is not funded through student fees.

 

9.4              SW

 

SAA members underwent voter registration training and can help out with voter registration on the campuses.  Going to run voter registration drive at potlucks.  Also have SAA highlights newsletter that goes out to constituents.  Run canned food drive b/w Thanksgiving and Xmas and sponsor a family through Love, Inc.

 

10.              Retreat Recap

 

            The Council briefly discussed the retreat with President Hamilton this morning.

 

11.              Agenda items for next meeting February 26, 2004

 

            Agenda items are due in the system governance office ten days in advance of the            meeting.

 

12.              Comments

 

            There were no additional comments.

 

13.              Adjourn

 

            The meeting was adjourned at 3:11pm.