Iowa State University
Professional and Scientific Council
Regular Session
Council Meeting Minutes
Thursday, June 6, 2002
Room 244, Memorial Union
2001-2002
President: Rex Heer
Vice-President: Lynette Hornung
Secretary/Treasurer: Sarah Cooney
Call to Order
The June 6, 2002 P & S Council Meeting was called to order at 2:07 p.m.
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A
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Bahr, Debbie
Brinkmeyer, Linda
Brown, Kevin
Brueland, Brent
Cooney, Sarah
Sanders, Jodi
Eggers, Tim
Elsberry, Leigh
Good, Cathy
Heer, Rex
Hintz, Roger
Hornung, Lynette
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Jarboe, Darren
Jensen, James
Joiner, Stacy
Kane, Kevin
McCool, Kelly
McCroskey, Barry
Mumm, Lynne
Nelson, Mark
Patton, James
Peters, Bev
Peterson, Teresa
Riedemann, Trevor
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Roberts, Kurt
Sanborn, Debra
Schwab, Denise
Stotts, Barb
Strah, Pat
Strand, Judy
Wood, Douglas
Woodin, Dan
A = Absent
S = Substitute
Roll call and approval of minutes:
A quorum was present.
Guests were Anne Krapfl, news writer from University Relations (Inside Iowa State); Ellen Rasmussen, Assistant
Provost; Kristin Hinders, Administrative Specialist, IPRT, substituting for Stacy Joiner, Jack Girten, President-Elect
for the Faculty Senate, and Carla Espinoza, Director, Human Resources.
The following newly elected council members were welcomed: Ann Doty, Marcia Brink, Dave Brotherson, Paul
Kapke, Barb McManus, Margaret VanGinkel, and Brenda Van Beek.
The substitute member was given full voting rights and privileges by Lynette Hornung, Vice-President.
Presentation of Committee Motions
Rex Heer presented 3 motions:
Motion 1 will request consideration of salary increase equity.
Motion 2 will request continuing the budget from the Provost for retention and recruitment grants.
Motion 3 will request consideration for release time/salary support for the President of P&S Council.
Changes to the Agenda
Lynette requested approval of the agenda with the addition of the proposed motions being discussed and voted on
under New Business. The agenda was approved.
Approval of the Minutes
The minutes of the May 2, 2002 Council meeting were approved as corrected. Revised minutes had been sent to
council members on 6/3/02.
Provost’s Report
Ellen Rasmussen gave Council a budget update. She and Warren Madden, Vice President for Business and Finance,
spoke to the Executive Committee over the lunch hour and she reiterated information shared with the Committee.
Last week’s legislative session resulted in no change to a previously approved salary bill. Iowa State University will
be required to help meet the state budget shortfall of some $30 million by returning $10.2 million. A salary budget
of $9.2 million has been approved.
Ellen said administration is trying to craft an approach to salary adjustments that meets all legal obligations, and
includes Merit contract obligations, covering for increased workers compensation costs, and covering for an
increased cost of benefits. The salary budget dollars that are left will allow a 2.6% average salary increase for P&S
staff and Faculty. The $9.2 million salary budget will be augmented by about $1.3 million, which is Iowa State
University’s share of a recent sale of Principal stocks.
Central administration will deal with the $10.2 million reversion so that departments are not affected further.
Guidelines for the distribution of salary dollars will be sent to department heads early next week. The same salary
guidelines will be used for Faculty and P&S staff. Departments will be allowed to enhance budget amounts with
department funds if available. Ellen mentioned that in past years a minimum percentage (33%)was awarded to all
staff with satisfactory job performance. With such a small pool of money this year, this may not be done;
recognizing that one third of a 2.6% wage increase would be .87%. Administration will probably not be specific this
year about a percentage.
Salary information is expected from the Board of Regents to the Provost on 6/6 or 6/7 and information will be
distributed to Department Heads early next week. If all goes according to plan, and decisions are made about salary
adjustments by 6/21, it will be possible for increases to be reflected in the July payroll.
James Jensen asked how many pink slips have been sent. A final count was not currently available. Ellen
responded that one P&S staff member’s position was not eliminated but will be a funding shift.
Ann Doty asked if the number of terminations includes those staff members whose term appointments were not
renewed. Ellen answered that the number did not include these people, as it is difficult to track this among the
various departments.
Dan Woodin asked if there had been any action on the change in language for the grievance procedure. The OPG
and P&S Handbook are not yet revised. Ellen said in a grievance hearing, the grievant would not be restricted to
choosing a P&S staff member as his support person.
Ellen reported that several economic development centers, including the Leopold Center, IPRT and SBDC had been
hit hard by state budget cuts. Plans are not developed, but there may be a need for additional staff reduction is these
areas. The Leopold Center alone lost $1 million, and it is likely there will be staff cuts.
Human Resources Report
Carla Espinoza reported that an outplacement service has been contracted. Worklife Design, Deems Associates, Inc.
from Ankeny will provide the service. The company has worked with the university in the past and was able to
offer a menu of services that closely matched the perceived needs of ISU employees. The service will be funded
centrally, not by departments, and will be available until the staff member is permanently employed. P&S staff that
are on a continuous appointment are eligible.
A lengthy discussion of the process followed. An information packet will be sent for each terminated employee by
HRS to Department Heads who have indicated they have an employee who is terminated. A voucher will also be
sent which must be signed by the Department Head or his designee while the employee is still employed. The
voucher will indicate to Worklife Design that the person is eligible for service. Rex will send a message to P&S
staff members about this process.
Concern was voiced that utilizing Department Heads as the link to outplacement services may not be seen by the
terminated employee as a helpful gesture. Concern was voiced that the Department Head may not follow through.
Denise Schwab voiced concern about the short timeframe for employees whose termination date is the end of June.
A suggestion was made to also create an information link from HRS to the terminated employee. Brent Brueland
suggested providing Work Life Design with a list of employees eligible for service, rather than using the voucher
process, but Carla said there is no list. A list of terminated employees would also include term contract employees,
who would not be eligible for service. Carla said that she would consider these ideas.
P&S staff that are terminated must have their voucher signed prior to the end of their employment at Iowa State
University, so if the last workday is June 30, 2002, the voucher must be signed by the Department Head on or before
June 30, 2002.
Darren Jarboe asked if a staff member whose position was reduced from full time to half time would qualify for
outplacement assistance. Carla will get back to Council on this.
Carla asked that a terminated employee contact her office if he/she is considering accepting part time employment as
a supplement until a professional position can be found. This may affect the eligibility for outplacement services.
Trevor Riedemann asked if an employee could negotiate an early retirement within his department if he does not
qualify for the university’s early retirement program. Carla responded that the ERI program does not exist after
June 30, 2002. It is not possible to negotiate an early retirement incentive through an individual department.
Trevor also asked if the annual report of P&S salaries has been prepared for 2002 and if it is available for staff.
Carla responded that the report has been completed and she will be reviewing it. The report will then be posted on
the Web.
Lynne Mumm asked Carla about the status of the Family Leave proposal. Carla said the proposal is on the agenda
for the Board of Regents meeting in July.
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Council President’s Report:
Rex reported the search for a Chief Information Officer is on hold.
He thanked members for providing topics for the Campus Leaders Breakfasts this past year, and reported that
Council would not be posting a summary of the discussion on the Web. Dr. Geoffroy prefers that the discussions
remain informal. Comments about the discussion will be e-mailed to members.
He reported that archived P&S Council information would soon be available at the Library.
Barb McManus and Sarah Cooney have been accepted as new members of the Professional Development Day
committee.
Subcommittees of President Geoffroy’s Advisory Committee on Diversity have been working this summer and a
summary of their work was written by Nina Grant. Rex will forward the summary to members.
Rex reported that the annual retreat for P&S Council members would be in early August at McFarland Park. The
retreat will last all day and meals will be provided. Priority issues for the upcoming year will be identified. Leigh
Elsberry distributed copies of a summary of the priority issues from last year’s retreat.
Council Treasurer’s Report:
Sarah Cooney reported the following balances:
General Fund: $214
Campus Organization: $436
Professional Development: $845
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Compensation and Benefits
Please see attached year-end report.
Peer Advisory
Please see attached year-end report.
Communications
Please see attached year-end report.
Policies and Procedures
Please see attached year-end report.
Representation and Awards
Denise distributed gifts to the outgoing Council officers, and thanked them for their work. Please see attached yearend report.
Retention and Recruitment
Please see attached year-end report.
Old Business
None.
New Business
Leigh Elsberry moved to suspend the Rules so that members could discuss and vote on the proposed motions at
today’s meeting. The motion passed.
Rex presented the first motion:
“In this challenging budget year, with a significantly reduced salary appropriation, the P&S Council
recommends that salary dollars be distributed as equitably as possible among P&S staff members within individual
departments. Managers are encouraged to find alternative non monetary ways to reward outstanding employee
performance.”
Discussion followed. James Jensen voiced concern about changing the existing practice of assuring all members a
percentage of the increase, such as 1/3, and using additional funds to reward outstanding performance just because it
is a tough budget year. He notes that Extension has already done performance reviews in which staff performance is
rated on a 1 to 5 scale, and some staff are at the top of the scale. He feels they should be rewarded.
Barry McCroskey countered stating that, although the average percentage increase is quoted at 2.6%, most people
don’t get this average, and the amount of increase is so small this year, that to give such a small amount as a reward
is demoralizing.
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Sarah Cooney added that in order to reward a staff member, another staff member would lose a small percentage of
his increase. The number of outstanding performers and those who are below average is not usually equal.
Managers then have to find reasons to justify taking a small percentage from one person to offer to another. The
impact on the salary of a person earning $30,000 whose wage was adjusted by 0.6% would be only $15 a month.
Barry and Denise suggested alternative rewards such as casual day, pizza lunches, and employee of the month
awards for outstanding performers.
The motion was approved with several opposing votes and 1 abstaining vote.
Rex presented a second motion:
“The P&S Council regards the Retention and Recruitment Grant program as an important Council activity
that acknowledges the vital relationship of Professional and Scientific employees with current and potential students,
and results in significant and effective efforts to attract students and help assure them a quality educational
experience at ISU. P&S Council therefore respectfully requests continued funding for the Retention and
Recruitment Grant program from the Office of the President at the current level of $30,000 for FY 03.”
Brief discussion followed. Denise suggested writing a cover letter to accompany the motion that includes data from
the program.
The motion was approved with no opposing or abstaining votes.
Rex presented the third motion:
“The time commitment required of the person serving as P&S Council President has reduced the pool of
candidates willing to serve in that role. The President of P&S Council could certainly serve P&S employees and the
university more effectively if he or she was able to spend approximately 20 hours per week in that role. Faculty
Senate President receives half-time release, and President-elect receives quarter-time release from their academic
responsibilities. P&S Council therefore recommends that the department employing the President of P&S council
be provided with funds to cover half the cost of his or her base salary.”
Lengthy discussion followed. Rex felt this would not benefit him personally for next year, but that it would increase
the pool of candidates for next year’s election. Concern was voiced about making this proposal in a budget crises
year. Dan Woodin reported that he and other Council presidents had spent many additional hours each week during
their years in office, and that before accepting the nomination staff must realize it is a very large time commitment.
He also mentioned that in the past there had been a proposal for secretarial support for the Council.
Bev Peters moved to table the motion. The motion was seconded and approved with several opposing votes and one
abstaining vote.
For the Good of the Order:
Rex thanked outgoing members for their work on Council and recognized each of them with a certificate of
appreciation. Those leaving Council are: Debra Bahr, Lynette Hornung, Darren Jarboe, Jody Sanders, Barb Stotts,
Denise Schwab, Debra Sanborn, and Leigh Elsberry.
The following new members were inducted: Paul Kapke, Ann Doty, Barb McManus, Jeffrey Sorensen, Brenda Van
Beek, Marcia Brink, Marie Mayer, Dave Brotherson, Margaret VanGinkel, and Tom Becker.
Rex nominated Del Marks to fill an additional position, and Council approved this nomination with no opposing or
abstaining votes.
Installation of next year’s officers was done.
Lynne Mumm and Kurt Roberts were installed as At Large members of the Executive Committee.
Cathy Good was installed as Secretary Treasurer.
Kevin Kane, who was not present, was installed as Vice President.
Rex Heer will continue as President of Council next year.
Rex announced that an informal social gathering would take place immediately following the meeting at Dublin
Bay.
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by
Sarah Cooney
P & S Council Secretary-Treasurer
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Iowa State University
Veterinary Teaching Hospital
1835 Vet Med
Barry W. McCroskey
Assistant Hospital Administrator
bmccrosk@iastate.edu
515-294-2418
Date: June 5, 2002
To:
Lynette Hornung, Vice President – P & S Council
RE:
Annual Report of Compensation and Benefits Committee
This year was an interesting one for the Compensation and Benefits Committee to say the least.
If one were to look at the list generated at the retreat last August, one would be forced to
conclude we accomplished little if anything this year. However, such was not the case. External
forces dictated our agenda, chief of which was the budget.
Accomplishments this year revolved around three topics: early retirement, the family leave issue,
and the budget. The early retirement incentive was the first item on the agenda. After
considerable debate it was the conclusion of the committee, subsequently validated by the entire
council, that the program as presently structured was inadequate and should be allowed to expire.
The committee favored the concept of early retirement, particularly in light the budget
difficulties. To date no suitable replacement has arisen.
The family leave issue consumed several meetings. This proposal, emanating from outside the
council, proved to be a controversial and complex issue. A seemingly simple proposition it was
quickly bogged down in the details. Compounding the issue was differences in urgency between
the faculty senate and the council. This appeared to be an issue of some importance to the
faculty senate. The committee, and the council, did not place quite as much emphasis on it.
After much debate, amendments, and rewrites, the council eventually passed the policy.
Last, the budget. This budget year was as bad as any in recent memory. Employees were laid
off. Layoffs in the future are a virtual certainty. The committee tried to come up with proposals
to assist our colleagues facing job loss by improving the severance package offered by the
university. We had some success, some failure. The university has hired an outplacement firm
to assist employees, albeit three months late. Efforts to improve the severance pay and payouts
for sick leave have so far fallen short. In general I think the committee and the council as a
whole can take credit for increasing the university’s awareness of the problem. I like to think the
outplacement firm happened directly as a result of our efforts. More could be done, more should
be done, but given the fiscal realities of the institution I think we did as well as could be
expected.
Next year. The budget promises to be just as bleak next year as it was this. Issues that we had
hoped to address, merit / p & s pay over lap, lack of meaningful career paths for p & s
employees, inadequate pay scales among others will likely have to await a better financial
climate. Indeed as this document is being written we are engaged in a debate on a possible
salary freeze. I would hope the university will devise a suitable early retirement program. I
would strongly urge next year’s committee to look into this issue. We will need to be aggressive
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and proactive in next year’s efforts. Communication with university administration and our
colleagues will be vital.
I would like to thank my fellow committee members for the efforts, input and patience this year
and look forward to next year.
Year End Report
2001-2002
Peer Advisory Committee
P & S Council
Members: Judy Strand - Chair, Cathy Good, Leigh Elsberry, Stacy Joiner, Sarah Cooney
Face-to-face or Teleconference Meetings
During 2001-2002, the Peer Advisory Committee met with four people, of which one meeting was held via
teleconference. The main concerns for three people were terminations/layoffs and how they were handled by the
department and Human Resources. The remaining meeting was concern over how a promotion did not take place.
E-mail and telephone were also used to communicate with the four people.
E-mail only
There were contacts with five people via e-mail only. Questions related mainly to University procedures, protocols,
and who to contact in the University.
Phone only
Two contacts were made by phone only. Questions related to University procedures, protocols, and who to contact.
P & S Council Issues
The Peer Advisory Committee was asked for feedback on the grievance procedures being revised for the P & S
Handbook.
Information obtained from the Peer Advisory Committee was used in promoting better information for employees
whose positions were being terminated.
Suggestions
Set of Resources
A set of resources could be developed to use for Peer Advisory Meetings. It might include items such as:
A handout of Contacts in Human Resources Office
A copy of the grievance procedures (if and when we find out what they are…just ignore my sarcasm)
A handout of Web sites for the P & S Handbook, Office Procedures Guide
Organizational Meeting
The new committee meets with past members of the Peer Advisory to ask questions and receive information about
situations the committee might encounter.
Collaborate with other University Committees
There has been talk of an ombudsman office in the University. The Peer Advisory Committee could work with the
development of the position and its relation to P & S employees.
P&S Policies and Procedures Committee
Annual Report: July 2001 – June 2002
Submitted by Dan L. Woodin, Chair
The P&S Policies and Procedures Committee established goals at the September meeting of the committee. The
Committee agreed to work on: P&S Grievance Process, P&S Handbook Update/Changes, P&S Dismissal Due to
Reorganization or Financial Conditions, and P&S Conduct Policy.
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P&S Grievance Process
The committee spent several meetings discussing the grievance process. We began talking about changing
the grievance process and details of the steps in the process. The discussion evolved into questioning if
modifying the process detail was the best approach. Paul Tanaka, Director of University Legal Services,
asked that the committee look at ways to differentiate between cases of dispute/resolution grievances and
disciplinary grievances. He was concerned about the lack of a policy for P&S with regards to disciplinary
procedures for suspending P&S staff or reprimanding them for discipline problems.
Marlise McCammon joined the Committee meetings as a resource. She suggested that we look at
differentiating performance grievances from behavioral grievances. Marlise helped us to understand the
process and system she used at Wichita State University in Kansas. Human Resource Services and the
Provost Office were developing a new process, but the P&S Policies and Procedures Committee did not
receive a copy of the draft policy for review and comment.
Because of a change to the original P&S Handbook that did not meet the needs of P&S employees, the
Committee presented a motion to P&S Council at the May meeting asking that the wording be changed in
the current process to enable the grievant to bring anyone with them to the grievance proceedings rather
than limiting it to another P&S employee. The motion passed at the P&S Council meeting and was
forwarded to the Provost office for approval.
P&S Handbook Updates/Changes
In January, the Committee found that the suggested changes submitted the previous year for the P&S Handbook had
not been implemented. We found inconsistencies between the OPG and the P&S Handbook information. We
began to look at the suggested changes and the process to make the changes. The Committee discussed the
process for updating the OPG and wondered if P&S Council or the P&S P&P Committee should see revisions to
the P&S Handbook documents before they are implemented. We agreed that the online P&S Handbook should
be considered the official handbook.
Marlise McCammon was given the responsibility by Carla Espinoza to make sure that the OPG and P&S Handbook
were consistent. As we worked with Marlise, we began thinking about eliminating the duplication and providing
web links to where the information was available.
The Committee presented a motion to P&S Council at the March meeting asking that the P&S Handbook and OPG
be brought up-to-date by May 1, 2002. The motion passed. The Committee continued to work with Marlise to
finalize the changes necessary to accomplish what was requested.
P&S Dismissal Due to Reorganization or Financial Conditions
The Committee discussed changes to this policy to assist those P&S employees being laid off due to the financial
conditions. The P&S Compensation and Benefits Committee also discussed changes to this policy. We provided
our comments to the P&S Compensation and Benefits Committee for them to pursue action. A motion by the
P&S Compensation and Benefits Committee was presented to the P&S Council at the March meeting to make
changes. The motion passed and was forwarded to the Provost and VP for Business and Finance.
P&S Conduct Policy
The Committee discussed the proposed Faculty Conduct Policy and agreed that the policy would apply to P&S
employees that teach as part of their positions. The conduct of P&S employees working at ISU became part of
the discussion about the grievance procedures. The Committee will recommend that wording in the new Conflict
Resolution policy present language to remind P&S employees of proper conduct at work.
Projects for Next Year (July 2002 – June 2003)
 Complete the redesign of the online P&S Handbook with web links to information
 Develop a process to ensure that policies that affect P&S employees are reviewed yearly to make sure they are
up-to-date and appropriate.
 Develop a P&S Conflict Resolution policy to incorporate the differentiation mention in the section above under
P&S Grievance Process.
 Review P&S policies for term and continuous appointment language.
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Policies and Procedures Committee Members (July 2001 – June 2002):
Debbie Bahr, Darren Jarboe, Kelly McCool, Stephenie Ovrom, James Patton,
Strah, Dan Woodin
Deborah Schlagel, Pat
Representation and Awards Committee - Professional and Scientific Council
2001-2002 Council Year End Report
Committee Membership
The Representation and Awards Committee (R&A Committee) consisted of ten members for the 20012002 council year. Membership included seven P&S Council representatives and three non-council
members. This committee requires a high degree of continuity. Chairs of subcommittees are encouraged
to pass their records on to new chairs.
The R&A Committee has four standing subcommittees. These committees are: 1) Awards, 2) Elections,
3) University Committees and Councils, and 4) P&S Council Officer Nominations.
Subcommittees
Awards
The Awards Subcommittee has the following primary responsibilities: seeking nominations for the P&S
awards, forwarding semifinalists selected by the R&A Committee for final selections, notification of
status to nominators and procurement of special awards. This year the R&A Committee reviewed the
criteria for evaluation of awards.
The Provost sent information on the P&S awards and the nomination forms September 15, 2001 with the
announcement of faculty awards. This included the P&S Excellence Award, the Carroll Ringgenberg
Award and the P&S Outstanding New Professional. This information packet was mailed to the Deans,
Directors, and Departmental Executive Officers (DEO’s). Additionally, the information was placed on
the World Wide Web (WWW) and an announcement was placed in Inside Iowa State. Deadline for
nominations to be sent to the Provost Office was November 30, 2001. The P&S Excellence Awards, the
Carroll Ringgenberg Award, and the P&S Outstanding New Professional Awards were presented at the
2002 Spring Convocation and Awards Ceremony held on April 10.
The Regents Award for Staff Excellence was handled independently by each of the councils (P&S,
Faculty Senate, and S& C) and coordinated by Charles Dobbs in the President’s Office. Nomination
letters were mailed by the Chair of Representation and Awards, to all DEO’s and announced on the P&S
Council web site on December 1, 2001. Nominations were due February 1, 2002. Recipients and their
nominators will be notified in June. Award winners will be recognized this summer/fall at a dinner
sponsored by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The deadline for the Alumni Superior Service awards
was December 1, 2001. The Alumni Association will present the Superior Service awards during
homecoming activities on October 11, 2002.
Professional and Scientific employee award winners for 2002 were:
P&S Excellence Award (received $1,000 award, plus Lucite obelisks)
Chuck Morris, Associate Director to Extension 4-H & Youth Development
Mary Holz-Clause, Program Manager, ISU Extension Value Added Ag Program
W. Thomas Meyer, Scientist II, Physics and Astronomy
Carroll Ringgenberg Award (received $1000 award, plus a desk clock)
Eleanor Ostendorf, Interim Curator Farm House Museum
P&S Outstanding New Professional Award (received $1,000 award, plus plaque)
Randy Berghefer, Systems Analyst, Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine
Kevin Kane, Director, ISU Geographic Information System Facility, Program Manager I,
Academic Information
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Technologies
Becky Nibe, 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator
Regents Award for Staff
Not available at this time name/position
ISU Alumni Association Superior Service Award
Marshall V. Ruble, Ag Specialist
The committee also developed an additional web page that outlines the procedures followed when
evaluating P&S award nominations. Due to the nomination of an R&A committee member for an award,
a protocol was developed to instruct committee members to transfer to other committees if they are
nominated in the future. The committee also discussed the possibility of developing some type of
‘employee of the month’ award to recognize good daily work and boost morale. Details and management
of such an award require more discussion and planning.
Elections
The Elections Subcommittee is responsible for the annual election of P&S Council representatives. This
year there were 15 vacancies to be filled on council. The total number on P&S Council for 2002-2003
will be 34. Elections were conducted on-line via AccessPlus in March with help from Roger Oppedahl
from Administrative Data Processing. Constituents could also vote by paper upon request from Kevin
Kane, Elections subcommittee chair. The number of employees requesting paper ballots this year was
reduced to 4, a significant decrease.
New council members were invited to attend the April and May meetings and were seated in June.
Newly elected or re-elected council members to serve three-year terms (unless otherwise indicated)
include:
Name and Area of Representation
Rex Heer, A&R
Judy Strand, A&R
Brenda Van Beek, A&R
Marcia Brink, A&R
Marie Mayer, A&R
Jeffrey Sorensen, A&R (2 year term)
Paul Kapke, A&R (1 year term)
Name and Area of Representation
Tom Becker, Stu Af
Margaret VanGinkel, Ext
James Jensen, Ext
Linda Brinkmeyer, Ext Af
Barb McManus, Ext Af (1 year term)
Pat Strah, B&F
Dave Brotherson, B&F
Ann Doty, B&F (1 year term)
Changes in Council membership during the 2001-2002 year included the following:
Lynette Edsall resigned March 2002 and Jody Sanders was appointed to fill the position for the
completion of the term.
Debra Sanborn resigned effective 7/1/02. Her open position was filled through the election
process.
University Committees and Councils
The University Committees and Councils Subcommittee is responsible for recommending P&S staff to
serve on nineteen University committees and councils. The Chair of this subcommittee contacted current
P&S representatives serving on the committees and councils, whose terms expire June 30, 2002, to see if
they were interested in serving an additional term or if there would be a vacancy. Current representatives
agreed to serve an additional term where possible and other vacancies will be filled by:
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Changes in committee representation during 2001-2002
Traffic Appeals Board - Jim Brazelton
P & S Classification and Review - Kerry Dixon
Com. on Disabilities - Kerry Dixon
Lyneete Edsall resigned from Library Committee, not filled at this time.
The following people (who currently have terms ending on June 30, '02) have been contacted and have
agreed to serve another term.
Libby Bilyeu - Athletic Council
Lynette Spicer - Calendar Committee
Dan Woodin - P & S Classification and Review
Dan Woodin - P & S Professional Development and Tuition Review
There has been an on-going struggle to get a handle on which committees/councils are active, how often
they meet (if ever), and what is their function/role. This year, Jody Sanders, subcommittee chair,
contacted committee members to remind them to submit reports. Committee reports were received from
University Committee on Women, University Benefits, Traffic Appeals Board, P & S Professional
Development and Tuition, Athletic Council, Calendar Committee, Child Care Committee, and Reiman
Gardens Academic Advisory Committee.
P&S Council Officer Nominations
Each year the P&S Council Officer Nominations Subcommittee faces the ever-increasing difficult task of
recruiting nominations for P&S Council President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and Council-atLarge positions, and this year their efforts resulted in a full slate of nominations. Officer elections were
held at the May meeting. Those elected for the 2002-2003 P&S Council year were:
Elected officials for the 2002-2003 P&S Council year
Rex Heer, President
Kevin Kane, Vice-President
Cathy Good, Secretary/Treasurer
Kurt Roberts, Council-at-Large
Lynne Mumm, Council-at-Large
R&A Committee -Recommendations for 2002-2003
Develop ways to improve response rate for electronic voting by making P&S employees more aware of
the procedure, by advertising the voting earlier, and by other suggestions made from constituents.
Continue to look for ways to increase applications for university committees and councils, including P&S
Council. How can we encourage representatives on these committees/councils to be active and report
back to Council? How can we be assured that the representative is a “good” representative for Council?
How can we encourage P&S Council members to serve in an officer position? Possibly, by promoting
committees and councils, we may get more interest in the election process as well. We observed a decline
in those willing to serve on various committees and councils.
Develop a way to automate the email and paper process for elections.
Maintain and update R&A Committee notebook that contains all documentation of subcommittee and
overall committee activity for each year. This will help provide the written continuity for the committee
as the chair and membership changes.
Submitted by:
Denise Schwab and Kevin Kane, Co-Chairs
May 2002
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Committee Members: Denise Schwab, Kevin Kane, Linda Brinkmeyer, Mark Nelson, Bev Peters, Curt
Roberts, Judy Strand, Kathy Dobbs, Steve Karsjen, and Jody Sanders.
Professional and Scientific Council
Retention and Recruitment Standing Committee
Year-End Report for 2001-02
May 30, 2002
Committee Members
Kurt Roberts, Chair; Kerry Dixon, Kevin Brown, Tom Becker, Danette Kenne, Lynette Edsall
Call For Proposals
The committee met for the first time on Wednesday, July 11 at the Memorial Union. The group approved the
proposal guidelines, advertising information and the evaluation sheet. We also reviewed the work of the previous
year's committee and any recommendations that they made. On Monday, July 16 th the first official announcement of
grant proposals went out through the P&S email tree. The deadline for submission was Friday, August 10 th at noon.
Proposal Review
The committee met again on Wednesday, August 15 to review the proposals. Copies of all proposals were sent via
campus mail or via email to committee members. It worked well to have one copy sent to the committee chair along
with an electronic attachment. Then the attachment could be sent to committee members to help speed up the
delivery.
The President's office again funded the Recruitment and Retention Awards at $30,000. A total of twenty proposals
were received by our committee. Only those that were received by the deadline and complete were given
consideration for funding. Twelve proposals were given full or partial funding. Of those twelve, seven were fully
funded and five partially funded. A list of all proposals, contact personnel, abstracts and funding is attached.
Mid-year Reports
An email request for mid-year reports was sent out in mid-January. Following recommendations from the previous
years, we included some of the survey questions from the five-year survey. After receiving the reports, I mailed
them to the committee members. Due to career changes, two members of the committee were no longer at ISU.
The committee ranked the mid-year reports and returned their results to me via e-mail.
Open Forum
Four groups were selected to present at the May Open Forum in the Memorial Union.
1.
Developing and Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills Through Learning Communities
2.
International Student Ambassador Program
3.
Recruiting Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences
4.
Getaway with Women in Science and Engineering
Invitations went out to the President, Vice President's, appropriate Deans and directors. Each group presented for
ten minutes and then took questions from the audience. A lot of positive feedback was received from participants
and audience members.
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Program Review
This was another successful year for the Retention and Recruitment Awards. A lot of publicity was given to the
awards and their programs. President Geoffrey is fully supportive of this program and we look for continued
funding and support. We have found that having participants email proposals and mid-year reports helps save paper
and time. A hard copy from the participant is also a good idea in case an email attachment can't open. Time
management is very important with this committee. It has an early start in the late summer and then has a gap in
time until reviewing mid-year reports. Most people presenting at the open forum use power point presentations, so
it is key to have the appropriate equipment available. Overall, it was a very successful year and we look forward to
reviewing final reports once they are complete.
Iowa State University
Professional and Scientific Council
Communications Committee
FY 2001-2002 Year-End Report
Committee Members: Kevin Brown, Sarah Cooney, Leigh Elsberry, Stacy Joiner, Diane Meyer, Lynn Mumm and
Doug Wood.
Agenda: The Communications Committee is charged with facilitating the link between the Council and constituents.
The Committee manages the Council’s electronic communications via an e-mail tree system and the P&S Council
Web pate. The Committee also helps implement periodic surveys of P&S staff on employees’ interests and
concerns.
This year’s Retreat provided the Communications Committee with five main goals/objectives. Those items are:
1.
Facilitate “Inside ISU” communications/ explore potential timeliness issues with the faculty/staff
newspaper.
2.
Communication of P&S issues – differences between what it means to be classed as P&S, Merit or Faculty
employees.
3.
Get-togethers for P&S staff.
4.
Communication of P&S info to new and existing employees.
In addition, the Committee planned Open Forums and attempted to get more timely e-mail messages and reminders
out to constituents. In collaboration with P&S Council President Rex Heer and the Instructional Technology Center,
video/audio streaming of all Open Forums was added to the Web site offerings. Committee member Leigh Elsberry
also did the annual update to the new employees brochure
E-Mail Communications: E-mails systems were updated regularly via contact with University list administrators and
with individual requests from Council members. The number of e-mails increased this year as more reminder notices
were provided to constituents. All e-mail messages were referenced back to pertinent information on the Web site.
Short descriptions of upcoming Open Forums were also placed on the Web site and updated. Leigh Elsberry made
the changes to the e-mails master database system and maintained the system.
Council Web Site: The Web site was maintained on a regular basis with current information. Many committees
were completely updated early on. Several new Council member profiles were added to the site and several others
were updated in an ongoing effort to have all Council members who volunteer to have a write-up available online.
Stacy Joiner, working together with Diane Meyer, made all of the technical and content updates to the Web site
throughout this fiscal year. There are currently nine Profiles to go online. The project is planned to be largely
completed by the end of summer so the fall semester begins with as a complete listing of members as possible.
Open Forums:
May 2, 2002: Presentations by participants in four of the programs that received retention and recruitment grants
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this year. (video)
Presenters included:
* Paul Castleberry, Developing & Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills Through Learning Communities
* Heidi Dorr, International Student Ambassador Program
* Nina Grant, Recruiting Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences
* Lora Leigh Chrystal, Getaway with Women in Science and Engineering
April 3, 2002: More Q & A on Budget and Employment Issues with Ellen Rasmussen, assistant provost, and Mark
Chidister, assistant to the president (video)
March 7, 2002, The Role of a Principal Investigator in Sponsored Funding, with Dr. Jim Bloedel, Vice-Provost for
Research, March 7, 2002 (video)
February 6, 2002, ISU Foundation: Helping Iowa State to Become the Best, with Foundation President Thomas J.
Mitchell. Introductory remarks made by Benjamin Allen, Vice-President of External Affairs and former Dean of the
College of Business (video)
January 3, 2002, Q & A on the Budget Issues with Ellen Rasmussen, assistant provost, and Mark Chidister,
assistant to the president (video)
December 6, 2001, Campus Safety and Security with Rob Bowers, program coordinator for the Department of
Public Safety (audio only)
November 1, 2001, The State of the University with ISU President Greg Geoffroy, (video)
October 1, 2001, Reiman Gardens Fall Activities and Colors, Teresa McLaughlin, director of Reiman Gardens
September 6, 2001, Activity For Fitness/Health with Dr. Warren Franke
Other Online Communications: The committee also tried to provide the most complete dissemination of information
from constituents on two major policy proposals to impact P&S employees – Family Leave and Early Retirement.
Informational e-mails were sent to all P&S employees and their responses were then posted (in condensed/edited
form) on the Council’s Web site. This provided P&S employees, and the full Council, with as much information as
possible to make the best suggestions for policy revisions.
Recommended Goals for FY 2002-2003
1.
Continue recording open forums to be posted on the P&S Web site as streaming files – either audio or
video.
2.
Encourage all committee chairs to submit dates and updates timely for the Web site.
3.
Consider new P&S employee get-togethers aside from the traditional tailgate, such as an “employee
appreciation day” at Reiman Gardens or something similar. Also, consider the potential for a P&S Council
reunion as part of some new, expanded event.
Respectfully submitted by:
Kevin Brown, Communications Committee Chair
July 26, 2002
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