CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES COUNCIL
May 1, 2008
Horrabin Hall Room 60
Minutes
I.
Roll Call
Present: Suzanne Boussaard, Jim Buffalo, Carla Farniok, Richard Hamilton, Ed Lavin, Sam Marlow,
Greg Phelps, Lois Retherford, Jamie Shuda, Cerese Wright, Martha Youngmeyer, Jackie Thompson,
Andrea Henderson
Excused: Laura Caldwell, Hilary Churchill, Pam Bowman, Sheila Kirby
II.
Guest
Joe Rives – Higher Values in Higher Education
The Strategic plan includes a commitment to salary for Faculty, Administrative, Professional, and Civil
Service employees with market equity being taken into consideration. The Pay for Performance for
non-negotiated staff will be implemented if approved.
The Strategic Plan is consistent with having a family-friendly environment. There will be a needs and
feasibility analysis for establishing summer child care for the Macomb campus and year round child
care for the Quad Cities campus.
Family care and elder care will be taken into consideration with the development of a university-wide
committee that includes representation from all governance groups on both campuses. They will study
how the University might best support its employees when they are dealing with issues of elder care
and/or catastrophic care.
The values remain true to what we are.
There will be an accreditation self-study. If this is not achieved, Financial Aid could be stripped away
from the institution.
Greg made a motion for the Civil Service Employees Council to endorse the Higher Values in Higher
Education Strategic Plan. Richard seconded it. The motion passed.
The Civil Service Employees Council will try and be meetings in rooms with CODEC capabilities. Lois
will be attending from the Quad Cities instead of driving down when possible.
III. Minutes (Carla Farniok)
Greg made a motion to accept the minutes and Jim seconded. The motion passed.
IV. Treasurer’s Report (Jamie Shuda) - No Report
V.
President’s Report (Suzanne Boussaard)
The council received a thank you note from Donna Pestle for receiving employee of the month. The
council also received thank you note from Patty Fowler Rouse because Jim Buffalo gave them
information to get in touch with a lawyer to get correct information for upgrades of employees and
layoffs.
NIU Sympathies – Right now they are only taking contributions for scholarship funds. They may be
doing a memorial garden at a later date.
Provost Jack Thomas will be attending the June CSEC meeting. Dr. Goldfarb is attending the July
CSEC meeting.
President’s Advisory Group
Chillers will be replaced in Horrabin, Stipes, and Currens Halls.
The CSEC luncheon was announced. It will be May 30, 2008.
The overuse of Telestars and surveys were discussed. There is below a 22% faculty
response.
Budget
Years of Service
Western Walks
Lake Ruth will be cleaned up this year. The animals will be taken care of.
Dave Steelman talked about the budget.
VI. Civil Service Employee of the Month (Laura Caldwell)
Michael Hott from the Physical Plant is the Employee of the month for May. His presentation will be
th
May 8 at 10:00 in the Physical Plant Conference Room.
VII. Vice President for Administrative Services Report (Jackie Thompson)
Orders have been placed for 3 Chillers. These will replace the chillers in Horrabin, Stipes, and Currens
Halls.
Western Walks is going on the week of April 28-May 2. The walks are at 12:00 and after work. Friday
will only be 12:00. Zonya Foco was here on April 30 and put on a wonderful presentation.
Budget – No budget yet for FY09; House Budget Bill possibly today
There has been no Capital Renewal since FY04. We really need this because we need to rebuild
boilers in the Physical Plant. It is hectic in Springfield.
A parking study has just started. Most of it will be done in next fiscal year. There will be no more flat
lots added. Western is unique with the number of flat lots it currently has compared to other
Universities. Q-Lot has quite a few parking spaces available through the day. Parking fees will not be
increasing in cost in FY09, however, with the increased costs we are facing, they would probably be
going up in the future. Western’s parking fees are also lower than a lot of the Universities.
VIII. Director of Human Resources (Pam Bowman)
Pam is attending the Quad Cites Western Walks this afternoon so Andrea Henderson covered this
meeting for her.
There are 2 benefit choice periods this year. There are meetings today and also on May 6 at 8:30, 12:00,
and 3:00 in the Sandburg Theatre.
The secretarial series is now the Office Support Series. The tests seem to be harder than before.
Renee Simpson will be the Assistant to the Director of Human Resources. She begins on June 1, 2008
and will work with the Trainee and Learning programs.
IX.
Employee Advisory Committee Representative (Sheila Kirby) – No Report
X.
WIU Quad Cities Campus Report (Lois Retherford)
-- Western Walks event held at QC Campus today and I won the iPod shuffle.
-- Campus clean-up was held last Saturday.
-- Commencement will take place on Sunday, May 11 at the i Wireless Center in Moline
-- Faculty/Staff Recognition Program will be May 8 at the QC Campus
-- Director of Academic & Student Services has been hired, Andy Borst, and he will start June 2.
-- We will have a Office Support Associate start June 16 that is transferring from the Macomb Campus.
This person takes the place of the Secretary III Learner/Trainee position that had been open.
-- Backpack to Briefcase event was held last Friday and was very successful with over 200 participants.
-- ALAS Pre-Finals Fiesta was held outside on April 30.
-- Manage Your Stress Week activities are taking place this week.
-- The QC Campus celebrated Student Worker week last week.
-- Testing for the new Office Support Series will take place at the QC on Friday, May 2.
-- There are several other workshops and activities scheduled here at the QC Campus in the very near
future as we conclude the Spring 2008 semester.
-- QC civil service employee, Leslie Mose, Office Support Associate with t he Dept. of Academic &
Student Services, received a Civil Service Distinguished Service Award for 2008.
XI. Representative Reports to Council
1. Affirmative Action Internship (Tammy Hiel) – This needs a new representative
2.
Affirmative Action & Equity Council (Martha Youngmeyer)
The Executive Committee for the Council has received an invitation to the Annual President’s
Excellence in Diversity Awards Reception. Anyone on the council can attend. Let Martha know if
you plan to attend.
3.
Women’s Center (Martha Youngmeyer)
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The first Take Back the Campus violence prevention concert and resource fair on April 3 was very
successful and plans are underway for next year’s event; OASIS’s Children’s and Maternity
Consignment Sale on April 5 was successful; the WC co-sponsored anti-smoking activist Rene
Hick’s talk on April 8; OASIS decorated and filled 10 suitcases for foster children during their Love
Luggage project on April 12; the WC co-sponsored author Sister Souljah’s talk on April 15; WC
staff and volunteers assisted WIRC-Victim Services with The Clothesline Project display on April
17; we sponsored an Equal Pay Day REAL Women presentation on April 22; on April 24, the
Feminist Action Alliance held a Women's Voices Open Mic Night at Adams Street Coffee; The
Women’s Center has printed our first Women’s Voices Journal, a compilation of poetry and short
stories by students, faculty, staff and alumni of WIU, and anyone wishing to purchase a copy for $5
may stop by the Women’s Center; May 11-17, 2008 is National Women’s Health Week and
information is available at www.4women.gov/whw ; Director Janine Cavicchia will be attending the
National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) 2008 annual conference and Women’s Centers
Pre-Conference meetings in Cincinnati, June 19-22, 2008; Details on these and more events are in
the May/June/July issue of Women’s News and Views, which will be distributed in the next couple
of days and is available on-line at www.wc.wiu.edu
4.
Web Page (Jim Buffalo) – Web page is up to date
XII. Committee Reports
1. Appeals/Award Fund (Rich Hamilton) – No Report
2. Award Selection (Ed Lavin) Fall Scholarship Winners:
Jerry Roth, Marissa Brown, Timothee Zaborac, Lyndi Thorman, Tiffany Whited
Spring Scholarship Winners:
Charles Thomas, Leigh Terstriep, Kristina Dean, Alan Cale
3.
Constitution / Election (Jim Buffalo) – Dan Rathjen and Amber Dodds are new council members.
Jim brought up the possibility of a representative that wants to be on council come from Group 2
but represent Group 3. Jamie made a motion to allow this and Greg seconded it. The motion
carried. The open Group 3 position will be put on Telestars. Jim and Jamie will take care of this.
4.
Education (Hilary Churchill) – No Report
5.
Mentoring (Sam Marlow)
Richard Branson
Press Tech 3/DPS
May 12, 2008
6.
Salary (Suzanne Boussaard) – Pay for Exceptional Performance – The salary committee has met
5 times working on this proposal. They have been putting questions together and pointing out
areas that need to be tweaked. The committee is plugging right along. The report is due on May
th
16 . This proposal really needs to go out to the Civil Service employees for their input. This needs
to be fair and diplomatic to everyone involved.
7.
Social Events & Development (Jamie Shuda)
Invitations are going out today (May 1, 2008). See Cerese for raffle tickets. They are $1.00 a
piece or 7 for $5.00.
8.
Committee on Committees (Greg Phelps) – No Report
Greg will meet with Dan and Amber to go over with them how the committees work. Dan might
take over mentoring.
XIII. New Business:
rd
Amethyst Council needs a CSEC representative. They meet the 3 Tuesday of the month from AugustMay. Please let Suzanne know if you are interested.
Provost Advisory Group needs a CSEC representative. Greg Phelps volunteered.
The election of officers took place at this meeting.
Suzanne Boussaard stepped down from being President and Greg has served the time that he could
serve as being Vice President. The officers as of May 1, 2008 are as follows:
President – Ed Lavin
Vice President – Richard Hamilton
Treasurer – Jamie Shuda
Secretary – Carla Farniok
XIV. Old Business:
1. Payroll Deduction Plan – Forms will be at the luncheon. There will be a table with signs along with
the raffle tickets and the cookbooks. The table will be before check in.
XV.
2.
Phone-A-Thon – Possible own phone-a-thon.
3.
Pay For Performance – Covered in Salary
4.
Flower Bulbs – CSEC made $290.00 on this fundraiser.
5.
Golf Outing Fundraiser– The golf outing will be at Gold Hills Golf Club on June 28. It will be $50.00
for individual or $200.00 for a team of 4. There is the possibility of being a green sponsor, a teesponsor, or a raffle sponsor. This is posted around the University. Tee-Off is at 9:00 am. Thank
you Ed for taking care of the printing costs.
Group Concerns:
E-Tests – There have been complaints about the new e-tests.
Supplemental handout was given with no explanation
Supplemental handouts need to be rearranged; do not seem to be in the proper order; time is
wasted flipping back and forth
Customer service was poor
Wrong booklet was given to someone and the person administering the test laughed, gave
them the correct book but did not restart the time
Mac computer users are at a disadvantage
New test scores are 23 points lower than paper; one person got a 100% on the paper test and
failed the electronic test
No credit for credentials
Study guides need updated on the website
Many questions on how to use the control buttons when some either right click or use the pull
down options
Complaints on typing tests
XVI. Announcements
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Next meeting: June 5, 2008 on the 6 Floor in the Library
Greg made a motion to end the meeting and Suzanne seconded.