Classified Staff Advisory Council Minutes
Wednesday, May 1st; 9 – 10 AM, DUC 235
Present: Connie Anderson, Shelly Auer, Danielle Beschta, Jackie Christianson, Jay Christianson, Renee
Copes, Jackie Durigan, Erin Hintz, Pat Kleman, Tammy Larson, Marshall Lee, Cindy Marczak,
Harley Martin, Tracy Raatz, Libby Raymond, Paulette Rogers, Jean Scherer, Alvin Schuller,
Heidi Wallner, Anthony Walter
Absent:
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Approval of April 3rd, 2013 Minutes: Danielle moved to approve the minutes; Jackie C. seconded
the motion.
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Introduction of New Members – Outgoing and incoming members introduced themselves.
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Budget Discussion (Greg Diemer and Greg Summers): Greg Diemer and Greg Summers were
present to provide the group with an update regarding the budget and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau
(LFB) audit. It was explained that as state support has continued to decline through the years, the
campus has become increasingly reliable on tuition revenue support. While there are some balances
across the UW System that do need to be explained and better managed, the audit has served
mainly as a point of political attack. The UW System does need balances in order to run effectively.
However, the System can now expect a tuition freeze, at a minimum, for the coming biennium. New
flexibilities to be granted in terms of tuition and pay plan setting are also now in jeopardy.
Greg Summers walked the group through some illustrative slides. The first showed that for the
upcoming 2013-15 biennium, only about $29 million of the funding for the UW System should be
considered as “new”. The remaining $153 million is really to sustain current operations of the UW
System. The second slide showed the tuition balances for the UW System units and where UWSP fell
in comparison to the rest of the campuses. The overall June 30, 2012 balance was over $1 billion.
However, the LFB clarified that about 1/3 of that balance was from restricted funds such as research
grants, federal financial aid, etc. Of the remaining $648 million balance, $414 million of that was
from tuition. UWSP’s tuition balance was $10.7 million, which was 2.6% of the total $414 million.
UWSP’s total budget is 3.8% of the total UW System budget, so our balance is not out of line. UWSP
and other campuses were surprised to learn of the balance sitting in UW Systemwide, which is not
tied to any specific campus. For more information about UWSP’s tuition balance and how that
balance was used so far in FY13, the group should refer to the tuition fact sheet sent out by the
Chancellor last week. The third graph showed how UWSP’s retention rates have improved and
student enrollment numbers have increased over the years. The final graph showed how just in the
last couple of years the tuition revenue on campus has grown. Prior to FY11, the balance was fairly
variable, both positive and negative. Greg Summers explained that a decrease of just 150 students
means a loss of over $1 million in tuition and fees.
The group was told that UWSP really does have to manage itself increasingly like a private institution.
Although there are some areas across campus that need improvement, the campus is well within the
17% reserve guidelines. As UWSP continues to work to improve retention rates and increase
enrollments, the increased revenue from those efforts will be put back into faculty and staff salaries.
UWSP is committed to investing in merit- and equity-based, base-building salary increases. To
receive any portion of a possible FY14 pay plan, classified staff will have to have had a performance
evaluation done since July 1, 2012. Money is being set aside centrally for salaries.
Differential tuition at UWSP has again been put in a tough spot, but our students are working hard to
make sure UWSP students do have the option of putting a resolution in front of the Board of Regents
for Fall 2013. They have been talking to numerous legislators in an effort to get them to support
UWSP’s efforts in developing a differential tuition program.
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Provost Search Feedback: - Jackie C. asked the group for any feedback related to the provost
search. The Chancellor asked that any feedback from CSAC be provided to him by the end of the day.
Jackie asked the group to send her any comments and she would pass them along to the Chancellor.
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Convocation: Jean gave an update on convocation. Convocation for all incoming freshmen will be
August 30th at 10:30 AM. The Chancellor wants all staff to participate in the ceremony. There will be
a picnic at DeBot field following. Polo shirts will be for sale and staff are encouraged to purchase one,
or wear purple. However, staff should attend even if they do not have purple attire. Everyone will
process in, as a show of support for all of the incoming students.
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Classified Staff Appreciation Week: Suggestions from the group for next year are: CSAC/USC
members should sit at tables in the front of the seating arrangements, speakers should read the
person’s background information and then introduce them for their award, and also ask that applause
be held until the end of each section.
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UPS Policies (Bob Tabor): Bob Tabor provided an update on the new UPS. 63 policies will
eventually be developed at the System/campus level; Bob will send the index of those policies to
CSAC. The news about the UW System cash balances has affected any progress made in terms of
UPS-related flexibilities. Last week’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) meeting was
scheduled to be a discussion of the new UPS; however, that meeting was taken over by the cash
balances issue. Campuses will be moving forward with the first group of policies to develop. At
UWSP, we will build our individual policies from the basic System-developed policies. The Chancellor
wants CSAC/USC input on these policies. On July 1, 2013, the new UPS system is set to go into
effect. At that point, any UWSP-revised policies will also go into effect. Any policies not yet revised
will revert to the UW System developed policies. Policies can be revised at the campus level at any
point going forward, but the System policies will allow campuses to have something to fall back on in
the meantime.
It was suggested that the new co-chairs work with the new CSAC/USC to set up subcommittees to
work on each UPS policy area. Jackie C. suggested that each subcommittee be led by one or two
CSAC/USC members and then be populated by general classified/university staff members. These
policies should have as broad a range of input as possible. The committees will require several
months of more intense work developing policy recommendations, and then will revert to more of a
“maintenance” committee, called upon as necessary. A member of the UWSP Personnel office will
either sit on each committee or be a designated expert consultant since these policies involve
complex human resource issues. The Chancellor and Bob Tabor have both stated that
classified/university staff should feel comfortable leaving their daily job to work on these important
issues. Bob stated that HR will help facilitate participation if necessary.
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Nomination/Election of Co-Chairs and Secretary: Jackie C. informed the group that under
current bylaws, both co-chairs and the secretary for the upcoming year need to be elected. She is
also no longer on the group per the current bylaws, although she offered to work with the new cochairs to provide any knowledge and advice as needed. Jackie stated that USC will be a new
organization next year and that she views the co-chairs as guiding the various USC committees in
their work.
Danielle, Libby, and Paulette were all nominated to be next year’s co-chairs. After discussion among
the group and nominees, Shelly moved to nominate Paulette and Libby, and Danielle seconded the
motion. Heidi will serve as secretary.
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Meeting Schedule: The group will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 AM starting in
June.
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Other Business: Jackie C. discussed a potential organizational chart for USC. Some subcommittees
will be ongoing and others will be more temporary in nature as UPS gets underway. The structure is
similar to that of Academic Staff Council. She also shared with the group an email from Julie
Schneider (ASC rep) about ASC and USC being part of an overall salary subcommittee of the faculty
senate. More discussion/decisions on that issue are likely to come. Jackie also mentioned the
possibility of having the current faculty senate administrative assistant take over administrative duties
for USC, as USC becomes an official governance body. This possibility was mentioned by Katie Jore
and would still have to be explored, but Jackie and the incoming co-chairs all thought having the
same individual be responsible for the administrative side of all governance bodies would be
beneficial.
Assignments for 2012-2013
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Brown Bag/Tours/Special Events – Everyone
Bylaws – Jackie Christianson, Cindy Marczak, Jean Scherer, Alvin Schuller, Heidi Wallner
Campus Committees – Marshall Lee
Chancellor’s Cabinet – Jackie Christianson
Classified Staff Awards – Cindy Marczak & Alvin Schuller
Elections – Jackie Durigan
Environmental, Health & Safety Committee – Tracy Raatz
Mentor Program – Jean Scherer & Connie Anderson
Newsletter – Cindy Marczak & Anthony Walter
Online Surveys – Renee Copes & Connie Anderson
Sargis – Danielle Beschta & Heidi Wallner
Secretary – Erin Hintz
Treasurer – Tracy Raatz
Web site – Renee Copes & Connie Anderson
Years of Service – Marshall Lee, Alvin Schuller, Anthony Walter