Staff Senate Minutes
February 10, 2011
Members
Lance Alexis
Mike Burnett
Mike Corelli
Keith Corzine
William Frady
Sheila Frizzell
Tammy Frizzell
Homer Harris
April Karby
Jason Lavigne
Eric Margiotta
David Porter
Kathleen Prindiville
Laura Simons
Scott Swartzentruber
Jeff Tatham
Walter Turner
Dianne Lynch (Ex-Officio Member)
Kathy Wong (Ex-Officio Member)
Erin McNelis (Faculty Chair)
Nicole Parrish (guest)
I.
II.
III.
Present
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Excused
Unexcused
Comments
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Approval of Meeting Agenda
Motion
Eric Margiotta
Second
Jason Lavigne
Approval of the Minutes for January, 2011
Motion
Jason Lavigne
Second
Eric Margiotta
Human Resources (Kathy Wong, ex-officio member)
a. Budget Scenario – The situation is fluid.
1. 2.9-3.7 billion dollar deficit
2. Western Carolina University is planning for a firm 10% cut.
3. Next Wednesday (February 16, 2011), the Chancellor will meet with the
Executive Council to discuss the budget scenarios.
4. Reductions in Force and layoffs will be known March 1, 2011.
5. The University will use the cuts as an opportunity. WCU has used onetime monies to pay for recurring expenses. We may make a higher cut
to re-align monies for the recurring expenses to become permanent
allotments.
6. WCU may implement a 4-day work week.
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February 10, 2011
IV.
a. Will classes held in 2 buildings only? - WCU is still researching
the cost savings and issues attached to the proposal.
b. How would that decision affect conferences?
7. Furloughs – There is not much discussion of furloughs. The UNC
President’s delegated authority from the legislature runs out in June,
2011. Furloughs may be on the table if another reversion is asked for.
8. Reversions –
a. 3.5% of the budget has already reverted.
b. An additional 1.5% may come?
b. Adverse Weather – The University was officially closed from 12:00 pm on Monday,
January 10th until 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 11th due to inclement weather
(significant snowfall). HR is grappling with the paperwork. Quite a few people came to
work. Timesheet adjustments are being made. Employees will receive credit for hours
worked during the shutdown. (This may create some time that employees will need to
take off later.)
1. University Policy 41 (Leave during Adverse Weather Conditions)
http://www.wcu.edu/25301.asp
c. Cuts
1. The cuts will not be across the board.
2. The cuts made this year will serve the University in the future. The cuts
will eliminate unnecessary duplication.
3. Next Wednesday (February 16, 2011), the Chancellor will be provided
with a spreadsheet that will list the proposed reductions.
a. Each appointment type must be looked at.
b. End dates will be spread out due to appointment types.
i. SPA
30
ii. EPA Faculty
30-60-90
4. Revenue based funds may be hiring. Some areas of the University do
not receive state funds.
5. To fill vacant positions, the department must justify why the position is
critical to the unit’s function. The positions are reviewed by the
Executive Council and Human Resources must report positions to-befilled to the state. Every Vice Chancellor has been told to be judicious
when filling open positions.
6. Formal notifications have not gone out (2/10/11).
New Business
a. Chancellor Search Committee (William Frady) – The search committee is reviewing the
candidates. Each committee member is to have their top 5 picks listed (unranked) by
5:00 pm on February 11, 2011.
1. Next week the committee will meet in Asheville and will list the top 3, 5
or 7.
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b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
2. Candidates will be interviewed in Atlanta at the beginning of March.
3. The candidates hail from all over the United States and represent both
the corporate sector and education.
4. The search committee is keeping to the aggressive timeline. They hope
to have someone in place to take over on July 1, 2011. Dr. Bardo’s
official last day would be the 30th of June.
Staff Senate Nominations/Voting (Tammy Frizzell)
1. Staff Senate Nominations ran from January 31, 2011 till February 9,
2011.
2. Nominees will be contacted on February 10 and 11.
3. Nominees willing to serve on the Staff Senate will have their names
submitted to Russ Crisp in IT for balloting.
4. Elections will go live on February 15, 2011 and will run through February
23, 2011.
5. Results will be in on February 24, 2011.
6. Winners will be notified on February 25 and 28.
7. In accordance with Staff Senate by-laws, results of the Election will be
posted by March 1, 2011.
Staff Senate Scholarship Application (Tammy Frizzell)
1. The application has been posted to the Staff Senate website in DOC and
PDF formats. Paper copies have been distributed at the last two Staff
Senate meetings (January 13, 2011 & February 10, 2011).
http://www.wcu.edu/12665.asp Paper copies have also been placed in
the One Stop Student Service Center.
2. Applications are due by 5:00 pm on February 28, 2011.
Yard Sale Update (Tammy Frizzell) – The Yard sale is slated for April 9, 2011. Setup will
be on April 8, 2011.
Child Care – If the University goes to a 4-day work week, how will this affect child care?
1. Encourage managers to be flexible.
2. It could also be a productivity issue. How can we work people 10 hours
a day? Could the long work days negatively affect morale?
3. This proposal does not only affect people with children. What about
elder care or medical care?
4. For most staffers this will prove to be an opportunity to spend more
time with family. We need to look at the 4-day work week as an
opportunity. Those of the staff that will have to work regardless can
support the staff that will benefit from the time off. That support could
in turn boost morale.
5. The 4-day work week could produce a cost savings in the form of
powered down buildings, etc.
Budget Update (William Frady) Staff will be informed of cuts by March 1, 2011.
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V.
1. Some staff members feel that early notification is a good thing.
2. Program Priorization – It is a good move to make. It will move us into
alignment with UNC goals and re-organization is a piece of that. It is a
strategy that will place WCU in good standing for the future. The staff
must see this as an opportunity. We must think of the future of the
institution.
3. Everyone is planning for a 10% cut.
4. It could be 15% cut.
5. The cut could be as high as 19.5%.
6. WCU is making an educated guess. There could be a second round of
cuts.
g. Budget Saving Suggestions (William Frady) The Staff Senate supports open and lively
discussion of all issues facing the staff. No one should take suggestions personally.
1. Will employees have to pay their own insurance? There are rumors.
Would the system (Health Care) even survive that?
2. Some NC state taxes are lapsing. We will not have a clear picture of the
tax revenue until April.
3. Suggestions:
a. Administrators and Vice Chancellors teach 1 class.
b. Cancel the May mini-mester for 2012.
c. Go to a 4-day work week year round.
d. Go more paperless.
e. Volunteer furlough
f. 30 minute lunches
g. Early retirement with incentive packages
h. Share one job – two part-time people for one job
i. Change budge mindset on state funds – no more use it or lose it
j. Landscaping? WCU uses a greenhouse and grows plants from
seeds.
4. Currently as stuff breaks Facilities is just able to band aid most problems
due to a lack of funds. (They are funded based upon square footage.) It
requires a lot of time to requisition the needed parts, if funds are
available.
5. Capitol funds cannot be used to offset operating budget shortfalls. It is
state law.
6. The grounds and buildings are a great selling point. Thank you to the
staff that makes it possible.
Old Business
a. Employee Emergency Assistance Fund Vote (Tammy Frizzell)
Motion Jason Lavigne
Second Eric Margiotta
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VI.
The vote carries. Paperwork to start the fund will commence.
b. Ornament Fund (Tammy Frizzell)
1. The Ornament Fund has been officially created.
2. Funds were deposited on 2/7/2011 ($360.11).
3. Ornaments were purchased on 2/9/11 at a price of $3.60 each for a
grand total of $360.00 dollars spent on 100 ornaments.
4. Ornaments will be encased in plain white boxes.
c. Day of Service (William Frady) The Staff Senate will collect food for Community Table.
d. Furlough (William Frady and Kathy Wong)
1. It is a complicated issue.
2. Discussion on our stance on furloughs. We would like a unified stance
on furlough.
"We support furloughs as a tool to help offset temporary budget shortfalls"
Announcements
a. The 10th annual Gender Conference will take place, March 23rd from 9 am till 4 pm in the
AK Hinds University Center. All are welcome.
Addendum: Budget Update on January 31. 2011
Chancellor - Dr. Bardo
Down-sizing will be temporary. Our enrollment is flat at ~9400 students.
The budget deficit for the state of North Carolina is projected to be 2.9-3.7 Billion. The Legislature is an
unknown factor.
WCU has been asked for a 3.5 Reversion. We are looking at an 8-15% cut. In our planning we will
assume that the tuition increases will be left to the campuses to offset the cuts. This is still an unknown.
The Legislature may take the money. We will not know until May.
2008-2009
% State Budget
% of Reduction
Chancellor
2.5
5.0
Academic Affairs
74.3
54.6
Student Affairs
0.9
0.4
Advancement & External Affairs
3.0
3.3
Administration & Finance
19.3
36.7
We will begin preparing for a 10% reduction in state funding. WCU has already held 5% back. We are
working on another 5%.
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WCU will minimize layoffs where feasible.
Focus on re-organization + effective use of existing administration.
Simplify curricula for the strongest programs possible. Increase the quality of basic programs by
focusing resources.
Minimize Utilities (In the summer, hold classes in a few buildings.)
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
Look at alternate schedules for summer.
WCU must focus on the academic center. The basic programs offered by a fully accredited university
must be central. Focus on UNC Tomorrow for effective, efficient delivery of programs.
Robert Edwards – Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance – Budget Review for
2008/2009 and 2009/2010
2008/2009 Budget - $132,876,585
Personnel
$96,247,339
Non-Salary
$34,310,183
EPA Faculty
618
EPA Non-Faculty
210
SPA Staff
661
Academic Affairs received 74.3% of the state funds.
funds.
Reductions
2008/2009
2009/2010
2009/2010 Budget - $118,002,754
Personnel
$87,218,337
Non-Salary
$28,416,303
Academic Affairs received 76.4% of the state
$8,208,167
$7,316,315
$15,524,482
Dr. Stanford - Dr. Stanford believes that we will see a 15% cut. We are working on Program
Priorization.
Academic Affairs will be cut 6.7 million dollars if a 15% cut comes. 5% has been reserved. Another 10%
would have to be cut.
Release Time + Workload – Faculty
WCU has 1.7 million in adjunct faculty. They are talking about positions. They cannot relay that
information to the group but be prepared.
All divisions are preparing for the 15% cut.
The average taught will have to go up. There must be less specialization. Base programs!
Last year of our 75 programs, 16 programs graduated less than 5 students. We must look at the
structure of our curriculum.
Vice Chancellors are asked to minimize management. Rank the services offered.
IT is underfunded. WCU hopes to minimize further damage to IT.
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March 1, 2011 – Staff reductions should be known. Faculty members are on variable timeline, due to
tenure, etc. UNC Tomorrow will help us identify important programs. Re-organization of administration
will be a high priority.
Furloughs save jobs. You could keep 3 or 4 jobs for 2, 3, 4 or 5 more months. Then people could retire,
leave or other positions may become vacant. It does not appear that WCU will use furloughs in 2011.
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