Staff Senate
Full Senate Meeting
August 12, 2009
Senate Chambers
The meeting was called to order at 1:15 p.m. by President Clements. A quorum was
present.
Roll Call
Guests: Doug Vinzant, Vice President of Administration; Joe Montelongo,
Human Resources Interim Director; Maggi Murdock, Chair of the NCAA
Recertification Steering Committee
Senators Present: Ginny Becker, Kara Bobbitt, Brandi Brewer, Angela Bules,
Christi Byers, Cyndi Cowardin, Al Emmons, Janean Forsyth, Cheri Frank, Stacy
Lane, Jamie LeJambre, Lori Lewis, James Logue (phone), Kelly McMicheal,
Christy Nordmann, Kathy Norris, Thyra Page, Jauque Schuman, Tod Scott,
Diana Waggener, Linda Waggener, Maureena Walker, Kathi Zubrod
Senators Absent: Avery Cowardin, James Fuerholzer, Carrie Hesco, Rachel
Martin
Approval of Minutes and Agenda
It was moved and seconded to approve the July minutes by Senators D. Waggener and
Emmons. It was moved and seconded to approve the August agenda by Senators
McMicheal and Norris.
Administration Reports
Vice President for Administration Doug Vinzant provided the following report:
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The Wyoming Wind Symposium will be taking place Thursday, August 13
through Friday, August 14, 2009, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. VP Vinzant
wanted staff to be aware that a number of visitors will be on campus during the
symposium, and may need assistance locating the Union or other UW facilities.
The search for an Associate Vice President of Human Resources has begun.
VP Vinzant issued a “Vacancy Review and Central Salary Management
Processes Associated with FY 2010 Budget Reductions” memorandum to
Deans, Directors, and Department Heads on Monday, August 10, 2009. The
memo’s purpose was to detail the procedures for and progress aimed at meeting
the goals set forth by UW President, Tom Buchanan, in his June 4, 2009,
memorandum on budget reductions for fiscal year 2010. Central to President
Buchanan’s savings plan is the implementation of a ‘hiring squeeze’ and of a
Central Salary Management (CSM) policy. Savings goals for these initiatives are
$412,000 and $500,000, respectively. A $276,000 savings in faculty position
management has already been achieved.
VP Vinzant reported that it is difficult to determine when the ‘hiring squeeze’ will
end; it is dependent upon the attainment of said budgetary savings goals. He
also indicated that staff cannot assume that the 2011-2012 biennium will bring
the return of funding for lower-priority staff positions. University administrators
are looking toward the future, and will continue to implement cost-saving policies
as required to meet existing and projected budgets.
Senator LeJambre requested clarification for the reasoning behind changing the Human
Resources Director position to an Associate Vice President position. VP Vinzant
indicated that two primary reasons support the decision: first, the position is of sufficient
importance to university operations and should be classified at the Associate Vice
President level; second, upgrading the position will help the university recruit a stronger
pool of applicants. He clarified that there will not be two administrative HR positions, but
that the Associate Vice President will replace the Director.
Senator D. Waggener inquired about the following statement contained in the August 10
memorandum to Deans, Directors, and Department Heads:
“c. The Division of Administration will implement a system of business service
offices to consolidate and coordinate accounting personnel across multiple
departments.” (p. 2)
VP Vinzant indicated that the Department of Administration is at the early stages of
implementing this charge from President Buchanan. It was included in the
memorandum as a means of reminding Deans, Directors, and Department Heads that
steps will be taken to achieve this charge. VP Vinzant plans to assemble a
representative team from various departments/divisions to examine best practices
among comparative institutions and determine what design would work best for UW. No
deadline for implementation of this charge has been set. The current focus is on
determining the goals that UW wants to attain by implementing this charge and
designing a structure that will achieve those goals.
Senator D. Waggener commented that the Position Request Form accompanying the
August 10 memorandum seemed to focus on faculty support and student service
positions, rather than being an all-inclusive document pertaining to all types of staff. VP
Vinzant indicated that the form, which is aimed at prioritizing staff positions within units,
is a work in progress. The particular form included with the August 10 memorandum
was designed by Provost Myron Allen and is a model that can be used by other
divisions. The tiered approach outlined in the form creates consistency on how the
university will approach prioritizing vacancy fulfillment. VP Vinzant’s office will be
providing regular reports on whether vacancies are being filled and how they are being
filled.
Senator Lewis requested that VP Vinzant’s office provide the Staff Senate with a copy
of the memorandum, as not all senators had seen the document.
Mr. Montelongo indicated that Human Resources is currently working on its pandemic
plan. He explained that each functional area at the university has been charged with
developing a plan of action in the event the university experiences a staff shortage due
to the H1N1 virus. The focus of each plan should be maintaining service levels with
fewer staff. In addition to their department plan, HR is also reviewing policies and
procedures related to pandemic plans, in general.
Monthly meetings with Staff Senate representatives continue. These meetings serve as
venues for sharing information and answering questions from staff. Mr. Montelongo
invited additional senators to attend. He also requested that the Senate provide
advance notice of specific questions for HR to address, so that HR would have
adequate time to investigate the answer.
Mr. Montelongo reported that HR continues to communicate with the individuals who
were affected by the Reduction In Force (RIF) of June 4, 2009. A job fair will be held in
conjunction with the Advising and Career Services Center Career Fair, to be held
September 21-23. Mr. Montelongo provided the following update on RIFed employees:
Of the 42 employees who were RIFed:
 Nine previously benefited employees have been rehired into benefited
positions at UW
 Four previously at-will employees have been rehired into benefited, at-will
positions at UW
 Two have moved from the Laramie area
 Three are no longer interested in working at UW
 Three have obtained employment off campus
 One has started his/her own business
 One has retired
 Three are considering retirement
 One has chosen not to return to the workforce
Senator Scott inquired about the 15 employees not mentioned in the aforementioned
statistics. Mr. Montelongo responded that a number of them are still looking for
employment, but HR does not have complete information for all of them. He indicated
that it is his hope that the September job fair will provide career opportunities that they
had not previously considered.
Senator Norris asked whether custodial and Residence Life and Dining Services staff
would receive pandemic plan training. Mr. Montelongo indicated that each department
would have specific information on available training.
President Clements commented that a recent encounter with one of her constituents
revealed that specifics related to the new tuition waiver policy are not contained in the
Employee Handbook. Specifically, President Clements could not locate information
related to whether the waiver applied to coursework that is not work-related or does not
count toward a degree and the limitations on supervisors for denying course requests.
Mr. Montelongo indicated that no changes have been made to the tuition waiver policy,
and he was unsure of the reasoning behind the exclusion of these details. Mr.
Montelongo promised to investigate the situation further.
Senator Nordmann reminded her fellow senators that employees must have their tuition
waiver form turned in by the first day of class or it would not be honored. This rule has
always applied, but is now being more stringently enforced.
Educational Guest Speaker
Maggi Murdock, Chair of the NCAA Recertification Steering Committee, spoke about
the recertification process that the university is currently undergoing. Just as the
academic side of the university undergoes a re-accreditation review every ten years, the
athletic department must also be recertified each decade. Mrs. Murdock provided a draft
copy of the 2009 University of Wyoming NCAA Recertification Self Study Executive
Summary and of UW 2009 Recertification Issues and Successes (see
http://www.uwyo.edu/president/info.asp?p=10231).
Three subcommittees have been involved in developing the aforementioned
recertification documents: Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance,
Academic Integrity, and Gender/Diversity Issues and Student-Athlete Well-Being. A site
team from the NCAA will be visiting UW in early November.
Mrs. Murdock indicated that the focus of the self study is to examine what has
happened in the previous ten years, and to determine the focus for the next ten years. A
specific emphasis has been placed on maintaining gender equity, as mandated by Title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, despite budget cuts. An example of this is the
provision of locker rooms for members of the women’s tennis team.
Senator Scott requested clarification on whether the site team is part of the
recertification process or if they would grant the recertification. Mrs. Murdock indicated
that UW is bound by any recommendations that the site team makes, but that they are
one piece in the multi-tiered process of recertification.
Senator Emmons inquired as to whether there was a men’s tennis team, and what
measures were being taken to ensure equality for them. Mrs. Murdock indicated that,
historically, there have been fewer facilities for female athletes, which is why women’s
tennis is receiving new locker rooms. The NCAA will look at the number of male and
female athletes across the gamut of UW athletic teams, so equal facilities need to be
provided for all athletes.
Senator Forsyth asked for clarification of the following statement:
“The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has successfully complied with Title
IX using roster management.” (UW 2009 NCAA Recertification Issues and
Successes Draft, p. 7)
Specifically, Senator Forsyth was unsure what was meant by ‘roster management’. Mrs.
Murdock explained that roster management is how many people are officially
considered on a team roster. Rosters can vary due to academic eligibility or other
eligibility requirements. In addition to gender, ethnic diversity is also closely monitored.
Any questions, concerns, or comments related to the NCAA recertification process at
UW can be sent to Mrs. Murdock at NCAA-murdock@uwyo.edu.
Old Business
Senator Bules reported that a copy of the Employee of the Quarter Resolution
(Attachment B) was distributed via e-mail to all senators; she requested discussion and
a vote on the proposed resolution. Senator D. Waggener submitted a correction,
removing ‘the’ from line two of the resolution. Senator McMicheal motioned to approve
the resolution with corrections; Senator D. Waggener seconded. The motion passed.
President Clements broached the idea of doing a food drive for the Laramie community,
noting that several Laramie businesses, in addition to the university, have fallen on hard
economic times. She suggested we collect dry and canned goods and submit them to
an agency like Interfaith Good Samaritan for distribution. Ideally, the drive would be
completed by October 1. President Clements indicated that boxes could be placed in
departments for student, staff, and faculty participation. Senator Schuman suggested
that the discussion be tabled. It was moved and seconded by Senators LeJambre and
Norris to postpone discussion of the drive to the February full senate meeting.
President Clements referred the Senate to the questions provided in her e-mail of July
8, 2009 (Attachment C), aimed at drafting a Staff Senate Mission Statement. Each
question was posed for comment from the Senate:
Question 1: Why are we here/doing this?
Comments: To assist other staff in channeling ideas and making their voice
heard. To be advisors to administration by sending resolutions. To advocate for
staff as a stakeholder in the university. To provide communication between
administration and staff. To foster a sense of community among staff. To
represent the interests of staff.
Question 2: What do we want to be known for both today and in the future?
Comments: Being an active and moving entity that brought staff concerns and
ideas to administration’s attention. Being a reminder to administrators of how
valuable staff is. Being independent from administration in terms of having our
own ideas. Not being a ‘yes man’ group.
Question 3: What should our publics expect from us?
Comments: Open and honest communication. Informed position. Listening ear.
Willingness to take action and be involved. Accountability—if we say we’re going
to do something, then we should. To work with Faculty senate and ASUW on
projects that will benefit us all.
Question 4: What are our highest priorities?
Comments: Staff Recognition Day. To raise visibility of Staff Senate. To be a
proactive and well-informed governing body.
Question 5: Where do we want to go and whom do we want along for the ride?
Comments: Inside board rooms, into administrative offices, and onto public
platforms. We want to establish relationships that create valuable resource link
between Staff Senate and administrative entities (i.e. monthly HR meetings).
Questions 6&8: Whose organization is this and to whom are we obligated?
Comments: This is staff’s organization, and not just full-time, benefitted staff—
there are a number of other categories of staff that we represent. There are
common issues that will affect all kinds of employees that we need to address.
Question 9: Why should someone want to be a member of Staff Senate?
Comments: If you don’t get involved by at least giving ideas and concerns, then
don’t have a right to complain. To learn about the university community as a
whole—reduce isolationism. To be educated, informed, and empowered.
Senator Brewer suggested summing it up in the statement: “Leadership by a
body. Fellowship for a staff.”
The comments provided by senators will be considered as the Communication
Committee attempts to draft a Mission Statement and corresponding Public Relations
Plan.
New Business
President Clements reminded senators that although no official code of conduct exists
for them, it is expected that they will conduct themselves in a respectful manner in- and
outside of Senate meetings. She wants senators to feel safe in openly participating in
discussion; there should be no fear of reprisal or backlash. It was suggested that an email address, comments section on the Web site, or suggestion boxes across campus
be set up so that senators who may feel uncomfortable speaking in a meeting can
submit their ideas and comments.
Senator Frank introduced ‘Summit 2009’, a program designed for new students arriving
on campus this fall. Summit 2009 is a collaborative effort among several campus
divisions, and it will require a large number of volunteers. Senator Frank requested that
any senators interested in assisting in the venture e-mail or call her. President Clements
encouraged senator participation, noting that this is an opportunity for us to raise the
visibility of Staff Senate.
Committee Reports
ASUW: Senator LeJambre reported that ASUW will begin meeting the second week of
school. However, she plans to meet with ASUW President Haigler starting next week.
Faculty Senate: Senator Brewer reported that the Faculty Senate will meet the end of
September. She has made contact with President Puckett.
Communications Committee: Senator D. Waggener referred to her written report,
which was forwarded to all senators via e-mail (Attachment D) for details on committee
activity. She highlighted that the communication survey has been completed. In
addition, the committee has determined that some changes need to be made to the
Web site, and Senator Fuerholzer will be creating a template for Web sites that other
committees are encouraged to use. Lastly, a monthly article highlighting the Senate’s
activity is being submitted to UW News.
Senator LeJambre provided details on results from the communication survey.
Responses were evenly disbursed across campus divisions/departments, with a
majority coming from individuals who have served at UW for ten years or less. Most of
the respondents were familiar with the Lariat, but do not read it. Half of the respondents
have visited the Web site, but most do not go there very often. Approximately 40
percent of respondents are interested in social networking (specifically WyoWeb and
Facebook). Seventy-five percent of respondents know who their Staff Senate
representative is, but less than half of them indicate they have ever spoken to their
representative. Survey results will be used to determine the means for communicating
the most important information to staff in the most receptive manner, taking into
consideration the limited access to Internet that some staff experience.
Compensation Committee: Senator LeJambre referred to the written report, which
was forwarded to all senators via e-mail (Attachment E). She requested that anyone
interested in attending the monthly HR meetings contact her in advance of attending.
She would like to see more senators and non-senators attend. The meetings are held
the third Tuesday of every month at 10 o’clock in the morning. The committee is
currently focusing on the tuition waiver. Please email Senator LeJambre at
lejambre@uwyo.edu if you are interested in attending the monthly meeting.
Credentials and Elections Committee: No report.
Employee of Quarter: The resolution establishing the Employee of the Quarter
Committee as a standing committee was passed. The next deadline for submitting
nominations for Employee of the Quarter is Friday, September 18. Please nominate a
deserving staff member.
Finances: The Finances committee is in need of a new chairman, due to the
resignation of Senator Kremer. Interested individuals should contact President
Clements at clements@uwyo.edu.
Ad Hoc Presidency Position: No report.
Policy and Procedures Committee: No report.
Recognition Committee: Senator Forsyth reported that the committee met and had a
very productive brainstorming session. They have set a regular meeting time for the
third Friday of the month in the Ross Hall Cafeteria at Noon, beginning September 18.
President’s Report: President Clements did not have anything additional to report.
The meeting was adjourned by President Clements at 3:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Lou Ann Chakmakian and Lori J. Lewis
Attachment A
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Attachment B
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Attachment C
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Attachment D
Staff Senate Communication Committee meeting
July 15, 2009
1 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
Chair: Diana Marie Waggener
Present: JimFuerholzer, Jesse Kremer, Jamie LeJambre, and Lori Lewis
Absent: Thyra Page and Kathi Zubrod
The purpose of this meeting was to:
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Discuss the process of administering the Communication Survey to UW
staff members
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Talk about the news release sent to UW New Service for inclusion in UW
News
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Reiterate the connection between public relations and fundraising
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Discuss plans and ideas for the Staff Senate Web site
Fuerholzer and LeJambre will present preliminary results of the survey at the
all-senate meeting on August 12.
Waggener wrote a news release covering highlights of the July full-senate
meeting. This will be published in UW News, the electronic newsletter
administered by Jim Kearns and UW News Service. Waggener will write an
article of this nature each month after the full-staff meeting. The purpose
of the article is simply to inform all UW employees about what is taking
place at Staff Senate meetings.
Kremer, chair of the Fundraising Committee, talked about how public relations
and fundraising go hand-in-hand, and noted that before Staff Senate can
expect major fundraising success, it first has to show itself as a viable
entity to the UW community. Along that vein, Waggener suggested that Staff
Senate consider signing up to work concessions at the UW basketball games, as
a public relations method that also raises a little money. The committee like
the idea and will suggest that at the next Staff Senate meeting.
Waggener led the discussion about ideas for the Staff Senate Web site.
LeJambre has requested that all members of the Communication Committee be
administrators of the Staff Senate Web site for better and easier access for
corrections and changes. Waggener wants to take a photo of the new officers
to place on the revolving photos of the Web site to give faces to names.
LeJambre will request photos from senators for the Web site, as well.
Lewis is writing an article about the new officers that will be placed on the
Web site. LeJambre will create a link to committee reports, so that people
will have easy access to that information. Fuerholzer will design a Web page
for the Communications Committee that will be available as a template for
other committees to use. Lewis, Fuerholzer, and LeJambre are excellent
resources for help if committee chairs need assistance in Web communication.
Communication Committee members agreed that it is important to keep UW staff
informed of important issues, including the revised Employee Handbook and
centralization of accounting. LeJambre will write a commentary after meeting
with HR concerning revisions to the Employee Handbook.
Finally, Kremer brought up the importance of senators maintaining
confidentiality with internal messages intended only for Staff Senators. He
would like to discuss a code of conduct that will ensure a safe environment
for internal communications.
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Attachment E
Staff Senate Compensation
Committee Minutes
July 28, 2009
Human Resources Meeting
Members of the committee available for the scheduled meeting with Human Resources attended in Wyo Hall from
9:00 am - 10:00 pm on July21 where we met with the HR Director and Employment division. Specific topics
included the revised process for filling vacant staff positions, placement of RIFed employees, and screening of
position applicant information. Please contact Jamie if you are interested in attending these meetings.
We also followed up on the charge given to the committee to inquire further about the proposed changes to the
Employee Handbook. Changes include rewording to match Federal legislation changes and removal of procedural
wording. An advance copy will not be available to the Staff Senate.
Regular Committee Meeting
Topics covered at the regular monthly meeting of the committee included:
1.
2.
3.
Committee attendance policy. Committee members present expressed support for the implementation of
a committee attendance policy. Members will be allowed two unexcused absences, which includes
missing a regular meeting of the committee, failing to complete a committee task, and failure to
participate in committee discussions via the WyoWeb Group.
New Employee Handbook. The committee will plan to read through the revised handbook as soon as it is
available to us, and prepare a statement regarding the changes.
Tuition waiver. Jamie will meet with Associate Provost, Maggie Murdock, prior to the next full Senate
meeting on August 12. The topic of discussion will be the tuition waiver. The committee discussed
additional resources for obtaining data related to the effectiveness of the newly revised tuition waiver
benefit.
The committee will continue to meet monthly with HR Director and VP of Administration representatives.
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