MINUTES FROM THE FACULTY WELFARE COMITTEE MEETING OF 5/20/13
Met in Galileo 210B at 2:00-3:30pm
In Attendance: Ted Tsukahara (Chair), Jim Temple, Jessica Kintner, Monica D. Fitzgerald, and
Ronald Ahnen.
I. Approved:
A. FWC Minutes of the meeting on 4/29/13
B. FWC Annual Report to the Senate 5/12/13
II. Reports:
A. Campus Facilities Planning Committee (CFPC : 5/08/13) Update--Fitzgerald and Temple
1. Notes and Power-Point Presentation Handout was distributed to all FWC members.
2. There was a brief mention of the proposed Native Plant Garden (see page 3 of handout) and
the plans to create a Digital Media Learning Center (see page 3 of handout ... Section VII Part
A.).
3. Then there was also a brief follow-up discussion on the Sample Parking Philosophy
Statements (see page 4 of the handout ... Section VII Part C.) ... i.e., a recent (draft) statement on
"Parking Management and Transportation Demand Management Principles for the Moraga
Campus" (see 3-page draft statement which follows CFPC meeting notes).
4. It was noted that we can't do anything about the "Academic Blue Print goal of providing
private office spaces for all full-time faculty members" until we update our Master Plan (see
page 4 of the Handout ... Section VII part D.).
5. There was also a discussion of the current status of the Athletics Corridor Projects ... the plans
for the new Recreation Center and Plaza (see Section V part A).
ACTION ITEM: Ted Tsukahara will be checking in on the current status of the Recreation
Center.
6. The last six pages of this CFPC handout presented the minutes of the Lamorinda Program
Management Committee Meeting of 5/05/13. This LPMC meeting was focused on the
"Consideration of a Lamorinda Transit Access and Connectivity Study" ... that is, a study to
"investigate non-traditional methods of shuttle transit and explore different options for what
might be best suited for Lamorinda."
B. Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (EBAC) Update--Temple:
** There were two meetings of EBAC which were summarized and presented ... Handouts of
My Notes and the Power-Point Presentations for the meetings were distributed to all FWC
members.
1. The 1st EBAC Spring Meeting (3/11/13):
a. There were three handouts for this meeting ... (1) My Notes (three pages); (2) The 3/11 draft
handout on the general description, guidelines, scope of investment authority, and membership
of the new SMC Retirement Benefits Subcommittee Handout (four pages) ; and (3) The 51 page
Power-Point Presentation Handout for the meeting.
b. The first topic involved the proposed name change for this committee ... from the (HIRC)
Health-Insurance Retirement Committee to (EBAC) Employee Benefits Advisory Committee ...
and the need for new Faculty Handbook language to describe the (i.e., FWC and Staff
Council) membership on this new committee.
c. Next, there was a presentation and discussion of the Final Open Enrollment Results (See the
Power Point Presentation Handout, page 3).
d. Then a Health Care Reform Update (see the Power-Point Presentation Handout pp. 4-5). This
started out with a comment that 2014 would be a VERY big year for Health Care Reform.
e. UNUM Voluntary Benefits Enrollment Information ... which included general information,
whole life and group term life insurance, why you need accident insurance, wellness benefits,
and how to enroll. (see the Power-Point Presentation Handout, pp. 6-16).
f. A discussion and presentation of the demand survey and analysis done by Bright Horizons
(see Power-Point Presentation Handout, pp. 17-36) ... there are sections on each of the following
topics: (1) the Scope of the Dependent Care Study; (2) the Child-Care Trilemma; (3) Factors for
Saint Mary's; (4) Child-Care Center Demand, Space and Cost; (5) Back-Up Dependent Care; (6)
Child and Adult/Elder Back-Up Care Demand; (7) How the Program Works; (8) Back-Up
Care, Proven Results; (9) Program Accessibility; (10) Arranging Care; (11) Business Model;
(12) Back-Up Care Advantage Program Cost; (13) Saint Mary's Student Population; (14) Project
Summary; (15) Recommendations.
g. Strategies for Review of Retirement Benefit Plans (See Power-Point Presentation Handout; pp.
37-40).
h. Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) Update (See Power-Point Presentation Handout; pp. 4148).
2. The 2nd EBAC Spring Meeting (4/19/13):
a. There were two handouts for this meeting: (1) My Notes; and (2) the 13 page Power-Point
Presentation Handout for the meeting.
b. The Academic Senate (4/14/13) has approved the general descriptions of the guidelines, duties
and the membership of the new Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (see handout, pp. 1-2).
c. An review and discussion of Health Care Reform-related issues was presented (see handout,
pp. 3-4).
d. A review and discussion of the proposed duties and membership of the Retirement Benefits
Subcommittee (see handout, pp. 5-7).
e. A review and discussion of the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP ... see handout pp. 7-9 and
proposed 3-page draft revision of 4/19/13).
f. A review and discussion of Bright Horizons analyses and findings related to SMC Faculty and
Staff needs for on-site Child-Care and Back-Up Dependent Care Programs. The former (i.e., an
on-site child-care center) was determined to NOT be viable), while the latter (i.e., back-up
dependent care programs) was identified as something that WAS of interest and viable to the
College (see handout, pp. 10-12).
3. There was some confusion about the specific details of the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP)
and the Tuition Remission Program (TRP) in terms of eligibility (age limits) and policy.
ACTION ITEM: Ted Tsukahara will be checking in on the details concerning the Tuition
Exchange Program and the Tuition Remission Program.
4. In the discussion of child care and dependent care related issues, there seemed to be
some general interest in the possibility of seeking some institutional form of "benefit" (i.e., a
contribution of the College) for Child Care ... or perhaps something like a "cafeteria-style" menu
of Faculty benefits which would allow for a more personalized fit between an individual's
"needs" and the availability of related institutional "benefits".
C. Academic Senate Report--Tsukahara:
1. Ted reported that the 7-year eligibility requirement suggested by EBAC for all Faculty and
Staff applying for the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) went through and was approved by the
Academic Senate.
2. There was no appreciable reaction to the work on the current Faculty Salary Policy ... a study
group will go forward to put together some kind of survey about the Faculty Salary Policy.
3. There is some concern about which institutions are and which institutions are not reporting
data to CUPA-HR and how this might have an effect of the annual data used to evaluate our
status with respect to Faculty Salary.
4. There is also continuing concern about potential inequities in Faculty Salary Scales, Faculty
Workload (especially in terms of intensive committee service), Campus Facilities Issues
(especially office space and parking issues), Tuition Remission & Tuition Exchange Programs,
and a number of other "workload-related" issues (e.g., defining and regularizing lecturer salaries,
and both FYAC & General Advising duties and compensation).
5. All of these issues are currently under consideration in terms of a prioritization of issues for
the AY 2013-2014 calendar of the FWC.
Respectfully Submitted by
Dr. James Alan Temple