A&P Council Meeting Minutes
August 12, 2008
Revised
1.
The meeting was called to order at 2:03 p.m.
2. Approval of July Meeting Minutes – It was noted that the minutes had not been
disseminated, so this item was tabled until the September meeting.
3. Committee Overview and Reports
a.
University Support – the Week of Welcome event quickly approaches. All
Council members should have received an email to test the registration
system. Yesterday, an email went out to all Administrative employees
(approximately 1500). Assignments have been made. The Friday before the
25th, materials will be assembled. The actual dates are the 25 th and 26th. The
hours are from 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. As of this date, approximately 80
timeslots have been filled. There’s a long way to go, but this is a great start.
The Staff Senate was contacted, so we should have some volunteers from
their group. Additional information will be posted on the list serves and will
be included in the USF E-Bulletin.
b. Enhancement – There was no report.
c. Government & Legislative – There was no report.
d. Programs & Social – No report. It was noted that we do need a speaker for
the September meeting. At the last meeting, the subject of our committees
was discussed. Three new committees were set-up and approved, so there
will be changes. The roles of the committees will also be redefined. It was
suggested that an email be sent to the new members with the committee
information – so they can decide which committee(s) they’d like to serve on.
e. Communications – There was no report.
4. Appreciation of 2007/2008 Outgoing Members
This year, Certificates of Appreciation were distributed to outgoing Council Members.
While Eric Anderson did note that he sought approval for small tokens of appreciation
(as has been the tradition), the request was denied twice. We had a good year, though it
was challenging. It was noted that our trials will likely continue, as it appears that the
state will be cutting expenditures again, and the housing market remains in a slump. It is
imperative that in these difficult times, we remember our charge and keep our
constituents well-informed.
5. Introduction of New Members
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Incoming and continuing members introduced themselves to one another, noting which
areas they represented.
6. Nomination and Election of Officers for 2008/2009
Chris Akin was nominated for and accepted the office of President. There were two
nominees for the office of Vice President – Alison Robinson and Carl Musson. Each were
presented to the Council, and made brief statements as to their desire to hold office. A
vote was taken and Carl Musson was elected as Vice President of the Council. Regina
Brown was nominated for and accepted the office of Secretary.
7. Issues from the Floor
Chris Akin addressed the Council. He thanked the incoming members for their interest
in serving, noting that it was a very tight race this year, there was a lot of interest in
the election, and there were many candidates. Our council must represent the interests
of Administrative employees. Each member has a constituency group and as a member of
the Council, you will liaise with them. If you learn about concerns, they should be
brought to the attention of the Council. The Council will address issues on a case by case
basis. It is also imperative that we have effective communication methods in place. At
this time, email is the most effective tool, and we will continue to reach our
constituents primarily via email. Chris will send out an email to Council members with
information about the new committees. Each member must serve on at least one
committee. Normally, the committees meet monthly – sometimes, virtually. He also noted
that at each meeting we traditionally have a guest speaker. In the past, we’ve had the
Parking Director, the HR Associate Vice President, and our sponsor. If you cannot
attend a meeting, you should advise one of the officers, as there is an attendance policy.
If at all possible, please try to attend the monthly meetings.
Dr. Ritch (St. Petersburg) brought forward the issue of “Review/Comment/Consultation”
as it relates to University Policies and Procedures. He stated that he has researched
the matter of University Rules and Regulations Promulgation and that, with the
exception of the Board of Trustees rules, the University has written that prior to any
policy
changes
and/or
implementation
there
will
be
a
period
for
“Review/Comment/Consultation.” Some issues may be regional and specific to one branch
campus; other issues may be systemic in nature. He noted that the St. Petersburg
campus is autonomous and accredited separately, and it appears that the other branch
campuses are heading in the same direction. That being noted, we need to strengthen
ties between Tampa and the regional campuses. He expressed concerns about
unnecessary changes that are ushered in as “policies” without prior consultation or
notification. The St. Petersburg Council meets next week. It was noted that the regional
campuses have terrific representation on the Council this year. Council officers will look
at the constituency groups to ensure that there is proportionate representation for
each area.
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Several members mentioned the new parking rates and previous discussions wherein the
majority of employees were quite vocal in expressing their disapproval for the increase –
especially considering that there were no pay increases and we were facing budget cuts.
Even though the increase was not supported by the majority of USF employees, it was
implemented nonetheless.
Council members also asked about our sponsor and whether or not this will change, as
there is a search ongoing for a replacement for Dr. Carlucci.
Members expressed frustration in the University’s communications. Several mentioned
that information is not readily available on the web – that vital information is seemingly
hidden or buried under layers and layers of web pages. It creates the perception that
there is a lack of transparency in the University’s business practices. The Council
agreed that we must advocate for transparency from University Administrators. It may
be advisable for our new committees to periodically search the USF web pages for
changes and supplemental information to ensure that critical details/data are not
buried. The issue of transparency in governance is also of concern to the branch
campuses.
Several Council members mentioned that they were told there were no salary increases
this year, and no money for special pay increases (even though their workloads have
doubled) because of the budget cuts; however, it appears that there have been
numerous special pay increases in some central areas on campus. This type of
inconsistent behavior creates a climate of distrust. The university continues to hire
numerous Vice Presidential-level employees, but refuses to reward others who’ve had to
take on increased duties with no additional pay. In some areas, work has been
consolidated and workloads have dramatically increased. However, some employees have
been moved from one college to another (under the guise of budget reductions), only to
be promoted and given salary increases in their new department. There is a lack of
consistency in how the University administers these pay increases. It impacts morale.
Several members also mentioned concerns about not having annual evaluations on file –
that should there be any sort of merit increase, they might not be eligible because
they’ve had no recent evaluation. In some areas (where the Deans stress the importance
of evaluations) the compliance is higher. Most members agreed that leadership sets the
tone and without this, there is no “buy-in” to the process.
Members discussed goal-setting – the importance of our determining our priorities for
the next year. We may also want to poll our constituents to ascertain what areas are
most important to them. If we give up and believe that we cannot have a voice or effect
change, there is no purpose to the Council. The Council will discuss goal-setting at the
September meeting.
Several new members asked about the purpose of the Golf Scramble and Annual
Breakfast. It was noted that the Golf Scramble raises money for golf scholarships. The
Breakfast only covers costs and does not raise money. The Council may consider options
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for opening a Foundation account, though there is a surcharge for administrative
overhead.
Members also discussed whether or not USF had made any decisions about pay
increases. Recently, news was published that UF and FSU were giving increases to their
staff (2% in once instance). There has been some “talk” about this, but nothing official
has been announced as of this date. It was noted, however, that there is discretion at
the Dean’s level to give increases and that Sandy Lovins had alluded to this at previous
meetings.
The September meeting may be at the new Marshall Center. Chris Akin will confirm.
8. The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
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