Draft
STAFF SENATE MINUTES
May 16, 2007
I)
Welcome and Call to Order: President Clacie Hubbard called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
a) In attendance: Jeff Boyer, Lisa Gray, Lucy Hearn, Clacie Hubbard, Deana Karpavage, Todd Smith, and
Janine Vienna.
b) Absent:
Bill Allen, Colleen Kirby, Judy Lowe.
II) Approval of Minutes: The April 19 draft minutes were reviewed. It was decided to have the minutes
corrected, completed and distributed to the Senate members via e-mail for voting.
III) Chair/Committee Reports:
a) Human Resources – Jeff Boyer
i) The first session of open enrollment is now closed and the second session will re-open May 20 – 28.
Jeff Boyer reminds that removing dependents must be handled through a form in HRO rather than
calling the IVR system. The IVR system is working well—it received over 1,100 responses during the
first week of open enrollment. For the second session, Human Resources reminds that they will not
have office hours May, 26, 27 and 28 as SU is closed for the Memorial Day holiday on May 28.
ii) There is still time to turn in tuition remission forms for upcoming semesters. Deadlines run until the
semesters begin and should be posted soon.
iii) HRO has announced that summer hours begin May 24 through August 24, 2007.
iv) The 2007-2008 reclassification process began with the first phase opening from May 1 – June 30, 2007
in which employees or supervisors submit reclassification requests. The timeline for other phases will
be communicated to all involved parties.
v) HRO’s Environmental Safety Officer, Wayne Shelton, is establishing a committee to suggest
improvements to emergency communications. A review of vendors for a siren system is underway.
Staff Senate members suggested the committee investigate implementing a multi-level communication
system. The Staff Senate will add informing staff of emergency communications progress to new
business, and invite Wayne Shelton to the next meeting.
vi) HRO is receiving a few responses to the Employee of the Month program. Deana Karpavage and
Janine Vienna volunteered to be Staff Senate representatives on the review committee. Clacie
Hubbard will inquire further about committee composition due to recent turnover.
b) CUSS Meeting Notes from Tuesday, April 24, 2007, held at Towson University – Submitted by Janine
Vienna
Highlights summarized in gray.
i) Chair’s Report
(1) Chancellor’s Council Meeting
(i) Pay for performance for non-exempts to get merit for outstanding ratings had a mixed
response by university presidents; ad hoc committee to conduct a review.
(ii) Legislative update
(i) Severe cuts reduced to $2 million for USM system.
(ii) Morgan State proposal for duplicate programs never got out of committee.
(iii) Tuition rate for 07-08 to stay the same.
(iv) May be a special session in the fall to address upcoming structural budget deficit for 0809.
(2) Board of Regents’ Meeting
(i) Suggestion from joint Councils (CUSS & CUSF) for a reception for BOR staff and faculty
award winners.
(ii) Announcement of all BOR staff award winners (3 from UMCP, 2 from SU, 1 from UMBC).
(iii) Creation of pay for performance ad hoc committee.
(iv) Dental Service letters (see attached).
(v) Completions of biennial nonexempt market survey (see attached).
(vi) Rename BOR staff award on behalf of Richard Rose (discussed by CUSS and voted down).
ii) USM Liaison’s Report
(1) Chancellor’s Salary Guidelines distributed (see attached).
Staff Senate
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Draft Minutes
May 17, 2007
(2) Health Benefits
(i) Packets should be distributed by end of week.
(ii) Domestic partner benefits
(i) UMCP currently providing for non-monetary benefits (i.e., access to library, exercise
facilities and attendance at games).
(ii) Any monetary support from UMCP will come from their own budgets (i.e., private funds)
as they cannot, under current state requirement, support domestic partners with monetary
type benefits using state dollars.
(iii) State probably won’t be pay[ing] for domestic partner benefits, in near future, with State
funds-domestic partner benefits not in favor with current legislaturers.
(iii) Catalyst will be new drug providers beginning 7/1/07.
(3) Retirement
(i) Match program for employees in State system approved by General Assembly at $600 [only
pertains to those in the State pension system, not ORP].
(ii) Employee contribution in State system increases to 4% beginning 7/1/07.
(iii) ORP-SB515 not yet signed; if employee started in the State retirement or teacher’s retirement
plan and you want to transfer to the ORP, employee must transfer funds to ORP by 10/31/07.
(iv) New hires now have to commit [to ORP] the day they sign contract to retirement plan choice.
If, upon hire, employee is ORP eligible and s/he chooses not to join ORP, then upon rehire,
can not join ORP and vice-versa for State retirement plan.
iii) Committee Reports – no committee reports due to time limitations, committees will report at next
month’s meeting at UMBC.
c) Membership & Elections – Lucy Hearn
i) Dates for the nomination call and voting for Staff Senate 2007-2008 are as follows.
(1) Call for nominations due: May 17 – 29, 2007.
(2) Voting timeframe: June 1 – 15, 2007.
(3) Membership committee vote tallying: June 18.
ii) Meet/Greet sessions will be held on the following days and locations (times TBD).
(1) May 22, Location in the Commons.
(2) June 6, Location in Holloway Hall.
d) President’s Report – Clacie Hubbard
i) Open Plenary Question/Answer Session – Clacie Hubbard distributed the list of questions from Open
Plenary and a draft e-mail in response to send to represented staff.
ii) Picnic – Clacie requested volunteers to staff the Senate’s table at the picnic, and to assist with the
vendor table. Requests for talent show volunteers will continue at the Meet/Greet sessions.
IV) Old Business – Clacie Hubbard
a) Exempt Compensation - A draft letter to President Dudley-Eshbach was distributed for member feedback
and included three options for conducting a future study. These options, which follow, will soon be
distributed to represented staff for replies by May 18 in order to finalize a response to President DudleyEshbach.
i) The study should be conducted internally by an ad hoc committee (Strength: cost effective;
Weakness: time and skill resources of staff on the ad hoc committee, lack of objectivity).
ii) The study should be conducted externally by an outside consultant (Strength: professionally qualified
personnel to collect and analyze the data, objective results; Weakness: significant expense).
iii) The study should be conducted by a combination of an external consultant (for data collection
purposes) and an internal ad hoc committee (for data analysis and recommendations). (Strengths:
reduced cost and time burden to ad hoc committee, moderate objectivity; Weakness: moderate
expense, potential for moderate subjectivity).
Staff Senate
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May 17, 2007
V) New Business – Clacie Hubbard
a) Review of Goals – It has been a productive year for the Staff Senate with five of seven original goals
accomplished or in progress; the following is a list of goals completed, in progress, pending or new.
GOAL
STATUS
Promote Staff Senate
Completed:
Brochure, remarkable
attendance at Open
Plenary.
In Progress
Exempt Salary Compensation
Study
By-Law Change to Remove
Contingent Seat
Staff Recognition
Alternate Dispute Resolution
Completed but voted
down:
Results obtained from
represented staff at Open
Plenary.
Completed:
Employee of the Month
program in place.
Stipend for future Staff
Senate chairperson in
place.
In Progress
Meetings with USM
completed.
REMAINING
PRIORITY
REMAINING TASKS
1
Finalize recommendation of
study method to President
Dudley-Eshbach based on
voting results of represented
staff.
2
Ongoing meetings will continue
with SU constituencies.
Investigate various approaches
and/or utilize Center for Conflict
Resolution’s mediation
program.
Appoint an Ad Hoc committee
to create an orientation packet
and training for new Staff
Senate members.
Appoint an Ad Hoc committee
from the 2006 BOR award
selection committee.
TBD
Membership Training
Pending
3
BOR Staff Award Application
Training
Pending
4
Inform Staff of Emergency
Communication Plans
New
TBD
VI) Other Business/Announcements – Clacie Hubbard
a) A meeting in July should be established to transfer the presidency of Staff Senate and to introduce new
members.
b) Membership orientation packet should be in place for July meeting.
VII) Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM. The next meeting is Wednesday, June 20, 2007, location to be announced.
Respectfully submitted,
Deana Karpavage