Council of University System Staff
Council Meeting Notes
September 24, 2013 at University of Maryland, Baltimore
In attendance:
Trish E. Johnson
Karen Tyler
Sheila Chase
Sherrye Larkins
Yvonne Cook
Rubin Stevenson
Lisa Gray (Co-Secretary)
Jen Ziegenfus
Ron Butler
Jayne French
Mary Hickey
Kristen Tull (Co-Secretary)
Bill Crockett (Chair)
Roy Ross
Colette Becker Beaulieu
Angela Hall
Ben Goldberg
Lynn Knazik
Keisha Campbell
Barbara Higgins
Sister Maureen Schrimpe
Dana Wimbish (Vice Chair)
Calynn Offer
Anthony Scorsune
Rosario I. Van Daalen
Carol McKissick
Laura Bell
Gynene Sullivan

BSU
BSU
CSU
CSU
CSU
FSU
SU
SU
TU
TU
TU
UB
UMB
UMB
UMB
UMB
UMBC
UMBC
UMBC
UMCES
UMCP
UMCP
UMUC
UMUC
UMSO
UMB
UMB
UMB
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Alternate
Alternate
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Alternate
Alternate
Primary
Primary
Alternate
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Primary
Chancellor’s Liaison to CUSS
Guest – UMB Staff Senate Chair
Guest – UMB Staff Senate - Outreach
Guest – Past Chair CUSS
Welcome and Introductions

Welcome – Chief Academic & Research Officer and Senior VP Dr. Bruce Jarrell

Continuing to work on a strategic plan for UMB

Expectation of faculty, staff, students to be a part of shared governance

Strategic plan is only effective if dollars are allocated. UMB is in the stage of
matching funds to tactics.
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 1 of 6


Plans: Diversity, local initiatives, make UMB a good place to work and live
within distance

UMB major economic engine within the state

MPower initiative between UMCP & UMB
UMB Staff Senate Introductions

Laura Bell – School of Nursing, UMB Staff Senate, Chair of Outreach
Committee

Gynene Sullivan – School of Communications, CUSS Past Chair

Angela Hall– alternate CUSS

Carol McKissick, UMB Staff Senate Chair

CUSS – for clarification, we cover regular & C-2 employees that are not represented by collective
bargaining (i.e. excluded from CB)

Consent Agenda – These items are information that we are putting forward and can be shared
with Institutions. If you wish to discuss a consent agenda item, you can request that it be added
to the agenda. At this time, no consent agenda items were moved to the agenda.

August Meeting Minutes –


Motion to approve – Sister Maureen Schrimpe, Second – Trish Johnson. By unanimous
vote, minutes were approved.
Institution Updates: Discussed at previous meeting

BSU – Implemented pre-tax payroll parking deduction (non-contractual), new student
center opened, participated in flex/alternative work schedule (second year) - staff council
discussed whether or not to only have it for the summer time/discuss with president for
the entire year.

CSU– open forum meeting for staff senate, over 40 people attended (first time with that
many), President Dr. Neufville has been appointed permanent for the next two years,
brought in 13 voting senators, brought in two alternates, spirit day planning, staff senate
shirts passed out to wear around campus, in the middle of having a shared governance
planning session to bring in a University Council (beginning stages of planning)

FSU– looking forward to the meeting in October, staff selected for chancellor’s awards

SU– Sexual Harassment Policy/Title XI Compliance, rolling out policy and training for
faculty/staff/student employees, June successful employee appreciation day (served more
than 600 faculty/staff)

TU– very first ever staff award was awarded at the fall President’s Address, added 2000
new students to enrollment, undefeated football team, homecoming preparations, TUSC
reviewing performance evaluation/salary, one day for staff conference will take place
spring/early summer, ½ day for the entire staff to attend the conference
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 2 of 6


UB – strategic plan, meeting with the chancellor to go over hiring procedures and
concerns for the new president search. Looking at alternative work schedule policy.

UMB – broke ground on new health science building , child care and parking issues
continue to be a problem, price and space are an issue for parking (greener, long-term
solution is being researched), childcare facility in Social Security building north of
campus will be closing – those Institutions with childcare facilities please forward
information to Bill Crockett

UMBC – childcare center closed last Wednesday (inspection showed mold) – solution
has been to connect people to other childcare resources in the area. Encouraging
supervisors to be flexible, in Strategic Plan, work life balance, task force looking at
Leadership Development (looking at other universities…certificates, classes, etc).;
Nonexempt staff will be affected by Shared Services, concerned about what jobs will be
lost due to moving of jobs to Shared Services center.

UMCES – no real shared governance, six locations across the state – do they know what
CUSS is; try to make more people aware of what CUSS is; going through accreditation
process to get graduate degrees

UMCP – July, no-smoking campus wide policy (not policed, there are several smoking
areas on campus); getting ready to open new Physical Science complex (October 2013);
new Department Public Safety to open (November 2013); Board of Regents award, to get
more nominations (sent out thank you letters to supervisors for last year’s awards); this
year there will the annual review (happens every 10 years) of the organization, looks at
shared governance; two employees will receive President’s Awards;

UMES – smoke-free policy with a course for smoking; all faculty/staff/etc are combined
into one council; special recognition for board of regents nominees (newsletter
recognition)

UMUC – finished Operation Backpack (school supplies to MD and urban-Asia – joint
initiatives with different departments on campus), 97 backpacks, amazon.com account
setup; Global Meetings – make a uniform/universal system for reviews; Staff Senate reelections; transparent issues with flex work schedule; reclassification is going on.

Summary of Institution – take this information back to the Institution, find out what can
be taken from shared governance to CUSS; what are best practices at your Institution?
Chair’s Report

BOR Staff Awards – presented by Chancellor Kirwan on September 20, 2013. Important
to have Staff Awards at the first Board of Regents Meeting of the Academic year.

Chancellor’s Council

Maryland Charity Campaign: Encouraged other Presidents to become engaged and active
in the campaign. UMBC made Shared Governance a part of this campaign and
contributed to the success of this. You only have to give a $1, contribution goes where
you want it.
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 3 of 6

Faculty Council – shared information/findings within shared governance (wide diversity
on implementation, support for shared governance); stressed budget transparency; want
to continue to revisit tuition remission policy (refer to Old Business); concerned about
policies being developed during summer months when faculty are not around to take part
in shared governance (timing of implementation and policy development)

Student Council – student initiatives biggest platform is on cost of college textbooks (cost
has gone up 1000% since 1978); objective is to push open-sourced textbooks; they would
like to model California’s program; Executive Committee met with Annapolis
legislation; they also look at federal legislation (rally on the Hill); financial aid funding
issues (paid for performance – how well institutions have retention rates/graduation rates)

FY 15 Budget


Press for continued state support/push for same success of the past year

Affordable Care Act – will have an impact on the FY15 budget;

Push for FY 15 budget to fund the Merit/COLA

Enhancement Request – funds that are dedicated towards college completion
initiatives, workforce development, academic transformation

Keep tuition capped (need 3% increase in State supported funding)
Board of Regents

Those that donate to foundations, SS# will have to be blind

Affordable Care Act
o
Still awaiting guidance/clarification from the State-DBM for implementation
policy
o
Expected that USM will move forward as if it will go into effect Jan. 1, 2014
(even though mandates may be delayed until 2015)
o
MD was one of only 9 states to set up own exchanges (Maryland Health
Connections, 17 plans in exchange)
o
Chancellor’s letter was distributed to staff who are eligible to receive health
care through USM
o
Contingent Category 2s – technically receive compensation to get health care
at UM Institutions; not at former BOT Institutions
o
Adjunct faculty credit load will determine eligibility. Dual employment a
challenge in the calculations.
o
What about students? School-based student policies may be closed down.
Schools will encourage students to go to the exchanges. International
students are not eligible to the exchange but may be mandated to have some
form of coverage (to be addressed).
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 4 of 6
o

Refer to USM website for information about upcoming meetings and
projects/initiatives that are going on at each campus
Committee Meetings



Community Outreach & Recognition

Improved awareness of CUSS at institutions

Looked at potential tactics from last year, not everything falls under what the
committee is doing. Looking at possibly changing the committee title (must be
checked) or if some charges should be put to other committees
Communications

Increase use of technology

LinkedIn

Business Cards – research the cost of this, for use during Annapolis Day
(research charge)

Newsletter – Photo is needed from UMCP meeting in January 2013

Hard deadline of Oct.1 will be met (picture pending)
o
Assessment will be revisited on Oct. 22
Benefits:


o
Goals: tuition remission, best practice for performance review cycles, update the
wellness discounts, review ORP systems
o
Put together a list of items for different discounts for USM employees (per
schools)
o
Look into a tracking system for goals that is accessible online
o
Visit/meet up CUSF about tuition remission policy change proposal
Legislative

Monitor legislation as it occurs

Tighten up and fine-tune CUSS Annapolis Day (best approaches)

Decide how important the tour is
Executive

Liaisons were appointed to each committee

Each committee will be charged with an in-between meeting
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 5 of 6

Chancellor’s Liaison’s report

Everyone should have received their open-enrollment packets

State employees who are working less than 30-hours a week should be of the healthcare
exchange and related website by Oct. 1 (if the State continues with the Jan. 1, 2014
rollout, then we will need to inform USM employees working 30-hours or more a week
of their eligibility for state paid health benefits).

Open-enrollment starts on October 1 (health and pharmacy must be included).

Retirement: Optional Retirement Program (ORP) retirees currently receiving state health
benefits are being audited during the current Open Enrollment. ORP Retirees must show
proof of receiving ORP periodic distributions by no later than November 15 in order to
be eligible for benefits on January 1, 2014.

Wellness Vendor has been selected to be implemented System wide on January 1, 2014
(with the exception of UMCP since it already has had an excellent program in place for
years). There will be no cost to the employee for use of the program.

Women’s Forum Conference – November 15th at Towson University
Motion to adjourn: Jayne French
Second – everyone
Next Meeting: October 22, 2013 at Frostburg State University
Minutes from CUSS (September 24, 2013)
Page 6 of 6