MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY
STAFF CONGRESS
JULY 6, 1999
*Larry Besant, Thelma Bumgardner, *Vincent Butler, Joy Cecil, Dan Connell, Patty Eldridge, Richard Green, Lois Hawkins, Rosemary Hinton, Betty Sue Hurley, David Jessee, Linda Kegley, Rhonda Mackin, **Bill Mains, Velda Mabry, Zach McClurg, *Pam Moore, Carole Morella, Joel Pace, Belva Sammons, Dallas Sammons, **Jeffrey Smedley, *Wilma Stegall, Larry Stephenson, Stephanie Stewart, Todd Thacker, and Madonna Weathers
*Prior Notification **No Notification
GUESTS: Gene Caudill, Staff Regent
Roger Barker, Director, Office of Human Resources
Ruth Robinson
The meeting was called to order by Chair Stephenson at 1:05 p.m. Minutes of the June meeting were reviewed.
MOTION: June 1999 minutes were accepted as distributed.
Proposed: Rep. Hawkins Seconded: Rep. Hurley
Call For Vote: Passed
CHAIR’S REPORT
Pam Hesler has resigned from Staff Congress due to job and category change.
Tuition waiver at technical schools. Report from Roger Barker, Director, Office of Human Resources. Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges can come here to MSU but our employees cannot go to their schools. It is the way law is written. Actions are now being taken to change this.
University Standing Committee - President has approved our recommendations. The President had to select 6 people to fill positions. They were:
Affirmative Action: Vincent Butler and Rhonda Mackin
Planning: Larry Besant and April Haight
Student Media Board: Jill Leroy Frazier and Joel Pace
Staff Congress has received our detailed budget and will pass on to Chair.
VICE CHAIR’S REPORT - No report
SECRETARY’S REPORT - No report
REGENT’S REPORT
Mr. Caudill reported that the Board of Regents approved the personnel roster, budget, and President’s contract. Salaries were discussed. Also, the BOR has reemphasized they will continue to work on salaries, especially staff salaries.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Credentials and Elections Committee
Scott Barker would like to fill the vacancy in Service Maintenance At-Large Category. This is a 1 year term. Committee recommended Mr. Barker be appointed to serve this 1 year term in the At-Large Category.
Call For Vote: Passed
This still leaves one vacancy in Skilled Crafts and one vacancy in Technical/Paraprofessional.
Standing Committee on Appointments:
Report given by Chair Stephenson at beginning of meeting.
Fiscal Affairs: No report
Personnel Policies and Benefits: No report
OLD BUSINESS
Roger Barker, Director, Office of Human Resources discussed the changes made to the Performance Planning, Development and Appraisal Form. Any item rated less than a 3 does require a comment. All other ratings require no comments.
On the back of the form is a Section IV. This section is for comments and very small. Section IV of the form has an electronic version that can now be pulled from the Office of Human Resources= web site or can pick up copies from OHR that have larger comment section. Form will be used in January 2000.
Wording identical to old form except when rating 1 through 5, Number 2's wording was changed due to unclear meaning. It now reads: Employee minimally meets performance requirements; needs improvement instead of Employee meets minimum performance requirements; performance needs improvement. Read same on both Exempt and Non-Exempt forms.
MOTION: Chair Stephenson called for a vote.
Call For Vote: Passed
NEW BUSINESS
Chair Stephenson read Article V from the Staff Congress Constitution, relating to the election of officers and Article III from the Staff Congress By Laws, which is the requirements for running for office. Chair Stephenson turned the election of officers over to Parliamentarian Belva Sammons. Rep. Dallas Sammons and Rep. David Jessie were asked to serve as tellers.
Call For Vote: Passed
Call For Vote: Passed
- MOTION: Rep. Stephenson nominated Rep. Thacker for the office of Chair.Motion to cease was made by Rep. Hawkins. Motion - nominated by acclamation.
Call For Vote: Passed
- Chair Thacker appointed Rep. B. Sammons to the office of Parliamentarian.
Rep. Morella requested that Staff Congress start working on the salaries of exempt and non-exempt staff now through one of our existing committees. Two items were specified:
1. Need to look at Exempt salaries and Non-Exempt salaries. There seems to be a trend for losing employees because of salaries because we are not competitive.
2. Staff positions that become vacant during the year in comparison to faculty positions that become vacant in the budgetary process the faculty position vacancies remain at the level of funding that is in the budget. Conversely, you have a staff position that becomes vacant it goes back to entry level. Staff Congress needs to look at that and consider whether or not we would like for our staff salaries to remain constant rather than going back to entry level. That is how we lose many employees because we go back to entry level and so many potential baby boomers that are going to be retiring and there is no way the positions on our campus can be filled with the entry level salaries.
The staff positions do not get to keep vacancy credits. These are retained for other positions. Faculty does keep the vacancy credit for that vacant position.
The Fiscal Affairs Committee was assigned to look into this.
Personnel Policies and Benefits Committee were asked to look into the excess sick leave being given to the pool instead of reverting back to the University or the University buying employees sick leave upon retirement, etc.
Rep. Morella requested that the By Laws be reviewed for possible changes relating to the terms of officers.
Rep. B. Sammons suggested a Staff Congress web site be developed by Rep. D. Sammons with the assistance of Kathy Cox.
Rep. Eldridge asked about Staff Congress minutes and who received them and when. University employees were asking for them. Staff Notes will resume and mailed to all University employees. Staff Congress minutes are distributed to Staff Congress Members, Library, VP for Administration and Fiscal Services, Office of Human Resources, Faculty Senate and SGA.
Rep. Hurley requested clarification on retirement for KERS. Question was: If a person retires at 55 with 20 years of service what is the percentage cut from their retirement? Rep. Stephenson and Staff Regent Caudill answered with the following information: 14% (2% per year) lost by retiring at 20 years instead of 27 years and if you retire before 55 a 5% penalty is attached.
Rep. Eldridge also asked about KTRS and KERS. Is it a University policy about which retirement systems you are in or is that a state requirement? Mr. Barker replied that this is a state policy. KTRS requires that if you are in a position that requires a degree you must be in that system. If you are in both plans, can you draw from both plans? Staff Regent Caudill answered: Yes, if in both systems you benefit from both systems but at age 60, unless you have 27 years of service. In KTRS you can not take Social Security option and can not buy time. In KERS you can retire at age 55 but must have 5 years in this system.
Rep. Highley asked about hiring without advertising. Roger Barker stated that if a search waiver is submitted and approved up-line based on immediate need, yes, hiring can be done without advertising.
Standing Committee appointment will be based on Job Classifications and will rotate.
Committee appointments for 1999-2000 are attached.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Registration is Monday, 12 July 1999
SOAR is Saturday, 10 July 1999
Staff Congress Meeting, 2 August 1999
MOTION: Adjournment.
Proposed by: Rep. D. Sammons
Seconded by: Rep. Stephenson
Meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m.
Minutes by: Lois L. Hawkins, Secretary
CORRECTED, Page 3 – 2 August 1999
STAFF CONGRESS COMMITTEES
1999 - 2000
Credentials and Elections Committee
CHAIR: Larry Stephenson
VICE CHAIR: Joy Cecil
Thelma Bumgardner
Betty Sue Hurley
Linda Kegley
Bill Mains
Standing Appointments Sub-Committee
CHAIR: Rosemary Hinton
VICE CHAIR: Stephanie Stewart
Vincent Butler
Patty Eldridge
Pam Moore
Carole Morella
Fiscal Affairs Committee
CHAIR: Belva Sammons
VICE CHAIR: David Jessie
Dick Green
Velda Mabry
Dallas Sammons
Wilma Stegall
Madonna Weathers
Personnel Policies and Benefits Committee
CHAIR: Lois L. Hawkins
VICE CHAIR: Rhonda Mackin
Scottie Barker
Larry Besant
Dan Connell
Zach McClurg
Joel Pace
Jeff Smedley
