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Official Minutes of the

Executive Board/Central Committee

February 2005

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February 4, 2005

Mauker Union, College Eye Room

3:30-5:00 p.m.

  • Call to order

Roll (X=present):

Executive Board                              Committee Chairs

X    Frank Thompson, President                  X    Jesse Swan, Negotiations

       Karen Couch Breitbach, Vice President                                Paul Siddens, Membership and Past President

X    Becky Hawbaker, Secretary                                            Dean Kruckeberg, Communications

       Lee Nicholas, Treasurer                                    X     Hans Isakson, Academic Freedom

X    Melissa Beall, At-Large

       Carol Cooper, At-Large

       Barbara Lounsberry, At-Large

Central Committee Constituency Representatives

X   Barbara Cutter, History                                                  X    Kent Sandstrom, CSBS

X   Jeffrey Funderburk, Art/Music                                    X    Russ Campbell, CNS

      Susan Rochette-Cawley, English                           X    Jolene Tagtow, Price Lab School

      Laura Terlip, Communications Studies                         X    Kurt Meredith, Curr.&Inst/OSFE    

X   Hans Isakson, CBA                                                             John Henning, Ed Psych/HPELS/Ed.Leadership

     Chris Neuhaus, Library                                                         Bob Krueger, Philosophy, Religion, Languages         

Ex-Officio

X     Chuck Quirk, Executive Director

Other Members and Guests Present:

  • Presentation and Approval of the Minutes. Isakson/Sandstrom moved to approve the minutes with no corrections. The minutes were approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report.  Thompson presented Nicholas’ report of Profits and Losses and the Balance Statement.  Thompson is studying investment options with a higher rate of return than we presently earn. Members discussed related issues such as liquidity, penalties, broker’s fees, investment structure, and the bond market.  Isakson volunteered to work with Treasurer Nicholas and will bring recommendations to the next meeting. 

 

  • Membership Report:

Quirk reported on the current number of members, no withdrawals, one addition (Clint Wrede from the library). Isakson reported that there are actually only 383 full time equivalent faculty on campus, so <our membership is > a fairly strong ratio.

Updates on Ongoing Issues

    • Collective Bargaining: Swan reported on the ongoing negotiations.  He believes that there is a likelihood that negotiations will go to an arbitrator. At this point, there have been two sessions with a mediator.  We have taken the issue of parking off the table with the recommendation that the campus-wide Quality of Life Committee to address this ‘permissive’ issue.

 

    • Quality of Life Initiative: Hawbaker asked about the Quality of Life campus meetings today.  Campbell, Thompson, and Isakson reported on the morning session.
    • Grievance Policy and Procedures Committee: The committee is meeting and working towards drafting a proposal.
    • Dual Career Policy.  Cutter reported that she presented the proposal to the Faculty Senate, which resulted in a “Resolution on Dual Career Couples.” The Senate voted to approve the resolution with the insertion of “as examples only” under section 2 on accommodations for dual career couples.  Provost Podolefsky has asked Cutter to serve on a committee on dual career couples and she will be attending a conference on the same topic.  Swan asked if the committee will have a faculty emphasis or whether the committee will consider Merit and P&S employees. Cutter replied that the Faculty Senate proposal had a faculty focus, but the committee may expand this. Swan and Isakson discussed UF’s role in this proposal and its relation to the Master Agreement. Isakson commended Cutter for her work.
  • New Business:
    • Creation of a Nominating/Elections Committee.  Hawbaker and Sandstrom volunteered for this committee and will send out a call for nominations this month. Members agreed that elections should be held by paper ballot rather than electronically since participation was higher with paper.
    •  Creation of a Budget and Dues Recommendation Committee.  Isakson volunteered to serve with Nicholas on this committee.
    • Pay slips.  Recently the practice of providing every faculty member a written pay slip each month has been discontinued.  Isakson has checked his online version and reports that the online form is confusing and difficult to print.  He encouraged those who share his view to report their concern to the payroll office.  A related concern is the electronic timecard.  Swan stated that members of the collective bargaining unit do not have to use timecards.  Several members reported that the opposite is being told to faculty in the training sessions.
    • UF-AAUP Constitution.  The Constitution is now in electronic form.  Several corrections have been suggested.  Isakson gave a summary of the proposed changes and asked members to send their feedback to him.  Campbell suggested changes in how membership is defined, including non-voting members and emeritus faculty members. Several members noted concern with a quorum of “those members present and voting at the meeting.”  Isakson, Swan, and Thompson will make changes based of member feedback and will ask for a vote at the next meeting.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:00.