I. General
A. Call to Order
Janice Reilly called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m.
Members Present: Carmela Arnoldt, Karen Chalmers, Hazel Davis, Bill
Farrar, Amy Goff, Mark
Gooding, Alan Haffa, Karen Hardin, Rosemary Kesler, Sharon Luczu, Hank
Mancini, Jane Marks,
Larry Miller, Brian Murphy, Ricardo Provencio, Janice Reilly, Karen
Schmidt, Dennis Shaw, Gail
Shay, Linda Smith, Vernon Smith and Barry Vaughan.
Carrie Taylor took the minutes.
B. Approval of Agenda
Senate Bill 1295 was added as Item C under Information. School
Policies Giving Rights to Faculty
was added as Item D under Information. The agenda was approved
as amended.
C. Approval of August 28, 2001, Minutes
The August 28, 2001, minutes were approved as written.
D. Treasurer’s Report – August 2001 and Year To Date
Council reviewed the reports.
E. Committee Reports
1. Meet and Confer
Linda Larson informed Council that she and Jim Daugherty had met with
Dr. Randolph and Dr.
Glasper to discuss the Meet and Confer process for this year.
Also discussed in the meeting was
the possibility of a formula calculation for the financial package
to keep salaries in line with any cost
of living increases. Council was told that Dr. Glasper seemed
receptive to that idea. Linda Larson
said that Dr. Homero Lopez and Dr. Larry Christiansen would be on the
Board Team this year, and
it is hoped that the rest of the Board Team would be composed of members
who have interest in the
issues presented by faculty this year. Council briefly discussed
the issues for Meet and Confer this
year.
2. Professional Growth
Council received copies of a ten-year history of professional growth
budgets and residential faculty
lines and positions filled. Council was reminded that they had
requested this information last spring.
It was noted that some of the faculty numbers were missing on the report.
Linda Larson explained
that those numbers were pre-PeopleSoft and therefore were not easily
available. The point was
made that the number were important to show a ratio of faculty to professional
growth dollars. It
was suggested to contact Debbie Thompson who may have the numbers needed.
Council
discussed the report and the fact that it raises other questions such
as how many faculty had applied
for sabbaticals and were denied due to lack of funding during these
years. Linda Larson stated that
with the new Professional Growth secretary starting, a more informative
database would be
developed enabling the Professional Growth Committee to have information
for those kinds of
questions. Linda Larson then explained that unused funds could
be rolled over to the next year and
that all funds in the three Professional Growth accounts were fungible.
Council was informed about
the amount of the rollover this year and that some of the money would
be used to compensate the
Professional Growth representatives who needed the time to work with
all of the new changes in the
program. Council reviewed the report further. There was
concern that some of the numbers may
not be correct. The point was made that at least some information
was obtained which was a
starting point. Council thanked Linda Larson and the faculty
who put the report together for FEC.
Council was informed that approximately four hundred applications for
advancement had been
received which is about one third of the entire faculty. Council
discussed Professional Growth
travel. Linda Larson requested that the travel committee representatives
at each campus contact her
to inform her how travel funds are spent at each campus.
3. EBAC
Council was reminded of the sixteen percent increase in premium costs
from Blue Cross/Blue Shield
for this year. The Governing Board has requested EBAC to look
into cutting costs in the benefits
program. Council was informed that EBAC was looking at the Board
funding fifty to sixty-six
percent of the increase for next year. Council discussed different
health care insurance options.
Council was informed that EBAC was looking into a different plan for
medications only. Council
discussed wellness programs and the ones available in Maricopa.
After further discussion, Council
reviewed what discussions were being held at the campuses regarding
health care benefits. Council
reached consensus, and agreed to request that the EBAC faculty representatives
inform the
Governing Board of Council’s decision that less that one hundred percent
(100%) coverage for
faculty employees and their families was unacceptable and that the
Board needs to find other areas
of the budget to reduce costs. The point was made that a collective
effort by all of the employee
groups would be more effective in communicating to the Governing Board.
Council was told that
the EBAC representatives are in agreement about the benefits situation
too. A summary of
Council’s requests was given and included one hundred percent benefit
coverage for faculty and
their families and an effective physical and psychological wellness
program put in place. Council
discussed the inequality of the distribution of benefits and how one
employee group receives more
benefits than the other employee groups. The point was made that
in view of the Chancellor’s
quotation from a recent MEMO “Our values statement on employees says:
"We believe no one is
more important than another…” benefits should be equal for all employee
groups.
4. FAC
Council was told that the first meeting for this academic year that
had been scheduled for today was
canceled. Council briefly discussed the "Attack on America."
5. Legislative
Council was informed that an effort was being made to get someone from
AAUP to come speak
with Council regarding legislative issues. Also, a suggestion
was made to speak with Mike Napier
and the Government Relations staff at District. Council received
a report that the Governor had cut
four percent of all state agencies budget except for the community
colleges. Council discussed this
and heard that some state agencies had received larger cuts than four
percent.
II. Old Business
A. Intellectual Property Rights Committee
Council was told that the Intellectual Property Rights Committee would
meet the next Monday to
discuss textbook policies specifically those written by Maricopa employees
and adopted by those
faculty for use in their classrooms. There is currently a process
in place for this issue that will be
discussed at the meeting. The Faculty Senate Presidents were
asked to review the information that
they had received regarding Intellectual Property Rights and to think
about the first assumptions of
the issue such as ownership. The presidents were asked to speak
to the faculty at their campuses to
get a general sense of how the faculty feel about this issue.
Council discussed the Monday meeting
of the Intellectual Property Rights Committee. A report on that
meeting will be given to the
Executive Committee at its September 18, 2001 meeting with Mike Napier.
B. Benefits/Insurance
Council was informed that faculty at one campus were very concerned
about benefits especially
retirement benefits. The point was made that faculty at some
of the K-12 school districts can keep
that district’s health plan when they retire rather than going to the
state’s health plan. It was asked if
this is a possibility for Maricopa faculty. The point was made
that Council needed to be proactive in
the health benefits issue. Janice Reilly asked that a subcommittee
be formed to study this issue and
report back to Council. Council discussed the issue further.
Janice Reilly asked that the Faculty at
the one campus give Council a recommendation and give Council the information
they have
collected.
C. Professional Growth Steering Committee Representative
Janice Reilly stated that one more representative from Council was needed
for the Professional
Growth Steering Committee. Dennis Shaw volunteered to serve on
the committee. Janice Reilly
informed Council that Anne Dudley from Glendale volunteered to be the
representative at large. An
acclamation was made to approve Dennis Shaw and Anne Dudley to serve
on the Professional
Growth Steering Committee. Council unanimously agreed.
A point was made that good
communication between the Steering Committee and the Council was needed
this year. Council
was reminded that the Steering Committee was a one-year committee to
handle the transition from
the old Professional Growth process to the new process.
D. Hiring Process Report
Council was reminded that they received copies of the position paper
via MEMO. Council
discussed the paper and the need to take the entire paper to some groups
while presenting the paper
in different format to other groups. The point was made that
if one group received a shorter version
of the paper then those people should have access to a link to view
the entire position paper on-line
if they wish. Council discussed the paper and agreed with how
the marketing/advertising part was
presented in a general context rather than in specific budget amounts.
Council discussed the
marketing/advertising of open faculty positions during the hiring process.
E. Aramark Food Service
Council was told that the boycott of Aramark’s food service at one campus
was postponed. The
faculty at that campus agreed to invite one of the managers to speak
at a Senate meeting to address
questions by the faculty. Council will be informed of the outcome
of that meeting.
III. New Business
A. Special Legal Liabilities
Janice Reilly stated that she had spoken to Pete Kushibab regarding
any special legal liabilities for
young students. Pete responded that when a college accepts a
student, that student is considered to
be in an adult status and to be ready for a college-aged experience.
Council discussed putting
disclaimers on syllabi stating that the course material presented could
be controversial. At one
college, the syllabus is considered a contract and the students must
sign stating that they understand
the syllabus. An example of a disclaimer will be sent to Council
members via MEMO.
B. Peerpoint!
Council was told that the first issue of Peerpoint would be ready soon
to go to print. The issues
presented in that Peerpoint! were discussed by Council. The next
issue will be in December.
IV. Information
A. Forty-Nine Percent Program
This item was discussed in conjunction with the Peerpoint! discussion.
B. Chancellor’s Listening Sessions
Council received copies of the schedule of listening sessions with the
Chancellor. Requests to attend
the sessions should be sent to Carrie Taylor and will be considered
on a first-come first-serve basis.
Council discussed the possibility of different Vice Chancellors also
attending the sessions as well as
other opportunities to speak with the Chancellor.
C. Senate Bill 1295
Council was informed about Senate Bill 1295 that “permits an employer
and a member who has
achieved normal retirement age, to enter into an agreement where a
member can work up to an
additional three years. During the three-year period neither the member
nor the employer would
make retirement contributions to the ASRS. However, during the three-year
period of employment,
the member and employer shall make contributions to the 401(a) Supplemental
Defined
Contribution Plan for the purpose of purchasing three years of additional
credited service. If both the
member and the employer complete the terms of the agreement, the employee
will be credited with
six years of credited service at the end of the three-year period.”
(www.asrs.state.az.us/Text/Legislation) The point was made that
the Governing Board should be
made aware of this so employees could participate in this benefit.
Council was told that one needed
eighty points to participate in this benefit.
D. School Policies Giving Rides to Faculty
Council was informed that one campus had changed a policy in July stating
that the security staff
would no longer give rides to faculty and students to their cars.
There was concern for the safety of
disabled individuals as well as for all faculty and students at night.
Council members were asked if
this policy was the same at other campuses. Council discussed
the policies of the different
campuses.
E. Other
Safety Committees
Janice Reilly thanked Council for sending out information on the safety
committees. Brian Belsher of
Scottsdale and Bill Crawford of Mesa will serve on the committees.
Council discussed the issue of
safety officers carrying guns on campus as well as other campus safety
issues.
College Plans
Janice Reilly requested that the Faculty Senate Presidents send a copy
of their college plan to the
Faculty Association office for its records. Council discussed
information contained in the college
plans.
V. Significant Happenings/Presidents’ Reports
CGCC
All is well.
EMCC
EMCC has phenomenal FTSE growth.
GWCC
All is well.
GCC
GCC will conduct its campus climate survey by the end of the month.
MCC
All is well.
PC
The three finalists for the position of Phoenix College President were
interviewed on
September 10,2001. The three finalists are Dr. Gardia from Dallas
Community Colleges, Dr.
Carlson from Gallup, New Mexico, and Dr. Palacios from Pima Community
College. PC faculty
are looking forward to the decision. The PC Faculty Senate is
beginning a plan for community
development at PC. Activities include a softball game and Friday
Feasts for the faculty.
PVCC
All is well.
RIO
RIO does not have a college plan.
SCC
All is well.
SMCC
All is well.
VI. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:15pm.
* * Next meeting, September 25, 2001, will be a Business Meeting * *