PSA Executive Council Meeting

Wednesday, September 27, 2000

District Office, Governing Board Room

 

The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m., a quorum was established and ground rules were recognized.  The minutes from the June and August meetings were approved unanimously.

 

Tickets were drawn for the on-time gift.

 

Guest Speaker, Lupe Gutierez, Coordinator of Employee Services, shared information (hand out) and discussed the implications of transfer or accepting OYO/OSO and specially funded positions.

 

Lupe provided a synopsis of what is done in the employment office with reference to the sections that apply in the PSA policy manual. Lupe discussed the following: Items to consider when accepting an acting assignment (Section 2.8 Temporary Administrative Reassignment and Section 4.1.2 Special Considerations).   Items to consider when accepting an alternatively funded assignment (Section 4.1.2 Special Considerations).   Items to consider when accepting a transfer position (Section 2.2 Transfer).

There were questions and discussion concerning the ten percent (10%) salary placement. 

 

Officers Reports

Treasurer

 

Ann Moss distributed a financial statement to each campus president.  As of May 20, 2000, savings account balance of $22,164.69.  Received four dividends over the summer of $221.61. New balance is $22,388.40.  The checking account started with a balance of  $6,495.08. Dues were deposited in the amount of  $2,561.75. Expenses totaled $5,521.66.  The checking account balance (9/27/00) is $3,534.67.

 

Ann also reported on our dues paying members: CGCC-23 District-25.   No reports were available for EMCC, GWCC, and SCC. GCC-64; MCC-59; PC-37; PVCC-43; RSCC-52; SMCC-17, for a total of 320 paid dues thus far. The list of dues paying members will be distributed to the campuses. A question was

asked concerning the cents (.75) on dues received.  Ann will check it.

 

 

President's Report

Dorothy Strait reported that at the new employee orientation she handed out a gift and a welcome letter. Fifty have been handed out since the beginning of July.  Dorothy attended the Governing Board Retreat, the discussion was on strategic planning and the bond election.  Also, the diversity retreat where one of the statistics is that by the year 2005, one hundred seventy-two professional staff will be eligible to retire.  The first meeting of the Strategic Planning Force was held and the first meeting of FAC (Financial Advisory Council).  Dorothy reported that our recommendations from the August Strategic Conversations are to be presented to Dr. Randolph, the Chancellor and the Board.  Contact Dorothy Strait if you would like a copy.

 

 A handout (In the year 2010, who is our student?), was given to everyone. Please provide feedback to Dorothy by October 10th.   Dorothy shared that our Web page is undergoing a new look.  She is in the process of making it ADA compliant, then it can be listed on the District web page.  In addition, she is working on putting the PSD form on the web page.  Any comments or suggestions would be welcomed.

 

Several items from Creative Pathways were displayed. These are to be given to members as on time gifts. 

 

There will be a newsletter by the second week of October; these will be notes from our leadership retreat.  One of the comments was that there is not enough communication, people don't know what is happening.   Our speaker today was one of the suggestions that came from the leadership retreat. 

The OGF issues have been sent upstairs.  There will be a variety of people addressing those issues, because they are both functional and operational. 

 

For the November/December newsletter Dorothy would like to have information from the campuses by October 23rd.   Dorothy asked members to think about what it is they want the rest of the District to know about their Professional Staff Association, what makes it unique/special, and different from all the others.

Dorothy sent out a request for degrees.  The District is talking about a "grow your own" program because we're going to be short of faculty in a few years.  Dorothy had a meeting yesterday with Dr. Randolph, he asked about the degrees.  Please get this information to Dorothy so she can forward the areas we have our degrees in to the Vice-Chancellor.

 

Committee Reports

PEL Chair Nancy Musser was not able to attend.  Dorothy presented the PEL report. So far there is no representative from Estrella, District, or South Mountain.  Co-chairs are Carolyn Delgado and Nancy Musser.

 

PSI Chair Barbara Bentz reported that the first meeting will be October 12th at the District at 2:00 p.m.

Barbara has not heard from four campuses concerning representatives.

 

Dorothy reported that we've had a request for the names of the people that have received PEL and PSI

from last year. 

 

PEL for 2000-2001: John Avram-PC, Joyce Cameron-GWCC, Juanita deBroekert-GWCC, Lynnette Jim-RSCC, Nellie Torres-MCC.

 

PSI interns for 2000-2001: Angie Amparan-DO, David Badame-CGCC, Lois Garland-SMCC, Stephen Goebel-SMCC, Mary McKeever-SCC, Paula Waybright-MCC.

 

 

PSD co-chairs were not able to attend.   Dorothy presented the report submitted by Deanna Jimenez. The Professional Staff Development committee met last September on the 19th.  The committee is in the process of closing out the Summer II funding projects and asks that all persons who received funding to confirm with their unit representative that the funding was indeed used.  If tuition reimbursement has not yet been processed that it be done prior to the next PSD meeting.  If the funding was not used that this also be reported so that the money can be returned to the committee for other applicants to use. If a Summer II application has not yet been submitted to the unit rep that it be submitted before our next meeting. 

Summer II balances are as follows: Tuition $2,590.00, Travel (negative) $2,041.00, July seminar (negative) $464.00, August seminar (negative) $161.00.  The negative balances indicate that the amount has been approved, but wait listed for possible future funding if funds become available.

 Fall balances are Tuition $2,721.00, Travel $715.00, September seminar $2,591.00, October seminar (negative) $455.00, November seminar $3,195.00, December seminar $3,716.00.  The first day that spring 2001 applications can be submitted is November 15, 2000.  The next scheduled meeting is October 17, 2000.

 

EBAC-Diane deCastro reported they met on September 9 and will meet again on October 11.  Diane shared the following issues.  Gene Easin has proposed some changes to the current 49% procedures.  He has presented this to the Board as an information item.  He is proposing two changes.  (1) Promoting accountability with the people that are on 49%.  This means each college president will need to give a reason why this person is on the job assignment and what they do, and a report will have to be sent once a year to the vice-chancellor, and the vice-chancellor has a right to audit or monitor these 49% assignments.

The justification is that it will provide accountability by analyzing what the 49% applicants will be doing in the salary that they're being paid. (2) Employees who retire and enter the active retirement program, may be approved for reassignment to a position outside the employee group of which they are working (e.g. if a faculty person is working in the advisement office, they would be working at that rate of pay rather than the faculty pay, or if a staff person is working at a Grade 8/9 and get a job at Grade 6/7, then that's the pay they would receive for doing their 49%).  The justification for that is the new language recognizes the concept of equal pay for equal work and promotes fairness in pay equity in the workplace, and existing funds in the retirement contingency can be freed up for other uses such as scholarships.  Diane asked for a consensus vote.  It was agreed that we table this until our next meeting and we can have a copy of the formal presentation, which will be read at the board meeting in October.

 

Diane also reported that from our last meeting a sheet was handed out concerning prescription drugs that she presented at the unit meeting.  She shared the following: In 1995 drug cost were costing Maricopa $750,000.00 (14% of the premium). In 2000, the drug cost was two million dollars (24% of premium). 

Up 167% in five years.  After negotiation with BCBS, the actual drug cost figures are; generic $7,

preferred $12, nonpreferred $20 or 25%.

 

Financial Advisory Council (FAC) - Scott Kozakiewicz reported that the issue pressing PSA was our alternate (Randy).  What was decided at the FAC meeting is that we can have an alternate at the meeting, but they cannot be a voting member. The reason being that FAC is a very important committee that should not be delegated to someone else.  Randy can be there and learn the process. We will not be able to have an alternate in terms of voting.

 

Scott is on budget process subcommittee and Dorothy Strait is on budget allocation subcommittee.

 

Summer Conference- Annabelle Galindo.  Annabelle will be sending out a survey via MEMO regarding the PSA conference, asking for suggestions. We are trying to increase conference participation. Your response will be appreciated.   Annabelle will be contacting campus presidents for the campuses that don't have

representatives.

 

Unfinished Business

At the last meeting we talked about the Leadership Academy. Dorothy asked our special guest, Lori OBrien to speak today about the Leadership Academy, where it's going and what's happening with it.

 

Lori explained that the name Leadership Academy is a misnomer, it was never called that, yet somehow that has grown. Like anything at grass roots, it becomes urban legend. We gave a concept of developing leadership among every employee group.  The philosophy started with Dr. Rufus Glasper who said, you know we're not doing sufficiently by our employees to prepare them for the changes that are coming up, this was in 1996.  In 1996 we began to investigate the kinds of opportunities that were already out there that we might be able to bring in on a contractual basis to meet the needs of Maricopans. What we settled for was what was thought could be the best of all worlds. We found a vendor who had come from Maricopa in the beginning and had settled their organization out to Mesa's auspices, though they are considered specially funded and a separate entity in many ways.  The Chair Academy was originally developed under

Dr. Elsner's tutelage in the 80's, when the need was identified only for faculty to learn leadership skills. 

Faculty who were being groomed to take over as division/department chairs, did not necessarily have any kind of training, they didn't know what to do when they got there, they didn't know how to build a team

or what to do with evaluations or how to give constructive criticism.  That was the beginning of  the Chair Academy and therefore that's its thing, "Chair".   When we identified Gary Filan's group the Chair Academy as the primary resource, we begin to work in 1996 with them to redevelop some of their materials

and make them more generic. We wanted to get the materials refocused from simple academic instructional areas and more toward generic applications.  The philosophy was even if you didn't supervise a team that as a member of the team you could expect what was happening within that team.  You could be a leader whether you're the designated leader or not. So it was valid for everyone to have an opportunity to participate.  From the beginning the Presidents held that they would be the one's to make the selection and the vice chancellor.  They did not want the program advertised. Many Presidents were concerned that they would have two many people knocking on their doors, which would create some problems.   A pilot program was started, initially with three cohorts, which finally developed into four cohorts.  Many people got misinformation, despite how much information was distributed and printed to CEC members. 

 

We are ripe with excellent people throughout all of the groups.  We have experts sitting around us all of the time.  It takes a bit of organization to find out who is available and how we can schedule and roll out with commitment, groups of persons to participate with continuing programs. What we are recommending is that internal resources be used.  We can control the cost and hopefully engage CEC's approval to allow us to give the program to the employee organizational learning team and for them to staff it and for it to be funded on a regular ongoing basis as an employee benefit.

 

Lori addressed a question concerning opposition of the program.  Lori clarified that there are concerns at a variety of levels and we have had opposition since 1996, every year that funds have been requested to continue the project, it has met with opposition and they have still been able to find the funds.  The program might meet with stiffer opposition now that it is being asked to become institutionalized. 

There was discussion concerning the importance of the program to PSA.  Lori will be happy to entertain

whatever our recommendations are and put them into the proposal that goes to CEC and the Board.

 

Budget - Ann Moss.  At the last meeting a few copies of the budget went out and that we would be voting on the budget today.  Nothing has changed in the proposed budget.   Ann distributed copies of the 1999-2000 budget and expenditures and ending balances, also the proposed budget for 2000-2001.  It was approved unanimously that we accept the budget in intact as proposed.  Ann provided clarification concerning the summer conference amounts.

 

Charity Project.  Dorothy asked if anyone had thought about charity projects this year?  Multiple locations or single locations?  Scott suggested that we continue with our commitment that we've made over several years with the Phoenix Children's hospital, such as toiletries etc.   It was also suggested that we let people know what is needed and when. It was agreed to table this until the October meeting and come back with ideas. Other suggestions: We do things regularly, not just at the holiday time.  When you come back with a suggestion think about the full implementation-final delivery, storage.  It may be a good idea to contact the charity concerning pickup arrangements.  Please take these ideas back to your units for discussion.

 

New Business

 

Holiday Luncheon: At this time there is no definite location.  All four committees will be coming together on September 28, to bring what they've found.  The committee should have a definite location after the meeting.

 

Unit Challenge: Scott suggested that we have a blood drive competition between the campuses. Effective October 1 through May. The campus that collects the most blood (donations relative to their population) will receive a trophy.  The trophy would be passed to each campus.

 

Unit Announcement: SCC still has Gold C coupon books to sell $10 each.  Dorothy announced that from the summer conference we have six of our calendars left.   Six tickets were pulled for the calendars.

 

Plus: Lori OBrien, tent cards, refreshments, location, and good attendance.

 

Delta:  The set up, use the microphone

 

The next meeting is October 18, 2000. Refreshments by SCC.

 

Meeting adjourned at 3:42 p.m.