USAC February 2015

In Attendance: Chris Bethel, Pam Bowers, Misty Cox, Jerry Hensley, Audwin Jones, Teresa Pack, Jared Shank, Aaron Skira, Sommer Todd, Amanda Watkins, Jeff Wehmeyer, Drew Corbett, Mark Hibner, Sheila Nahrgang, Bev Parkison, Carol Rader, Vickie Slone

Absent: D.R. Fannin, Jonathan Jackson, Danielle Booth, Abby Daniel, Tonya Davis, Steven Johnson, Sheila Nahrgang, Candace Phlipot, Laura Rapoch, Jacqueline Robinson, Cindy Vanzant

Call meeting to order 9:04 AM 

Approval of minutes from December 11, 2014 

New Business

• Staff Council Bylaws
  • Changes approved by USAC
• Shannon Norton – Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day
  • Huge success
  • Lake Campus employees came in on a charter bus
  • Planning to begin earlier for the next event
  • Suggestion to hold Faculty / Staff Appreciation at a Spring Baseball game
• Dr. Barrett – MACE
  • Selected by Carnegie Foundation for Community Engagement Classification
    • Q: What does this mean for WSU
      • A: It means prestige but it’s also a call to action.  The process has raised awareness and questions.  Wright State is committed to engagement in the community and there is work to be done to be even better at it.
  • 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act
  • Several Multicultural Affairs & Community Engagement events this spring
  • Book discussion: The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton
  • Campus Climate survey results will be on the website this spring and follow-up coming after
    • Q: Will the campus climate survey results be conveyed to the Administration?
      • A: Yes
    • Q: How often will the campus survey be administered?
      • A: Every two years to measure progress and to continue to progress
    • Q: Does Multicultural Affairs own this survey and the need to follow-up?
      • A: This is everyone’s work but someone has to take point to provide guidance and support so that is what we are doing for now
• USAC Elections
  • Committee meeting 2/25
  • Nominations to begin in April
  • Voting in May
• Spring Open Forum
  • No suggestions on dates / subjects
• Wellness / Rec Fees
  • Shared an email that Dawn Banker, Chair, shared with CSAC (attached)
  • Discussion that Rec Center  and Wellness are separate departments / programs
• Staff Development Day
  • Hoping registration will be up by Monday, 2/16
  • Sessions are scheduled
  • Several nice door prizes
• Tuition Remission Policy
  • Tuition fee remission is for spouses or dependents; dependents being defined as “…must be tax dependents for federal income tax purposes.”

Ongoing Business

• Fall Break Survey
• Flex Work Schedule Policy Committee
• Smoking Policy
  • Comments received by USAC Chair were compiled and sent to Dr. Barrett (attached)
• Committee Updates
  • USAC subcommittees
    • Bylaws and Charter
    • Community Service
      • Raidersgiving planning is underway
    • Compensation, Benefits, and Equity
    • Communications and Marketing
    • Nominations / Fundraising
      • Committee meeting 2/25
  • University committees
    • Athletic Council
      • Softball beginning
      • Need more participants at the Women’s games
      • Recent awards for academic success to student athletes with at 3.0 or higher gpa
    • Dining Services – meeting minutes
      • 3% increase in pricing to come
      • Trial size mean program for faculty and staff
      • Working on payroll deduction options for faculty and staff
      • TAPINGO – order Denny’s or Tim Horton’s and head over to the Pickup Line
    • Parking Services
    • Sustainability
    • University Diversity Advisory Council
    • Wellness and Recreation
    • WSU Bookstore Committee – meeting minutes
    • Staff Council Human Resources Committee
    • OSCHE (Ohio Staff Council of Higher Education)
      • Meeting topics
        • Leave donations allowed at other OH colleges
        • Winter Break paid in full at a number of OH colleges
        • Many OH colleges being pushed to High Deductible Health Plans
          • Helpful resource www.goodrx.com
        • Sinclair has recently had 15 strategic cuts
        • Compensation:
          • Akron – Maintenance workers making more than Classified and Unclassified Staff
          • WSU – At the bottom of the pay scale
            • Classified Minimum $12/hr ($$24,960 annually)
            • Unclassified Minimum $11.06/hr ($23,000 annually)
        • Question to the Chancellor: How much are classified employees covered by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC)?  Response: ORC is difficult to interpret

Schedule reminders:

• Staff Council – Wednesday, March 11, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., 267 University Hall
• USAC Meeting – Thursday, March 12, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., 157 SU (Atlantis Room)

Adjourn meeting at 10:36 AM

USAC:  The purpose of the Unclassified Staff Advisory Council(USAC) is to represent its members to the university by: promoting their general welfare; advocating for unclassified staff through active participation in university governance structure; reviewing, initiating and making recommendation on relevant university policies and procedures; encouraging and facilitating communication among members; and encouraging professional development opportunities. One of the prime responsibilities of this council is to serve the educational community by creating and maintaining an environment conducive to the teaching, learning, research, and service functions of higher education. The recommendations of the council are submitted to the university president.