THE
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
STAFF
SENATE
(NORMAN
CAMPUS)
Wednesday
March 22, 2006
Chair Joan Koos called the meeting
to order at 1:32 p.m. in the Scholars Room of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
Officers present —
Joan Koos, Chair; Betty Love, Chair-Elect; Debbie Copp, Immediate Past Chair;
Karla Woodfork, Recording Secretary
Staff present —
Barbara Perry, Administrative Coordinator
Staff absent —
Shanika Bivines, Administrative Assistant
Representatives present —
Hourly Employees Council: Pam Shoopman, Cheryl Barton, Carolyn Irons, Karen
Stark, David Houck, Cindy Goode, Ed Fontaine, Patsy Montoya, Robert Murphy;
Informational Staff Association: Susan Lauterbach, Elaine Bradshaw, Chris Cook,
Annette Schwiebert; Organizational Staff Council: Linda McCarty, Susan Hughes,
Kristi Wright, Jannie Porter, Matt Berry; Administrative Staff Council:
Sue-Anna Miller, Deborah Marsh, Deborah Wollenberg
Representatives absent — Hourly
Employees Council: Debbie Blevins; Informational Staff Association: Sophia
Morren, Kevin Jarnagin; Organizational Staff Council: Tina Ledgerwood;
Administrative Staff Council: none
Guest present —Nick
Kelly, Human Resources
UPDATE ON BENEFITS BY NICK KELLY, ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES
Nick Kelly updated the group on several
issues. He said progress had been
made on a short-term disability insurance policy with AFLAC. This policy will
allow those employees who donÕt have much leave time the option of protecting
their income. The RFP was done
last fall. Several responses were
received but the only company that did not require a minimum level of
participation from the University was AFLAC. Nick said enrollment in AFLACÕs
plan would take place probably sometime this summer, apart from the annual
benefits enrollment so it would receive more attention. The plan will probably offer a
three-month or a six-month benefit period. Rates will be age rated, with an 18 to 49 rate, and 50 and
above rate. Rates will probably
range from $20 to $40 a month depending on salary. Nick said this was a medically qualifying policy and certain
medical conditions could keep an individual from qualifying. Pre-existing conditions apply as
well. It will cover
maternity, but you can not be pregnant at the time you sign up for the policy
and get it covered. It pays 50% of
salary for the three- or six-month period.
Nick said they were continuing to work toward
online enrollment for the fall and are working on the OTRS choice project, but
have heard nothing from the IRS one way or the other. They are still hoping for a June or July timeframe.
Debbie Copp asked Nick about references in both
the Budget Council minutes and the Employee Benefits Council minutes. Each set
of minutes referred to two groups, specifically, singles and retirees. The EBC
minutes had a lot of discussion about dependent health insurance coverage.
Debbie said she was not against paying for dependent fee coverage, but she did
have a problem if two groups of employees on campus are singled out to pay for
other people. She said if we are
going to start asking singles and retirees at the University to start bearing a
larger part of health care costs to help people who have dependents pay for
dependent fee coverage, that issue needs some careful deliberation. She felt that was the message coming
out of the minutes. If that was
not the meaning, then the minutes should be clarified.
Nick responded that one problem with the minutes
was that they did not show the full context of the overall discussion. Overall discussion focused on
market competitiveness, not singling out singles and retirees. Nick said this
is a story that will take a while to discuss. Staff Senate will be a part of the discussion. Nick said they wanted to proceed
very cautiously, and he will be back to discuss this more with Staff Senate as
this discussion picks up.
Debbie said it was important that Staff Senate
continue to send the message that our position has always been that we believe
all employees should be treated equally, whether you are a retiree or single,
or have as many children as Ōthe woman who lived in the shoe,Ķ or only one
child. People should not be
treated differently. She
said we need to keep an eye on this issue.
Linda McCarty asked Nick if preventive
health/wellness would be offered through our healthcare in the future. Nick said there were possibilities
ranging from filling out risk appraisal forms to smoking/non smoking
rates. He said companies are
sometimes hesitant to offer such programs because it takes years to reap a
return on the investment because there is so much turnover in the work place
that it doesnÕt pay off for them to offer these programs. But he said there were some things we
could do that Aetna offers along the lines of education.
CHAIRÕS COMMUNICATIONS
Joan reported that on March 7, several members
of the Executive Committee attended the unveiling of the David Ross Boyd
portrait at the Capitol. Betty
Love, Sophia Morren and Sue-Anna Miller represented Staff Senate at that
event. Betty reported that the
group was recognized and had their photo taken with President Boren.
Joan said a joint meeting between the Norman
campus and the Health Sciences Center Staff Senate Executive Committees would
take place on March 31st. If
members have items they would like to have brought forward for discussion,
contact the Staff Senate Office.
Joan said Staff Week at the HSC will take place the same week as
NormanÕs Staff Week. She plans to
attend their Awards Ceremony which will be on Tuesday, April 25th so
she will miss HECÕs Ice Cream Social.
Joan announced the Book Drive that is being conducted through the
English Department and coordinated by Grettie Bondy to benefit active military
and veterans in the Oklahoma City area. She announced that the list of the 2006 staff merit
award winners is linked to the Staff Senate home page.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 15, 2006 MINUTES
It was noted that several members were listed as
being both present and absent. The following three names should be deleted
under Representatives absent – Organizational Staff Council: Linda
McCarty, Jannie Porter and Michelle Coroiu. Insert the word: None. With those corrections, the minutes of the February 15,
2006, meeting were approved.
OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
Administrative Staff Council: President Sue-Anna Miller reported that
ASC met on March 7. The group
discussed ASC representation and prepared a proposal [sent to the Senate
members through email the previous week].
Hourly Employees Council: President
Pam Shoopman reported that HEC met on March 8. Brian Candelaria resigned as secretary. Cheryl Barton was elected to replace
him. Pam announced the winners of
the HEC merit awards.
Distinguished
Performance Awards go to: Rhonda
Haley, Parking and Transportation Services; Patricia Johnson, Physical Plant;
Barbara Lohaus, Public Affairs; Patsy Montoya, University Libraries; Nancy
Mulder, Student Affairs; Ginny Sanders, Parking and Transportation Services;
Rickey G. Shea, CART; Marlene F. Smith, School of Civil Engineering and
Environmental Science; and Robert H. Taylor, Center for Independent and
Distance Learning. The George Lynn Cross Superior Performance Award winner is
Elizabeth Triller, Information Technology, and the Molly and David Boren Award
for Excellence in Housekeeping winner is Mary L. Williams, Physical Plant. Pam said the HEC election ballots will
be going out in the next few days.
The Communications Committee will be sending out an Hourglass newsletter very soon.
Organizational Staff Council: Vice
President Linda McCarty reported that OSC met on March 2. The group discussed Bingo. They have a celebrity caller for the
morning session, Merv Johnson.
Linda announced OSCÕs award winners. Distinguished Performance Awards go to: Randy J. Garibay,
Athletic Department; Deborah Kay, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History;
and Mary Waggoner, National Conference Logistics Center. The Katie Pursley Superior Performance
Award winner is Hannah Brenner, Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies
Center. OSC will honor all their
award nominees and winners at a luncheon at their April meeting.
Informational Staff Association: Annette
Schwiebert reported that ISA met on March 1st for a luncheon meeting
at Couch Cafeteria. Afterwards,
the group toured the IT Service Center.
Debra Gentis is the winner of the Waintroob/Myers Superior Performance
Award.
REPORTS
The following reports were linked
to the agenda:
Staff Senate Foundation account
report.
Minutes of Employee Benefits
Committee meeting of January 19, 2006.
Minutes of Budget Council meeting of
February 8, 2006.
MISCELLANEOUS
Debbie mentioned an editorial in the
Transcript about the GM volunteer program. GM employees can volunteer to work for their community and
GM will pay their salary until their union contract would have ended at
GM. Debbie said the Athletic
Department has picked up a couple of these volunteer employees. A question came up concerning how to
handle parking for these volunteers.
Parking and Transportation Services is aware of the program. If you have a volunteer from this
program doing volunteer work, call Rick Adamo at P&T and they will make
arrangements for parking.
ADJOURNMENT
As there was no further business,
the meeting adjourned at 2:07 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Perry
Administrative Coordinator
Karla Woodfork
Recording Secretary