Minutes for February 6, 2008

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Call To Order:
- 2007-2008 Staff Senate President, Kathy Nordstrom
  3:00 PM, Kathy Nordstrom, President
Officers Present:
- Kathy Nordstrom, President
  Ron Nail, President Elect
  Michelle Kiser, Treasurer
  Sharon Yeates, Secretary

Roll – Call:
- Administrative EEO: Judy Hunter, Ron Nail, Shannon Crossland, Linda Jackson, Gary Johnson, Len Markham, Pam Tipton
- Professional EEO: Michelle Kiser, Deven Patel, Patti Perkins, Donna Rogers, Leigh Green, Jessica Carillo, Michael Glass, Marlene Kenady, Janet Veal, Carla Cavender, Virginia Downs, David Naugher
- Clerical EEO: Sheryl Epperson, Kathy Nordstrom, Sammy Arguello, Melanie Chaffin-Poeling, Linda Gregston, Maria Micaela Vega, Sharon Yeates, Becky Evans, Tamara Ginter, Dawn Moreno
- Technical EEO: John Brocklehurst, Marcia Kawecki, Amy Boren, Greta Cullers, Larry Burks, Judy Easterwood, Randal Lacy, Audry Pekowski
- Crafts/Trade EEO: Kevin Tunnell
- Service EEO: Mary Harris, Linda Champion, Randy Hawkins, Alicia Marez, Frank McInroe.
- Guests: Nathanael Haddox, Staff Ombudsman; Kathleen Burrell, Technology Support; Sam Segran, Associate Vice President Information Technologies; Katherine Austin, Assistant Vice President Information Technologies; Kerry Billingsley, Director of Quality Service and Professional Development; Janet May, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources; Becky Green, Human Resources; David Kraus, Director of University Career Services; Emma Rivera, Human Resources; Karen Hopkins, Human Resources.
- Absent:
  - Administrative EEO: Randy Smith, Chris Leisinger, Elizabeth Massengale
  - Professional EEO: Bill McDonald, Tony Rando, Ryan Scheckel, Mary Elkins, Kathy Smith
  - Clerical EEO: Margie Ceja, Michael Gellner, Ashley Arenivas, Donna Burt
  - Technical EEO: Janie Ramirez
  - Crafts/Trade EEO: Steve Allsup, Jerry Cowan
  - Service: Brad Jury, Daniel Perez, Frances Watson

Pledge: Ron Nail led the senate in the pledge
Sharon Yeates: Roll Call
Minutes passed
Michelle Kiser: Treasurer’s Report approved without objection.

Guest Speakers:
- Janet May and Becky Green – Human Resources
- Leave Policies
  - Vacation accrual is based on longevity, and the balance forward is limited.
  - Vacation that is above the accrual limits transfers to sick leave.
  - Full time employees earn 8 hours of sick leave per month.
  - Part time employees who work 50% earn 4 hours of sick leave per month.
  - Sick leave is permitted for foster children, children, spouses, relatives who live in the same house.
  - Employees are permitted to take 8 hours of sick leave, per fiscal year, to attend parent teacher conferences for children in grades K through 12.
- Sick Leave Pool
  - There is no “length of employment” requirement.
  - 720 hours per 12 month period is the limit.
  - Employees must use all their other leave, vacation and sick leave, before using the sick leave pool.
  - The pool is designed for people suffering from catastrophic illness.
  - The definition of catastrophic illness is made by a physician.
  - C-sections do not qualify unless there are complications.
  - There is a 30 day waiting period from when your leave runs out and when you can begin the pool.

The Dean or Department Director can ask for an exemption to the waiting period.
Maximum sick leave pool allowance is ½ of the lifetime accrual.

Family Medical Leave Act
- Children, adoption, serious health conditions as determined by physicians.
- You must use your accrued leave first.

This is leave without pay.
It may be used for the care of your parents, children under 18, or disabled children over 18. It cannot be used to care for your in-laws.
To qualify you must have worked for the State of Texas for at least 12 months. This is TEXAS, not Texas Tech.
You must have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 month period.
Leave time is not counted toward the 1,250 hours. You need a medical certification, and you must report to your supervisor.

Parental Leave

You are allowed up to 12 weeks of leave, you can have less than 12 months of state service.

Disability Leave
- 180 calendar days. You may only take this after you have used all your other leave.
- Other Leaves – Voting, military, jury duty, funeral, volunteer fire departments.
- Call 742-3851 Ex 228 or Ex 240 for leave questions.
Kerry Billingsly and Karen Hopkins – Staff Development
- The website is www.depts.ttu.edu/quality/
- They are in the process of upgrading the Learning Management System to P3D – Power Planning for Professional Development.
- For the program to work efficiently, it is important that all PAF’s contain current and complete information, supervisor names should be listed on PAFS.
- The site offers you web-based courses and instructor lead training.
- The confirmations can be linked to your outlook calendars.
- When the system is complete you will be able to view your transcript.
- Karen Hopkins is working on the Employee Learning Committee.
- www.depts.ttu.edu/employeelearning/ The website is for professional development planning. It lets you develop a plan of action, offers guidelines, helps set up measurable objectives and methods of measuring your progress.
David Kraus – Career Center
- This center is funded by Student Services, but staff going to the website can see almost everything students can see.
- The website is www.depts.ttu.edu/careercenter/mainBG.php
- You can login to RaiderJobs as a guest. Students can apply on line, others will have to apply through traditional methods.
Sam Segran, Kathy Austin, Kathleen Burrell – Information Technology
- Computer Based Training Systems were established to provide training to TTU employees in the most efficient and inexpensive matter.
- They offer courses in the use of various programs such as Excel, Word, Explorer, but they have expanded to offer over 2,300 courses.
- These services are free to all faculty, staff and students.
- The website is http://cbt.ttu.edu

President’s Report:
- We received a thank you from Chris Leisinger for the flowers sent following her surgery. The PR Committee requests that anyone knowing of a senator who is ill or having surgery that they contact Amy Boren or the committee so they can take the appropriate action.

Committees:
- Issues – Resolution on Campus Safety Magnets – Presented by Janet Vea
  - A resolution supporting Student Affairs’ efforts to produce and distribute magnets that contain emergency contact numbers in areas students are most likely to frequent.
  - The resolution carried no objections.
- Constitution and By –Laws – No report
- Elections and Grieveances – No report
- Nominations – Reported by Patti Perkins
  - New Senators have been assigned to committees.
  - Four people responded to the request for names to submit for representation on the Excellence in Diversity Award. Those names were sent forward for consideration.
- Scholarships – Reported by Janet Veal
  - 53 Requests were received. 9 did not meet the criteria. They will be awarded in approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
- Technology – Report by Tony Rando sent to President Nordstrom
  - They are working on updating the website.

Childcare – Kathy Nordstrom reporting.
- The committee set up a job description for the liaison and sent it to the President for his consideration.
University Parking – No report

Announcements:
- FIT Tech starts on Saturday; we need 6 names including President Nordstrom for a team. A sign up sheet is available after the meeting. The cost is $10 for faculty and staff, $8 for students. There are 3 levels. It runs about 8 weeks. Website is www.ttu.edu/FitTech

Adjournment:
- Adjourned at 4:41 PM

Texas Tech University

Minutes for February 6, 2008