Meeting Minutes

May 21, 2007

Members present: Tony Bredahl (for Kevin Bertelsen), Alicia Acken Cosgrove, Sarah Egerstrom,
Brad Gee, Kimberly Gould-Speckman, Mark Kinders, Gretchen Link, Amy Lloyd, Michael Martin, Jason Neuhaus, Cara Rubis, Ellen Schultz, McKenna Schumacher

Members absent: Kevin Bertelsen, Carmen Croonquist, Travis Tubré

Call to order: 2:04 p.m.

Approval of 4/16/07 minutes: Moved by Kinders. Seconded by Neuhaus. Unanimously approved.

Chair's Report (S. Egerstrom):
Academic Staff Leadership Conference: A reminder that the Academic Staff Leadership Conference will take place at UW-Superior on June 28-29. For more information, check the conference website: http://www.uwsuper.edu/wb/acss/conference07/.
Faculty/Staff Orientation Days: Egerstrom will follow-up with Ian Williams regarding the content of a session geared to non-teaching academic staff.

Representative's Report:
Minutes of the May 4 meeting of Academic Staff Representatives are attached.

Legislative Update (M. Kinders):
State Budget: Several major budget issues are currently before the Joint Finance Committee. UWRF is lobbying to protect the $460 million in the capital budget, which would include funding for a new Health and Human Performance facility. Regarding the general operating budget, the university is also supporting funding for the Growth Agenda and Wisconsin Covenant.
Pay Plan: The Office of State Employee Relations will be submitting the pay plan for academic staff soon. Currently the median salaries for academic staff in the UW System are 12% below their peers in other states.
Collective Bargaining: It is still uncertain whether collective bargaining language relating to academic staff will be included in the State Budget Bill. Kinders will notify council members when he has more information.

Continuing Business
Handbook Updates:
Link, Acken Cosgrove and Gee have questions regarding their respective handbook sections (6, 8 & 14) that need to be addressed by Human Resources. They will plan a time to meet as a group with H.R. this summer and will report back on their discussions.

New Business:
Elections of Officers:
Chair
Nomination of Mark Kinders by Link. Seconded by Gee.
Kinders accepted nomination.
Motion made by Link to close nominations and vote. Seconded by Schultz.
Unanimously approved.

Vice Chair
Nomination of Gretchen Link by Egerstrom . Seconded by Schumacher.
Link accepted nomination.
Motion made by Miller to close nominations and vote. Seconded by Schumacher.
Unanimously approved.

Secretary
Nomination of McKenna Schumacher by Egerstrom. Seconded by Gee.
Schumacher accepted nomination.
Motion made by Miller to close nominations and vote. Seconded by Link.
Unanimously approved.

On behalf of the Academic Staff Council, newly-elected chair Mark Kinders thanked Egerstrom, Acken Cosgrove, Neuhaus and Rubis for their service. He also appealed for volunteers to serve as the Academic Staff Representative from UWRF to UW System.

Adjournment: Motion to adjourn was made by Egerstrom. Seconded by Link. Meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m.