MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
February 2, 2000
PRESENT: Sherwood, McDermott, Kommers, Peed, Neff, Leech, Benham,
Howard, Duncan, Larsen, Jost, Harkin, Nehrir, Mooney, Weaver,
Amend, Locke, Lansverk, Levy, Bogar, Bond, Jelinski, Francis,
McKinsey, Lynch, Fisher, Prawdzienski, Butterfield, Scott,
Griffith.
ABSENT: Ag Econ, Hatfield, O'Neill, Burgess, Anderson, Carlstrom.
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 PM by Chair John Amend. It
was determined a quorum was present. The minutes of the January 26,
2000, meeting were approved as distributed.
Chair's report - John Amend.
- Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education Scott will not be able
to attend the meeting today.
- Jerry Coffey, interim Chair of the MSU Benefits Committee, will
report on the last Interunit Benefits Committee meeting later in
this meeting.
- John and Chair Elect Ron Larsen met with interim President Roark
this morning.
- He views his work here in the short term as keeping the MSU
system moving ahead on an even keel. If he remains here a
year or more, he will take a more proactive roll. His
contract lasts through June, 2001, if necessary, but it is
hoped a new president will be hired before then.
- There was brief discussion of the MSU President Search
- The list of topics from the two UGC Steering Committee/
President's Executive Council retreats fall semester were
given to the President. He would like to have a similar
retreat within a month.
- If Dr. Roark is here a short time (six months), he
will not move forward with the workload/teaching load
policy. If he is here an extended period of time, he
will consider the policy.
- President Roark is scheduled to attend Faculty Council on
February 16.
Report from the Interunit Benefits Committee - Jerry Coffey.
- The Interunits Benefits Committee met in Helena February 26.
Jerry, as past Chair, attended the meeting, because there
currently is no permanent Chair of the MSU Benefits Committee.
- In March, the benefits and premiums for the coming year (July
2000 - June 2001) will be decided.
- The financial report for the year is not as good now as it was
three months ago, because of three or four organ transplants. The
balance above the required reserve at the end of the year is now
projected to be $.5 million.
- Medical inflation is currently running at 8%, pharmacy inflation
is running at 17%. Although the state will be providing $10 more
per month per employee for benefits, with inflation, $23 would be
needed to maintain the status quo. Therefore, there probably will
be an increase of about $10/month in premiums.
- Use of HMOs, where practical, is being discussed. They are
available in many cities in the state but not in Bozeman.
- There has been a lawsuit filed for coverage of same sex domestic
partners. The cost appears to be negligible. The issue has been
passed on to the Commissioner of Higher Education for
consideration.
- An act has been passed to provide mental health parity (Mental
health coverage can't be limited to less than other health
coverage). The insurance plan will probably conform to the act.
- The plan has an exclusion for sexual dysfunction. The committee
will probably reaffirm that Viagra is not covered by the pharmacy
plan.
- The whole issue of screening may be discussed in the future.
Some screens seem to be overused and some are not provided. Some
additional screens may be covered this year (osteoporosis).
- Wholesale vision exam preferred providers may be identified
through bids.
- Naturopathy is not covered.
- There is cost transfer in the plan. About ? of the MSU
employees have "single" coverage, and this covers the additional
cost of spouses, early retirees, and Medicare-eligible retirees.
- The medical savings plan is quite typical and must conform to
IRS regulations.
- Some issues have been discussed concerning the MSU Benefits
Committee.
- Should the Chair be a faculty member? The Chair probably
should be.
- The Interunit Benefits Committee now has 24 members, 12
union and 12 non-union. The union membership cuts across all
employment lines on the unionized campuses.
- The MSU Benefits Committee operates by consensus and there
is rarely a vote. Continued broad representation on the
local committee is important.
- At the Interunits Benefits Committee level, the MSU
Benefits Committee has four vote: Vicki Whitney (MPEA), Ken
Emerson (President's appointee), Susan Alt (Employee
Relations - Human Resources), and the Chair of the local
committee.
Proposed Changes for MSU Benefits Committee - further discussion.
- Three changes are proposed: One of the two faculty on the
committee may be retired, add the immediate past Chair of the MSU
Benefits Committee as a nonvoting ex officio member, and add a
statement that the Chair may be retired. Jack Jelinski moved the
proposed changes be accepted and forwarded to the President and to
the Vice President for Administration and Finance. The motion was
seconded and carried.
University Governance Council Nominating Committee report.
- Jack Fisher moved that Sandra Osborne, Health and Human
Development, be nominated to fill the position of Doug Young on
the MSU Benefits Committee while he is on sabbatical and that Don
Mathre, Emeritus Professor in Plant Sciences, be nominated as
Chair of the Benefits Committee. The motion was seconded and
carried.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - Jack Jelinski.
- The Sabbatical Committee provided the Provost's office with its
report on January 4. Additional information was provided about
January 12. At that time, the Provost's Office said it would be 2
or 3 weeks before sabbaticals were announced.
Procedures used for President Search Committee Nominations.
- A memo outlining the procedures used by University Governance
Council Steering Committee to gather nominations and to forward
them to Dr. Joyce Scott, Deputy Commissioner, was distributed
(attached for members absent). Faculty Council members are
encouraged to distribute the information to their departments.
As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary