STANDARD SIX:
GOVERNANCE
AND ADMINISTRATION
INTRODUCTION
Montana State University - Bozeman (MSU) is the lead institution
comprised of four (4) campuses: Bozeman
(MSU - Bozeman),
Billings (MSU - Billings), Havre (MSU - Northern), and Great
Falls College of Technology (Great Falls COT).
The four (4) units were joined as the MSU organization in July,
1994.
This incorporation was part of a
Montana University System (MUS)-wide restructuring which created a dual
university structure with multiple campuses affiliated with MSU and with the
University of Montana (UM).
As part of
a new higher education system, the five (5) vocational-technical centers were
merged with baccalaureate/graduate-level institutions.
Throughout the five (5) years since the restructuring took
place, the President has encouraged each of the campuses to retain its
essential mission and character. Some notable accomplishments have taken place
in the areas of curriculum, administration, and both academic and student services.
These accomplishments have come about primarily at a colleague-to-colleague
level based on mutual dialog and benefit.
RESTRUCTURING
The primary documents relating to the MUS restructuring are:
·
Appendix 1-A, MUS Restructuring Phase I
·
Appendix 1-B, MUS Restructuring Phase II
·
Appendix 6-A, NASC 1995 Focused Interim Report, "The
Impact of the Restructuring of Montana State University"
·
Appendix 6-B, "A Report Card on University
Restructuring"
·
Appendix 6-C, "Priorities on the Advent of the 21st Century"
The restructuring of the MUS moved very quickly from the
introduction in September of 1993, through a series of public hearings around
the state during the fall of 1993, and finally approval by the Board of Regents
(BOR) on March 25, 1994.
Administrative
responsibility now flows from the BOR to the Commissioner of Higher Education
(CHE) to the President of MSU, and from the President of MSU to the CEOs at
Billings, Great Falls, and Northern.
The Regents developed a series of policy papers that led to
and helped define the MUS restructuring [Exhibit 6.01, Montana University
System Restructuring].
Some faculty and staff in Bozeman have worried that the larger
Bozeman campus would be required to divert both fiscal and human resources to
the other campuses, further diminishing the pool of operations dollars and
administrative support.
No positions were added
to any of the MSU campuses to facilitate the new administrative structure. One
(1) existing staff member at MSU was moved to the President's Office
to serve in a coordinating role. Some of the administrative offices on the
MSU campus have taken on an additional work load as a result of restructuring.
Each of the Vice Presidents have been asked by the President to coordinate
their activities for the four (4) campuses. Other areas of significant
intercampus interactions occur among the Directors of Budget, Facilities
Services, Information Services, Outreach, Extended Studies, and University
Relations. On one (1) occasion, over-enrollment budget dollars at MSU
were reallocated to another MSU campus. In another case, the need for an administrative
computer analyst on the Bozeman campus was filled by a qualified analyst
from MSU. Northern.
There have been many questions regarding the restructuring that created a four
(4)-campus MSU. Some alumni from Eastern Montana College (now MSU. Billings) and
Northern Montana College (now MSU. Northern) have expressed sadness
to see the names of their alma maters disappear, but are pleased to
now have "University" in their name. Some alumni from Bozeman, on the
other hand, are equivocal about the change. Although they may like having the
. MSU. more prominently displayed throughout the state, they bristle at the
implication that all of the four (4) campuses are now equal in stature.
Faculty, Classified Staff, and Professional Staff Surveys were
administered in December 1998, in which two (2) restructuring questions were
asked.
Table 6-01 illustrates the opinions of
these groups on restructuring issues. Although there are a substantial number
of respondents who didn't know, felt the questions were not applicable, or
chose to not answer the questions, a number of those who did respond feel
that restructuring has not benefitted MSU - Bozeman, and that the reputation
of MSU - Bozeman has been compromised because there are other campuses
in the state with similar names.
Table 6-01
CAMPUS SURVEY SUMMARY RESPONSES -
RESTRUCTURING |
Question |
Group |
Percent of
those responding
Percent of
those responding
|
Strongly Agree/
Agree |
Disagree/
Strongly Disagree |
Don't Know, N/A, or
Missing |
The restructuring of the Montana
University System has benefitted the MSU - Bozeman campus. |
Faculty |
7.89 |
66.67 |
25.44 |
Classified Staff |
9.60 |
42.60 |
47.80 |
Professional Staff |
7.00 |
35.60 |
57.40 |
The reputation of MSU - Bozeman
remains unchanged even though there are other campuses in the state with
similar names. |
Faculty |
29.77 |
45.04 |
25.19 |
Classified Staff |
33.70 |
30.90 |
35.40 |
Professional Staff |
34.60 |
31.90 |
33.50 |
The Office of New Student Services (NSS)
seems to be particularly affected by the change in name from Montana State
University to Montana State University - Bozeman.
Prospective students, particularly from
out-of-state, who attend college recruiting fairs, are frequently confused
because the MSU - Bozeman and MSU - Billings names, in particular, are so
similar.
GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
Under Article X of the Montana
Constitution, the governance and control of the MUS are vested exclusively in
the BOR.
The
BOR possesses full authority and responsibility to supervise, coordinate, and
manage public higher education in Montana.
In addition to the MSU campuses and the UM
campuses, the BOR exercises oversight of Montana's three (3) non-tribal
community colleges: Miles Community College, Dawson Community College, and
Flathead Valley Community College.
Under state constitutional mandate, the BOR
appoints a CHE as the chief administrative officer of the MUS. The CHE, in turn,
appoints Deputy Commissioners for Academic and Student Affairs and for
Administration and Budget.
In 1989, the Legislature amended state
statutes to vest general administrative oversight and supervision of public
post-secondary vocational-technical education with the BOR.
This includes the
sole state agency. status for the administration of funds under the Carl D.
Perkins Act of 1984 [Exhibit 6.02, Carl D. Perkins Act]. The CHE serves as the
chief administrative officer at this level [Exhibit 6.03, Office of the
Commissioner of Higher Education Organizational Chart].
GOVERNING BOARD
The creation, membership, and operating
rules of the BOR are listed in its By-Laws, Section 201.7 of the Board of
Regents Policy and Procedures Manual [Exhibit 6.04, BOR Policy and Procedures
Manual]. The BOR includes seven (7) members appointed by the Governor subject to
confirmation by the Montana Legislature [Exhibit 6.05, BOR Membership].
All geographic
regions of Montana are represented on the BOR. No more than four (4) members may
be appointed from the same political party. Information on the Regents can be
found at Exhibit 6.06, Board Member Information. The BOR vision and mission
statements were updated in July 1999 [Appendix 6-D, Mission and Vision
Statements].
Non-student BOR members serve seven (7)
year terms.
The student member sits for not less than one (1) year, and not more than
four (4) years.
In addition, the Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction serve
in an ex-officio capacity.
If a vacancy occurs, the Governor appoints an
individual to complete the remainder of the unfilled term.
The Regents's Policy Manual furnishes
rules of operation, which are public and are readily available in print medium
and over the Internet.
The Manual contains detailed information
about Governance, Academic Affairs, Research and Public Service, Student
Affairs, Personnel, Compensation, and other such topics.
Meetings are held
every two (2) months with advance public notice in Helena and on campuses
throughout the system [Exhibit 6.07, Meeting Schedule].
Faculty from throughout MUS, including MSU
- Bozeman faculty, attend regularly scheduled meetings with the BOR and the CHE.
In these sessions, the full range of issues regarding university governance and
operation are discussed. Similarly, the BOR meets separately with student and
classified employee representatives from the MUS campuses. These faculty and
staff meetings help the BOR to understand the confluence of viewpoints and ideas
that shape the environment on the campus.
Section 203.3.3 of the BOR Policy and
Procedures Manual outlines in very general terms the circumstances under which
items are brought to the BOR for revision or adoption. The BOR operates
according to Roberts Rules of Order, except in specific circumstances as noted
in Articles XI and XII of the By-Laws [Exhibit 6.08, BOR By-Laws]. Items before
the BOR are decided on a majority vote of the members present and a quorum
consists of a majority of the appointed members. Agenda, agenda items, minutes,
and summaries of BOR meetings can be reviewed on the BOR Web site [Exhibit 6.09,
BOR Web Site].
All major academic program changes,
including degrees, certificates, and diplomas, are forwarded to the
Commissioner, who then formulates a recommendation to the BOR.
BOR approval is
also required for substantive changes in institutional mission, policies, and
programs [Exhibit 6.10, Mission Statements]. In 1997, at the direction of the
Regents, MUS units submitted new succinct mission statements to replace the more
detailed Role and Scope statements used previously [Exhibit 1.03, BOR Repeal of
Role and Scope Statements; Exhibit 1.04, MSU Repealed Role and Scope]. Given
this mission flexibility some MUS schools have expanded the breadth of their
programs. The BOR may need to establish programmatic boundaries given the far
more permissive mission statements.
Academic degree programs are reviewed by
each unit every four (4) years or as needed.
The CHE coordinates such reviews and reports
findings to the BOR.
The Board Policy and Procedures Manual provides protection to students
whose programs are terminated.
Should a program be terminated, provisions
are made to ensure that students who began majors in that program can complete
them.
A
"Program Moratorium" may be imposed, so that the program remains in the catalog,
but the institution suspends admission to the program.
In some cases a
program may be withdrawn, so that the program is not mentioned in the catalog,
but advisors continue to work with current students to enable them to complete
the course of study they began.
The BOR is kept informed of the
accreditation process.
The self-study document is submitted to the
CHE, along with all evaluation reports.
The CHE is also notified of all site visits
by accreditation agencies.
A report to the BOR on the self-study
document and subsequent findings is prepared by the CHE.
INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING
Although the BOR governs the MUS, the MUS
is dependent upon the legislature for funding.
Over the past ten (10) years revenue from the
General Fund as a percentage of total MUS costs has declined from 77% in FY 1988
to 52% in FY 1998 [Appendix 7-J, Ten-Year Budget Trend Overview].
This decline in
state funding has had an impact on the Regents' ability to address financial
needs in the system.
As the legislature has withdrawn support, funding has shifted towards
tuition.
Tuition contributed 23% of revenue in FY 1988, but by 1998 this
percentage had increased to 48% [Exhibit 6.11, Changes in Tuition Since
1988].
In the Fall of 1998, Montana's Governor
submitted a unified K-12 and Higher Education budget for consideration by the
1999 Montana Legislature. This is the first time such a unified budget has been
proposed.
The
impact on education as a whole in Montana remains to be seen, but the unified
budget should provide both legislators and taxpayers with a better understanding
of the financial needs of both K-12 and higher education.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
The chief executive officer of
MSU - Bozeman is
the President, who is appointed by the BOR according to procedures outlined in
Section 205.1 of the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual. The President also holds
this title for the four (4)-campus MSU, and serves full time as such.
The President is
assisted in guiding the direction of the University by the Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Research, the Vice
President for Administration and Finance, and the Vice President for Student
Affairs. These lead administrative positions are filled through nation-wide
search procedures, and are filled based on a combination of scholarly activity
and demonstrated ability in the areas of educational leadership and management.
During the 1998-99 academic year, an interim Vice President was chosen from
within the four (4) campuses of Montana State University.
The curriculum
vitae of the lead administrators who are currently serving can be seen in
Exhibit 6.12, Resumes of Lead Administrators.
Turnover at the Vice Presidential level
has been a cause for concern. The three (3) previous chief academic officers are
now presidents at land-grant institutions (one at MSU), and the two (2) previous
chief financial officers moved to the same positions at larger land-grant
institutions.
Each of those who went to other campuses did so at substantial salary
increases. As the campus is engaged in searches for these positions there is
some concern that the salaries offered be adequate to attract an acceptable pool
of qualified candidates [Exhibit 6.13, Presidential and Lead Administrator
Salaries at Peer Institutions].
The President's staff also includes the
Executive Assistant to the President, the Assistant to the President, the
Director of University Relations, the University Legal Counsel, the Director of
Affirmative Action and Human Resources, the Director of University Budgets, the
Director of Internal Audit, and the Director of Alumni Relations [Exhibit 6.14,
Central Administration Organizational Chart]. The President is advised by a
Local Executive Board which is composed of three (3) individuals appointed by
the Governor.
The Local Executive Board consists of business and volunteer leaders who
are widely known in the community and the state [Exhibit 6.15, Local Executive
Board].
Broad policy development for the
University, e.g., enrollment management and resource allocation, is shaped by
the Presidents Executive Council (PEC) which includes the President, the Provost
and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Administration
and Finance, and the Vice-President for Student Affairs [Exhibit 1.11,
President's Executive Council].
The PEC meets on a weekly basis, and as
necessary, to address specific issues. The PEC responds to current issues,
coordinates with appropriate committees, and takes an activist role in assessing
institutional progress in mission achievement.
The Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer.
The position entails not only responsibility
to MSU, but also requires coordination of the academic affairs of the combined
MSU campuses.
The Provost's Council is an Academic Council of academic deans and
directors serving in an advisory role to the Provost [Exhibit 6.16, Provost's
Council]. The Deans Council, chaired by the Provost, advises the Provost on
academic issues, and consists of the deans of the academic colleges plus the
dean of the Libraries, the dean of the Museum of the Rockies (MOR), the dean for
Extension, and the dean of Graduate Studies, and other directors as appropriate
[Exhibit 6.17, Dean's Council] and provides counsel on a narrower range of
academic and budgetary matters. Both of these groups also provide communication
forums to share information among administrators. The Assistant Dean's Council
(ADC), chaired by the Vice Provost, consists of all of the assistant/associate
deans of the colleges, plus representatives from non-degree academic
programs.
The
ADC coordinates the undergraduate program and deals with student issues [Exhibit
6.18, Assistant Dean's Council].
These various administrative groups
require institutional data that is appropriate, accurate, and available. The
Office of Institutional Research (IR)
is charged with gathering these kinds of data
and making them available to various constituencies (see Standard One, pp.
15-16).
Several of the chief administrative
officers have faculty status and place high value on their academic stature. The
President, Provost, Vice President for Research, and Vice President for Student
Affairs have rank in academic departments as do the deans and department heads.
Many of these individuals have teaching roles and maintain standing in their
academic disciplines. The President, in particular, has maintained an active
schedule of scholarly activity, having published four (4) books on the history
of the American West during his eight (8) year tenure of office.
ADMINISTRATIVE EVALUATION AND ETHICS
Annual evaluation of administrators is
provided for in the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual. The President is evaluated
by the Commissioner and the Regents every other year.
The President, in
turn, evaluates the Chancellors at Billings and Northern, the Provost and Vice
Presidents on the MSU campus, and the staff named above who report directly to
the President.
Currently, directors in Student Services are evaluated by the Vice
President for Student Affairs;
academic deans and directors are evaluated by
the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and directors in the
Administrative and Finance division are evaluated by the Vice President for
Administration and Finance. Additionally, Faculty Council provides the
opportunity for members of the faculty to evaluate key administrators once a
year.
The
instrument used for these evaluations can be viewed at Exhibit 6.19,
Administrative Review Form Instrument.
No single ethics code exists for
administrators.
Rather, the Department of Administration, State Personnel Division,
publishes "Ethics and Standards of Conduct for State Employees" which apply to
all Montana public workers.
The document governs the use of state
property, the management of state funds, conflicts of interest, the acceptance
of gifts, and the use of public property for private business. The last review
of this document occurred June 30, 1996 [Exhibit 6.20, Ethics and Standards of
Conduct for State Employees].
The BOR Policy and Procedures Manual, in
section 700, references many of these same issues as they apply to
administrative and professional employees.
Institutional public relations and
communications are conducted by the Office of University Relations, the Office
of Alumni Relations, and the Montana State University - Bozeman Foundation.
The Office of
University Relations works to ensure that all advertising, publications, and
communications of the University are consistent, accurate, and supportive of the
Mission and goals of the institution. To that end, the office has coordinated
publicity for the University, and developed a Graphics Standards Manual [Exhibit
6.21, Graphics Standards Manual]. University Relations has worked with all
colleges and offices on campus to ensure that communication with all
constituencies reflects institutional priorities and supports the Mission. The
office also acts as a coordinator of special campus events and as the liaison
with the families of current students. In addition, the office is the
institution's chief link to the state legislature and to community and state
agencies.
THE MSU FOUNDATION
The Montana State University Foundation,
Inc. is an independent not-for-profit corporation chartered under the laws of
Montana [Exhibit 6.22, MSU Foundation].
Its sole purpose is the financial support of
the institution and the goals and objectives stated in the University's Mission.
The Foundation raises and receives gifts from the private sector, administers
funds, and manages assets to enhance the quality of education.
The Foundation
offers flexibility not possible with state-appropriated funds, providing
discretionary funding for scholarship and equipment acquisition, and supports
scholarly advancement for faculty members and other similar activities.
Financial statements for the Foundation can be viewed in Exhibit 6.23, MSU
Foundation Financial Statements.
Approximately 85% of gifts are designated
by donors for a particular college, department, program, or scholarship.
The Foundation
deposits those gifts directly into accounts established at the Foundation.
Expenditures of
these gift funds are made on behalf of campus programs in accordance with the
guidelines established for that account and for restricted funds in general.
Unrestricted contributions provide support for student development, acquisition
of needed academic equipment, recognition of outstanding teaching and academic
performance, and University promotion.
The balance of unrestricted funds is used by
the Foundation for donor communications and fund raising or, at the University's
request, to support other special projects.
A twenty-six (26) member Board of
Directors governs the Foundation. Elected by their peers, many are national and
state-wide leaders in business, the professions, and civic affairs.
All serve without
compensation and contribute expertise.
The Board meets five (5) times a year, with
committee meetings scheduled between full sessions.
The Directors
furnish external oversight of the Foundation's operations.
By charter, the
University President, the Provost, and the Vice President for Administration and
Finance serve on the Board in an ex officio non-voting basis, establishing a
formal channel of communication between the two (2) organizations.
Because of decreases in general fund
support for the University, and to help supplement college budgets and projects,
the Foundation has hired development officers for each college.
This positive
effort has been successful to date in supporting educational opportunities on
campus. More detailed information regarding the Foundation can be found in
Standard Seven, pp. 256-258.
FACULTY ROLE IN GOVERNANCE
Shared governance by faculty, students,
and staff, and faculty rights and responsibilities are detailed in the Faculty
Handbook [Exhibit 4.01, Faculty Handbook]. The Handbook also describes the
rights and responsibilities of faculty and the faculty positions on university
and search committees.
Similarly, the contract between the Montana
Public Employees Association (MPEA) and the MUS affords staff representation
"when in the best interest of the institution or when the function of the
committee is affected with non-academic staff interests." (Article XIII, Section
3).
Opportunities for faculty involvement in
shared governance at MSU are centered in the MSU Faculty Council and its
committees [Exhibit 1.13, Faculty Council]. The charge to the Faculty Council is
to:
·
"Provide a means for faculty and administration to
interact and to discuss, formulate, and recommend university policy to the
appropriate university authority. The Faculty Council Constitution describes the
powers
of the
Council to recommend such policy, always within the constraints of the Montana
University System's powers as described in the Constitution of the State of
Montana."
Committees dealing with the full spectrum
of university tasks including policy, planning, governance, curriculum,
research, student life, and appeals all have faculty representation.
The faculty also
play a major role in university-wide decision making through membership on the
University Governance Council Steering Committee, which consists of members of
the Faculty Council, the Professional Council, the Classified Employees
Personnel Advisory Committee (CEPAC) [Exhibit 1.15, Classified Employees
personnel Advisory Committee], and the Associated Students of Montana State
University (ASMSU) [Exhibit 3.26, ASMSU].
The importance of the faculty role in
institutional decision making has been acknowledged and strengthened through
faculty membership on the major planning committees that have evolved since
1990:
·
Long-Range Planning
Committee.
See Standard One, pp. 16-17.
·
Exhibit 1.16, Long Range Planning Committee
·
Appendix 1-C,
Long Range Plan, 1994
·
Appendix 1-D, Long Range Plan (Revised 1998)
·
Appendix 1-E, Long Range Plan Goals and Strategies
(Revised 1998)
·
Special Review
Committee.
See Standard One, pp. 17.
·
Exhibit 1.17, Special Review Committee
·
Appendix 1-I, Special Review Committee Report
·
Strategic Planning and Budget
Committee.
See Standard One, pp. 17.
·
Exhibit 1.18, Strategic Planning and Budget
Committee
·
Appendix 1-J, Strategic Planning and budget Committee
Strategic Objectives for MSU - Bozeman - Draft
Regular weekly meetings between the
Faculty Council leadership and the PEC serve to maintain excellent communication
and coordination between the faculty and the administration.
The Chair of
Faculty Council is supported by the institution through a .50 FTE buyout of
her/his salary during the academic year in which she/he serves, while the
Chair-elect is supported by a .25 FTE buyout.
In spite of all of the above opportunities
for faculty involvement in administration and planning, 58% of the faculty
responding to the Faculty Survey did not agree that they have the opportunity to
participate in setting university goals.
STUDENT ROLE IN GOVERNANCE
MSU has a long tradition of effective
student input into the operations of the institution. ASMSU's primary goal is to
enable students to use their own skills and abilities and have a beneficial
impact on MSU. ASMSU's committees and programs are designed to provide students
with the skills necessary to learn and grow, and to ensure that all students
receive the full benefit of the student activity fee.
See Standard Three,
pp. 162, for full information on ASMSU.
The ASMSU administrative officers and
Senate leadership meet regularly with the University President and other
administrators to discuss campus, MUS, and legislative issues. ASMSU appoints
students to serve on all major University governance, planning and budget
committees, and to the search committees for major academic and administrative
positions.
ASMSU represents its students. concerns at
the state level as well, through participation in the Montana Associated
Students (MAS).
This organization, which represents all public higher education students
in Montana, gathers information, establishes positions on issues, and
communicates the needs of students to legislators, the governor, and the
BOR.
MAS
representatives meet with the Governor and BOR for a luncheon to exchange
information at each BOR meeting.
The MAS have input regarding proposed student
charges such as fees or tuition increases prior to BOR action.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
MSU is an equal opportunity institution in
providing full access to employment, facilities, and academic programs. The
President has delegated the responsibility for development and implementation of
the Affirmative Action Program to the director of the Office of Human Resources
and Affirmative Action (HR/AA). As a representative of the President, the
director has the responsibility to ensure compliance with the University's
affirmative action program, including development of the written plan and
dissemination of Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity (AA/EO) policy.
The HR/AA office works closely with
faculty and professional employee search committees to ensure the implementation
of Affirmative Action policies, to provide the President and administrative
officers with regular progress reports, to maintain up-to-date work force and
utilization analyses, and to design and implement auditing and reporting systems
which evaluate progress towards goals. The policies and procedures for
administrative hiring are outlined in the Recruitment and Hiring Manual [Exhibit
4.26, Recruitment and Hiring Manual]. For classified employees, these policies
and procedures are managed by the Office of Employee Relations. These policies,
as well as those for performance appraisal, benefits, and termination for all
employees are located in the Personnel Policies Procedures Manual [Exhibit 6.24,
Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual].
The HR/AA director serves as liaison
between MSU and federal government regulatory agencies, organizations for women
and minorities, and community groups. The HR/AA office informally mediates and
resolves equal opportunity complaints whenever possible, and when necessary
conducts formal investigations, and provides diversity and sexual harassment
policy training. The director of HR/AA meets regularly with the President and
Provost and when necessary with other administrative leaders. The director is a
member of the Salary Review Committee, the University Promotion and Tenure
Committee (ex officio), and chairs the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee
[Exhibit 6.25, Affirmative Action Advisory Committee].
The University's affirmative action goals
are stated in the Campus Action Plan to Promote Diversity and Increase Minority
Participation at MSU [Exhibit 6.26, Campus Action Plan to Promote Multicultural
Diversity, 1992-2002]. This mid-decade progress report for all the MSU campuses
was published in 1997.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
At MSU, there are eleven (11) collective
bargaining units representing approximately 850 of 1,000 classified and skilled
craft employees.
The OCHE selects a chief negotiator who acts on behalf of, and
coordinates, collective bargaining for the MUS.
Collective bargaining agreements are
negotiated every two (2) years. Contracts run concurrently with the legislative
biennium. Some of these contracts include employees in other units of the
MUS.
All classified employees are paid in
accordance with the State Pay Plan established by the state legislature. Because
of the constitutional autonomy granted to the university system, the BOR does
have some latitude to deviate from the State Pay Plan, but has been reluctant to
exercise this option in the past. Wages for skilled craft employees are
negotiated. MSU's bargaining units and the number of employees represented are
as follows:
·
MPEA is the largest union and represents the greatest
cross section of employees (612), including administrative support, accounting,
laboratory and research technicians and specialists, and police officer
positions [Exhibit 6.27, MPEA Collective Bargaining Agreement]
·
Laborers (80) represent primarily custodians, as well as
grounds keepers, maintenance workers, and equipment mechanics
·
Teamsters (88) represent custodial and food service
worker positions
·
Skilled craft employees include Carpenters (13),
Electricians (7), Machinists (4), Operating Engineers (11), Painters (5), and
Plumbers (8)
·
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) represent employees (15) at the Agricultural Research Center
in Miles City including farm ranch hands, equipment mechanics, equipment
operators, maintenance worker, and administrative support
·
Nurses in the Student Health Service (8) are represented
by the Montana Nurses Association (MNA)
Over the past decade negotiations have
become increasingly adversarial, but have not disrupted the educational process
of the institution.
The major focus has been the dissatisfaction of wages.
Very recent changes
are noted in Standard Four, pp. 196.
On the MSU campus, faculty are not
represented by a collective bargaining unit. During FY1988-89, there was a
movement to unionize faculty; however, it was rejected by a vote of almost two
(2)-to-one (1).
Since that time there have been no concerted efforts to organize a
faculty bargaining unit.
Faculty at MSU - Billings, MSU - Northern,
Western Montana College of UM, UM-Missoula, and the five (5) colleges of
technology are represented by collective bargaining agreements.
CONCLUSIONS
·
The restructuring of the MUS has had a strong and not
always positive impact on MSU.
The additional responsibilities placed on
administrators have been significant.
Some confusion and concern has resulted from
the changes in names in the institutions in the four (4)-unit MSU
organization.
·
The BOR maintains full authority over the
University.
·
General funding has declined significantly over the past
ten
(10)
years.
The
majority of shortages have been made up through tuition increases.
·
The organizational structure of MSU is functioning
well.
Opportunities for communication are readily available.
An appropriate
evaluation system is in place for all administrators.
·
The MSU Foundation continues to supplement state
support.
Efforts to increase foundation income through college development
officers have been successful.
·
Faculty, professional staff, and classified staff are
given the opportunity, particularly through their representative organizations,
to participate in university planning and governance.
·
The HR/AA office ensures compliance with the
university's Affirmative Action Plan.
The director serves as the liaison between
administrative leaders and other interest groups, both on and off campus.
·
Over three-quarters of classified and skilled craft
employees are represented by collective bargaining units.
The issue of low
classified staff salaries has grown to a major contention item over the past ten
(10) years.
Recent developments are beginning to remedy this situation.
STANDARD SIX - LIST OF
APPENDICES |
Appendix 6-A |
NASC Focused Interim Report, "The
Impact of the Restructuring of Montana State University" |
|
Appendix 6-B |
"A Report Card on University
Restructuring" |
|
Appendix 6-C |
"Priorities on the Advent of the
21st Century" |
|
Appendix 6-D |
BOR Mission and Vision Statements |
http://www.montana.edu/~wwwbor/docs/MissionStatement.
html |
