Reports received from:
Will meet 8/28/08.
No report as yet this month.
MSU Benefits Committee, and IUBC
Ron reported on the $1500 dental maximum, which some staff members had raised as being adequate. Ron had consulted the chair of MSU's benefits committee as well as the director of benefits for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. No plans currently exist to alter the benefit for reasons including: any increase in coverage must be funded by increased premiums. Only 4% of people covered by the MUS dental plan exceeded or hit the $1500 maximum last year. There is currently no deductible applied to the MUS dental insurance policy. Ron said that the Benefits Department would be happy to present further information to Staff Senate/MSU (it was mentioned at today's Senate meeting, that Faculty Senate are looking into arranging something like this).
Ron also mentioned that IUBC meets October 2-3.
International Programs Committee
Parking Services Advisory Committee
No submission yet this month.
Recretational Sports and Fitness Advisory Board
No submission yet this month.
Space Management Committee
(At Staff Senate 9/24/08): Bill Van Horn reported that SMC is discussing drafting space management protocols. Other items for SMC include the Hamilton Hall renovations. These will be in accordance with 2006 earthquake code. There is no unallocated space in Hamilton Hall, but offices for both Faculty Senate and Staff Senate are slated to be included on the first floor post renovation (likely ready for occupation in the summer of 2009).
TIP Awards Program
No report yet this month.
University Facilities Planning Board
Minutes are available on the UFPB web site http://www.facilities.montana.edu/committees/ufpb/display.html
(At Staff Senate on 9/24/08) Mandy Hansen reported on UFPB's last meeting, including: (i) a roundabout at 11th and College (those present at today's Staff Senate meeting were concerned about the appropriateness of the location, as well as the need for driver education for roundabouts in general); (ii) recycling efforts - currently predominantly led by ASMSU, but the whole campus needs to take a role; (iii) a facilities planning publication detailing financial and other information; (iv) improved functionality of service drives; (v) Town & Country grocery store's wish to work with MSU regarding a new store, restaurant and office space, proposed for the Campus Cinemas' site.
Shared Governance Leadership Meetings
October 9, 2008. A document describing ASGL was drafted for the use of each participating organization in establishing its official membership of ASGL. Further discussion of the new F&A distribution policy was held.
Faculty Senate announced that Paul Bogumill, Director of Benefits, OCHE, will speak at next week's Senate meeting. ASGL member organizations are invited to attend. Other business: Facutly Senate is considering the future of the University Governance Council.
ASMSU has tentatively scheduled 10/29/08 for the students' 6 Mill Levy Rally. other business: contested voter registration does not appear to include Gallatin County residents at this time; the sustainability and the activity fee increases have been passed by the student body and will go to the Regents for approval in November.
Being out of time, Professional Council and Staff Senate updates were deferred to the next meeting.
October 2, 2008. President Gamble endorsed, Facutly Senate, Professional Council, ASMSU and Staff Senate's request to formalize these meetings and to collectively call themselves the Association of Shared Governance Leaders. Each ASGL member organization will be asked to approve membership of ASGL. Sara France was asked to liaise between the Administration and ASGL members.
A discussion of shared governance practices ensued, and further consideration of the recent IDC distribution policy change took place. It was agreed that overall communications might benefit from ASGL periodically inviting an administrator to its meetings.
October 7, 2008 UPBAC discussed the following matters:- Benefits Pool Issue. MSU faces a $525,616 deficit in the benefits pool due to personnel being funded from program fee, extended university tuition distributions, and departmental funds lacking the corresponding benefits allocation. More details are to be provided and a means of handling the current situation (and forward planning) is a priority for UPBAC.
- Enrollment Update. Student headcout is up, but the average student credit load is down, due possibly to student work schedules and/or online courses from other campuses.
- FY09 Budget. There is a $1 million budget shortfall for FY09 resulting from the benefits pool issue (above) and less than anticipated tuition revenue. Further information regarding the latter was called for but increased graduate tuition waiver utilization may be a contributing factor.
- F&A. UPBAC was presented with a revised plan (arising following an independent study of MSU's handling of F&A a couple of years ago) for distribution of federal grant monies to cover associated overhead costs. Fixed costs (space, library, IT, and other overheads) will now be paid centrally with the remaining income distributed to colleges, departments, and Principle Investigators (rather than departments receiving 45% of such revenue, and sharing in payment of fixed costs, as before).
UPBAC will reconvene as soon as further details of the benefits and tuition issues are available.
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