CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE PERSONNEL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES
January 12, 2005

Roll Call

• Matt Blazicevich
• Bob O'Driscoll
• Eileen Baker
• Genevieve Burmeister
• Sara France
• Sheron McIlhattan
• Clara Sprague
• Kerry Evans
• Bonnie White
• Janae Heap
• Susan Alt
• Mark Reinholz

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

OLD BUSINESS

• Board of Regents meeting, November 2004. Sara France is gathering information related to the two follow-up items (Regents' questions about turnover, and the dependent fee waiver pilot) and the committee gave input.
• CEPAC Open House Sara France thanked everyone who had assisted with the Open House. She reported that a steady flow of people (40 staff, faculty and administrators) had visited and given encouraging and supporting feedback via the "guest book". Bob O'Driscoll commended Sara on the posters she had prepared for the office, and commented on the visitors' interest in the information displayed. CEPAC hosts had used the posters as tools to engage the visitors in discussing CEPAC's work and achievements.

  Sara intends to follow up with VPs and Department Heads on the materials delivered to them along with their invitation to the Open House.

• Budget Amendment Bob O'Driscoll, Genevieve Burmeister and Sara France met with Craig Roloff and Heidi Gagnon on January 5th. They discussed CEPAC's fiscal and reporting responsibilities and the upcoming submission of a budget amendment to UPBAC. CEPAC still recommends .75 FTE for the Administrative Associate position and, on Craig's recommendation, the Officers are to hold further discussions in this regard. CEPAC members offered suggestions for demonstrating the need for .75 FTE.

  A discussion also took place regarding the possibility of increasing classified representation on UPBAC. Sara France undertook to research the allocation of representation.

• Invitations to Commissioner and Regents. Bob O'Driscoll reported a conversation he had had with the President at the Open House. President Gamble was in favor of CEPAC coordinating a visit by the Commissioner and Regents, although he doubted they would be available until after the legislative session. Sara France is contacting the Commissioner's and Regents' offices for an idea of schedules. CEPAC will coordinate with faculty, professional and student groups for meeting times should a visit of this kind be possible.
• Legislative Session. CEPAC members confirmed that they had received the President's Office announcement regarding how to give input on legislative matters. Bob O'Driscoll reported that Cathy Connover had contacted him with a view to meeting to discuss input and feedback. CEPAC members discussed contacting the Board of Regents during the session and this will be born in mind when meeting with Cathy Connover. CEPAC's role of collecting and disseminating information was discussed, maintaining its proven communications strength with on and off campus organizations and all classified employees, regardless of affiliation, and without bias.
• CEPAC Contact with Off Campus Employees. Sara France reported that off campus employees are likely to be in Bozeman later in the spring. She will pursue a meeting.
• Electronic Elections. Kerry Evans reported that she and Sara France met with Allen Porter, ITC, yesterday. It is feasible for the next elections to be conducted electronically, and Sara will confirm a set-up/training/production schedule with Allen. The potential costs involved appear to be $100 every time an election session is held (ITC fees), announcing the new system to staff, and some minor expense producing lists of GIDs etc for the "polling booths". Booths will be set up for staff not comfortable using electronic methods, and Sara reiterated that the CEPAC membership will be required to host and assist at the booths. Sara said she would include such costs in the FY06 budget amendment, and Susan Alt said that Personnel and Payroll Services would pay the Spring 2005 $100 ITC fee, plus reasonable costs for the announcements etc, this year.
• Constituent Communications. Sara France reported continued problems with reaching non-email using constituents, even by mail. Sara has contacted Facilities Services and Auxiliary Services to explore methods to improve this. Personnel and Payroll Services has also provided Sara with a possible source for a mailing list targeting these employees.
• Payroll Frequency Report. Bob O'Driscoll asked whether any feedback had been submitted to CEPAC in this regard. There had been none and CEPAC took this as an indication that the constituents required the committee to take no further action on the topic at this time.
• MAP Flexible Pay Option Useage. Sara France reminded CEPAC of its query, to the MAP Advisory Committee, asking for more detail about flexible pay option useage (with a view to identifying whether some areas of campus were more familiar with the options than others). MAP-AC had, some time ago, asked what exactly CEPAC required and CEPAC had never responded. As a member of MAP-AC, Sara recommended that MAP-AC would cover this issue within its responsibilities, and CEPAC members deferred the issue to MAP-AC entirely.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Committee-related discussion:
Third Party Administrator Task Force. Janae Heap, member of the Third Party Administrator Task Force, has kindly agreed to communicate with CEPAC regarding Task Force activity. Janae attended today's meeting to bring CEPAC up to date.

Allegiance signed the Third Party Administrator contract on 12/20/04 and will assume the administration of the MUS health benefit plan on July 1. The Task Force is meeting bi-weekly and has found Allegiance to be cooperative and forthcoming. Dana Walker, the Allegiance representative for MUS, has provided the Task Force with a detailed implementation plan, preliminary provider lists, a plan for ensuring an adequate provider network serving our research centers across the State, and an undertaking to publish national provider lists in the near future. All this information, plus Frequently Asked Questions, is slated to be published on an Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) web site by 1/31/05. It is the Task Force's understanding that the web site will be regularly updated with amendments and additions, as appropriate.

The Task Force anticipates the transition to Allegiance will be smooth and efficient. Should MUS employees/retirees be required to re-enroll, and if electronic enrollment is favored for this, CEPAC asked Janae to request that a facility for non-electronic enrollment also be provided.

Janae requested CEPAC's assistance in communicating with the classified staff to ensure the inclusion of the maximum number of providers in Allegiance's network. Janae will work with Sara France in this regard, contacting the staff as soon as the provider lists are published.

The question arose regarding affordability of premiums, and Susan Alt confirmed that the issue is slated for discussion at a benefits meeting in Butte today.

Strategic Planning Committee. Mark Reinholz reported that SPC has received about 200 tactics from the various Five Year Vision tactical teams. SPC is flushing out which tactics should be directed where. Those calling for business management philosophy change, rather than funding, will be directed to implementors other than UPBAC. UPBAC has requested, first, to receive items requiring funding for FY06. Mark stressed that SPC will address all 200 tactics, eliminate none.

Fitness Center Renovations. Sara France reported that Faculty Council had nominated a representative to both the Finance and the Design committee. It is the intention of these committees that these reps be responsible for communicating the needs of all campus employees. Sara has been in touch with them, and they are happy to keep in touch. She will provide them with more information (similar to any other committee rep) next week.

Communications with CEPAC-nominated Committee Representatives. Sara France reported having spoken to each CEPAC nominated committee representative. She recommended the formation of a formal "policy" for communications with reps, and Sheron McIlhattan volunteered to work with Sara on a draft document.

President's Executive Council. Bob O'Driscoll called attention to his report following the December 20th meeting regarding campus input on the "All Are Welcome Here" community resolution prior to signature by the President.

MUS Labor Management Committee. Sara France reported that the January meeting has been postponed, most likely until after the legislative, and bargaining sessions.

GENERAL BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Goals for 2004-05. CEPAC agreed that the goals document, circulated by Sara France in December, was comprehensive and accurate and was approved. Sara invited members interested in working with her on specific goals to contact her.

Board of Regents Meeting, March 17, 2005. Sara France reported that she is in the process of arranging a conference call with Staff Senates to formulate a plan for the March presentation. CEPAC discussed possible themes and topics, including salary, cost of living issues, and turnover. Personnel and Payroll Services are already working on providing turnover data, following the Regents' request to CEPAC/Senates in November. CEPAC acknowledged the value of continued presentations to the Regents, and of similar issues being brought to their attention via a variety of sources and means.

At 11:10 am, the meeting's business being concluded, Sheron McIlhattan moved, and Genevieve Burmeister seconded, and the meeting closed.