PRINTED ON CEPAC LETTERHEAD

M E M O R A N D U M

TO                   Staff, Faculty and Administrators, MSU-Bozeman

FROM              Bonnie White, Chair, CEPAC

CEPAC members: Eileen Baker, Ray Byerly, Ellen Huber, Bob O’Driscoll, Sharon

                        Pielaet, Matt Blazicevich, Sara France, Dan McGuire, Rick Patera, Clara Sprague

DATE              March 22, 2004

RE                   CEPAC – Getting the Word Out

The Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee (CEPAC) is charged by the President to facilitate communication between the classified staff, Personnel & Payroll Services and the MSU administration.  It provides information and advice on the improvement of classified staff personnel management, particularly in the areas of policy and procedure.  This academic year, more than ever before, the Committee is truly fulfilling this charge, taking a two-way dialogue on issues of real concern to the classified staff, beyond the local administration, to the State level. 

            Before describing some of our current work, however, we need your help.  CEPAC has adopted various means of promoting its presence and improving communications including: regular updates to the MSU classified listserv and making announcements as necessary; advertising in the Staff Bulletin; providing an online comments box via which constituents may at any time bring any issue to CEPAC’s attention; promoting CEPAC members’ contact information via the web site; soliciting responses on special issues via surveys and email requests (we have been delighted by the keen participation of the classified staff thus far); identifying new classified staff orientation as a venue for distributing literature about CEPAC’s work; encouraging the regular participation of classified staff, Personnel & Payroll Services personnel and President Gamble at our regular open meetings and at other times; publishing Minutes and all relevant documentation on the web; utilizing quarterly agenda time with the Board of Regents; establishing regular dialogue with the CEPAC-equivalent organizations on all the other campuses in the State university system; actively participating in committee work at every level (www.montana.edu/aircj/coms/) from local, specialty meetings to State-level involvement.

            Many of you may already be in regular touch with CEPAC via these electronic means.  The speed and economic efficiency of such communication notwithstanding, CEPAC is acutely aware that it does not reach part of the classified community.  Namely, those whose job descriptions don’t involve regular computer usage (e.g. food service, custodial, facilities services personnel): personnel whose input is of the greatest importance to the credibility of our work.

            In September, 2000, President Rourke wrote to Deans, Directors and Department Heads “to ask that you work with your staff to ensure that all MSU faculty and staff members have access to computer systems for electronic mail and Web access.”  He cited MSU’s move “towards becoming a paperless environment” and requested “that you encourage your staff who have interest in using these electronic tools to take courses and establish accounts through ITC for email service”.  While CEPAC has a small budget for the purpose of hardcopy mailing, it’s neither practical nor efficient to rely on this medium – although we know, too, that there are omissions from the classified listserv. 

            So here’s where you can help:

i. Classified staff who wouldn’t traditionally use email and the Internet - by obtaining an email address (available from ITC to all employees, as per President Rourke’s memo) and by thus participating with us;

ii. Classified staff already active electronically – by ensuring your inclusion on the classified listserv;

iii. Deans, Directors and Department Heads - by supporting the spirit of President Rourke’s statement and encouraging the use of appropriate services and equipment by all employees.

In this way, CEPAC hopes to establish and maintain regular contact with the maximum number of people.

Here are some of the current issues on CEPAC’s agenda:

1. we are pursuing the possibility of amendments to the Board of Regents policy regarding the staff/faculty fee waiver (www.montana.edu/staffsenate/feewaiver.html).  In October 2003, staff responded to our request for input regarding the original policy.  Several suggestions (making a pro-rated benefit available to part-time employees, and including Extended Studies and Continuing Education courses) are still applicable despite the dependent waiver pilot scheme adopted last November.

2. we have undertaken a major project regarding the MAP Program (www.montana.edu/staffsenate/mapsurveypage.html) and are in the process of delivering staff requests for improvement and change to the appropriate forums.  We have had various meetings with Personnel & Payroll Services, President Gamble, and the MUS Labor Management Committee, and we are scheduled to make a presentation to the Commissioner of Higher Education and Board of Regents later this month.

3. we are attempting to demonstrate to the Board of Regents the scope of the impact of low classified staff salaries  (www.montana.edu/staffsenate/borpage.html.  In collaboration with CEPAC-equivalent bodies all over the State, we have collected information from the staff of each MUS campus regarding the inadequacy of current pay rates.  This data will be presented at various levels, from locally on the Bozeman campus up to the Commissioner of Higher Education and Board of Regents, later this month.

4. Parking and Wellness opportunities are new items on the agenda for our regular meetings later this semester.

CEPAC Contact Information:  CEPAC welcomes staff/faculty/professional/administrator feedback and input.  Please contact us with your ideas and concerns, and follow the progress of our work via:

Web Site           www.montana.edu/staffsenate

Email                members’ addresses are available at www.montana.edu/~aircj/coms/cepac.html

Telephone         members’ numbers are available at www.montana.edu/~aircj/coms/cepac.html

Officers            Chair             Bonnie White, Student Health Service, 994 5573 bwhite@montana.edu

                        Vice Chair     Bob O’Driscoll, Civil Engineering, 994 2111 bobod@ce.montana.edu

                        Secretary       Sara France, Counseling & Psychological Services, 994 4531 sfrance@montana.edu

Thank you for your time and attention, and we look forward to your future participation in CEPAC projects!