Bonnie White, Chair, and Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee

 

 

 

TO                   Montana University System Labor Management Committee

FROM             Montana State University Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee:

            Eileen Baker                                         Matthew Blazicevich

            Genevieve Burmeister                           Sara France, Secretary

            Rick Holland                                        Robert Lack    

            Daniel McGuire                                    Sheron McIlhattan       

            Robert O’Driscoll, Vice Chair               Clara Sprague

DATE              July 14, 2004

RE                   Board of Regents’ Fee Waiver Policy

 

 

Further to the Montana University System Labor Management Committee meeting, May 26, 2004, Montana State University-Bozeman’s Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee (CEPAC) has pleasure in submitting details of the Bozeman staff requests for amending the existing Board of Regents’ Fee Waiver Policy. 

 

As explained, at the May 26 meeting, CEPAC surveyed classified staff, in the fall of 2003, with respect to their utilization of the Board of Regents’ Fee Waiver Policy.  The report of the outcome of the Fee Waiver Survey, prepared for CEPAC’s October 8 meeting, is displayed on the CEPAC web site www.montana.edu/staffsenate, with appropriate updates.  A letter detailing the outcome, along with the report and survey responses themselves, was sent to President Gamble on October 13. 

 

CEPAC had intended to present the outcomes of the survey to the Board of Regents, in November 2003, and to request consideration of amendments to the Policy to include three items of great benefit to many classified employees within the Montana University System:

  1. part time staff be allowed a pro-rated benefit (e.g. a 3 credit waiver for 0.5 FTE);
  2. Extended studies/continuing education courses to be covered by the waiver;
  3. the waiver to be passed from the employee to family members. 

 

The MPEA contract settlement, including adoption of the current dependent partial fee waiver pilot policy, coincided with the Regents’ November meeting, and CEPAC did not present as planned.

 

CEPAC is anxious that the part time pro-ration, and inclusion of expanded courses, not be forgotten in the shadow of the partial dependent fee waiver pilot.  We spoke about the classified staff wish to amend the Board of Regents’ Fee Waiver Policy, with the two items not covered by the pilot, with Commissioner Stearns when she visited the Bozeman campus last spring, and intend to raise the issue with the Regents.  We consider that an indication of MUS-LMC support would be weightier, and more beneficial to the cause than an initial letter from us.  CEPAC respectfully requests that, as part of your review of the pilot scheme, MUS-LMC consider recommending amendment of the standard Board of Regents’ Policy to include these two items. 

 

CEPAC representatives will be present at the September 22, 2004 meeting who will be delighted to provide any additional information to the Committee, and to answer any questions you may have.