TOPICS DISCUSSED
COUNCIL MINUTES
UPDATE - PICTURES ON CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER WEB PAGE
EMPLOYEE OF MONTH
EMPLOYEE COUNCIL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE & OPERATION
INTERDIVISIONAL FORUM
PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
HUMAN RESOURCES ANNOUNCEMENTS
ADJOURNMENT/NEXT MEETING
COUNCIL MINUTES
Minutes were approved as read. The newsletter is now distributed
on GroupWise. Paper copies are still being sent to departments without
general e-mail access. You can access the newsletter via the web
page. Go to the CWU home page; click on Administration, then on VP
Business and Financial Affairs, then on meeting minutes. From
here you will see a list, click on Employee Council. (Past and present
minutes are listed.)
UPDATE - PICTURES ON CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER WEB PAGE
Lisa Miller, Alumni Relations Office, has volunteered to develop and
maintain the Employee of the Month web page. Jesse Days, Grounds
Department, Facilities Management, will help scan the photos for use.
Thank you, Lisa and Jesse, for volunteering.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Shawn Fagalde, Fiscal Specialist I, Conference Program, was selected
as Employee of the Month for November. Her co-workers nominated
her because “Shawn is efficient, courteous and very responsible to customer
needs.” “She is a real asset to the thriving team in the conference
program.” Congratulations, Shawn; we thank you for being an important
part of the CWU team!
One of the nice things about serving on the council is hearing comments about all the fine people who work hard to make CWU function so smoothly. Please consider nominating one of your co-workers for this award. The application form is available at www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/EOTMnominate.doc Remember that nominees are kept “in the hat” for consideration all year long. So don’t despair if the name of your favorite doesn’t immediately grace this newsletter.
EMPLOYEE COUNCIL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE & OPERATION
A Bylaw Committee of Dorothy Tenney, Ginger Linnell and Ona Youmans
reviewed our bylaws for any language that would conflict with the CWU Employee
Union. At the October meeting they reported on their review and recommendations.
At that time the council discussed additional changes. Dorothy Tenney
presented the final draft, and after reading and reviewing, the document
was accepted as modified.
INTERDIVISIONAL FORUM
Kari Taylor handed the FYI summary report of the October 29 meeting.
Four specific issues were discussed: Clarifying the University’s Identity,
Demonstrating Accountability, Valuing People, and Recruiting and Retaining
Students. The Strategic Planning Committee was charged with addressing
the issue of Clarifying the University’s Identity. Please participate
in the forums that the Strategic Planning Committee will organize to work
on clarifying the University’s identity. These forums provide an
excellent opportunity to voice opinions about the future of CWU, or you
may e-mail Kari at: taylork@cwu.edu
if you have any concerns that you would like addressed at future meetings.
PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
Marilyn Thomson reported on the search committee. The field of
candidates has been narrowed to four, possibly six candidates. The
committee meets again December 21 to discuss the finalization process.
It is expected they will announce names of the finalists in January.
The committee and consultant have been working hard to bring us the best
candidates. There will be opportunities to “meet and greet” these
candidates on campus. Please plan to participate.
1/6/00 Note: Central Washington University has invited three finalists for the presidency to visit the Ellensburg campus and CWU SeaTac Center for interviews during January and early February, according to an announcement today by Dr. Roger Fouts, Search Committee Chair. CWU presidential final candidates are Dr. Jerilyn McIntyre, Interim President Emerita and Communication Professor at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Dr. Peggy Meszaros, Senior Vice President and Provost at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg; and Dr. Suzanne Shipley, Dean of The College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. During their campus visits, each of the candidates will meet with members of all communities the university serves. “The search committee has scheduled several afternoon and evening open forums with each candidate, to give everyone interested the opportunity to meet and evaluate them,” Fouts says. “The CWU Board of Trustees has asked us to share all the evaluations of candidates with them.” Interview dates for McIntyre are Jan. 18-20; for Meszaros, Jan. 24-26; and for Shipley, Jan.31-Feb. 2. Complete interview schedules will be published a week before each visit, and candidates’ credentials will be available later this week on the CWU presidential search website (www.cwu.edu).
HUMAN RESOURCES ANNOUCEMENTS
GOVENOR’S NOVEMBER 23 PRESS RELEASE
Governor Locke’s press release addressed cutting state jobs and starting
to contract out new services. Collective bargaining is addressing
the “contracting out” issue. It would probably require a massive
change in the civil service system. There is a stated goal to eliminate
at least 1,500 full-time positions by the end of the current biennium.
It is expected this will be through attrition and targeted early retirement.
Jobs in agencies affected by I-695 cut backs will be the most likely candidates.
There are indications that Locke will continue to protect education.
TUITION WAIVERS FOR UNIVERSITY CLASSES/FEES
RCW 28B.15.558, which allows tuition waivers for state employees taking
classes on a space available basis, states that the college “may waive
all or a portion of the tuition and services and activities fees”.
During fall quarter, the Office of Student Affairs asked our attorney general
for a clarification on this since the university waived other fees as well.
For a while, it appeared as if waivers for other than tuition and services
and activities fees were not legal and employees would have to pay all
other required fees, too. However, on December 22, correspondence
was received from our attorney general concluding that the university does
have authority to waive tuition and fees for state employees. This
is also found to be consistent with policy at other institutions.
Thus, CWU policy 2-2.15 will not change. As before, any employee
taking more than the six credit hours of course work per quarter will be
required to pay additional fees the same as any regularly enrolled student.
There is currently a $15 service fee, and, since July 1996, graduate waivers
are taxable income for non-job related classes. Summer school courses
are “self-supporting” and not currently involved in tuition waivers.
Questions on fees may be directed to the Student Affairs Office (1515).
RECOVERY OF RETIREMENT SERVICE CREDIT
Employees may "buy back" PERS service credit they previously cashed
out. Employees who left state service and cashed out their PERS retirement
money, then later returned to state service have the option of paying back
the money, plus interest, to restore their retirement service credit.
There is a five-year window from the date the employee returns to work
to complete the pay back. If the five-year window period is missed,
service credit may still be restored, but it is considerably more expensive.
For more information, please call Wendy Rittereiser in Human Resources
at 2279.
LIFE AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY COVERAGE
Life insurance benefit change: As a result of a life insurance lawsuit
settlement, your basic life insurance benefit will increase without cost
to you from the current $5,000 to $10,000, effective January 1, 2000.
Long-term disability rate changes: Optional long-term disability (LTD)
rates will increase effective January 1, 2000. The chart below shows
the new rates.
| Benefit
Waiting Period |
OLD
PERS RATE |
NEW
PERS RATE |
| 30 days | 1.70% | 1.92% |
| 60 days | .90 | 1.02 |
| 90 days | .49 | .55 |
| 120 days | .30 | .34 |
| 180 days | .23 | .26 |
| 240 days | .22 | .25 |
| 300 days | .21 | .24 |
| 360 days | .20 | .23 |
To calculate your Optional Plan LTD premium, multiply your monthly base pay (up to $10,000) by the percentage shown for the desired Benefit Waiting Period.
Please note: You can make changes to your optional life or long-term disability coverage at any time – you don’t have to make changes during open enrollment. Call 2269 for an appointment.
NEW MEDICAL CARDS
If employees haven’t received their new medical membership cards by
the middle of January, contact Becky Baker (2269).
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
By now you have heard that GroupWise is being installed all over the
CWU campus to upgrade our current varied e-mail systems. To help
you with this transition, Training and Development announces two types
of training available for all campus employees, during Winter Quarter 2000,
at no charge – hands on training classes for both the PC and the Mac and
one hour demonstrations. If you haven’t already attended, don’t miss
out!
In addition, Training and Development is offering “Byte Breaks”, FREE one-hour presentations on a specific topic. Nancy Taft will be speaking on the following: “I Can’t See My Files for the Trees”, “To Database or Not to Database?”, “Get to the Point with PowerPoint”.
Back by popular demand, Nancy Taft will also be giving Hands-on Training, at a cost of $30 per participant. The following classes are still available: “Excel: Getting Started”, “Access: Relationships, Queries, and Forms”, “Word: Working with Large Documents”.
On-site training, customized, and at your location, is also available. Topics limited to current CWU supported products. Fee: $50 per hour. For more information on customized training, contact Nancy Taft at taftn@cwu.edu, or call 963-2295.
If you are a manager or supervisor, on campus, you will want to attend the University Manager and Supervisor Training Program. Strengthen and update management skills. Create a positive work environment. Find out what different departments can offer you, to help make your job easier!
For more information on all of the above listed programs, visit the Training and Development web site at http://www.cwu.edu/~training, call Lynn Hutchins at 963-2288, or write hutchinl@cwu.edu.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 20th, at 2 p.m. in SUB 209.
All representatives need to attend; alternates are always welcome.
Present:
Kim Thomas, Business & Admin Support: Unit A
Marilyn Thompson, Housing & Residential Services
Kariann Taylor, Instructional Support: Unit A
Gene Wilson, Instructional Support: Unit A
Debbie Nethery, Instructional Support: Unit B
Leona Jobnson, Library Services
Dorothy Tenney, Plant & Facilities
Absent:
Paula Moffatt, Business & Admin Support: Unit B
Mike Posada, Business & Admin Support: Unit B
Karol Barker, Dining Services
Kevin Gentner, Dining Services
Jeri Francisco-Porter, Plant & Facilities
Pat Devlin, Plant & Facilities
Ginger Linnell, Student Services & SUB: Unit A
Shirley Hood, Student Services & SUB: Unit A
Carola Alden, Student Services & SUB: Unit B
Also Present:
Ona Youmans