Central Washington University’s

Employee Council of Civil Service Employees

Minutes

August 21, 2003

 

The basic purpose of the Employee Council shall be to provide civil service employees with a forum for sharing timely information and facilitating employee recognition.  The Employee Council does not perform any function of organized labor and is not intended in any way to supplant collective negotiations or employee organizations provided for in WAC Chapter 251-14.  http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/minutes/purpose.doc

 

AGENDA

1.  Call to order

2.  Approval of Agenda

3.  Minutes Discussion

4.  Officer Election

5.  Selection of Employee of the Month for August

6.  Campus Community Building Program

7.  Parking Advisory Committee

8.  For the good of the order/new business

9.  HR Announcements

10.  Adjournment

 

The Employee Council of Civil Service Employees meeting in Barge Hall room 412 was called to order at 2:09 PM on August 21, 2003.

 

MINUTES DISCUSSION - The approval of the July minutes has been tabled to the September meeting.

 

OFFICER ELECTION - The EC Officer nomination list was distributed prior to the meeting.  A motion was made and seconded to accept the nominated officers (Effective 9/1/03):

 

Chair: Laury Berner

Vice-Chair: Dorothy Tenney

Publicity Coordinator: Rob Lowery

Corresponding Secretary: Crystal Whitaker

Assistant Secretary: Kim Thomas

 

“The Employee Council Executive Committee shall consist of one delegate to serve as chair, one delegate or alternate to serve as vice chair, one delegate or alternate to serve as publicity coordinator, one delegate or alternate to serve as corresponding secretary and one delegate or alternate to serve as the assistant secretary. … Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected from on-going Employee Council delegates and alternates… .  Delegates and alternates are eligible to vote for members of the Executive Committee.  Officers will serve a period of one year beginning September 1.  Officers of the Executive Committee may be re-elected. …”

 

We would like to thank the members of Employee Council who will not be returning.  We appreciate your time and efforts in helping the Employee Council make CWU a great place to live, work, and learn!

 

Pam Coppersmith, Environmental Health & Safety

Kirsten Garland, Duplicating

Sheryl Grunden, Registrar

Uriel Hernandez Student Financial Services

Tina Klampher, Information Technology Services

James Lees, SeaTac

Bob Pieters, Maintenance

Cheri Lince Enterprise Accounting

Patti Minshull, Registrar

Teryl Payne, Lynnwood Center

Olivia Ripka, SeaTac

Barbara Sisko, Graduate Studies

 

The Employee Council would also like to welcome and congratulate the new elected and re-elected representatives:

 

New Elected - Delegate: Sandy Arbuckle, Business Services & Contracts

Delegate: Jeff Goede, Facilities Management

Delegate: Sharon McDougall, Wenatchee Center

Delegate: Kelly Minor, Accounting

Delegate: Laurie Stehle, GEAR UP Program

Delegate: Wanda Waldron, Admissions

Alternate: Peggy Eaton, Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

Alternate: Anna Fischer, Accounting

Alternate: Pat Jack, Computer Support Services

Alternate: Melanie Palm, Yakima Center

Alternate: Brad Sparks, Facilities Management

 

Re-Elected - Delegate: Laury Berner, Facilities Management

Delegate: Pedro Garcia, Conference & Housing Services

Delegate: Crystal Whitaker, Information Technology Services

Alternate: Dorothy Tenney, Facilities Management

Alternate: Shelly Voshall, Conference & Housing Services

Alternate: Monica Wallace, Conference & Housing Services

Alternate: Carol Mellergaard, College of Education & Professional Studies

 

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST - Scherry Sinclair, Budget Office

Scherry consistently goes out of her way to assist department personnel from all over campus in reading their budgets.  She often gives instructions over the telephone and perceives when the caller does not completely understand the directions.  When this happens, Scherry has many times dropped what she was doing and went to the person’s office

and walked them through the steps necessary to get the information they needed.

 

Scherry makes good use of her time and meets scheduled deadlines at the same time being the first person of contact for anyone bringing documents to our office, assisting department on the telephone and cheerfully attempting to dissuade people from needing their documents signed at once.  Congratulations, Scherry!

 

Campus Community Building Program

“The purpose of the program is to give members of the university community who are concerned about improving the university’s climate a positive way to direct their energy and an opportunity to connect with other university members who also want to take action to improve their community.”  http://www.cwu.edu/~ccbp/

 

The Campus Community Building Program’s Kickoff month will be October.  The Employee Council encourages everyone to participate in this valuable program. If you are interested in joining or if you have any questions about the Campus Community Building Program, please contact Linda Garcia at garcial@cwu.edu.  Employee Council will discuss their continuing project at the September meeting.

 

Parking Advisory CommitteeNo meeting has been scheduled for the summer.

 

For the good of the order/new business

 

Cynthia Kuhlken requested the support of Employee Council on the issue of extending Wellness Hour into the summer.  The Council agrees that some facilities should remain available to faculty and staff over the summer and has notified President McIntyre of their support.

 

Many thanks to Sheryl Grunden and Crystal Whitaker for setting up the 2002-03 Employee of the Month/Year Bulletin Board outside of Human Resources in Bouillon Hall.

 

Civil Service Employee of the Month Nomination Forms can be found at the Human Resources website: http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/EOTMnominate.doc.  You can also call Human Resources at 1202 to obtain a nomination form.  *Anyone may nominate a civil service employee that has worked for Central Washington University for at least two years. 

 

Adjournment - The Employee Council meeting was adjourned at 3:36 PM.

 

If you have any questions regarding Employee Council or the Employee of the Month program, please contact your Employee Council Representative or Human Resources @ x-1205.

 

Present

Pam Coppersmith, Business Support

Crystal Whitaker, Information Technology Services, EC Secretary

Dorothy Tenney, Facilities Management, EC Vice Chair

Laury Berner, Facilities Management, EC Chair

Lisa Stowe, Instructional Support, Unit A

Cynthia Kuhlken, Instructional Support, Unit A

Sheryl Grunden, Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

Olivia Ripka, University Centers

Kim Thomas, University Relations & President, Assistant EC Secretary

 

Absent

Judy McNeil, Dining Services

Pedro Garcia, Facilities Management

Cheri Lince, Financial Services

Barbara Sisko, Instructional Support, Unit B

Obie O’Brien, Library Services and Academic Computing

 

Also Present

Ona Youmans, Human Resources

 

HR Announcements

 

SHARED LEAVE PROGRAM

The Shared Leave program was recently expanded to allow state employees also to "come to the aid" of a fellow employee who has been called to service in the uniformed services.  The employee who has been called to service must provide a copy of the military orders, and must deplete his or her paid military leave and annual leave before being eligible for shared leave.  In addition, the 6 days per year limit on the donation of sick leave was eliminated, and employees need maintain a sick leave balance of only 176 hours to be eligible to donate sick leave.  If you have any questions, please call the Human Resources Office at 1208.

 

Campus Committee Vacancies

Interested in getting involved?  There are classified staff members on the following committees.  The meeting and time requirements on these committees vary; some meet only as the need arises.  A diverse representation on all these committees is needed.  If you know someone who might be a good candidate, ask him or her if they would be willing to serve.  You can volunteer to serve yourself, or nominate someone (with their approval), and then contact Colleen Rose (1205) or your employee council delegate.  A list of interested civil service employees will be compiled by the Human Resources Office and the names referred as vacancies occur.

 

Classified Staff Grievance Committee:  There is currently one vacancy for a civil service employee on this committee.  Hears grievances from classified civil service employees with permanent status in relation to misapplication of the provisions of the State Higher Education Law, Higher Education Personnel Board rules, compensation plans or personnel policies and procedures.   Call Ona Youmans at 2477 for information.

 

Equal Opportunity Grievance Committee:   There is currently one vacancy each for a male and a female volunteer from “diverse backgrounds.”  The Equal Opportunity Grievance Committee reviews discrimination complaints to determine whether the facts warrant a proceeding.  Investigative reports provided by the Office for Equal Opportunity assist them with this task.  The committee also conducts proceedings when warranted and makes all findings and recommendations directly to the President.  The committee only meets when a formal complaint results in an investigative report.  Time commitments vary, depending on whether a proceeding is necessary.  Normally, the committee reviews 2-3 complaints and investigative reports a year.   Call Nancy Howard at 1206 for information.

 

Campus Safety and Health Committee:  Safety committee is looking for one civil service member who is not covered under a bargaining unit.  (Those in the BU I & the BU II seats on the Safety Committee are appointed by the Union.)  This committee normally meets monthly or as needed.  The safety committee deals with safety issues not resolved by supervisors.  If interested, please contact Ron Munson (x2252).  If you have questions in regard to whether you are in a bargaining unit, check the Human Resources Labor Relations website at:  http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/labor/labor.htm.

 

Campus Site and Development Committee: Provides a continuing program for development of campus facilities, advises on the assignment and utilization of space within campus buildings, and recommends policies for parking lot development and operations.   Call Bill Vertrees at 1011 for information.

 

Equal Opportunity Committee:  The committee advises the President on policy revision/development in areas related to equal opportunity.  The committee also reviews the university's annual affirmative action plan and makes recommendations regarding action-oriented programs to problem areas identified in the plan.  Meetings are held once a quarter unless specific issues are identified which require additional time.  (Meetings are scheduled to accommodate members' calendars.) If you have further questions about the committee, please contact Nancy Howard, Director, Office for Equal Opportunity (963-2205).

 

Parking Violation Appeals Board:  Reviews written and verbal information with regard to a parking violation and decides to either uphold the ticket, dismiss the ticket or reduce the fine.  Call Steve Rittereiser at 2959 for information.

 

Retirement & Insurance Committee: Reviews policies and programs of retirement and insurance.  Call Wendy Rittereiser at 2279 for information.

 

If you are interested in serving on one of the above committees, please let Colleen Rose in the Human Resource Office (1205) know so your name can be added to the appropriate list of those wishing to be considered for appointment.

 

 

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT 

The Training Library features over 700 books, audio / video tapes, and CD-ROMS on various workplace topics.

 

Checkout materials

·          In-person: Bouillon 104

·          By phone: 963-2288

·          On-line: http://www.cwu.edu/~training

 

Check out "Fish!," a fun film to watch with an important message.

Set in Pike's Place Market, Seattle, explore the "FISH!" Philosophy: Play, Make Their Day, Be There, and Choose Your Attitude. Catch the energy! Release the potential!

 

With the "The Paradigm Mastery Series", a series of 30 minute videos presented by Joel Barker, you can start planning how and when you will lead change instead of wondering when it will strike. Learn how we all react differently to change, and understand how these differences can be used to solve our problems.