West Virginia Association of Concerned Classified Employees

Meeting Minutes

October 4, 2000

Marshall University Graduate College

MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

MEMBERS ABSENT

GUESTS

From Shepherd College: Shelley Tharp, Staff Council Vice-Chair; Brenda Feltner, Staff Council Secretary; Ken Harbaugh
Margaret Buttrick, HEPC Liaison

MINUTES

The minutes of the September 13, 2000 meeting were reviewed. It was moved, seconded and passed to approve the minutes with two corrections.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Benefits (Ms. Vingle) - Continuing research on the PEIA Long Term Disability Plan and its availability to Classified Staff

Legislative (Mr. Martinelli) - Distributed a report (attached).

Senator Jackson has been contacted weekly about scheduling a meeting with the ACCE. Mr. Martinelli planned to attend Legislative Interims at Snowshoe the following weekend, speak with the Senator and propose some dates.

Senator Plymale is also interested in meeting with the ACCE. A report from Marshall University Staff Council Chair of his visit with their group contained some differences from the Parthenon (MU student newspaper) article about the same meeting.

CAMPUS REPORTS

There was some general discussion of information from the campuses relating to salary plans, selection of peer institutions, and Classified Staff concerns. The use of stipends for Classified employees was defined and discussed. Ms. Fertig distributed information from the State of Virginia about the reform of their Classified Compensation Plan for ACCE members to study.

HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY COMMISSION (HEPC) MEETING REPORT

The HEPC met at WV Northern Community College on October 3, 2000. Mr. Wycherley attended the meeting and distributed copies of the Report on Selection of Peers, a PowerPoint presentation made by NCHEMS to the subcommittee on Academic Affairs. NCHEMS felt that Legislative support should be higher. Other handouts showed data about percentage of peer benchmarks for student FTE funding for 15 of the campuses, and nationwide continuation rates.

The commission approved Shepherd College's request to move its community and technical college to Martinsburg, approved the execution of the proposed lease with the Blue Ridge Outlet Center, and approved the college's request for a $200,000 supplemental budget request in the current fiscal year.

HEPC LIAISON REPORT

Ms. Buttrick distributed the following handouts:

• Chancellor's Interpretive Memoranda #1-8
• "In the Interim..." (Report of September 27, 2000 IGB Meeting)
• FY 2000-2001 budget increases approved at August 29, 2000 HEPC Meeting

We will receive Interpretive Memorandum #9, which deals with approved capital projects, as soon as it becomes available.

The HEPC will probably have an information item on the November 8, 2000 agenda dealing with the Classification/Compensation system. Ms. Buttrick will make that presentation. She speculates that things will change and there will be increased flexibility at the campus level. She favors a bifurcated system, separating exempt from non-exempt employees. This could include a schedule for non-exempt similar to what we have now. For exempt, there could be a minimum schedule with room for flexibility related to peers. The definition of which positions are exempt and non-exempt is determined on each campus.

If we have a system different from the current scenario, there would need to be language disallowing grievances resulting from increases granted on another campus.

The December 12, 2000 HEPC meeting will probably address Legislative issues in preparation for recommending changes in SB653. The campuses have been polled to identify issues related to SB653.

There are no specific Classified Staff issues on the October Legislative Interim schedule.

Ms. Buttrick provided more information about Classified Staff stipends. This has been being used for a while, but not very often. It is granted for a year at a time at the initiation of the President.

CLASSIFICATION/COMPENSATION DISCUSSION

Based on the time frame and scenarios described by Ms. Buttrick, we chose to prioritize maintaining Legislative funding and not losing ground gained to date.

The ACCE needs to

• Do research on broad banding and other salary schedule formats
• Educate ourselves and Classified Staff
• Let the HEPC know what we support
• Attend the November 8, 2000 HEPC Meeting
• Relate our input to what Ms. Buttrick reports to the HEPC

It was moved, seconded and passed to reschedule the November ACCE meeting from Nov 9 at WV State to Nov 8 at Marshall University, after the HEPC Finance Committee meeting. The agenda will be to plan our Legislative approach informed by what is presented to the HEPC. Ms. Neal will let us know the HEPC agenda and time schedule, and make the necessary arrangements at MU. Mr. Martinelli will invite Senator Plymale to speak with us about SB653 and Classified Staff.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

ACCE Standing Committee meetings were postponed due to insufficient time.

ADJOURNMENT