MINUTES

Summer 2007 Staff Forum

Wednesday, July 18, 2007.

Health Science Building

 

 

Welcome and Invocation -  Ms. Brenda Doss, Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM in the Health Science Building room 237.  Ms. Nancy Anthony, Vice Chair, gave the invocation.

 

Guest Speaker – President David Bridges

Dr. Bridges began by expressing his appreciation to the staff for the opportunity to spend time with ABAC people.  He thanked everyone for being patient during the relocation of Tift Hall.  Other topics discussed by Dr. Bridges were:

  1. Tift, Lewis, Herring renovation project.  An architect, structural engineer, and environmental engineer have been hired.  Recommendations have been obtained from the contractor and Dr. Bridges will meet with the Board of Regents in a few weeks to determine which route to take. 
  2. Temporary Welcome Center will be open for business beginning Fall Semester.  Funding for this project was provided by a private donor.
  3. With the accreditation approval from SACS the pace will be picking up. We will be moving as quickly as possible to becoming a bona fide four year college.  This will require everyone working together.
  4. Pay raises and how they are handled.  Each employee should receive a letter showing the pay raise, percentage, and salary amount for the upcoming budget year.  The BOR gave us a 3% merit pay raise pool based on the previous years budget for filled positions only.  This does not include Sponsored programs or Auxiliary units.  Promotions, awards, and degrees are paid from the 3% pool, therefore all budget units received 2.7% of their Personal Services budget for raises.  The pay raise pool does not include the Retirement Anticipation Program (RAP) which was paid to only those people who were in their 2nd year nor did it include equity adjustments.  (The RAP has been discontinued after this year)
  5. Personnel Policy changes that will be occurring this year:  the advertising procedure will be changed.  All classified staff positions will be advertised at base with some positions having the base adjusted to be more competitive.  Also, allow the hiring supervisor an opportunity to request up to 15% above the base, depending on qualifications of the applicant.
  6. Beginning July 1, 2007 a list of vacant position dollars with associated benefits will be maintained.  The VP of Fiscal Affairs will keep this list.  It will be reviewed on the 5th day after the fiscal year quarter has ended.  The Presidents Cabinet will meet and decide how to spend these dollars that are accumulated.  Each budget supervisor will have the opportunity to submit requests for this money.  This should eliminate the large sum of money accumulated at year-end.
  7. A suggestion was made to the President last year that we have a volunteer list to

of things done that are not getting done.  This list is being compiled.  Rewards will be given to those who go the extra steps, put in the extra hours, or come up with a creative way to get things done.

  1. A new set of Parking Regulations will be coming out.  Beginning Fall semester all

Parking in the front parking lot and the Donaldson Dining/Carlton Library will be for Faculty/Staff only.  The Athletic parking lot is being paved and will be for students, the Red Hill parking will be Faculty/Staff and guests only, the South parking lot will be students only.  Freshmen students at Lakeside will only be able to park at Lakeside.  Behind Branch Student Center will be one way.

  1. Sewer lines on campus will be replaced beginning early next year.
  2. Space has been provided for students to have a meeting place by utilizing the Carlton Center.  This created problems with conference spaces.  PSBOC is negotiating with UGA Conference Center to use their facilities for some of these conferences.
  3. High volume calls will be channeled through the Information Center.  All guests should be directed to the center.  Janet Weaver will be housed here and will be coordinating student workers who will be working in the center.

 

New Personnel and Changes:

 

New Personnel:

Deborah Broome –Student Life & Housing – Sr Adm Asst; Jeremy Dye – OITS – Client Support-Assoc; Jeffrey Roberts– OITS – Client Support-Assoc; Judy Gatts –Business Office – Comptroller; Tonia Carpenter –Bookstore –Accounting Clerk; Donald Parks –Student Success – Director of Student Success (Learning Support); Krystle Williams - Business Office – Accounting Clerk;  Angela Wilcox – Student Success – COMPASS Testing Specialist; Ashley Williamson – Public Relations – Public Relations Asst;  Jeremy Connell – Enrollment Services –Recruiter;  Jacob Teter – Public Safety - Police Officer.

 

Place Properties:

David Bass  - Housing Maintenance Supervisor; Eric Lawson – Maintenance Tech; Deborah Dorminey – Custodian; Kathy Smith – Custodian

 

Changes:

Sharon Ellis – permanent Director of Business Services, Elizabeth Wilcox - Housing Assignment Coordinator; Pam Leonard – Exec. Assistant for President, VP for Fiscal Affairs, and Public Relations; Donna King – Senior Accounting Assistant; Ruth Jackson – moved from Business Office to Arts Connection/Music Department;

Christopher Kinsey – moved from Upward Bound to Student Life & Housing – Assistant Director of Housing; Anita White of Enrollment Services and Nancy Smith of the Health Center are now full-time staff.

 

 

 

 

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the March 28, 2007 Staff Forum meeting were distributed and reviewed.  Bam Pirkle made a motion to accept the minutes. Olga Contreras-Martinez seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  The minutes will be filed as written.

 

Old Business

  1. Account Balances were given.  The Endowment account has a balance of                $18,354.61 and the Expendable account has a balance of $2,867.81.
  2. The Staff Forum Scholarship was not given this year.  There were no in-coming freshmen who applied. 
  3. Recognized Staff Forum Award Nominees:

Jimmy Felton, Trina Jones, Shirley Wilson, Bam Pirkle, Sharon Ellis, Brenda Keller and Barbara Snyder.

 

New Business

  1. June USG Staff Council meeting held at Macon State College was attended by Chair Brenda Doss and Vice Chair Nancy Anthony.  The main topic of discussion was Shared Leave.  The BOR decided that each institution may continue to use the policy they are presently using.
  2. The Fall USG Staff Council Conference will be held October 4-5, 2007 at Southern Polytechnic State University.  The keynote speaker will be Chancellor Erroll Davis.  Chair Brenda Doss will be the delegate from ABAC, with Vice Chair Nancy Anthony as alternate.  Any other staff member who wishes to attend may do so. 
  3. Last year a little over $1,900.00 was collected by the Staff Forum in fund raisers.   The two main fund raisers are the Tom Turkey and Valentine sale.  Other ideas and suggestions for fund raisers will be considered.  A sheet was passed around to sign up to help with one or both of these events.
  4. A Customer Service Initiative presentation was shown.

 

Announcements

The Staff Forum web page needs updating.

 

Adjournment & Refreshments -  The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 P.M and refreshments were served..  Refreshments were provided by Donna King, Van McGriff, Trina Jones, Ramonda Holton, Patsy Hembree, Bam Pirkle, Amy Willis, Tonia Carpenter, and Tracy Dyal.