SUGGESTION

With the HR memo on supervisor training finally defining what a "supervisor" is, i.e., who is required to attend, AFTER many staff attended needlessly, how can we avoid this type of snafu in the future? Can deans and directors not use their own judgment in order to make such decisions? Do we need to be so hierarchical a system that common sense can not be exercised in individual cases? The bureaucracy continues to run amok at UAF, with no sign of slowing.  

RESPONSE

From Kris Racina, UAF Human Resources director

QUESTION

UAF now requires supervisory training of staff members who are in supervisory positions.  Many faculty members in addition to teaching and research are in supervisory positions.  Are faculty members required to take mandatory supervisory training (maybe under the title of faculty development)?  If not is that something UAF looks to add to their future contract?

Incidentally most studies show that increased supervisor training not only creates smoother working environments for both the workers and supervisors, but also tends to improve a supervisor’s career advancement by them being more capable as a supervisor (hence promotions).  

RESPONSE

QUESTION

Is LARS having a birthday party for the babies this year?

RESPONSE

QUESTION

Rumors have circulated around the Internet, as well as the UAF community, that the Alaska Nanooks hockey team may be moving from the CCHA to the WCHA. Is this true?

RESPONSE

From Forrest Karr, UAF Athletics and Recreation director

QUESTION

Did the dean of College of Liberal Arts leave UAF?

RESPONSE

Yes, Dean Ron Davis resigned for personal reasons.  We are presently beginning an internal search for an interim dean, who will probably start in June.  We will soon begin the nationwide search for the new CLA dean; we intend to advertise the position over the summer and interview candidates early in the fall semester.

QUESTION

There is talk that an elevator might be installed in Constitution hall. Have they considered the concept of a small connecting addition between first and second floors of the Wood Center to the first-second floors of Constitution Hall with a small third floor connecting to the backside of the building with an elevator?

RESPONSE

There isn’t currently funding available to construct the Constitution Hall elevator. The elevator project has been designed so that Constitution Hall could be connected to the Wood Center in the future, however.

QUESTION

Why were ARSC employees not allowed to attend the Staff Appreciation Day, without penalty from their supervisors?  One girl was scared to death to be away from her desk, except for the lunch ceremony?

RESPONSE

It's distressing and surprising to hear that an ARSC employee was under the impression ARSC staff were not allowed to attend the event, especially since several ARSC staff were given special recognition and several employees attended  the recognition ceremony as well as participated in many of the sessions offered throughout the day.

ARSC Director Frank Williams sent an email April 22 to supervisors reinforcing support for staff to attend events associated with Staff Appreciation Day. He stated his encouragement for ARSC staff to attend, subject to emergencies and totally clear higher priorities. The employee is encouraged to bring their concerns to one of the directors of ARSC. No one should feel fearful on the job. If there is a perception that penalties would be incurred for attending an important event recognizing staff, the management of ARSC wants to know so that the issue can be addressed directly.

QUESTION

Can a dean require a department head to take over the departmental budget, including responsibility of allocation of salaries to faculty members within the department?

RESPONSE

Department chairs can be assigned the responsibility for managing a departmental budget. The budget responsibilities could include allocation of amounts for faculty salaries. However, the department chair would not be setting faculty salaries or awarding increases to faculty members. Department chairs are members of faculty bargaining units, and as such, are not supervisors of other faculty members. The dean or director is the hiring authority and supervisor of faculty members. It is therefore the role of the dean or director to decide whether a faculty position will be filled and what the initial salary will be. Provisions in the collective bargaining agreement set forth the amounts for salary adjustments for faculty members. At most, department chairs might make recommendations to the dean/director about initial salaries of new faculty, or might share their input on other issues that would affect compensation, e.g. whether a faculty member should be promoted or should be considered for a retention offer.

Department chairs also may be asked to make recommendations to the dean about how many and which adjuncts should be hired, and at what level of compensation. However, the dean is the hiring authority and would make all final decisions on these matters.  The dean could indicate to the department chair that he or she should only recommend hiring the number of adjuncts permitted by the total amount budgeted for adjuncts.

QUESTION

The geology department had a T-shirt that had a logo modified from the UAF logo, that turned out to be copyright infringement and so the department had to stop doing that. Now the geology students are so afraid that they have a design that does not even say "University of Alaska". 

What are the rules for department T-shirts?

RESPONSE

QUESTION

The campus is considering building new buildings on campus such a new engineering building, a new energy center building, and a new life sciences building.  In the preview of these proposed buildings, none of them show any indication of using the green roof technology or rainwater collection system that the Cold Climate Housing Research building is using, nor any other indications of sustainable innovation.  Doesn't the green roof technology work, and does the roof on the CCHRC building work?  Is the UA system planning on putting any of this green technology in their new building designs?

RESPONSE

QUESTION

I heard that UAF is considering tearing down the UPark Building. Is this true and what will happen to
the programs presently located in the building?

RESPONSE

QUESTION

I heard that employees at the executive level will not receive raises in FY10. Will they receive bonuses in lieu of raises? Also, what percentage was approved by the Legislature for staff increases in FY10?

RESPONSE

Statewide System and UAF executives will not receive base salary raises this year. Executive bonuses have not been determined and any bonus would depend on available funding and meritorious service. The Legislature approved an annual increase of 4.5 percent for staff.

QUESTION

I heard that Constitution Hall is getting an elevator. What is going to happen to the Alumni Office?  

RESPONSE

That project is on hold. Facilities Services will be doing a space analysis of the Alumni Association's needs.

QUESTION

How come the first time that most of the non-GI staff heard about the layoffs was on the front page of the News-Miner today?

(question came in April 30)

RESPONSE

Affected employees at the Geophysical Institute were the first to be notified about the layoffs. Although the news would have likely been shared amongst colleagues and friends, it's not our practice to make announcements to the entire campus regarding a few individuals at the unit level. In this case, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner inquiry came just as the employees had been notified.