MINUTES

UAF GOVERNANCE COORDINATING COMMITTEE #51

Wednesday, November 14, 2001

Chancellor’s Conference Room, 330 Signers’ Hall

 

I        Derek Miller called the meeting to order at 1:20 p.m.

        

A.            Roll Call

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:                MEMBERS ABSENT:

Chukwu, G.                             Bird, R.

Combellick, M.                        Carrothers, A.

McCrea, S.                             Ledlow, L.

Miller, D.                                

Swazo, N.                              

                                             OTHERS PRESENT:

                                             Solano, E.

                                             Tremarello, A.

 

         B.      The agenda was adopted as distributed via e-mail.

 

II        COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

         A.      Health Issues - M. Combellick

 

Michelle Combellick and Diane Ruess met with Randy Pitney in May and August of 2001 to discuss executive order that Health Issues sent to Governance Coordinating Committee (GCC) last semester.  At that time the GCC requested that Health Issues go back and talk to Randy Pitney about some of the issues, which included SRC liability, equipment, maintenance, and whether people were using facility in appropriate manner so they would not get hurt.  The committee also wanted to see the UAF LIFE program grow and now have a commitment from Athletics & Recreation.  Randy Pitney agreed to help implement an extra fee to faculty, staff, and students for programming activities.  Currently the only program is aerobics.  The UAF Life program has been expanded throughout whole year to faculty and staff. The costs for the program are $75/semester and $200/year.  Students do not pay extra for the Life program.  One of the issues the committee is still trying to administer is a childcare system for single-family units, so these families are able to participate in some of the programmed activities.  Currently the main issue regarding a childcare system is the lack of space in the facility.

 

B.      Intercollegiate Athletics - R. Bird

        

Not present.  No report.

 

III       GOVERNANCE REPORTS

 

A.      ASUAF – D. Miller

        

ASUAF sent 15 senators and directors to Portland for the Northwest Student Leadership Conference.  Antwaun Carrothers, ASUAF Vice President, puts on the conference.  Nine leadership workshops were held at the conference, which included discussions such as, strategizing for legislative funding, creating a diverse senate, and having online voting, which ASUAF would like to try to do next semester or next year.  An ice cream social was held at Tanana Valley Campus (TVC) to inform TVC students of the student senate program.  Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is quickly on the rise.  Derek Miller attended a meeting last week to lend support on structural problems.  Offered help regarding bylaws, constitution, and getting their organization started.  Legislative strategy for full funding is currently well under way.

 

B.      Faculty Senate – N. Swazo

        

Faculty Senate passed a motion that deals with suspension of procedures in which faculty may take votes of censor or votes of no confidence of administrators.  The motion is being reviewed further by the Faculty Senate and Oversight committee, and Norm Swazo expects there will be some modification to the motion in December.  Faculty Senate also had significant discussion on classified research.

 

C.      Staff Council - S. McCrea

        

Scott McCrea chaired the November 7 Staff Council meeting from Bethel via teleconference.  He was visiting Bethel and Dillingham campuses last week to tour the facilities and meet with staff to hear their concerns.  According to Scott McCrea rural staff feels disconnected from UAF because they do not have all the opportunities Fairbanks staff has.  An issue that was discussed with Dillingham, and something that Scott McCrea is working on, is the desperate need of having someone do an ergonomics evaluation of their workstations.  Another issue of concern is the pay differential and salary grid between some of the rural campuses.  Bethel has a 38% differential.  Dillingham has 27% differential, yet has a higher cost of living.  Rural staff is also concerned about training for new employees.  Staff Council is currently looking at how new employees are being trained within their respective departments.  Scott McCrea also visited both Bethel and Dillingham high schools to give a UAF presentation to juniors and seniors.  This was done in partnership with the rural campuses, so the high school students could hear about the opportunities available in their community, and expanding upon that, the opportunities in Fairbanks. 

 

IV      OLD BUSINESS

 

A.            Discussion on adding sexual orientation to the nondiscrimination policy

        

Scott McCrea sent out memo to Staff Council based on discussion that he and Larry Ledlow had with President Hamilton regarding adding sexual orientation to the nondiscrimination policy.  Scott McCrea expected some concerns from President Hamilton, but not as strong as they came across.  President Hamilton foresees that if this were to come out at March BOR meeting it would not pass simply because of the problems it would cause in Juneau, due to the conservative majority.  President Hamilton feels that there is enough struggle to get funding as it is.  Scott McCrea states that there is a plan to sponsor campus wide forum to talk about discrimination.  Norm Swazo informs committee that Standard 9 in the Accreditation Report indicates some basic statistics of what types of discrimination UAF has experienced over the last ten-year period.  Scott McCrea states that Staff Council has postponed the issue until more research is gathered and more discussion is held.  Norm Swazo states that Faculty Senate had moved this motion forward from the Administrative committee and then there was a motion to refer this back to the Administrative committee to examine what Federal and State Law require.  The motion will then be brought back to the December Faculty Senate meeting for further discussion.  Derek Miller will raise this issue at System Governance December retreat.

 

 

B.            Discussion on Academic Calendars for 2002-2003 and 2003-2004

 

Ann Tremarello, UAF Registrar, attended the meeting as a guest speaker to give information on the academic calendar.  Scott McCrea informs Ann Tremarello of a couple of concerns from Staff Council including, having the first day of instruction on Monday rather than Thursday, and students taking final exams on Saturdays.  Ann Tremarello informed the committee that there is a minimum of 800 minutes of instruction with 60 minute periods which comes down to a 13.3 weeks in the semester.  UAF is mandated by Board of Regents (BOR) to have a study day after last class day before final exams.  Classes start on Thursday/Friday to make up for the Thursday/Friday Thanksgiving holiday.  According to the BOR, Martin Luther King Day/Alaska Civil Rights Day, which falls on a Monday, will be made up.  In the spring semester ending classes on Monday, using Tuesday as a study day, and consequently running exams through Saturday make up the Martin Luther King Day/Alaska Civil Rights Day.  Ann Tremarello states that with the policies and restrictions that UAF has, this is the only possibility for the academic calendar.  Norm Swazo addresses concern of students exiting dormitory.  Ann Tremarello informs the committee that students have 24 hours after last exam to exit the dormitory.  There was discussion about how useful the study day is and the possibility of eliminating it.  Derek Miller will get input from students regarding the study day.

 

 

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

2002-2003 AND 2003-2004

 

 

FALL SEMESTER-2002

 

Labor Day                                                         September 2, 2002

Fall-1st day of instruction                                  September 5, 2002

Last day to register                                          September 13, 2002

Thanksgiving holidays                                        November 21-24, 2002

Last day of classes                                           December 13, 2002

Final exams                                                       December 16-19, 2002

 

 

SPRING SEMESTER-2003

 

Martin Luther King / AK Civil Rights Day            January 20, 2003

Spring-1st day of instruction                              January 16, 2003

Last day to register                                          January 24, 2003

Spring Break                                                     March 17-23, 2003*

All Campus Day                                                 April 25, 2003

Last day of classes                                           May 5, 2003

Final exams                                                       May 7-10, 2003

Commencement                                                May 11, 2003

 

FALL SEMESTER-2003

 

Labor Day                                                         September 1, 2003

Fall-1st day of instruction                                  September 4, 2003

Last day to register                                          September 12, 2003

Thanksgiving holidays                                        November 20-23, 2003

Last day of classes                                           December 12, 2003

Final exams                                                       December 15-18, 2003

 

 

SPRING SEMESTER-2004 (LEAP YEAR)

 

Martin Luther King / AK Civil Rights Day            January 19, 2004

Spring-1st day of instruction                              January 15, 2004

Last day to register                                          January 23, 2004

Spring Break                                                     March 15-21, 2004*

All Campus Day                                                 April 23, 2004

Last day of classes                                           May 3, 2004

Final exams                                                       May 5-8, 2004

Commencement                                                May 9, 2004

 

*To be coordinated with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

 

V       COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS

 

VI      Next meeting will be scheduled after the December System Governance meeting.

 

VII     The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m.

 

         A tape of this Governance Coordinating Committee meeting is available in the Governance Office, 312 Signers' Hall, if anyone wishes to listen to the complete tape.  Submitted by Elizabeth Solano, Governance Coordinating Committee secretary.