Professional Staff Senate

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, February 12, 2003
2:30p.m. - 4:30p.m. – 301 Bailey Hall, Gorham

I. ATTENDANCE: The meeting was called to order at 2:30p.m. by Senate Chair, Rodney Mondor.

Present: Julie Archibald, Robin Day, Pat Marston, Kim-Marie Martin, Susan Martin, Rodney Mondor, Michael Mullett, Pamela Roy, Kerry Sullivan, Nolan Thompson, Colleen White, Lisa Yaeger
Excused: Daniel Axford, Donna Bird, Norma Charette, Dana Gray, Eric James, Elaine O’Reilly, Kathleen Pease
Absent: Cassandra Fitzherbert

II. ACCEPTANCE OF JANUARY 8, 2003 MINUTES: Minutes from the meeting were accepted as written.

III. PRESIDENT’S OFFICE REPORT: Rosa Redonnett was not in attendance. Rodney reported on highlights of the Board of Visitor’s meeting:

• The Board is working on developing stronger relationships with Legislature to get Maine education on everyone’s agenda.
• Enrollment is up for the spring.
• The last of the money has been raised to finish the remainder of the Glickman Library. A tentative start date may be a year from May 2003.
• Construction on the Science Building is going well.
• President Pattenaude noted that he has not received any major parking complaints.
  

Pamela Roy added that LAC is in the midst of searching for a new Dean. There are three external candidates and one internal. This is the last week of interviews. The hiring committee will meet on Friday to make a decision. She also noted that LAC’s enrollment numbers have also grown considerably; up 15-20% from last spring.

IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

a. Treasurer’s Report- Rodney reported for Eric that the account balance is currently $776.81. The donation of $250 to Employee Staff Development Day has been processed. The increase in the account is due to an erroneous charge. The ProSen account was charged for the Classified Staff Luncheon. That has since been reconciled.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS/UPDATES:

a. UPBAC – Carolyn Hughes submitted an UPBAC committee report. Click here to download the full report in MS Word format.

b. Recognition Luncheon – Kerry Sullivan and Susan Martin will meet later today to set a date for the March committee meeting. Kerry will send out an email to all committee members confirming the date. Kerry requested that the registration form for the luncheon be web-based.

c. Division of Excellence Award - Kim-Marie Martin reported that the committee will be sending letters to Vice Presidents to ask for donations for awards. She requested that the nomination form be web-based. The next committee meeting will be in April, time/date to be announced.

d. Election Committee – Donna Bird reported via an email that she is working with Cheryl Leighton to do a front and back printed nomination/voting form, so it can be returned without an envelope. This would save the committee money, time and paper.

Nomination forms have been sent out to all Professional Staff via on-campus mail. Rodney encouraged everyone at the meeting to nominate at least one person for the senate, and to encourage coworkers to do the same.

The committee is also looking at making sure all departments fall under the correct divisions so each department will get the proper nomination/voting ballot.

VI. OLD BUSINESS

a. Meeting times/locations: The senate agreed upon the new times and locations of upcoming meetings:

March 12 – 2:00pm – 4:00pm – 301 Bailey Hall, Gorham
April 9 – 9:30am – 11:30am – 170 LAC
May 14 - 9:30am – 11:30am – 429 Glickman Library, Portland
June 11 - 9:30am – 11:30am – Payson Smith 44, Portland

b. By-laws: The By-laws committee has proposed changes to some of the existing by-laws. The chair asked each senator to review the changes and bring any questions to the next senate meeting. A copy of the exiting by-laws and proposed changes can be accessed via the ProSen web site:

http://www.usm.maine.edu/prosen/bylaws.htm (current)
http://www.usm.maine.edu/prosen/proposed_Bylaws.doc (proposed changes)

If there is not a two-thirds quorum at the next meeting, the vote to accept the by-laws shall be postponed to the next regular meeting.

VII. SENATE REPORTS

Classified Staff Senate: No report

Faculty Senate: No report. Please see the Faculty Senate web site for the most up-to-date information: http://www.usm.maine.edu/fss/

Student Senate: Rodney reported that the senate has asked him to come to a meeting in March to talk about the role of the Professional Staff Senate, how the senate works together and represents the University.

Nolan Thompson reported that he is working with the senate to develop a diversity plan. There will be round-table meetings in the weeks to follow.

VIII. Open Forum

Sue Martin spoke on behalf of Health Services to update the senate on the new University Smoking Policy. Some of the points Sue talked about follow:

• New posters have been distributed around campuses stating the “50 Feet” rule, where the University is asking all members of the community to respect a 50 ft. smoke-free perimeter around buildings.
• Business-sized cards were distributed to the senate, which contain information about the “50 Feet” perimeter. These cards can be given out to people as a reminder of the policy.
• Web site and cessation programs: http://www.usm.maine.edu/health/smoking.htm
  • USM recently hosted the Maine Tobacco Free conference at LAC to try and collaborate with other Maine colleges to help reduce smoking on campus.
  • NY Times ran an article in December citing USM’s initiative to stop smoking.
  • There have been 12 proposed smoking areas on all three campuses combined; these areas would have some type of shelter, potentially gazebos that could hold up to 24 people. Each gazebo has been priced at $3,000 to $4,000 each.
  • Health Services is considering a pilot program, where 4 structures are set up on both Gorham and Portland campuses.

Sue asked that any feedback on the program be given directly to Health Services.

IV. MEETING ADJOURNED at 3:35pm by Senate Chair, Rodney Mondor

Next meeting: March 12, 2pm – 4pm – 301 Bailey Hall, Gorham

Reported by: Julie Archibald, Co-Secretary

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