Professional
Staff Senate
Meeting
Minutes for
I.
Attendance: meeting called to order at
Present:
Sharon Bannon, Donna Bird, Sondra Bogdonoff,
Norma Charette, Robin Day, Casandra
Fitzherbert, Dana Gray, Anita Higgins, Sheera LaBelle, Joyce Lapping,
Pat Marston, Kathleen Pease, Kat Schorr,
Sara Treible, Rebecca Warsinsky,
Thomas Wood
Excused: Joy Britting, Mark
Menezes
Absent:
Pamela Roy
Guest:
Steve Rand, Registrar
II.
Acceptance of
November 5 minutes
Minutes
were accepted with the following changes:
·
Correction in
following line: “Guest: Susie Bock, Head of Special Collection at the Glickman Library”
III.
President's
Office Report
Beth
Shorr updated the ProSen on
the budget reduction of a proposed $13 million dollars for the
IV.
Executive
Committee
A.
Updates from Chair
Senator Day
reported that Kenny Nelson, Chair of the Board of Visitors is hosting a dinner
honoring Joseph Westphal, Chancellor of the
B.
Treasurer's report – no changes since last report.
V.
Senator Info
Session
Senator Day led the
Senate in an informal activity to familiarize ourselves with new Senators.
VI.
Small group
activity
Senator Marston led the Senate in a small group activity regarding
the planning for the Professional Senate Luncheon for the spring.
The results of the
activity are as follows:
A. What does the luncheon mean to each of you?
·
Enjoyable
obligation that is generally fun
·
Good
networking opportunity
B.
Ideas for change
·
Better
gifts or choice of gifts for longevity – bookstore gift certificates perhaps
·
Raffles
are great, but have fewer items
·
Keep
Craig/Rodney/Kelly doing raffle items (old logo stuff??)
·
Have
work study collect local business gift certificates
·
Logistics
– potluck lunch vs afternoon reception
C.
Food
- how to deal with this issue –
·
Assign
certain types of food to different divisions
·
Senate
pays for main course
·
·
ARA
fruit, coffee, tea, water and bring your own dessert
·
Minimal
finger food
·
Time
suggestions:
D. Should the event have a theme? If so, what
theme?
·
Picnic
theme can be cost effective
·
No
theme
·
“Bag
the Budget”
·
“Grapes
of Wrath”
·
“When
Times Get Rough, Eat Desert!”
E.
Other issues or suggestions
·
Online
invitation and RSVP
·
If
President won’t help with costs, let’s not do anything!
VII. Old Business
A. Sampson Center
Steering Committee member appointment - tabled until January meeting
B. Small group discussions about goals -
tabled until January meeting
VIII. Committee
Reports
A.
Elections
Committee
Senator
Bird received Sara (Cookie) Treible's agreement to
assume the seat vacated by the resignation of Rebecca Hodges. This is an
at-large seat with a term that ends in 2005. Senator Marston
posed a motion to confirm Ms. Treible’s appointment.
Senator Pease seconded the motion. The Senate voted unanimously to confirm Ms. Treible’s appointment.
At the
November meeting, the ProSen voted to declare the
seat vacated by Julie Archibald's resignation an at-large seat, thus enabling
the Election Committee to recruit someone from our nominee list who is not an
employee in the Academic Affairs Division. Senator Bird has received a
tentative agreement from Mary Kay Kasper in the Division of Student and
University Life to take that seat for the rest of the term, which ends in 2004. Senator Bird requested that the Senate
confirm Ms. Kasper’s appointment via email. Ms. Kasper will attend the January ProSen meeting.
B.
Bylaws Committee
It was reported that the Bylaws Committee met, and reviewed the current
Bylaws document. There was a proposal to amend the Bylaws based on the changes
that the Committee submitted. Senators
should review the proposed changes and be prepared to discuss them at the
January meeting. The proposed changes are attached.
C. Communications Committee – no report
D. Space Planning
Committee – no report
E. Parking
Committee – no report
F. Other Committees
University
President’s Budget and Advising Committee (UPBAC) report
Senator Wood
reported that UBAC is exploring options regarding the proposed cut in USM’s
budget. Some items under consideration are: canceling winter session, hiring
freeze, increasing fees such as parking, University Computing Technology (UCT)
fees, etc., and selling buildings and leasing others.
IX. Guest Presenter - Steve Rand,
Registrar
Steve Rand reported
to us briefly the process that is taken to determine USM’s calendar schedule.
The Calendar Committee first reviews the dates to see if there are any glaring
conflicts with the general calendar year schedule. Then, the Committee
approaches the four Senates (Faculty, Professional, Classified, and Student
Senates) to hear feedback on the calendar schedule proposal.
The Senate also
discussed and took several straw polls regarding several scheduling issues.
The Senate took a
straw poll to determine how many Senators supported the proposal to start the
Fall 2005 semester on Monday, August 29, as opposed to Tuesday, September 6. It
was unanimous that all Senators present supported the August start date.
The Senate
discussed the option of changing the amount of vacations in the spring
semester. The Senate voted whether that
would like to see the spring vacation schedule stay the same (2 one week
vacations) or change it to 1 vacation (undetermined length). The Senate was
almost divided, but the majority was in favor of not changing the vacation
schedule.
Senator LaBelle asked how other UMaine
campuses create schedules.
X. Adjourn: meeting adjourned at
Next Meeting –
Wednesday, January 7 at