March 27, 2014
March 5 Classified Senate highlights
Here are the highlights from the March 5 Classified Senate meeting. A draft of the meeting minutes is available online.
Classified Senate president's report
Janice Taggart reported she has been attending interviews for the new director of institutional equity. She will be going to Iowa State on May 1 with President Schultz and other K-State representatives. Emporia State University is voting today and Wichita State University votes in April on going to University Support Staff.
Associate vice president/human resources and parking services report
Gary Leitnaker reported that regulations for flex work schedules have been added to the Policies and Procedures Manual and the Alternative Service Committee handbook. If you scheduled vacation leave on a day that inclement weather is declared you are required to use your vacation leave as originally planned. Carol Marden conducted a study and found that some universities do not pay for inclement weather days. If your job is classified as essential to work on these days, human resources will mark position descriptions accordingly.
Shanna Legleiter, the new learning and development manager for human resources, stated she has been visiting with employees and getting a sense of what is needed for training and development. Senators discussed ideas of what would be helpful. She also said that if job related training is completed off-campus it needs to be reported in HRIS.
Senate standing committees
A. Campus Affairs Committee – Carol stated that classified employees will receive a request to submit ideas for a new name for the Classified Senate when we change to university support staff as of July 1. The new name and winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
B. Legislative Affairs Committee – Lesa Reves stated that elections for new Senators are ongoing through March 15. Reminders to vote will be sent to classified employees through Qualtrics and the results will be published in K-State Today.
C. Recognition Ceremony Committee – Doris Galvan reported that employees receiving awards at the Recognition Ceremony on April 30 will be getting letters this month.
D. Public Relations Committee – Lindsay Thompson reported they are working on finding a time and location for a Town Hall Meeting with President Schultz and all classified employees.
E. Classified Employee Opportunity Fund – Annette reported there was one textbook payout.
Old business
A. Janice reported there is a draft of the Social Media Policy and a link for employees to respond in K-State Today.
B. Julie Wilburn reported scholarship request forms from K-State Status of Women training opportunities are due.
Campus committee reports
A. Alternative Service Committee – Carol reported the handbook has gone to the Kansas Board of Regents attorney for review and will be finalized prior to Cindy Bontrager presenting it to Kansas Board of Regents for approval this month. The Alternative Service Committee will continue to meet once per month. John Hanes, manager of compensation and classification, will be at the next meeting to discuss pay plans.
B. Climate Survey Committee – Kerry reported that a focus group of classified employees will meet on April 7 to develop questions for the survey.
C. Parking services – John Wolf reported that the garage is changing to a K-TAG system in order to enter. The new equipment will be installed during spring break. Parking services will be doing away with biannual parking permits. Discussion was held on the development of an app to notify students if spots are available in the garage.
D. Recycling – Michael Ashcraft reported that a five-year sustainability plan has been developed to increase and improve campuswide recycling.
E. Search committees - Jan reported the vice president for human capital interview scheduling is moving forward in order to have someone hired by mid-May. Lesa reported the vice president for research search committee will be conducting Kansas City interviews.
F. University Safety Committee – Met last week to review annual reports. Carol and Brittany will serve on the Smoking Policy Committee with Student Governing Association and Faculty Senate.
Next meeting is 12:30 p.m. April 2 in the K-State Student Union Cottonwood Room.