Cope Minutes
August 22, 2003
Present: Jody Finnegan (President), Mike Virtue (V. President), Barbara J. Cunningham (Secretary-Treasurer), Shawn Forney, Bessie Katsilometes
Excused: Frank Mercogliano (Historian/Webmaster), B. J. Piantanida
- Call to Order - Meeting called to order at 1:05 p.m.
- Minutes Approved
COPE Board Transition Minutes, May 21, 2003: Bessie moved to accept the Minutes, and Shawn seconded. - Officer's Reports
- Budget Report - Barbara and B. J. met yesterday for budget transition. The COPE balance as of August 4, 2003 is $4,595.63. All future correspondence regarding the budget will go to Barb C.
- President's Meetings Reports
- Jennifer Fisher reported numbers of undergraduate and graduate applications received and New Transfer applications are all up (11-14%) and new Freshman enrollment was up ~8%.
- David Miller reported on the new Blue Shield Module Plan. ISU employees will have one module plan rather than two.
- Initially, there was funding difficulty to begin the Rendezvous Center, but funding issues have been resolved and building has started.
- President Bowen was told by the State to keep 4.5% aside out of the 2003-04 budget, plus to return 2002-03 reserves (what was left of the 4.5% that was set aside from the 2002-03 budget).
- Governor Kempthorne asked communities to go forward with their ground breakings which will boost local economies. Bessie commented that there was a shortage of dollars for personnel, but there appears to be no shortage of dollars for buildings. The future groundbreaking for the new health professions building is being debated between EITC and University Place in Boise. ISU will continue to partner with EITC. A memo of understanding has been written regarding the cooperation of EITC and ISU for the new bldg.
- There was some controversy at the State Board of Education. The Finance Officer resigned.
- On a separate issue, every time ISU has asked to have wording in the policy changed to mention "regional collaboration," the wording does not stick.
- The Faculty Senate will address the issue of kickbacks to faculty from textbooks.
- With some recent employee suicides occurring, Public Safety and the Counseling Center will revise the 1996 pamphlet on suicide and redistribute it. Bessie commented that COPE needs to keep employee morale UP.
- CSAC (Jody) - Nothing to report. First meeting will be next week.
- Ethnic Diversity (Bessie) - Nothing to report. Bessie will check on Byrd's involvement.
- Facility Access (BJ/Shawn) - Nothing to report. BJ and Shawn to discuss which one of them will attend the meetings.
- Wellness (Shawn) - Shawn will contact John Batacan.
- Grievance (Jody) - Nothing to report.
- Parking Advisory (Barbara) - Nothing to report.
- Parking Appeals (Frank) - Frank unavailable. Nothing to report.
- Professional Leave (Mike) - Ad Hoc - Meets in the Spring.
- University Safety - (BJ) - BJ unavailable. Nothing to report.
- New Business
- White Tent Event - August 27th - The theme is "Get Connected." The hours are from 10am-230pm. Jody reserved a table for COPE and asked for volunteers to staff the table.
- Heatlhcare Coalition - is an alliance of off-campus organizations of several employers whose purpose is to pool resources to bring costs of benefits for employees in alignment with national averages and to see if they can influence what physicians charge locally. Jody will find out if other individuals can attend, e.g. The ISU Institute of Rural Health.
- "Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day" - April 22, 2004 - Rebecca Morrow, the new director of the Janet C. Anderson Gender Center, is spearheading the event. The focus will be on children 8-12 years old. They hope to get 150 children on campus and break them into groups and have different departments present and interact with them. Some of the departments might be: Art, ISU Ambassadors, Athletics & Reed Gym, College of Technology, Drama, Library, Museum, Music, Physical Plant, PA Program, Computer Center - any department willing to participate. They are debating about whether to have it be a full day or half day event. They are looking at breaking up activities into tracks, so children can choose. Jody has met with Rebecca and the CEC and asked if COPE would like to participate. Bessie volunteered to work with Rebecca to coordinate COPE's involvement.
- Homecoming (Oct. 18) - Theme: "Westward Homecoming." Troy and Jody were the only COPE members to participate last year in Homecoming. Jody asked about COPE participation this year. Shawn will coordinate with CEC and the Alumni organization about it and get back to COPE during our next meeting.
- Other Business
- We discussed the FISH program co-sponsored by CEC and COPE. We would like to do another this semester - possibly co-sponsored again.
- Shawn will meet with John Batacan about potential dates for the Fall 03 Wellness program such as CPR training &/or cholesterol screening. We will have an event before Thanksgiving.
- We discussed the role of COPE as being a voice for professional staff at ISU, how to strengthen COPE's visibility in that mission, and ways that we might be able to provide "no cost" or "low cost" "morale building" type of services for staff after 3 straight years of no raises. Mike V had suggestions concerning parking pass fees & family member tuition reduction as well as possibly providing for a more flexible work schedule. We will all brainstorm about different approaches to this end.
- Discussed briefly the recent email about the State of Idaho proposed Human Resources changes. Discussion was that the changes really didn't affect professional employees and Jody has not received any new information concerning the changes.
- Briefly spoke about what kinds of goals COPE would like to accomplish this year.
- Fall 2003 meetings Set for 11am-1pm on 9/17, 10/15, 11/19, and 12/17. Next meeting September 17, 2003, 11:00 a.m. location Snake River Room. (Barbara noted that she has a meeting every Wednesday from 10-11am so will be late most of the time.)
Meeting adjourned 2:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara J. Cunningham