Southern Polytechnic State University
Staff Council Minutes

Date: March 18, 2004
Time: 10:00 a.m.

Members Present: Amanda Canup, Jeff Carter, Sharon Hodge, Leigh Ann Holton, Bennie Houck, William Ketchum, Robert Kunig, Randall Scarboro

Members Absent: Jim Cooper

Advisors Present: Dawn Ramsey

Advisors Absent: Mary Phillips

The minutes of the February 19, 2004 Staff Council meeting were approved.

Leigh Ann reported that the Staff Council has $3,459.74 in the agency account and $114.03 in the Foundation account. Dawn Ramsey reported that the Foundation is providing funding in the amount of $3, 500.00 for the Staff Recognition and Awards Ceremony.

Leigh Ann stated that a date for the Open Forum has not been established.

Leigh Ann stated that she and Sharon Hodge are continuing to work on the job descriptions for twenty one (21) positions in the campus community that are described as Administrative Secretary and Senior Administrative Secretary. She and Sharon serve on the committee with Charles Azebeokhai, Mary Ellen McGee, and Quint Hill. The committee hopes to have a proposal to the President by the end of March, 2004.

Leigh Ann reported that the committee in charge of funding for staff professional development will meet again in March. Leigh Ann sits on that committee.

There was no other old business.

Staff Council discussed the proposed changes necessitated in the By Laws to agree the representation on Staff Council to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Human Resources will use IPEDS to classify employees rather than the EEO categories that were used in the past.

Leigh Ann stated that the change to IPEDS for the classification of University employees was instituted by the Board Of Regents.

William Ketchum presented the proposed changes that he and Jim Cooper developed with input from Staff Council members. Staff Council agreed on a proposed draft and William Ketchum agreed to update the proposed By Laws and distribute same to Staff Council members as soon as possible after today’s meeting. Each Staff Council member was to notify their constituents of the proposed changes so they can be voted on at the next Staff Council meeting.

It was agreed that the changes to the By Laws will have a direct impact on the election procedures for representation on Staff Council since those procedures involve EEO categories. Staff Council agreed on a rough draft of election procedures that involve IPEDS classifications. Leigh Ann Holton agreed to produce a file in “word” format that defines the election procedures and provide the procedures to the Staff Council members.
Leigh Ann stated that Staff Council members should provide a copy of the election procedures to their constituents so that they are aware of the changes.

Since the proposed By Law changes cannot be voted on for at least thirty (30) days, the election committee cannot take any action regarding the elections for the 2004-2005 term until the proposed By Laws are approved. Leigh Ann suggested that the next Staff Council meeting should be scheduled as soon after the expiration of thirty days as possible so as to provide the election committee with sufficient time to coordinate the elections for 2004-2005 representatives. Everyone agreed.

Bennie Houck, Amanda Canup and Leigh Ann Holton agreed to serve on the
Service Awards committee along with the four (4) winners of last years awards.

It was decided to schedule the next Staff Council meeting for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 2004.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.