University of Nebraska Kearney

Staff Senate Minutes - July 20, 1999

Employee of the Month: Colleen Parmenter - Duplicating Equipment Operator, Founders Hall.

Present: Dave Bargen, Shelly Fleck, Carol Hines, John Lakey, Tim McMullen, Mike Miller, Bonnie Mumm, Sue Petersen, Jane Sheldon.

Absent: Dennis Choplin, Dee Ellingson, Deb Huryta, Kathy Livingston.

1. Call to Order

2. Adoption of Agenda (Bargen/Fleck)

3. Minutes were approved as printed

4. Unfinished Business
   1. July 1 Celebration
      The celebration took place on July 1 as scheduled with the weather cooperating. Attendance was good and positive responses were given to the event and the entertainment. Thank you notes were sent to John Foss at Chartwells and Steve Lungrin, who provided the entertainment.

   2. SAP Implementation Comments
      Mumm asked if there were any comments or concerns regarding the new financial records system which was implemented on July 1, 1999. Comments were that the invoicing was going smoothly, but travel needed work. Nanette Hogg is training by college, and it was suggested that these sessions could be condensed to one session. It was also suggested that people are ready to go on line and we need to move quickly in that direction. Pre-session navigational skills training could be eliminated. HR will be implemented sometime in the fall - around November 1.

5. Committee and Search Reports
   1. Technology Committee Presentation
      Angie Stueckrath, the Webmaster at UNK, gave a presentation on the re-designed web pages for UNK and the expectation of departments. The goal was to create an identity that is unique to UNK and to work on navigational problems at the site. At the home page, tool bars have been added. Some buttons remain the same. Links such as employment opportunities have been added for people who come to our site.

      The UNKearney logo should be seen on every page. Therefore, Computer Services has provided a template design which always links back to our home page. Search and site buttons are standard. After the intro page there is flexibility. A department can put in links, events, etc. The header and footer must stay, however. Stueckrath is also working on a personal profile template which will be available if requested. A digital camera or scanned picture can be used. There are three layouts to allow for sizes and pictures.

      It is important that our identity is immediately obvious and it is easy to move about within our site. Therefore, every page will have the UNK logo and the links back to the UNK home page. Each department must designate a pagemaster so that Angie will be able to contact someone if she has suggestions or concerns. That person must be a full time employee. Angie will assist with page development and will provide training sessions.

   2. Child Care Committee
      John Lakey reported on progress of the committee. The goal is to have some type of childcare on campus by fall 1999. Child care providers in the Kearney community have been contacted to survey interest in providing a site at UNK's Child Development Lab in Otto Olsen for our students and staff. There is interest from some daycare providers. Childcare for students will be the priority this fall with expansion from there. It is hoped that the fees will cover the costs of the program, although Student Senate has discussed assessment of a fee to assist with the service to the students. At this point capacity would be about 30 infants and pre-schoolers. An after-school program will not be included at this time. Cheryl Bressington should be credited for lots of work in coordinating this benefit to our students and staff. The committee has accomplished a lot, but there are still a lot of decisions to be made before childcare on campus becomes a reality.

   3. Class Comp/NU Values
      John Lakey reported that UNK has been involved in the development of the NU Values Program, providing a new classification, compensation, performance management and development system to best meet the University's needs. There are 18 job categories. Each campus took certain categories to develop, and then another group representing all campuses reviewed the job categories. UNK has provided the key behaviors and identifiers for Business Operations, Facilities, and Administrative Support. Many people from our campus have assisted in developing these behaviors.

      John emphasized in regard to pay, that this process may not take care of salary level problems we currently have, but it should help. Salaries will be developed for each level based on the market in Kearney for the UNK campus. This new system will eliminate the need to reclassify in order to get a salary change. It is hoped that the process will be completed by January, but realistically we probably won't see changes until July 2000.

   4. Architect Selection Committee for the Union Renovation
      Carol Hines and Mike Miller reported that UNK received six proposals from architects in response to the RFP. Four will be interviewed next week, with a final recommendation ready for the Vice Chancellor and Chancellor. The request to appoint the architect for the project will go to the Board of Regents in August. Mike indicated that the proposals were good ones, and all firms are excited about the project.

6. New Business
   1. Marketing Committee spirit ideas
      Bonnie has been asked to participate on a committee along with the Faculty Senate president and Student Senate president and others to brainstorm on ideas to generate spirit on campus. Mumm asked for suggestions from the group to take to the committee. Suggested included: that Friday Spirit Day be self-contained for the campus only. If communication is our number one issue, we would suggest continuation of the Chancellor breakfasts. The Blue and Gold fair is a good way to start off the year with spirit, and it generates good feelings. Other ideas: Tailgate parties in the courtyard before games; continue Loper Luncheons; T-shirts and sweatshirts (if we can't afford to give away, how about bringing a shirt and having a logo imprinted); button idea ok but keep away from feeling-type words and go with spirit instead; center on students for a week or two ("Ask Me") but then go to a spirit-type activity; information on specifically how to make students welcome; suggest what can all staff do to help students.

7. Announcements
   1. Kathy Livingston had an operation and will be out for a while.
   2. Next meeting will be August 17, 1999, 10:30 in the Art Gallery of the Student Union.