Staff Senate Minutes
University of Nebraska at Kearney
January 20, 2009
Sandhills Room, Nebraskan Student Union
Present: Administrative: McQueen, Kauders
Managerial/Professional: Benitz
Service: Geiger, Heinowski, Lester
Office: Williams, Meier
Ex-Officio: Bressington
Absent: Administrative: Ballenger
Office: Wardyn
Managerial/Professional Schaffnitt, Petersen
Recognition of Employee of the Month
Michelle Smidt
Athletic Ticket Manager
(Michelle is unable to attend, the award will be presented 1/27 in the Health & Sports Center)
Recognition of Department of the Month
Psychology Department
Guest Speaker - John Lakey
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Business & Finance
John Lakey spoke to Staff Senate today about UNKALERT. John is part of the Emergency Planning & Preparedness committee. He emphasized the importance of a plan to alert students, faculty and staff of the emergency situation, to give instructions and to keep everyone informed of the current situation.
I. Call to Order
II. Adoption of Agenda - Approved
III. Approval of Minutes – Approved from December meeting
IV. Open Floor – No discussion
V. Financial Report – No discussion
VI. Correspondence – No discussion
VII. Unfinished Business
A. Staff Senate Ongoing Goals for 2008-2009
1. Mentors for new Senators/new Officers
2. Develop campus awareness of University Online Calendar
3. Staff Senate Awareness
a. A number of different ways to create a Staff Senate awareness were discussed: Brochure, Benefits fair, Announcement at Staff Recognition Day
B. Staff Senate Survey – February
C. The Staff Senate Survey was e-mailed out to campus on 1/16/09. Jami e-mailed Staff Senate preliminary results on 1/22.
D. Revaluating Staff Senate Mission/Goals –Develop Strategic Plan to condense current Staff Senate Committee’s from 7 to 5.
E. Staff Recognition Day – A great day with good attendance.
VIII. Committee Reports
A. Election Committee – Jami – No Report
B. Employee Recognition Committee – Jolene/Fauneil– Will meet on February 5th.
C. Fundraising Committee (ad hoc) – Jami/Wilma/Cheryl – No Report
D. Information Technology Advisory Committee – Laura – No Report
E. Mentoring Committee – James – has several contacts
F. Office/Service Dependent Scholarship Committee – Mike – No Report
G. Performance Management Committee – Mike – No Report
H. Procedures Committee – Mike/Cheryl – No Report
I. Professional Development Committee – Audrey/Jane- 168 attended Staff Recognition Day with 91 being honored.
J. Strategic Planning Committee – Brandon – no discussion
IX. New Business
A. Elections/Recruiting – will begin in March and will include the facility employees.
B. Open Forum on Budget – will be 1/22/09 in Copeland Hall at 3:30pm
C. Staff Member for Parking – meets 1 or 2 times per year; hears appeals “on-line”; currently needs 1 member from Office/Staff.
X. Staff Senate Roundtable – Staff Senate members update the Senate on events happening in their offices/departments
A. Kauders – MONA had their quarterly meeting & the Board welcomed new member Robert Duncan, Duncan Aviation, who is an avid art collector.
B. Heinowski – working a UNK parking survey with Michelle Hamacker
C. Bressington – the paper W-2’s are due out next week or they are available on Firefly. UNK staff needs to go out to ESS and update personal emergency contacts for UNKALERT.
D. Williams – Honors Program is preparing for the Omaha World Herald Scholarship selections for the receptions on Jan. 26 & 27.
E. Benitz – reported on numbers of student code of conduct violations.
F. McQueen – Men’s + Randall project has received almost all of its authorizations to begin design, it still lacks legislative approval. The Mantor project is underway, and the Central Plant and Bruner projects are nearing completion.
G. Geiger – CTE is half done and snow removal going well.
H. Meier – Finnie Murray is now the Interim Director of International Education
I. Lester – Jim Wand will be entertaining 1/22 in the Union.
XI. Announcements
A. Staff Senate is always seeking nominations for Employee and Department of the Month! All nomination forms are available on-line on the Staff Senate webpage
B. Anyone in the UNK community is encouraged to attend Staff Senate meetings
C. Next Meeting – February 17th @ 10:30 a.m., Sandhills Room, Nebraskan Student Union.
XII. Adjourn