Personnel Services Committee

April 17, 2003

Members Present: Ray Bailey, Jean Braden, Janet Bush, Patti Hill, Joe Horobetz, Kurk Lew, Ella Moore, Ruth Schena, Larry Shapira, Bill Schran, Ellen Wertman, and Dave Williams

Members Absent: Kate Blackwell, Connie Childress, Barbara Howard, Donna Principe, Melody Seeber, and Eric Trumbull,

1. Call to Order: Ray Bailey called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m.

2. Review and Approval of the Minutes: The minutes of the March meeting were approved with editorial correction.

3. Chair's Report:

A. Ray Bailey said he had written to the President on behalf of the committee regarding the staff recommended for appointment as classified emeritus and about the evaluation of the president's sabbatical program. The President has not responded but the newly named classified emeritus members were invited to and attended the employee recognition luncheon.

B. Ray also conveyed the committee's recommendation to the senate regarding the salary increase process that might be used to distribute the expected 2.25% increase approved by the Governor. That recommendation has four parts: 1. That all faculty whether nine or twelve months be treated the same. 2. That merit be considered in the same way as it has for the past several years. 3. That salary savings achieved by hiring junior be added to the salary pool and 4. That in deciding how to distribute any available resources beyond the 2.25% that salary savings might generate, the President should consider the findings of the Self Study. The Senate approved the committee's recommendation as presented.

Ray noted that Ruth Stanton has kept her data up to date and can demonstrate that salary compression continues to be as much a problem as ever.

4. Vice President's Report:

A. Alison Baker reported on some activity at the Advisory Council of Presidents. The presidents are recommending to the State Board that the 2.25% salary increase be distributed across the board without consideration of merit. Alison suggested that if the Board accepted this proposal, that similar treatment could be expected for the classified staff if that were allowed. There was no legislative action on the merit question, so the issue is likely to be decided either by DHRM or the local college.

B. The State Board will consider an additional tuition increase to be effective next Fall Semester that would cover the contingent portion of the salary increase. Assuming the Board does adopt such a tuition increase and there are no further state-wide budget reductions, NVCC should have the funds necessary to give salary increases without having to make local budget reductions.

C. Next year's budget will be a tight one. It calls for the elimination of three teaching faculty positions, two 12-month faculty positions and four classified positions, but barring further cuts from the state budget, we should be operating at about last year's level in other budget lines.

D. Alison said that the campuses seem to be making good progress in updating their security plans and acquiring the equipment they need to communicate in case of emergencies. In addition to evacuation planning, campuses now have plans in case sheltering in place is recommended. The campuses have purchased bull horns and walkie-talkies and we are considering acquiring air-raid type alarm systems that would alert people to take cover.

NVCC's maintenance reserve request for funds to upgrade fire alarm systems has been funded, so those systems will work better in the future.

E. A variety of construction projects are either about to begin or are moving into the serious planning stages. The agenda for the Annandale campus includes work on the lake-side concrete plaza, construction of a new parking garage and renovation of CN, CS and CT. While this is going on, the campus will be a very difficult place to work. Other projects include a new parking lot and road system at Loudoun, plus the construction of major science building renovations and a greenhouse there; construction of Alexandria's phase three, a major addition to the Bisdorf building; and renovation and expansion of the HVAC laboratory at the Woodbridge campus.

F. The Blue Ridge retirement plan is being considered by the Administrative Council and a decision on whether or not to participate next year should be made soon. The decision seems to be leaning positive.

G. The Administrative Council will consider classified and 12 month faculty vacancies at its next meeting and the president's decision on which positions should be filled will be made shortly after that.

5. Issues for next year's Committee:

A. How to improve communications with campus councils and to make sure personnel issues are coming from the campuses to the committee and vice versa.

B. Review of the classified compensation plan. Janet Bush reminded the group that it had done a survey soon after the plan was implemented. Those findings will be pertinent to conversation on the compensation plan.

C. As the Senate conducts a full review and re-write of the faculty handbook, the committee should play a role in seeing that the handbook turns out well.

D. With the College approaching the recruitment of faculty differently, the Committee might review faculty hiring policies. How does one get an exception and on what should the granting of exceptions be based?

E. Can the committee help get benefits for the College's few regularly appointed part-time faculty?

F. The Committee should review the impact of the summer compressed work-week. Was it a good thing or not?

G. We will have to recommend new members to the classified emeritus.

H. We hope we will have to recommend faculty for the president's sabbatical.

I. There might be steps to take in the area of the Northern Virginia pay differential.

J. There are differences between the VRS and the optional retirement plan in regards to disability and long-term care insurance. Should there be?

K. Is the College doing what it should to assure students and employees that this is a safe place to work and learn, a place that is ready to respond to enhance safety in case of an emergency?

6. Ray thanked the committee members for their service and looked forward to next year's challenges.

7. The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.