MINUTES OF THE COSA MEETING OF JULY 17, = 2001

COSA Chair, Kae Sinkule, called the meeting = together at 8:40=20 a.m. in the President=EF=BF=BDs Dining Room of the Palms Dining = Center. Members=20 present: Lisa Benton; Alan Bernstein; Debi Britt; Sharon = Butcher;=20 Melinda Cutchens; Holly Decker; Sam Dees; Pearl Everett; Jeff Giles; = Jeff Grant;=20 Inman Grimsley; Lisa Hayes; Rebecca Kimbrough; Sue Lampert; Bob Lee; = Shannon=20 McGee; Mike McKinley; Tommye Miller; Pat Rozier; Kae Sinkule; Josie = Stone, and=20 Nick Overstreet, President, SGA ex oficio member. Carolyn = Gaston=20 was unavoidably absent.

Minutes from the meeting of June 12, 2001 = were=20 approved on a McGee/Decker motion.

Treasurer=EF=BF=BDs Report: Sue = Lampert reported that=20 Nina Windham, former treasurer, has turned over all records to = her. The=20 operating budget for the FUND 10 Account for FY 2002 remains at $2500 = although=20 there is a possibility of additional funds through a budget amendment = later this=20 summer. The financial report from Ms. Lampert reflects ending = balances on=20 all accounts through June 30, 2001:

FUND 10: = &= nbsp; =20 =20 = Ending=20 balance $74.53 (turned back to State as surplus)

Discretionary=20 Account: =20 =20 = $988.86 with=20 the only expense being a $50.00 COSA contribution to the Hugh C. Bailey=20 Scholarship Fund (per approval at the May, 2001, COSA meeting)

Retirement Walkway-Employee Recognition = Fund:=20 $2484.94

COSA Committee Reports:

Employee Recognition: Holly Decker = reported that=20 nomination forms for Employee of the Semester (Spring) have been = distributed to=20 the VSU staff, and the committee has received about 10 nominations, thus = far. The nominees and winner will be announced at the August COSA=20 meeting.

Elections: No report.

Policy: Chair, Bob Lee, asked for = volunteers to=20 the committee.

Welfare: Chair, Shannon McGee, = reported that=20 plans for the Annual Staff Appreciation Day are underway. A number = of=20 sub-committees have been formed to handle various aspects of the = program. =20 The event will be held at Blazer Field on Friday, September 28, 2001 = from=20 11:00 =EF=BF=BD 2:00 p.m. COSA members were reminded that = everyone must serve=20 on one of the sub-committees to plan the event and that everyone must be = present=20 the day of the event, from set-up through take-down.

Other Committee Reports:

Recycling: Holly Decker reported that = Fiber=20 Mulch was reluctant to accept the load she delivered to them on June 12, = 2001=20 but they finally took it. They do not want magazines, newspapers, = or=20 telephone books. Newspapers are turned into the City of Valdosta, = but they=20 don=EF=BF=BDt want any of the glossy inserts. All proceeds = received from recycling=20 efforts are posted to the Recycling Account, but no one on COSA knows = how these=20 funds are spent or who is responsible for administering them. Dr. = David=20 Gibson is the Faculty Senate contact for this group.

Academic Scheduling: This committee = does not=20 meet during the summer. The next meeting is scheduled in = September. =20 The COSA chair normally attends this meeting.

Parnership in Campus Excellence: Lisa = Benton=20 represents COSA to this committee that is working to develop new service = standards for the University. Several sessions of the program have = been=20 offered in recent months that have emphasized team spirit and better=20 communication skills between campus offices. Becky Murphy, = Assistant to=20 the Director of Auxiliary Services/Training Coordinator, has asked COSA = members=20 to provide her with examples of =EF=BF=BDcampus run-around=EF=BF=BD = examples so they can be=20 incorporated into the training session for possible solutions.

Report from the COSA Chair: Kae = Sinkule thanked=20 the COSA membership for the confidence they placed with her in her = election as=20 chair for FY 2002. She pledged to continue the positive, = professional=20 image that has developed with COSA. She urged COSA to stay visible = on=20 campus; to get involved with campus events and activities, and to always = present=20 a professional image that will continue to enhance the credibility of = COSA in=20 the VSU community. She reminded the group that COSA is part of the = balance=20 of power on campus between the Faculty Senate and the Student Government = Association and as such the group has a unique opportunity to help with=20 improvements in the campus community. She asked that all COSA=20 representatives identify themselves as members of the organization when = they=20 meet and work with others at VSU and be available to listen to their=20 colleagues. Any concerns or suggestions that staff share with a = COSA=20 representative should be shared with a member of the Executive Committee = so that=20 the information can either be sent to the appropriate committee or = brought to=20 COSA itself.

Ms. Sinkule noted two main goals for COSA this = year: =20 working with the VSU Foundation on the August 9^th Retirement = Luncheon=20 and dedication of the VSU Retirement Walkway and continual improvement = on the=20 Annual COSA Staff Appreciation Day scheduled for September = 28^th at=20 Blazer Field.

Ms. Sinkule reminded COSA members that they are = expected to=20 serve on at least two COSA committees. Members present volunteered = for=20 several of the standing committees and sub-committees.

Old Business:

1. &nb= sp; =20 Tommye Miller led a discussion about the status of the VSU Retirement = Walkway,=20 including the minimum contribution amount that allows a donor to = designate a=20 recipient for a commemorative brick. By unanimous consensus, COSA = affirmed the=20 recommendation of the Retirement Walkway Sub-Committee (comprised of = faculty,=20 staff, and retirees) that the minimum contribution to the fund that will = enable=20 a donor to designate a recipient for a brick is $50.00. This program has = evolved=20 from simply =EF=BF=BDbuy a brick for a retiree=EF=BF=BD to a fund that = will one day be=20 sufficient to give a brick to every person who retires from the=20 University. In addition, COSA wants monies from this fund to = support the=20 annual Employee Recognition Luncheon, where employees are recognized for = years=20 of service. COSA envisions sufficient financial support for this = fund so=20 that service award recipients and recent retirees will not have to pay = for their=20 own lunch at these two important events.

COSA members = were reminded=20 that funds from the State of Georgia couldn=EF=BF=BDt be used to = purchase service=20 awards, buy gifts, make donations, or pay for appreciation events. = The VSU=20 Foundation has graciously been involved with both the Employee = Recognition=20 Luncheon and the Retirement Luncheon, but they don=EF=BF=BDt have the = funds to continue=20 to subsidize both events. Their operating funds are based = completely on=20 donations, and there are many places where these funds are used to = support the=20 University. The Foundation supports COSA=EF=BF=BDs efforts to increase = the operating=20 capitol of the Retirement Walkway-Employee Recognition Fund so that both = events=20 can be self-sufficient and managed by COSA.

COSA is using = Brick Markers=20 of Riviera Beach, Florida, to engrave the walkway bricks. This = company=20 utilizes the same color and type of brick that is already laid in the = walkway=20 (one of the best available). They offer a lifetime guarantee on = the brick=20 and the engraving, including a guarantee of no =EF=BF=BDshrink=EF=BF=BD = or no=20 discoloration. Coordination of the actual laying of the brick will = be done=20 with the Physical Plant. Each year COSA must face the financial = reality=20 that there are quantity levels to be achieved to get the best pricing on = the=20 bricks themselves: 1-49 engraved bricks cost $35.00 each; 50-99 = engraved=20 bricks cost $20.00 each, and +100 bricks cost $17.50 each. The = Retirement=20 Sub-Committee recommended that any person who had donated $20.00 for a = brick=20 purchase prior to June 30, 2001 would have that price honored; however,=20 effective July 1, 2001, the minimum contribution to the Fund that = enables a=20 brick recipient to be designated is $50.00. The group sees = =EF=BF=BDselling a=20 brick=EF=BF=BD as a fund-raising effort for the entire project. = COSA must always=20 be able to cover the highest cost of a brick in the event that only 1-49 = bricks=20 are purchased in any given year.

COSA recommended = that the=20 Retirement Walkway Committee remain active to handle the development of = new=20 policies and procedures for the walkway, including handling appeals when = a=20 potential brick recipient doesn=EF=BF=BDt meet the established criteria = for a=20 brick. The group is scheduled to meet on Friday, July 20, 2001, to = discuss=20 several issues, including special pricing for anyone that wants to make = a bulk=20 purchase of bricks on behalf of a college, school, department, etc.

2. = ; =20 COSA members were reminded that Dr. Hugh Bailey, President, = sent a=20 memo to all deans, directors, and department heads urging them to = support the=20 work of individual COSA representatives by allowing them time to attend = COSA=20 meetings and events. If any COSA member needs additional support = with=20 their supervisor they should contact Kae Sinkule for assistance.

NEW=20 BU NEW=20 BUSINESS:

Immediate = Past-Chair, Pat=20 Rozier, attended the State Council meeting of COSA groups held at Macon = College=20 and State University. This group voted to charge dues of $20.00 = per=20 participating school in order to offset costs associated with planning = and=20 implementing the annual staff council event each fall. As a result = of this=20 decision, the group acknowledged that a treasurer would be needed to = serve a=20 two-year term of office to monitor these funds. The 8^th = Annual=20 University System of Georgia Staff Council Conference will be held = October 4-5,=20 2001 at Kennesaw State University.

Ms. Rozier said = the State=20 Council found out that federal regulations prevent State employees = (including=20 University System) from participating in the PeachCare program. =20 State/System employees through their elected officials should address = any=20 concerns about this regulation on an individual basis. The State = Council=20 reminded people not to use any type of official letterhead to write = these=20 letters.

The State = Council also=20 investigated the status within the legislature on the proposal to reduce = the=20 number of years for vesting in the Teacher=EF=BF=BDs Retirement System = from ten years to=20 give years. There is a bill in committee as a result of this = year=EF=BF=BDs=20 legislative system that might make it to the floor for discussion in = next year=EF=BF=BDs=20 legislative session. Since funding for this type of proposal is a = major=20 issue, an actuarial review must be conducted so that the cost will be = know to=20 legislators and the Teacher=EF=BF=BDs Retirement System Board before any = action can be=20 taken. Again, any individual who wants to express their opinion = about this=20 proposed bill should contact their State legislator on an individual = basis.

Other = Business:

Lisa Benton = asked about the=20 Student Recreation Center and whether faculty, staff, and dependents = will be=20 able to use the facility. Nick Overstreet, SGA president, said = that this=20 matter is now under discussion and a decision will be forthcoming. = There=20 was discussion about this type of facility at other System schools and = that a=20 yearly fee is charged for non-student use through payroll deduction = plans.

Melinda Cutchens = asked if=20 VSU could sponsor the Microsoft Users Specialist Certification = Program. =20 COSA agreed to ask Becky Murphy in the Training Department to = investigate this=20 option.

Questions were = asked about=20 the determination of parking usage for GHP faculty and staff, in = particular in=20 Hopper Hall and the Conference Lot. Shannon McGee responded that = this=20 matter would be taken under advisement by the Department of Parking and=20 Transportation before GHP returns next summer.

Bob Lee asked = about Internet=20 access from home for VSU employees. Many employees think this = service has=20 been discontinued based on a memorandum from the Office of Information=20 Technology. COSA will discuss options with Tom Archibald, = Assistant to the=20 President for Information Technology.

COSA members = volunteered for=20 a variety of committees. A complete list of committees will be = available=20 at the next meeting, scheduled for August 14, 2001 at 8:30 a.m. in the=20 President=EF=BF=BDs Dining Room of the Palms Dining Center.

On a = Miller/Rozier motion,=20 the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully = submitted,

Tommye H. = Miller,=20 Secretary