Council on Staff Affairs=20
Minutes=20
Tuesday, October 14, 1997=20
8:30am=20
President's Dining Room - Palms Dining Center
Members present: John Anderson, Holly Decker, Wanda DeWeese, Sammy =
Dees,=20
Pearl Everett, Bill Filtz, Ann Harris, Joe Hickey, Richard Lee, Tom =
Parnell, Pat=20
Rozier, Beverly Sharpe, Hilda Spell, Gloria Tonsil, Paul Worth, Tim =
Yorkey
Members absent (excused): Bill Bennett, Cat Decker
Other Guests: Angela Culbreth, Judy Hunt, Traycee Martin, Cindy =
Meyer
Call to Order: 8:31am
Approval of Minutes: Corrections were made to the September 9 minutes = and=20 approved.=20
Corrections: Sammy Dees left off on "Members present" listing.
Treasurer's Report=20
Period Covered: September 1997=20
Total Budget for FY 98 $ 2,500.00=20
Total expenditures prior to September 96.00=20
---------------=20
Balance Forward $ 2,404.00
Encumbrances for September:=20
Estimated travel & other expenses to=20
attend USGA Staff Council Meeting:=20
Lodging & Meals $ 621.00=20
Auto mileage 438.00=20
Registration fees 140.00=20
-------------=20
Total Estimate Expense $1,199.00
Expenditures for September=20
Printing 0.00=20
--------------=20
Total Expenses $ 1,199.00=20
--------------=20
Balance remaining 9/30/97 $ 1,205.00=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Committee Reports
Elections/Employee Recognition - Holly Decker, chair =
reporting
Vacancies=20
Student Affairs - Richard Lee (Judicial Officer for Student Affairs) = has=20 volunteered to serve on the COSA Board in place of Tommy Moore. Welcome = aboard=20 and we appreciate you serving on COSA.=20
EEEO1 - Wanda DeWeese has graciously agreed to comeback and finish =
out the=20
year. Thanks and welcome back to COSA.
Employee Recognition - October 14 is the deadline for all nomination = forms to=20 be returned. As soon as all nominations are tabulated, the Employee = Recognition=20 will be meeting sometime next week.=20
Welfare Committee - Bill Filtz, chair reporting
We met with Dennis Bogyo, chairman of the Environment Issues =
Committee for=20
Faculty Senate, in which the Beautification Committee is a =
sub-committee. He=20
told us what they understood the problems to be and suggested that=20
representatives of COSA attend the Environment Issues committee meeting=20
(Thursday, Oct. 16 @ 4:00 pm in Odum Library), and we can discuss the =
issues of=20
what they understood to be the problems with the Walkway. Bill Filtz, =
Inman=20
Grimsley, Beverly Sharpe, and Tim Yorkey will try to attend the =
Environment=20
Issues meeting.
Employee Rights - We are still working on the issues.
We also had staff employees who wish to express the desire to =
purchase either=20
red or green decal at their choice. We, COSA, suggested that all =
employees be=20
allowed to purchase either color and was told that this was not feasible =
due to=20
the number of red and green spaces.
A letter was sent to COSA regarding the same concerns about red =
permits=20
parking anywhere. This is an issue, since we are now paying for decals, =
that we=20
may want to re-address through Parking Services to see what we can do as =
far as=20
limiting places where red permits can park. Timed areas are still =
governed by=20
all. Everybody has to abide by those timed areas.
Policy Committee
VSU Statues - Still checking to see that COSA is in the Statues. We =
have=20
found out that a copy has been sent to the Board of Regents for approval =
Job Sharing - Still working on the issue.
COSA By-Laws changes - will table until next meeting.
Report from the Chair
Salary Study - Another memo has been sent to Jim Brignati. No reply =
as of=20
this date.
Old Business
Parking - discussed by Welfare Committee
New Business
Semester Conversion - How will the change to semester system = effect=20 staff holiday schedule?=20
This will be address in January or February meeting to propose what =
days off=20
the staff would like to have for the upcoming year.
Staff Development Funding - Is funding available for staff = development=20 (i.e. Faculty has Faculty Development)?=20
For staff development, each individual department has funds for =
training and=20
travel.
I. Grimsley: The school is trying to do more training on campus for a =
fee to=20
be departmental charge. We believe that will continue with more computer =
classes=20
and other types of course being offered. Tuition Remission went very =
well. A=20
couple of items were left off the forms that created some problems. The=20
questions of Financial Aid and improper Admissions. The 30-day deadline =
prior to=20
Employee Registration Day will apply. Personnel Office only checks for =
employee=20
eligibility, been employed 6-months and within the timeline.
When is Employee Registration Day for Winter? Employee Registration =
Day will=20
be Tuesday, January 6, 1998 at 7:00pm (Business & Finance Office).=20
Registrar's Homepage and the Winter Quarter 1998 Schedule of =
Classes.
Open Enrollment coming up in November. Personnel Office will be =
sending out=20
memos and insurance conformation letters out. Please do look at very =
carefully=20
when received. No major changes to the plan.
Issue of having Staff Appreciation Day was discussed. Tim Yorkey will =
contact=20
with Herb Reinhard to see about having a Staff Appreciation Day.
Concerns were expressed about staff members not receiving copy of =
COSA=20
Minutes. We will be checking into the reasons why departments are not =
receiving=20
copies.
Other Business
Bi-weekly Timesheets: Guests: Judy Hunt, Traycee Martin, Cindy Meyer =
invited=20
to talk about timesheet issues.
J. Hunt: I understand that there are some concerns about the new =
timesheets.=20
This is something used throughout the University System. At our Payroll =
Users=20
Groups meeting this summer, we found that only two schools in the System =
do not=20
use this. This is a standard University of System form. We have had to =
change=20
deadlines to Monday. I think that there was concern about that. Reason =
for that=20
is Direct Deposit. We have to have our Direct Deposit in to the bank by =
2:00 PM=20
on Wednesday prior to pay period. That is the reason for us changing our =
deadline. Direct deposit seems to be working great, we haven't had any =
problems=20
meeting our deadlines as long as we do get our timesheets.
Question: Is there any possible that the deadline can be =
extended and=20
what about having a drop box available for bi-weekly staff to drop off=20
timesheets?
C. Meyer: We are working on drop box for bi-weekly employees. We have =
requested from Plant Ops to have a drop box in Nevins and be able to use =
the=20
Bursary drop box is another consideration. We can also consider taking=20
timesheets at the Bursary. A big problem is that really can't verify and =
sign=20
off on what leave would be that day. If you turn them in earlier then =
you're=20
foreseeing the future.
Question: Can there be more than one drop box? Possibly one at =
University Center or Education Center and not just in Nevins Hall?
C. Meyer: With the campus becoming more decentralized, we have one =
central=20
payroll office. We are experiencing growing pains, but I understand =
exactly what=20
you're saying. We hope that the new HR system will give us more =
flexibility.
T. Martin: The night drop is 24-hours and one problem is that we =
stamp items=20
received and that may be a problem if it is past the last pickup.
Question: Will the drop have the capacity of indicating when =
it was=20
received?
C. Meyer: No, it just a drop box. Maybe we can communicate this, if =
you feel=20
uncomfortable about meeting the deadline, you can delivered timesheets =
to Nevins=20
and there'll be no doubt that it was received but maybe if you're early =
you can=20
drop it at the Bursary.
T. Martin: I would like to say that the reason that we went to direct =
deposit=20
was that COSA recommended it and 65% of the employee =
well....unfortunately the=20
way our payroll system is it doesn't really allow....its not the =
greatest system=20
in the world and it does take a lot of time and once we get those things =
keyed=20
in the payroll process we have to Athens and they send it back. Its not =
a matter=20
of time, its not a quick thing like a spreadsheet or anything. This new =
system=20
will be that why we moved the deadline it wasn't because we were trying =
to push=20
it ourselves. Our ladies are working hard and if everybody works with us =
then we=20
all can be happy and have all the services including Direct Deposit.
Question: Are you going to send out instructions on an how to =
fill out=20
those sheets? A lot of people still have questions about filling out the =
sheets?=20
C. Meyer: Yes, It was a growing pain type thing and what we thought = was one=20 form to another was a difference and we learn from that experience that = there is=20 a difference. Phones calls to the Payroll office are nil at this point = we got a=20 lot of questions at the beginning but at this point everyone is doing = such a=20 good job.=20
Question: Another concern that was voiced was about the =
signature=20
area? There is only one line for the supervisor to sign and many of the=20
employees would like to have a verification because the timesheet we =
used at one=20
time says that the above record is accurate and when sign says it true. =
A lot of=20
employees still want to do that is there anyway that it can be =
incorporated?
T. Martin: The employees will need to sign the sheet. We won't accept =
it if=20
it is not sign. They can sign in the top box by their name.
Question: Can that be addressed in the instruction manual?=20
Answer: Yes.
Question: If there is an errors on Direct Deposit, calculation =
errors=20
in hours, rate, etc., and it won't be correct until the next payroll =
period. Is=20
there something in place to catch the errors?
C. Meyer: We have a mechanism to correct "glaring errors". If its a =
small=20
error, we do request that it be corrected on the next payroll. It is =
unfortunate=20
that we cannot do corrections with this system we have. It's Stone Age. =
With the=20
new system, we won't have to batch the data entry and send it to Athens =
and wait=20
for it to get processed and send it back, you have to be on their =
schedule.=20
Hopefully it will be our own system and we'll run it and we control what =
happens=20
with our own system.
T. Martin: We can correct small errors and, of course, if the =
department=20
wants to do a hand-drawn for that little bit and is willing to do that. =
But the=20
problems with Direct Deposit is that once its on file has gone to the =
bank=20
whether its the big file or another file, you've got to have a 2-day =
time frame.=20
If we send you Direct Deposit again, it would be Monday or Tuesday =
before your=20
money got there and a corrections is even more cumbersome to try to get =
it out=20
of your account and back into our account...
C. Meyer: ...and that may be something if you don't feel comfortable =
you may=20
just want to get the check. It 's been very successful.
I. Grimsley: Another important thing about using Direct Deposit was =
that it=20
allowed us to have NationsBank free checking and other benefits.
T. Yorkey: It is only for 1-year period of free checking with Direct =
Deposit.=20
C. Meyer: I'm glad you said that. We are re-negotiating our agreement =
with=20
NationsBank and we can say we want it for more than 1-year.
I. Grimsley: My understanding was that for all the ones on monthly =
Direct=20
Deposit it was okay and that they will give a 1-year trial or 1-year =
free for us=20
to get onto Direct Deposit for bi-weekly staff. Which was why they push =
so hard=20
to get that done. My understanding was that it was free.
Question: So the service charge is suppose to be free?=20
Answer: Yes.
Question: Does NationsBank have a debt card?=20
Answer: Yes.
Question: How long will it take for additional drop boxes?=20
Answer: We will probably go with the Bursary and a drop box at =
Nevins=20
Hall. So if off-campus can drive through and on campus to Nevins.
Question: Will there be a drop box at the Bursary starting = this=20 Friday?=20
Answer: Let's us go back and brainstorm with the staff and =
will e-mail=20
everyone.
The meeting adjournment at 9:50am