Members present: Bill Bennett, Holly Decker, Cat Decker, =
Sandra=20
Denson, Pearl Everett, Bill Filtz, Inman Grimsley, Ann Harris, Joe =
Hickey, Hazel=20
Hewett, Trudy Hyatt, Tom Parnell, Pat Rozier, Beverly Sharpe, Gloria =
Tonsil, Tim=20
Yorkey
Members absent (excused): Hilda Spell
Other Guest: Margaret Powers, Michelle Pritchett, Myrtice =
Zorn
1. Call to Order @ 8:35am
2. Corrections were made to the August 12 minutes and approved.=20
Corrections:=20
Name change: "Beverly Sharp" to "Beverly Sharpe"=20
Tuition Remission: There is no appeal for change in work = schedule for=20 taking classes.=20
Direct Deposit: Some employees did and did not receive direct =
deposit.=20
If anyone is still have problems regarding direct deposit, please =
contact the=20
Payroll office.
3. Treasurer's Report: Period Covered August 1997
Total Budget for FY 98 $ 2,500.00=20
Total Expenditures prior to August 18.00=20
---------------=20
Balance Forward $ 2,482.00
Expenditures for August:=20
Printing $78.00=20
------------
Total Expenditures 78.00=20
---------------=20
Balance Remaining 8/31/97 $ 2,404.00=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
4. Committee Reports
a. Elections/Employee Recognition - Holly Decker, chair
COSA positions replacements for:=20
Student Affairs (Tommy Moore): Tim Yorkey will be contacting the next = person=20 that received the highest votes.=20
EEO1 (Wanda DeWeeses): The Board has decided upon appointment to fill =
the=20
open position until the next election.
We will be talking to Bill Tillman (Admissions Office) about using =
the=20
bulletin board, located by the old Admissions Office, in Nevins Hall for =
Employee of the Quarter. The Employee of the Quarter bulletin board is =
currently=20
located at the back (Cashier's Office). Employee of the Quarter forms =
for Fall=20
quarter will be mailed out on September 29, 1997.
A question was asked about placing Employee of the Quarter on the =
webpage.=20
The committee will check into placing Employee of the Quarter on COSA =
webpage.=20
b. Welfare Committee - Bill Filtz, chair
Questions and concerns were raised about the Vacation/Sick Leave list =
being=20
an open record for everyone in the department to see. The answer was =
"yes." The=20
Vacation/Sick Leave report is considered an open record document.
VSU Walkway - Waiting for faculty to return and will try to get =
another=20
meeting with the Faculty Senate's Beautification Committee.
Attendance to the University of Georgia System Staff Council meeting =
on=20
Friday, October 24 at North Georgia College in Dahlonega. COSA members =
will need=20
to contact Tim Yorkey if they wish to attend the conference.
c. Policy Committee - Trudy Hyatt, chair
VSU Statutes - The 1991 Statues that we had in our files is the most =
recent=20
copy. Which means the COSA board is not represented in these statues. We =
need to=20
get this changed. As I understand it should be just formality, there =
should be=20
no opposition from the administration but it does have to go to the =
Board of=20
Regents. We will need to find out what we have to do to get these =
statutes=20
changed.
Job sharing - Posted a listing to the GA staff association listserver =
about=20
job sharing and no responses other than "great idea, let us know how it =
goes.=20
"
Since Faculty Senate has materials placed on reserve in the library,=20
committee feels that COSA should starting past and present materials on =
reserve.=20
COSA By-Laws and Minutes will now be on reserve in the library and =
archived=20
every 2 years and cycled out.
5. Report from the Chair
a. Attendance to VSU COSA meeting - COSA would like to thank =
President Bailey=20
for sending out the a memo regarding release time for employees =
participating in=20
COSA. If anyone is still having problems with attendance to the =
meetings, please=20
let Tim Yorkey know and a photocopy of the memo will be made and sent to =
the=20
supervisor.
b. Salary Study - A memo was sent to Mr. Jim Brignati. COSA has not =
received=20
a reply from him. After ample time, if no reply has been received, the =
committee=20
will continue to follow up.
c. Tuition Remission - The Tuition Remission and Reimbursement Policy = is=20 located on the COSA webpage under Staff Development=20 (>http://www.valdosta.peachnet.edu/vsu/cosa/develop.html).>=20
Forms are available, in limited supply, in the Personnel Office.
Employee concerns regarding having to apply for financial aid: =
The=20
Pell and HOPE grants are unlimited sources. If the employee qualifies =
for=20
financial, they can register for classes during regular registration =
instead of=20
waiting for Employee Registration Day. Even though this is a concern of =
the=20
employees, this is not taking away from students and this does guarantee =
a place=20
for the employee in classes.
Retirement House Bill 311 - Inman Grimsley was asked to look =
into what=20
was happening with this issue.
Sick Leave Bank - COSA will have to agree with the original =
decision=20
that was made regarding the legalities of funding such a pool.
6. Old Business
a. COSA Vacancies - Discussed during Elections/Employee Recognition =
Committee=20
Report.
b. VSU Walkway - Discussed during Welfare Committee Report.
c. Direct Deposit - Correction made to Aug. 12 Minutes about direct=20
deposit.
7. New Business
Parking & Transportation: Guest: Michelle Pritchett
New parking permits are in and available for purchase. Employee =
permit are a=20
two-part system. Both parts must be displayed in order to be valid. =
Employees=20
can register up to three vehicles. Parking permits must be affixed =
inside the=20
driver's side lower corner. The static cling permit can be affixed above =
the=20
permanent sticker in the vehicle you are driving. The static cling =
permit is=20
removable and must be displayed along with the permanent sticker to be =
valid.=20
Q. What about the hanging permit?=20
A. That permit is valid through September 30, 1997. After it = is=20 expired you can discard it.=20
Everyone must have the new permit by October 1, 1997.
Q. Is there an option for payroll deduction for tickets?=20
A. The option of payroll deduction for citations is not an =
option at=20
this time.
Q. What measures do you have as far as outstanding tickets of=20 notifying people to let them know about their=20
outstanding tickets?=20
A. Right now, there is no notification for employees. We now = have=20 students who have outstanding citations=20
transferred into BANNER which generates notices. So, every student = who gets a=20 citation and is transferred to=20
holds is notified. As far as employees, the BANNER system is not set = up for=20 employees. Our parking=20
software will start generating notices for those employees who have=20
outstanding citations.
Q. At present, there is no payment plan in place for employees = with=20 outstanding tickets, will this be considered?=20
A. There are no payment plans set up for outstanding =
citations.
Q. Parking permits cannot be issued until tickets are paid?=20
A. Right. All outstanding citations must be paid before a new =
permit=20
can be issued.
I have noticed several employees have outstanding citations. The only =
option=20
that I can suggest is that the employee appeal their citations. The =
Parking=20
Appeals Committee will be meeting on September 24. If an appeal is =
turned in, it=20
can be reviewed by the committee at that time. If the citations are =
dismissed,=20
they will be cleared from the employees record, and then the employee =
can obtain=20
their new permit.
Q. If you have outstanding tickets, can you make partial = payments=20 before September 30?=20
A. Yes, but it is up to each individual to take care of their = balance.=20 Payment of parking citations are paid at the=20
Parking & Transportation Department at 114 Georgia Avenue.
Q. What about payroll deduction?=20
A. We have had many inquiries about using payroll deduction to = pay for=20 citations, but that is not an option at this=20
time. We will look into this for the future.
Q. How far back to tickets go?=20
A. If anyone owes citations from October 1996 to the present, = they=20 must be paid before a new permit can be=20
issued.
Q. When Powell Lot closed down, where do we anticipate = employees=20 parking?=20
A. In the lots off of Georgia Avenue.
Q. What are the cost of parking permits?=20
A. Monthly employees, Faculty and Administrative Staff, pay =
$60.00.=20
Bi-Weekly, Staff, pay $36.00.
Q. If you want to pay the larger amount, do you park anywhere = you=20 want?=20
A. We have to verify the status on everybody to determine what = type of=20 parking permit to be issued. Staff do not=20
have the option of purchasing a Reserved permit.
Q. If we (staff) park in a reserved spot, due to the lack of = open=20 staff spots, will we get a ticket?=20
A. Yes. All parking policies are still in affect and have not = been=20 changed. If you cannot find a staff space, check=20
another parking area or park in an unmarked space.
Q. Will the 20 minute spaces be changed back to student = parking?=20
A. No. Those will remain timed parking.
Q. So, if you park in a 20 minute space will you get a ticket? =
A. Anyone can park in the timed space that has a valid parking = permit,=20 but it will have to be for the allotted time=20
or you will be cited for overtime parking.
Q. Will parking be enforced around Plant Operations?=20
A. Yes.
Q. Do you know who many reserved and staff spaces there are?=20
A. I don't have that information with me, but it can be found =
on the=20
parking webpage >(http://services.valdosta.edu).
Q. Reason being, was because we were told that due to the = number of=20 staff spaces is why parking fees=20
were changed.=20
A. The price that came up was recommended by Faculty =
Senate.
Q. In the temporary lots, how are you determining who parks = where?=20
A. The lots are still student lots and employees may park = there. When=20 Powell Lot does close, these lots may be=20
changed to employee parking. When this happens, it will be heavily =
advertised=20
and signs will be posted.
Q. I park over at the Bursary and the Cultural Center is = always having=20 something going on. Between the=20
Cultural Center and the Bursary, we are having a hard time parking. = We want=20 to know if someone from=20
parking will be patrolling that area more?=20
A. We will patrol more heavily. As well as other areas such as =
North=20
Campus and Plant Operations.
While transcribing the minutes, COSA secretary received a call =
from=20
Michelle Pritchett on September 10 regarding new parking policies. =
Information=20
receive was not accurate. This is update information that Michelle was =
able to=20
ascertain to clarify any questions.
8. Other Business
Annual Leave during December - Employee concern regarding =
using annual=20
leave during Christmas holidays. The decision of taking December 29-31, =
1997 was=20
discussed with co-workers in order give everyone enough time to save up =
annual=20
leave instead of waiting to be told in October. When the university is =
closed=20
and there is no business, the forcing of annual leave is permissible and =
if you=20
don't want to use your annual leave there will be no payment status for =
days=20
off.
Employee concern about taking vacation time: Institution does =
have the=20
right to say when an employee can and cannot take vacation. The Policy =
Committee=20
will look into this issue.
Employee Rights - The Welfare Committee was asked to look into =
the=20
issue of Employee Rights regarding due process and researching what =
right the=20
employee have to ask for grievance, filing complaints and other issues. =
Blue Cross & Blue Shield - Personnel Office will be =
sending out=20
announcements about these changes.
Timesheets - All bi-weekly timesheets now will be sent to =
Payroll=20
Office.
9. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 am.