Thank You for Supporting the Tuition Waiver

Dear UAF Staff,

Thank you for your support for the Employee Education Benefit (Tuition Waiver). We have received many petitions from various departments and units. These petitions are being forwarded to the Board of Regents. We would also like to thank those who attended the Board of Regents meeting yesterday morning for public testimony. So many staff were present, that we couldn’t even fit in the room! The Regents looked surprised when nearly everyone in the room raised their hand to say they were there in support of the waiver. We heard personal stories from many people, and public testimony nearly ended before all had a chance to speak.

The Board of Regents will not be making a decision on the Employee Education Benefit this month. It may be a conversation that gets re-visited at a later time. With the current and future budget challenges, we should be prepared for this, and other cost savings measures to be proposed. As the UAF Staff Council, we will be watching for the topic to come up on future agendas and will prepare action at that time.

Thank you again for sharing your voice.  

UAF Staff Council President and Vice President

Brad Krick and Ashley Munro

Fall 2013 Staff Council Even Unit Election - Deadline for Voting is Dec. 11

Voting is now open for Unit Representative seats in even numbered Staff Council Units. Newly elected Unit Representatives will serve two-year terms, during which, they will serve as a direct link between the staff members in their unit and UAF Staff Council.  As Staff Council members, they will work to address important issues that affect the welfare of staff, including benefits, compensation, staff development, health, and safety.  

Through UAF Staff Council, Unit Representatives will become active participants in shared governance at UAF, which provides a direct link between UAF Staff Council and members of the UAF Administration.  

Voting is now open Representative Seats for the following Staff Council Units: 

• Unit 2 - College of Rural & Community Development (CRCD)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 4 - Institute of Arctic Biology (IAB) 
  • Jessica Desrochers
  • Jami Warrick
     
• Unit 6 - School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences (SFOS)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 8 - College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
  • Kim Eames
     
• Unit 10 - College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM)
  • Jeff Baxter
  • Lawrence Murakami
  • Heather Pyland
     
• Unit 12 - Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services (VCAS)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 14 - International Arctic Research Center (IARC)
  • Nate Bauer

Voting begins today and will close at the end of the day on Dec. 11. 

Click here to vote using our online system! - (Voting Closed on Dec. 11, 2013)

To submit your vote, click on the link above and log in using your last name and your 8-digit UA ID number.

You do not need to specify which unit you are in when voting.  The system will automatically send you to the ballot for your unit, once you have logged in.   If you feel that the system sent you to the wrong ballot, immediately contact the Staff Council Office (see contact information below).  

Write-In votes may be submitted for all seats; follow the instructions for logging into the election system and type the name of the person you want to vote for in the appropriate location on the ballot.

In the event that you were nominated and left off the ballot, contact the UAF Staff Council Office at 474-7056 or  uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu immediately so that the problem may be addressed.

Additionally, please contact us, using the phone number or email address listed above, if you have questions or if you experience any problems with the voting system.  

The Closet Raid - Nov. 26

Voting is Now Open for 2013 Fall Election for Representative Seats in Even Numbered Units

Voting is now open for Unit Representative seats in even numbered Staff Council Units. Newly elected Unit Representatives will serve two-year terms, during which, they will serve as a direct link between the staff members in their unit and UAF Staff Council.  As Staff Council members, they will work to address important issues that affect the welfare of staff, including benefits, compensation, staff development, health, and safety.  

Through UAF Staff Council, Unit Representatives will become active participants in shared governance at UAF, which provides a direct link between UAF Staff Council and members of the UAF Administration.  

Voting is now open Representative Seats for the following Staff Council Units: 

• Unit 2 - College of Rural & Community Development (CRCD)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 4 - Institute of Arctic Biology (IAB) 
  • Jessica Desrochers
  • Jami Warrick
     
• Unit 6 - School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences (SFOS)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 8 - College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
  • Kim Eames
     
• Unit 10 - College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM)
  • Jeff Baxter
  • Lawrence Murakami
  • Heather Pyland
     
• Unit 12 - Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services (VCAS)
  • No candidates on the ballot, votes may be placed for write-in candidates
     
• Unit 14 - International Arctic Research Center (IARC)
  • Nate Bauer

Voting begins today and will close at the end of the day on Dec. 11. 

Click here to vote using our online system! - (Voting Closed Dec. 11, 2013)

To submit your vote, click on the link above and log in using your last name and your 8-digit UA ID number.

You do not need to specify which unit you are in when voting.  The system will automatically send you to the ballot for your unit, once you have logged in.   If you feel that the system sent you to the wrong ballot, immediately contact the Staff Council Office (see contact information below).  

Write-In votes may be submitted for all seats; follow the instructions for logging into the election system and type the name of the person you want to vote for in the appropriate location on the ballot.

In the event that you were nominated and left off the ballot, contact the UAF Staff Council Office at 474-7056 or  uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu immediately so that the problem may be addressed.

Additionally, please contact us, using the phone number or email address listed above, if you have questions or if you experience any problems with the voting system.  

Tuition Waiver to be Discussed at December Regents' Meeting

At the November 6 Board of Regents' meeting, during discussion on FY15 Tuition Rates, Regent Fisher proposed an amendment to keep in-state tuition at the FY14 rate and to amend BOR Policy 04.06.010 to reduce the employee education benefit - the tuition waiver - by 50%. The goal was to offset the loss of in-state tuition with money obtained from the tuition waiver.

The amendment to change Regents' policy was ruled out of order because changes to policy must be in writing in advance. The amendment to change in-state tuition to the FY14 rate did not pass. However, the Regents did add a discussion about the the tuition waiver to their December meeting, which will take place in Fairbanks on Thursday and Friday, Dec 12 & 13. 

Staff Council is working on a resolution in support of the tuition waiver. This is a valuable benefit that helps UA recruitment and retention, drive staff development, and bring in new students.

I encourage UAF staff to attend the December BOR meeting, held in Butrovich Room 109, to give support for the waiver. Public comment is normally at 9:00 AM, but the agenda for the BOR meeting is not yet set. We'll be working to get the word out so that we can fill the room with staff and speak to the value of this benefit.

Please leave questions or comments regarding the tuition waiver! I'd also like to welcome staff to attend our November and December Staff Council meetings or contact your Unit representative(s). More info on Staff Council, including meeting dates & times: http://www.uaf.edu/uafgov/staff-council/

Additional info at the Staff Alliance Dispatch: http://uastaffalliance.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/reduction-of-tuition-benefit-to-be-on-december-bor-agenda/

BOR Policy and Regulation on 04.06.010 Employee Education Benefit: http://www.alaska.edu/bor/policy/04-06.pdf

Nominations are Now Being Accepted for the 2013 Staff Council Even Unit Election

Nomination Deadline - Nov. 8

Dear UAF Staff,

Nominations for Staff Council – Unit Representative Seats in even numbered units are now being accepted.   Click on the link below to submit a nomination. 

Click here to submit a nomination!

If you are interested in becoming a Staff Council Representative, you are encouraged, to submit a nomination on your own behalf.   If you would like additional information on what is required of Staff Council Representatives, visit our homepage at:  www.uaf.edu/uafgov/staff-council.  Additionally, a list of Staff Council Units broken down by departments in each unit, is available here:  Staff Council Unit List    

The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, November 8. 

Do not wait; submit your nominations today using our online nomination form:  Staff Council Nomination Form. 

Feel free to contact us at 907-474-7056,   or, uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu, if you any  questions, concerns, or if you have problems submitting a nomination.  

Please forward this information on anyone who might be interested. 

Sincerely,

UAF Staff Council

Staff Council Smoke-Free / Tobacco-Free Survey Results

The following information is based on the final results of the Fall 2013 UAF Staff Council 'Smoke-Free' Survey.  Staff Council would like to thank all who participated in this survey.  

• Total Survey Responses:  785 
• Total Survey Comments:  332  

IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK NEEDED - PROPOSED SMOKING BAN AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Dear UAF Staff Members,

Chancellor Rogers has asked Staff Council to solicit feedback regarding the proposed Employee Performance Appraisal Form, and on the proposal for a Smoke-Free Campus.  In order to compile staff feedback, UAF Staff Council has created two short surveys that can be accessed on the following webpages:

Proposed Smoke-Free / Tobacco-Free Campus Staff Survey

Proposed Employee Performance Appraisal Form - Survey
        Draft Employee Performance Appraisal Form 

Please take a moment to let us know your thoughts on these matters. Your ideas are extremely important, and we want to hear from you!

Please respond early!  We have a short turnaround time for collecting and compiling this information and sharing it with Chancellor Rogers. The link is active now through Wednesday, October 9.

Feel free to contact the UAF Staff Council Office if you have questions or concerns about the survey:  474-7056 or uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu

Thank you, all, for your time and thoughts!

Sincerely, 

UAF Staff Council

-- 

Staff Council
University of Alaska Fairbanks

314 Signers' Hall
PO Box 757500
Fairbanks, AK 99775

(907) 474-7056

uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu

Administrative Services Forum - Wed. October 2

Vice Chancellor Pat Pitney will host an Administrative Services open forum:

Wednesday, October 2

9:00 to 10:30 AM

Board of Regents Conference Room (Butrovich 109)

E-Live: https://elive.uaf.edu/join_meeting.html?meetingId=1258615777430

Agenda items include:

- FY14 & FY15 Budget Update

- Construction Projects

- Process Improvement Initiatives

- Emergency Notification System

- UArctic

- Q&A with Administrative Services Directors

Deans, directors, department heads, fiscal managers and grant awardees are encouraged to attend. The forum is open to all staff and faculty.

For more information or to suggest a topic for future forums, contact Kerynn Fisher at x7907 or klfisher@alaska.edu.

Winter Warm-Up

Green Dot Training At UAF - Aug. 13 & 14

2013-2014 Meritorious Service Award - Nominations Due by August 2

Nominations for the 2013-2014 Meritorious Service Award are now being accepted.  The deadline for submitting nominations is August 2.  For more information on the award including award criteria, visit:    

http://www.uaf.edu/chancellor/service-award/

New Staff Council Leaders

At our May Meeting, Staff Council elected a new President and Vice President for the 2013-2014 year. Meet Brad and Ashley:

Brad Krick- 
Hello! I've worked for UAF at the Rasmuson Library Interlibrary Loan office since 2006. In 2011, I was elected to Staff Council, where I chaired the Rural Affairs committee and served on the Ad Hoc Calendar Committee and the Staff Alliance Compensation Working Group.

As Staff Council President, I want to see us improve our efforts to communicate concerns and feedback between staff and the administration. Challenges facing UAF in fiscal year 2014 and beyond will require informed and engaged staff working together with the administration, other governance groups, and the community.  

Ashley Munro-
Hi! I have been working for UAF for 9 years. I started at the Interior-Aleutians Campus and now work in the Financial Aid Office. I have been a part of Staff Council since 2006 and have served on the Rural Affairs Committee, Advocacy Committee, Ad Hoc Communications Committee and the Staff Appreciation Day Committee. 

While serving as Staff Council Vice President, I want to focus on communication. I think its very important that representatives and staff understand one another. Only with clear and constant communication and Staff Council begin to make a difference for and empower UAF staff.  

UAF's Staff Make Students Count Award recipient is...

Gabrielle Hazelton from UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in Juneau is this year's recipient of the Staff Make Students Count Award. Congratulations and thank you for your outstanding efforts!

http://uastaffalliance.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/2013-staff-make-students-count-award-recipients/

June 19, 2013 Staff Council Meeting - CANCELED

Staff Council unanimously decided to cancel the June 19 Staff Council Meeting (#240).  The next Staff Council Meeting is scheduled for August 21, 2013 from 8:45-11AM in the Wood Center Ballroom.  The teleconference number for the meeting is 1-800-893-8850  PIN:  8244236.

Election Results for 2013-2014 Staff Council Officers

UAF Staff Council is pleased to announce the results of yesterday's Staff Council officer election.  Brad Krick, Unit 13 - Rasmuson Library was elected President and Ashley Munro, Unit 7 - University and Student Advancement was elected Vice President.  Brad and Ashley will officially take office on June 1, 2013.  Their terms run through May 31, 2014.  Staff Council would like to thank all who participated in this year's election, it was a huge success.

Explanation of 'Utilizing Staff Benefit Rate Reductions' as a FY14 Budget Management Action

The following explanation refers to the phrase 'Utilizing Staff Benefit Rate Reductions’ that was listed as a ‘budget management action’ in Chancellor Rogers’ ‘FY14 Budget Status’ email from April 29, 2013:

• 'Staff benefit rate reductions' apply to units and departments.  They do not apply to individual staff and will not directly affect benefits received by staff.  This will not result in any expenses being transferred to staff, nor will it result in a reduction in any staff benefits, such as health care.
      
• Staff benefit rate reductions apply to the benefit rates paid by a unit or department, which are charged as a percentage of an employee’s salary.  The benefit rate for FY14 will be lower than the benefit rate applied in FY13.  This will result in unit savings, which will likely be needed to cover pay increases.  FY14 rates are set and published at http://www.alaska.edu/cost-analysis/downloads/Reports/FY14_FB_Prop.pdf.

Staff Council would like to thank Bob Shefchik, Executive Officer with the Chancellor's Office and Pat Pitney, Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, for their assistance with this explanation.  

Nominations Now Open for 2013-2014 UAF Staff Council President and Vice President

Nominations for 2013-2014 UAF Staff Council President and Vice President are now being accepted.

• All staff members represented by UAF Staff Council are eligible  
• You can submit a nomination on your own behalf 
• If you are nominating someone other than yourself, please check with that person to make sure that they are interested in running prior to submitting the nomination
  

The deadline for submitting nominations electronically, using the button below, is Friday, May 10. Nominations may also be made on the floor at the May 16 Staff Council meeting up to the time of the election.   To submit a nomination electronically, click on the blue button below.  

Your Staff Council representatives will vote at the May 16 Staff Council Meeting to elect the 2013-2014 President and Vice President.

  

 Please contact the Staff Council Office at 474-7056 or uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu, if you have any questions.  

 All UAF Staff Council meetings are open to the public.  Public comment for all Staff Council meetings is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.  The teleconference number for the May 16 Staff Council Meeting (#239) is: 1-800-893-8850  PIN 8244236.  

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION!

UA Health Plan Medical Benefits Calculator for FY14 Is Now Available

The UA Health Plan Medical Benefits Calculator for FY14 is now available!

The calculator is provided by UAF Staff Council.  It is intended only to be a guide in estimating which UA Health Care Plan may make the most sense for you and your family financially when you select a plan during Open Enrollment.  Click the link below to access the calculator.  Additional information about the calculator is also available through this link:

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE CALCULATOR

Staff Council would like to those who volunteered their time and talent to create and update this year's calculator!  

Contact the UAF Staff Council Office at uaf-staff-council if you have any questions.

Open Enrollment Q&A Sessions - April 17 & 18

The following information was recently received from the UA Statewide Benefits Office: 

UA Human Resources will host the following FY14 Health Care Q&A sessions next week at the UAF Wood Center and Butrovich Building.

Erika Van Flein, Benefits Director, will be on hand to answer questions about the changes to the plan. Please plan to attend one (or more) of these sessions if you have any questions.

- Wednesday, April 17, from 2 – 3 p.m. in the Wood Center Ballroom
- Thursday, April 18, from 10 – 11 a. m. in the Wood Center Ballroom
- Thursday, April 18, from 2 – 3 p.m. in the Butrovich Building, Room 109

More information is available on the UA Benefits site, including the FY14 rates and a summary of the changes for the UA Health Care plans.  Benefits selection information for the upcoming Open Enrollment period (April 15-May 15) has been mailed to employees, and will also be posted to the Benefits site by April 15.

If you have any questions, please contact your campus Human Resources office.

UA Staff Alliance - Staff Compensation Working Group Proposals

Staff Alliance is pleased to share the results of the efforts of our 2012/2013 Compensation Working Group. Given the increasing scrutiny of, and uncertainty about, annual staff compensation increases, the special working group was convened to look at other ways to recognize and reward the value of staff work for the university. They generated eight proposals which the Staff Alliance supports and will bring forward to system wide administration for discussion.

Please Review the 5 draft proposals already approved by Staff Alliance to forward to the administration :
Bonus system: Finalcomp_proposal2013_bonus_system
Flex Time: Finalcomp_proposal2013_flex_sched
Volunteer Leave: Finalcomp_proposal2013_volunteer_leave_time
Geo Diff: Finalcomp_proposal2013_geo_diff
Sick Leave: Finalcomp_proposal2013_sick_leave

Additional proposals under development:
Veteran’s Day Holiday Leave
Leave Accrual
Longevity Recognition

As always we encourage you to comment or provide feedback on any of these proposals here, or contact your staff council representatives directly.  You can find our Staff Council members' names and email addresses on the right side of this page.  Thanks.

University Policy and Regulation Review

Systemwide administration is currently reviewing board of regents policy and regulations. Staff Alliance would like your input on any changes that should be made to streamline or update UA policies or regulations. If you work with or have experience with a particular policy or regulation we encourage you to provide feedback on it by commenting below or sending your email to Juella Sparks at juella.sparks@alaska.edu or Monique Musick atmmusick@alaska.edu.

Staff Invitation to Upcoming UAF-UNAC General Membership Town Hall Meeting on UAF Budget Status

Staff are invited to attend the upcoming UAF-UNAC General Membership Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, March 21 from 12:30-2:00, in the Wood Center - Carol Brown Ballroom.  Teleconference information for this meeting will be posted as soon as it becomes available.  

Staff Council wishes to thank Debu Misra and UNAC faculty for extending this invitation to staff.  

  

2013 Staff Make Students Count Award - Nomination Deadline Extended to March 22!

Nominations are now being accepted for the Staff Make Students Count Award.  The award recognizes staff who have provided outstanding service to UA students. Each recipient receives an award plaque, $1,000 and two domestic airline vouchers. All nominees receive a certificate of nomination. The university president presents the awards at a Board of Regents meeting, usually in June.  The deadline for submitting completed nomination packets to the UAF Staff Council Office has been extended to  March 22.

For more information visit:  http://www.alaska.edu/governance/staff-alliance/staff-make-students-count/

Send completed nomination packets to:

UAF Staff Council Office
314 Signers' Hall
Campus Box 7500
PO Box 757500
Fairbanks, AK 99775

Please send questions to the UAF Staff Council Office at   

474-7056, uaf-staff-council@alaska.edu, or post them in the comment section of the blog.

Legislators WANT to hear from their constituents!

Staff Council would like to encourage you to take advantage an opportunity to communicate with your legislators. Please read below. If you cannot attend in person, email is an option but please remember to do that on your own time, using your own email and equipment.

Legislators representing Fairbanks and the Interior will have a public meeting on Saturday, February 23. It will be held at the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office (1292 Saddler Way, Room 308) from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. As in Anchorage, members of the public will get three minutes each to address the legislators. If you can’t make the meeting, send your Senator and Representative an email letting them know what you would have said if you had been there.

Fall 2012 Work/Life Survey Results Part II

Staff Alliance has released part two of their analysis of the Fall 2012 Work/Life Survey results. To read the results of the statements on: facilities, workplace and security, supervisor relationships, work environment and work/life balance check out the Alliance Ally blog at www.uastaffalliance.wordpress.com

Good News from JHCC!!

The Joint Health Care Committee (JHCC) met today and the Staff Alliance representatives have reported that the committee RESCINDED their motions to end the employee opt-out and to charge a working spouse surcharge! A BIG thanks to all employees who provided your comments here, to their staff representatives and at the recent forums!

Tuition Waiver and Health Care Forums

Staff Alliance received an update TODAY from Michelle Rizk, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer for UA with IMPORTANT information for staff:

***

Employee Education Benefits Revision

We have information posted on the HR website that outlines the changes.
http://www.alaska.edu/benefits/tuition-waivers/

There have been some questions about the implementation of the UA Education Benefit. Here is some additional information. Applications for educational benefits for employees with a hire date prior to January 1, 2013 will be processed as follows:
Those employees will not need to serve a waiting period to use educational benefits. Those employees may apply for term maximum 8 credit hours tuition waived in the Spring 2013 Semester and thereafter but limited by the academic year maximum. Those employees will not need to meet the GPA requirements for the Spring 2013 Semester, but will need to meet the GPA requirement in subsequent terms.

Employees with a hire date on or after January 1, 2013 will have education benefit applications processed according to all provisions of the new regulation.

***

Health Care Forums
The dates have been set for the health care forums and we are working on an all staff communication to go out about the forums.
UAF
Thursday, January 17th

Statewide
Thursday, January 17th

UAA
Friday, January 18th

UAS
Wednesday, January 23rd

***

Share this information with your colleagues!

Changes to Tuition Waiver Benefit Signed

UPDATE: The administration has apparently begun implementing this policy change effective with the Spring 2013 semester. While the President's Office of Public Affairs announced the changes on December 21, there are still many staff and dependents who are unaware of them. Please spread the word.

****
On Tuesday, December 11 Staff Alliance was handed a revised and approved R04.06.010 Employee Education Benefit. President Gamble approved the revisions on December 6th.

The document states that these changes are effective immediately, however there is some confusion about whether or not it can or will be in place for the Spring 2013 semester. As soon as we receive an official announcement, we will post it here.

Read the 2012 Education Benefit