DON'T BURY YOUR HEAD

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

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.  

Thursday, November 7, 2013

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/


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

Monday, November 4, 2013

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