Approved 11-11-99

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Thursday
October 28, 1999
SS 115, 2:00 p.m.

PRESENT
Karen Dewey, Dave Eisler, Bruce Handley, Judith Mitchell - Vice Chair, Candadai Seshachari - Chair, Gene Sessions, Sally Shigley, John Sillito, John Sohl, Alden Talbot, Paul Thompson, Kay Brown - Secretary.

MINUTES
Gene Sessions moved to approve the minutes of October 7, 1999.
Second: Karen Dewey
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

ARCC
Jim Jacobs, Chair of the Academic Resources and Computing Committee, discussed the following ARCC issues:

(1) ARCC=s relationship with RSPG, and RSPG=s policy to not fund technology. Last year ARCC received requests for approximately two million dollars. The committee had fifty thousand dollars to distribute. When the RSPG Committee denies faculty requests for computers and equipment needed to do research, the faculty member approaches the ARCC Committee for the funding. The idea of equipment needed for research versus equipment needed for department use was discussed.

The Provost stated that he was hopeful that in the Capital Campaign they would be able to raise some money for technology.

(2) Last year ARCC directed $23,000 in support of faculty computers. In the future ARCC will redirect that money.

Don Gardner, Chief Information Officer, mentioned, at the October 7 Executive Committee meeting, that all computers with the 1980 Y2K problem would be replaced with Y2K funds from the legislature. There are 27 computers on campus with the 1980 problem.

(3) The Capital Campaign is looking for donors to set up an endowment to help fund technological needs. It may be somewhat difficult to raise dollars per se for computers. There have been discussions to have companies donate equipment for a lab or computer room. Rather than one time funding, ARCC would like to have an endowment so that on-going funding is available.

SUPPLEMENTAL PAY
Provost Eisler discussed the issue of supplemental pay for faculty. The policy on supplemental pay was initiated so that faculty could earn money beyond their contract. PPM 3-50, II C states:

Faculty members may engage in research, sponsored projects, training grants, interdepartmental consulting, extra teaching, etc.,during any twelve-month academic year (Summer Term through Spring Semester) in which they also fulfill the requirements of their regular full-time faculty appointment at the University and be reimbursed as supplemental pay a maximum of one-third of the basic salary earned during their regular appointment. If any portion of the supplemental pay is to be paid from federal funds, written permission for that supplemental pay must be obtained in advance from the agency that granted or authorized the use of the federal funds.

It appears that more and more people are exceeding our policy guidelines. Some of the concerns are: (1) Supplemental pay is growing very rapidly. (2) Employees may develop a dependency on the additional pay. (3) Burn out. (4) Commitment to research, scholarship, and service could diminish. (5) Overall it is not good for a program we develop to become dependent on one or two people.

Our system does not track supplemental pay very well. It is almost impossible to develop good data to provide Department Chairs of where faculty are in term of supplemental pay.

The Provost has begun two processes: (1) A working group has been developed to look at supplemental pay. The group consists of Julie Arbuckle, Jim Bird, Brad Carroll, Bruce Handley, Roger Nichols, Angelika Pagel, Al Talbot, Clayton Anderson, Peg Wherry with Mike Vaughan as Chair. They will solicit information, uncover what the issues are, and come back with recommenda- tions on ways to deal with supplemental pay. (2) There is a small group of people he feels are far enough away from our policy guidelines that they need to begin to reduce their supplemental pay. The Provost is working with their Deans on developing a plan for them to scale back.

The committee discussed the policies on supplemental pay at Utah State University and the University of Utah. The original policy at WSU was a 33% limitation. The Provost is looking at faculty who receive supplemental pay in excess of 50% of their contract salary during the period of their contract, and in excess of $30,000. The committee discussed supplemental pay for on-line courses. The Provost will come back to the Executive Committee to discuss further these issues and the policy on supplemental pay.

PROVOST=S REVIEW
Provost Eisler discussed criticisms he received in his review: (1) Too involved with details. He is separating himself from the issues that should be handled by the Deans. (2) The amount of time he spends with faculty (Not enough). He feels this is a legitimate concern. The two biggest consumptions of his time are Regents and President=s Council. The third is Faculty Senate. He has started taking a group of faculty to lunch every other week. He is also working with the Deans to spend a day a month out in the colleges. (3) Too much time on enrollment issues. When he first came to WSU, enrollment issues were a big concern. The challenge for him is how to deal with enrollment and do it in a way that it is meaningful. He is proposing adding another person to his office. Either an Assistant or an Associate Provost whose primary function is enrollment management. The Provost=s Office will conduct a national search. When the Provost first came to WSU President Thompson encouraged him to hire another Associate Provost to handle enrollment management. That was a time when the university was cutting budgets and he did not feel comfortable with doing that at that time.

President Thompson expressed his views on this issue. There are a couple of things important in enrollment management. The Regents have an enrollment growth formula. It looks at the level of the students. Enrollment could be up, but if we have more freshmen and sophomores, and less juniors and seniors, they could cut our budget. We need to have someone who is paying attention to what we are doing to get juniors, seniors and graduates. Approximately 72% of the student credit hours WSU generates are lower division credit hours. We need to focus on transfer students, retention of upper division student, and recruitment from within the United States and internationally. If we attract an additional 20 students to Weber State, it would pay the person=s salary. We need to look at what we are doing with our scholarships. The Provost will discuss this search with the Directors in Enrollment Management.

Kathleen Lukken will continue as Associate Provost with her emphasis on assessment. The additional person will focus on enrollment management.

SALARY ISSUES
President Thompson reporting. Public education is putting pressure on the legislature. He believes there is a good chance public education will receive more than a 2.5% or 3% salary increase from the legislature. He is hearing that the legislature is defining education as public education and higher education, and, therefore, there is a chance that higher education will receive a little more than last year.

Enrollment is up and President=s Council is looking at whether they can do a one time allocation of funds. The details and decision will be made in the next 45 days. Enrollment growth money cannot be used for salaries. This money comes as non-compensation dollars, but it can be used one time as a one time bonus.

WSU has been losing ground to market salaries. The last few years we have been focusing on how we allocate the money from the legislature. We need to better manage the money. Extra money was allocated for classified staff last year and the administration will continue to do that to bring the classified staff salaries up to the average higher education salary comparison among the Utah State universities and colleges. They plan to do the same thing for faculty. They are looking at retirement savings and additional sources of money to put into the salary pool. The plan needs to be implemented prior to February 20, 2000.

President Thompson was asked what happens to the interest earned on the salary money. Approximately 85% of WSU=s budget is salary money. The money put in the State Treasury Pool is currently earning 5.8%. President Thompson will check on how we receive our money from the legislature, i.e. does it all come July 1?

One thing the Salary Committee may want to talk to the administration about is taking those monies that are directly attributable to salaries, based on earnings, and have having those interest earnings allocated to the base salary. This could amount to a 3% increase for all faculty.

HEALTH BENEFITS
The administration has a small work group and an advisory group to look at self funding, and if we self fund who will be the administrator. If we decide to not self fund, they we need to send out for bids in early January. Our health care plan has been customized in the past. We are now being forced to have a standard plan. It is more expensive for an insurance company to administer a customized plan.

USU PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS
Concern was expressed by several Executive Committee members about USU programs on Weber State=s campus, and USU advertising that is derogatory toward Weber State faculty and programs. Terry Teigeler, Director of the USU Ogden Center/Graduate Studies, has been given an office in Promontory Towers, and license to offer courses on our campus. USU has offered half tuition to Weber State employees to take their courses offered at Weber State. Jeff Livingston will be invited to meet with the Executive Committee to discuss the USU issues further.

MBA PROGRAM
The MBA Program is an action item for the November 12, 1999 Regents= meeting. When Provost Eisler and Mike Vaughan met with USU officials regarding the WSU MBA proposal, they felt they had reached a verbal agreement that WSU would support USU=s program in Ogden, and USU would support WSU=s program in Davis County. When the MBA Program went to the October 12, 1999 Regents= meeting, USU administrators voiced objections.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM
The Criminal Justice Program has not been presented to President=s Council. The Criminal Justice Department is still revising the Regents= proposal.

ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.