THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING

JANUARY 19, 2006

 

Members Present:  Tim Nesbitt (P), Tammy Anthony (P), Kurt Anderson (P), Sandra Moreno (C), Maureen Camunez (P), Bobbi Raub (f), Dario Silva (p), Phil Wright (Non-branch), Tom Rubadeau (C), Ida Chavez (OLC), Norma Ledesma (P), Bernhard Leinauer (F), Mary Hoke (F)

 

Alternates Present:  Kelly Brooks (alternate for Bill Glenn) (P), Roseanne Bensley (P), Genevieve Bauer (alternate for Nellie Rosales) (C), Linda Beavers (alternate for Russell Hardy) (Branch), Steve Hussman (Alternate for faculty), Yolanda Baca, Reina Clark (Physics)

 

Ex-Officio Members Present: Diana Quintana (Director, Human Resources).

 

Visitors:  Tina Byford (Insurance Committee), Jim Anthony (Fringe Benefits Committee Chair), Christina Chavez Kelley (Assistant to the President), Lisa Warren (Specialist, Assistant to the President) Greeley Myers (Pioneer rep),, Agustin Diaz (Asst. Director, Human Resources), Bruce Kite (General Counsel), Kathy Sowa (Library),

 

CALL TO ORDER AND MINUTES

 

Tim Nesbitt called the regular monthly meeting of the Advisory Council on Administrative Policy (ACAP) to order at 3:06 p.m. in the Zuel Library Conference Room.  Tim asked for additions and/or corrections to the minutes from the December 8, 2005, meeting.  There were none.  A motion to accept the minutes as recorded and submitted was made by Phil Wright and seconded by Kurt Anderson.  The motion carried.

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

Employee Background Check Policy:  Diana Quintana, Director of Human Resources, addressed the group regarding the Conflict of Interest Policy.  It was developed to tighten internal controls and to give guidance when dealing with litigation issues.  The policy was drafted by a committee with representation from Faculty Senate, ACAP, various campus offices (such as Business Office, Police, Housing, etc.).  All current employees will be grandfathered except those under listed hiring transactions.  Not every hire will necessitate all reviews; however, all new hires will have a social security number trace, sex offender search, and county criminal conviction search done. 

 

This policy, once accepted and implemented, will go out to bid for a vendor to conduct the background searches.  The cost will be approximately $35 for the three searches.  The hiring department/college will pay the costs involved.  Duties or contractual regulations may require additional searches.  These additional searches will be conducted only on finalists.  The average search will have a 24-hour turn-around time frame.  All posted openings will have a statement regarding required searches.  A negative review is not be an automatic disqualification; it will then be turned over to Human Resources for review.  If an applicant provides information to correct misinformation within five days, Human Resources will ask departments if they want to wait.  The implementation of this policy will allow for the standardization of hiring forms for faculty, exempt and non-exempt employees, and students.  It is hoped that a RFP will sent to identified potential vendors by July of 2006.

 

Pertaining to semester faculty hires:  The sensitivity duty review applies to all faculty hires, including temporaries.  The review will be attached to the application packet in addition to other forms.  The vendor will be able to automatically flag for rehires, such as students.

 

Questions from the floor with answers included:

·                      Will existing vendors be changed so that only one will be used for all searches?  That is to be worked out between departments and HR, but it does not have to be the same vendor for every University unit.

 

·                      It seems expensive.  When you consider that this policy is a preventative policy, the cost is an investment.

 

·                      What about employees with special assignments, i.e., United Way Campaign Chair?  These types of assignments will not trigger a search unless there is a title change.  Searches will not be required on interim appointments.

 

Diane Quintana asked that questions/feedback be send to her via e-mail.  She is presenting this policy to Faculty Senate today, also.  She hopes that the policy can be presented to the Administrative Council in February where a report will be given and approval will be requested.  Bruce Kite briefly discussed why it was felt that a policy was needed.

 

Policy Manual Review Process:  Christina Chavez-Kelley spoke to the group regarding the policy manual (the 2000 revision) and her task regarding the on-going work to remove inconsistencies--some information originally removed needs to be reinserted; some additional provisions need to be added regarding employee hiring practices, evaluation processes, and faculty receiving tenure.  A policy goes into effect when the Administrative Council approves it, or in the Faculty’s case, when the President signs off on Faculty Senate minutes.

 

There is a big effort to use gender neutral language, except in appendices, to meet the mandate from the Commission on the Status of Women.  Lisa Warren is reviewing the manuals of peer institutions for ideas, and Human Resources has been assigned the task of streamlining the grievance section.  The date of ratification is on the top of each page of the manual.

 

ACAP is represented on the committee by Yoli Baca and Dario Silva.

 

ACAP Election Results:  The representatives for exempt employees are Tim Nesbitt, College of Ag & Home Economics, voting member; Norma Ledesman, College of Engineering, voting member; Lori McKee, Student Health Center, alternate; and Tina Byford, Business, Finance, and Human Resources, alternate. 

 

Non-exempt representatives are Teri Giron, College of Ag & Home Economics, voting member; Paul Ponce, Office of Facility Services, voting member; and Suzanne Loera, Doņa Ana Branch Community College, alternate.

 

Faculty representatives are Bobbi Raub, Doņa Ana Branch Community College, voting member; and Elliott Willman, College of Business, alternate.

 

These individuals’ terms begin with the February 2006 ACAP meeting.

 

Employee Open Forum:  Tim Nesbitt will be moderating the second employee open forum scheduled for January 26, 2006 in Gerald Thomas Hall auditorium at 3:30 pm.  The goal is to get core issues address.  Topic suggestions from the floor included benefits, cost comparisons, and answers to 21 questions.  A hotline message will be sent notifying all employees of the meeting.

By-Law Committee Report:  This report was table until the February 2006 meeting.  ACAP members were asked to read it prior to that meeting.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

ACAP Elections for February 2006 Meeting:  Elections will be held at the February 9, 2006, meeting for chair-elect and secretary.  ACAP members may nominate themselves or have someone else do it for them.  Members were encouraged to email Tammy Anthony with any nominations for Chair Elect and Secretary.  The job description for each position is defined by the by-laws.  The ACAP Executive Committee is currently reviewing candidates for the paid recording secretary position.

 

REPORT FROM THE CHAIR

 

Tim Nesbitt suggested forwarding the idea of considering sabbaticals for professional employees to the Fringe Benefits Committee and adding ACAP retiree representatives names to the e-mail list.  All suggestions were approved.  There has been a new link added to the ACAP website to Labor Statues, and the Labor Board Guidelines replaces Ben Woods ground rules.

 

Tim thanked ACAP for a productive year and bid the job of chair farewell.

Tammy Anthony commended Tim for his leadership during the past year.

 

The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Bobbi Raub, acting recording secretary