UFF-USF

UFF-USF chapter meeting agenda
August 28, 2009, 12 noon
SOC 258

1. Agenda approval
2. Special rule for debate of amendments and new business items
3. Debate and vote on proposed amendment to Chapter Constitution (20 minutes)
4. Debate and vote on proposed amendment to Chapter By-laws (20 minutes)
5. New business
   1. Dues rebate for new members (10 minutes)
   2. Stipends for member volunteers for specific tasks (10 minutes)
6. Reports
   1. Ad hoc committee on chapter governance documents
   2. Treasurer
   3. Grievances
   4. Communications
   5. Bargaining
   6. Faculty Senate
7. For the good of the order

Proposed special rule: “For the purposes of debate on governance amendments and new business items at the August 28, 2009, chapter membership meeting, debate shall be limited to 20 minutes for each governance amendment and 10 minutes for each new business item. If time for debate has elapsed without a vote on the main motion, the body shall vote on any motion currently before the body and the main motion. Each speech shall be restricted to one tenth of the time alloted for the debate on the main motion (i.e., 2 minutes for speeches on the governance amendments and 1 minute for new business items). The wording of resolutions and amendments shall be presented in writing to the chair at the time the motion is made.” Note: time limits on individual speeches and debate may be extended by unanimous consent; this special rule would not eliminate that flexibility.

A few more faculty responded over the weekend to the survey, for a final total of 112 responses. There were no additional comments, and here is the final tally. The question: Are you intending to modify your class attendance policies to accommodate the possibility of severe H1N1?

Yes: 31

No: 36

Not sure yet: 45

You can also read the digest of comments.

Linked below are three documents: a memo from Associate Provost Tapas Das with regard to a potential closure or serious disruption of USF from events such as H1N1 or hurricanes; a list of suggestions from the provost’s office on things to think about tied to potential closures, and a paragraph to insert in all syllabi.

There is a provision in the UFF-USF Collective Bargaining Agreement about emergency closure: all in-unit employees are paid during emergency closures. I assume that the bargaining history is related to storms rather than potential pandemics, but the effect is the same. At least in terms of the attached documents, accommodations for closures are left to the professional judgment of faculty and other instructors of record.

Tapas Das letter

Paragraph for syllabi

Things for faculty to think about regarding closure

One issue coming directly from a recent membership study commissioned by the UFF-USF Chapter is the set of concerns from participants about the structure of formulaic merit pay and administrative salary discretion. This time of economic hardship is probably the best year in which to talk about long-term structures in the contract, as there will probably not be a huge amount of money in play. During the fall, I will be setting up meetings on every campus and in multiple places on the Tampa campus to talk just about merit pay and other salary issues.

This will be a member-driven process: colleagues who are not dues-paying UFF members can vote on contract ratification, but the members set chapter policy. I want to be clear about my personal interests and intended role, before the discussions focused on merit pay begin: like my colleagues, I have my own opinions and ideas about merit pay, but the collective interests of the chapter membership will determine what the chapter’s approach on merit pay will be over the next few years. In 2007 I campaigned on the pledge to follow the faculty and professional employees of USF as we changed, and from a few places (not just the membership study), I am getting the message that merit pay and discretionary pay has to change. To be consistent with what I promised, my job is to start and protect a conversation about merit pay.

From what I know already, the issues involved in merit pay are a classic wicked problem, or a complex issue that isn’t going to be amenable to a direct “here’s the cause, and here’s the solution” process. I’ve had a number of conversations about merit pay over the years with both administrators and faculty, and the tendency of many comments is to fall into a pattern: “Here’s the problem with merit pay at USF, and instead of doing it this way we should do it just like it was done at my last institution.” The reference to “my last institution” is a heuristic short-cut: well-intended but an elision nonetheless, and I will view one of my jobs in these conversations to get behind such short-cuts.

As I wrote above, I have some preconceptions about the issues and potential solutions, but I know that they are preconceptions, and it is more important that the membership determine policy than that I agree with that policy. To guarantee that the decision is membership-driven, I will argue against any unilateral setting of long-term merit-pay bargaining guidance without a membership vote.

Below are the types of comments expressed by some of the 110 individual respondents to the UFF survey this week on H1N1 and attendance policies. Please keep in mind that the participants in this survey are probably not a representative sample, and answers should be viewed as a sample of the options that faculty are considering.

Attendance requirements—what are faculty planning to do? Some of the choices faculty are making:

• No changes
• Case-by-case adjustments
• Raising the limit on unexplained/unexcused absences.
• Providing alternative assignments that enable students to make up attendance
• Waiving in-class assignment requirements
• Extending deadlines for assignments
• Turning in-class work into online (Blackboard) assignment
• Eliminating attendance requirements, with in-class exercises as extra credit

 

What documentation are faculty planning to require? Some of the choices faculty are making:

• Doctor’s note required
• Doctor’s note not required
• No doctor’s note but prior notice required (no “oops I overslept” post-hoc inventions of flu)
• Distinctions between regular classes and exams: flexibility for classes, doctor’s note required for exam absence

 

Other thoughts related to H1N1 and classes:

• Some faculty will insist that students who are sick should stay home, quoting from Dr. Egilda Terenzi’s statement in syllabus
• Some faculty are intending to place more material online
• Some faculty intend to record classes to place mp3s on line for absent students
• Some faculty intend to spend more time explaining attendance policies clearly at beginning of term and specifically how they might apply for H1N1
• Some faculty intend to use the H1N1 pandemic to remind students that they have the obligation to contact classmates to catch up on material
• Some faculty intend to explain the practical effect on grades of missing substantial amounts of the semester
• Some faculty will explain that they will be more supportive of petitions for dropping/withdrawing from class for medical reasons

 

Additional comments:

• There were some concerns about availability of medical care at Student Health Services
• Some faculty expressed concerns about staff and faculty health
• Some faculty expressed concerns about the work and security involved in creating make-up exams and suggested that USF create a testing center to provide security for make-up exams

 

As of this morning, 110 USF faculty have responded to the online survey UFF began on Monday to gauge whether faculty are making changes to class attendance policies in response to the H1N1 pandemic. Of those responding, 40% are not yet sure what they will do, and the others are approximately evenly split between faculty making changes and those not making changes.

Another entry sometime this weekend will summarize comments from individual respondents. One early note: Some of the “no” respondents explained that they thought their existing attendance policies would be sufficiently flexible to address student absences from H1N1.

Tuesday’s state Revenue Estimating Conference ended up predicting a small (1%) reduction in state general revenues from the March estimate that was the basis for the state’s budget this year (see executive summary for more). That will not require a special session to cut the current year’s budget, at least for now.

The forecast for 2010-11 is also less than the 2010-11 forecast in the March estimate, but the predicted general revenues for 2010-11 is still more than 6% higher than in the current fiscal year. The continuation of stimulus funding for education means that we’ll probably see something close to a flat budget for next year, plus hopefully a minor increase depending on politics. The closer we get to the next legislative session without additional free-fall in the state’s economy, the better the state’s general budget outlook is. There will still be a fight for revenues in the legislature, but the odds are looking better that we’re not going to have additional horrid cuts.

Attendance.
There were sixteen people in attendance.

Meeting Rule.
Because of much business, a 3 minute rule for statements was put in place.

Membership.
Discussion of membership growth.

Amendment to the Constitution.
An amendment was proposed.

• Motion to propose an amendment to Article VI made and seconded. To change language FROM “This constitution may be amended as follows: A proposed amendment shall be distributed to all members at least thirty days prior to a vote. A constitutional amendment shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of all those present at the time of the vote.” TO “The Chapter Executive Committee, Chapter Council, 20% of the chapter membership (by petition), or the attending members at any membership meeting may propose an amendment to the constitution, whose proposed changes shall then be sent to the membership thirty days before a paper-ballot or an electronic vote. Ratification requires approval of two-thirds of those voting.” Motion passed by unanimous vote; the amendment will be presented for approval at the August 28 Chapter meeting.

Amendment to the Bylaws.
An amendment was proposed.

• Motion to amend Article VI made and seconded. To change language FROM “A vote of two-thirds of those present and voting at a membership meeting if the members have been notified at least two weeks in advance may amend the Bylaws.” TO “The Chapter Executive Committee, Chapter Council, 20% of the chapter membership (by petition), or the attending members at any membership meeting may propose an amendment to the constitution, whose proposed changes shall then be sent to the membership thirty days before a paper-ballot or an electronic vote. Ratification requires approval of two-thirds of those voting.” Motion passed by unanimous vote; the amendment will be presented for approval at the August 28 Chapter meeting.

Two Motions on Impasse.
Bargaining between AFSCME and USF are now at impasse.

• Motion made and seconded that our local provide AFSCME 3342 with support needed as they conduct impasse hearings. Motion passed.

And another motion.

• Motion made and seconded Be it resolved that the USF Board of Trustees is not the proper legal legislative body to impose impasse resolutions; FURTHERMORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the USF Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida requests assistance from the United Faculty of Florida and its state affiliate, the Florida Education Association, in contesting the USF Board of Trustees as the legislative body for impasse hearings. Motion passed unanimously.

English Language Institute- status report.
There was a report on the English Language Institute.

Treasurer report.
We have money.

Grievance report.
The Grievance chair reported on grievances.

Bargaining report.
The Bargaining chair reported on bargaining.

These minutes respectfully submitted by K. de la Pena McCook on August 10, 2009.

The United Faculty of Florida is now collecting information through a two-item survey from all teaching employees at USF on attendance-policy modifications that they are considering for the fall semester to accommodate student illnesses. The survey is at http://tinyurl.com/lp863u and results will be published by August 20, 2009.

Below is this morning’s memo from the USF director of Student Health Services about H1N1 flu.

August 10, 2009

 

Message from:    

Egilda Terenzi, Medical Director, Student Health Services

 

As faculty and staff members, you are important partners in our efforts to address the challenges of the H1N1 (swine) flu pandemic.

We have appreciated your cooperation throughout the summer, when the H1N1 flu affected many of our students and faculty and staff members. Most patients have experienced mild cases and recovered within seven days. However, a more severe form of the virus could emerge this fall.

We encourage faculty who see students who appear ill to advise them to:

·       Visit the campus health center.

·       Urge them not to attend class until well.

·       Physically distance themselves from others.

·       Remind students to wash their hands thoroughly several times a day.

 

Some students in higher-risk categories may experience very serious complications.  We understand class attendance is vital. However, we respectfully request that you consider relaxing your class attendance and make-up-work requirements for students affected by the H1N1 virus.

Those with H1N1 can infect others for seven days after the onset of symptoms. During that time, they would expose other students to the virus if they attended class.

 

Individuals with flu-like symptoms but without risk factors or complications may be instructed to stay home rather than go to a medical facility. Consequently, some students may not have official confirmation of the virus. 

 

We will continue to communicate regularly with our faculty and staff members about this public health challenge. We also encourage you to visit www.shs.usf.edu , where we will post updates and links to additional resources on the Web.

 

Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to our students’ health and well-being.  For answers to frequently asked questions about H1N1 flu, please follow this link: http://floridashealth.com/DEMO/php/SwineFlu/documents/swinefluqanda.doc

 

 

Egilda Terenzi, MD

Medical Director

University of South Florida

Division of Student Affairs

Student Health Services

4202 E. Fowler Ave, SHS100

Tampa, FL 33620-6750

Tel:   813.974.1815

Fax:  813.974.8391

The attached spreadsheet lists the maximum occupancies for a number of Tampa classrooms listed by USF Central Space. This is not a complete list of classrooms at USF or even on the Tampa campus.