UFF-USF

Agenda & Introductions.
Thirteen people were in attendance.

Annual evaluations.
Discussion of problems and irregularities in annual evaluations.

Summer.
Discussion of problems with summer assignments.

Legislative action.
There was a discussion of developments in Tallahassee.

Reports.

• Grievances.
  Discussion of grievances and potential grievances.

• Bargaining.
  The contract expires August 6.

• Treasury.
  We are solvent.

• Membership.
  Motion to have luncheon with high-profile politician, and to set up an awards program for union people. Motion seconded, and passed unanimously. A committee for these events was appointed: K. de la Pena McCook (chair), J. Martin & G. McColm.

• USF-Saint Petersburg.
  USF St. Petersburg is hemorrhaging faculty; discussion of underlying problems and possible reaction by SACS.

• USF-Sarasota.
  Discussion of Sarasota.

Good of the Order.
There are three bronze bulls in the square before the new Student Union.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on April 16, 2009.

Agenda & Introductions.
Ten people were in attendance.

Membership.
We have new members.

Minutes.
The minutes of the March 13 meeting were approved.

Schedule.
We will meet in USF-Tampa on April 10, and then in USF-Polytech in Lakeland on April 24 at 1 pm. There will be a Biweekly Extra announcing the change.

Chapter Elections.
Election Committee chair Steve Tauber will send out the results from this morning’s count.

Legislative action.
There was a discussion of developments in Tallahassee.

Reports.

• Grievances.
  Four outstanding grievances and a potential grievance were discussed.

• Treasury.
  We are solvent.

• Bargaining.
  We discussed the bargaining situation.

• Faculty Senate.
  Senate Vice President Steve Permuth reported on senate-administration relations.

Announcements.
There were two announcements.

• Sherman Dorn was interviewed on WBUL about the administrative bonuses this morning; it is 17 minutes into the downloadable audio file for WBUL News on March 27 at 11:00 am.

• There will be a consultation with the administration on April 23.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on March 28, 2009.

Agenda & Introductions.
Twelve people were in attendance.

Grievances.
Five grievances and two potential grievances were discussed.

State Budget.
The St. Petersburg Times article on the Florida Retirement System was discussed. Also discussed was the budget proposed by Governor Charlie Crist.
We continue to get new members. The chapter will conduct the study approved on January 30.

Treasury.
The treasurer reported that we have money. There was a discussion of the logistics of printing and distributing copies of the contract.

Communications.
The Biweekly continues to experience communications problems.

Bonuses to Administrators.
The bonuses recently awarded to senior administrators were discussed.

Productivity Reports.
Discussion of prospects of FAIR.

Regional Campuses.
USF-St. Petersburg is has several issues with SACS; discussion of issues and prospects.

Bargaining.
No movement: we await the word from the legislature.

Summer Classes at USF-St. Petersburg.
There appear to be some irregularities in summer school assignments.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on March 20, 2009.

From FEA:

As expected, with a stock market in steep decline, the value of the FRS pension fund has declined to $120.4 billion. This represents 93% of the liabilities or promised benefits. Ennis Knupp and Associates, a financial consulting firm, made this report yesterday at a meeting of the Investment Advisory Council of the State Board of Administration (SBA). The SBA invests Florida’s FRS funds.

Fortunately for retirees and our members, not all of the money would be withdrawn at once, meaning there is no risk that the fund will go bankrupt or that Floridians won’t receive their benefits. Remember, there is a liability for any employee who has vested (six years service) no matter their current age. Because FRS and other pension plans will not pay out every penny at once, many state pensions are far from fully funded. Florida’s is actually considered among the strongest in the country.

A Standard and Poor’s report on state pension funds using 2007 data, ranked Florida as the third best fund in the country, behind Oregon and North Carolina. Illinois, Oklahoma and Rhode Island were at the bottom of the list, with their pensions all funded below 62 percent.

From 1985 to 1997, Florida’s pension fund was underfunded, but rose from a 54.3 percent funding level to 91.3 percent. It then rode the economic boom of the 1990s and early 2000s, and at its highest point in 2000, the pension was funded at 118.1 percent of liabilities.

Agenda & Introductions.
Ten people were in attendance. The agenda was approved.

Minutes.
The minutes were approved.

Membership.
We continue to get new members. The chapter will conduct the study approved on January 30.

Chapter and Local Elections.
Chapter and local elections are underway.

Legislative Action.
Members are encouraged to participate in legislative action by contacting legislators, especially on March 3 on own or on March 18 with UFF group.

Reports.

• Grievances. Seven grievances were discussed.

• Political action. The local Labor Council will be meeting shortly.

• Faculty Senate. The representative of the Faculty Senate discussed four outstanding issues.

• Treasury. Reporting requirements for non-profits have changed, and the chapter will file a return.

• Communications. The form and format of communications will be under review this summer.

• Bargaining. Issues in upcoming bargaining were discussed.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on March 5, 2009.

Attendance.
There were eight people in attendance.

Sarasota.
The meeting was in USF-Sarasota.

Chapter Election.
There were preparations for the upcoming chapter elections.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on February 21, 2009.

Attendance.
There were fourteen people in attendance.

Agenda & Introductions.
The agenda was approved.

Membership.
Three membership issues were discussed.

• The chapter is organizing a Membership Committee.

• Motion to authorize the officers of the Chapter to sign a contract with two graduate students for a study of two departments, after said contract is circulated on the activism list for review. Motion seconded and passed.

• Discussion of how to make union membership more attractive.

Minutes.
The minutes from the January 16 meeting were approved.

Faculty Surveys.
Discussion of two surveys now underway of faculty.

UFF Senate.
Discussion of mutual concerns.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on February 7, 2009.

The chapter’s bargaining team has established a bargaining survey to collect information about the negotiating priorities of in-unit faculty and professional employees. If you have not seen a link to it, please e-mail Sherman Dorn. [The survey is now closed.]

Attendance.
There were thirteen people in attendance.

Agenda & Introductions.
The agenda was approved.

Minutes.
The minutes from the December 12 meeting were approved.

Membership.
We are steadily gaining new members. An initiative was discussed and will be revisited at the next meeting.

Leroy Dubeck’s visit.
Leroy Dubeck will make his presentation on Thursday, January 22, at 2 pm, in Marshall 2001.

Chapter Election.

• Motion to postpone the deadline for nominations to February 6 made, seconded, and approved; ballot kits will be assembled on February 13.

UFF Senate.
Discussion of mutual concerns.

AFT Higher Education Conference.
This will be in Miami, March 6 – 8.

Reports.

• Grievances. Discussion of ongoing grievances.
• Political Action. Discussion of current events.
• Bargaining. Discussion of the bargaining situation.
• Treasury. We have money.
• Communications. There will be a Biweekly Extra next week announcing the new deadline for nominations, the deadline for sabbatical applications, and reminding everyone of Dubeck’s presentation.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on January 17, 2009.

TODAY!
Joining the United Faculty of Florida is as easy as following the link to http://faculty.ourusf.org/join-uff/ . Every employee within the UFF bargaining unit should join.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
By the end of this week, all members of the bargaining unit (not just union members) should have received the harcopy Spring 2009 issue of Uncommon Sense, which is posted at http://w3.usf.edu/~uff/US/Spring2009.htm . If you did not receive your copy, please let us know. The first regular UFF Biweekly of the semester will be broadcast on January 15, and the first Chapter meeting will be at noon on January 16 in SOC 384..

WHAT DO USF’S FINANCES LOOK LIKE?
USF’s "unrestricted net assets" became an issue after they were pointed out by Leroy Dubeck, a physics professor who looks at university budgets for the National Education Association. UFF asked that Dubeck look at USF’s statement to the State of Florida. Dubeck will be visiting Florida this month, and will give a presentation on Thursday, January 22, at 2 pm, in Marshall Center 2001 (A). All members of the USF community with a stake in USF’s future are strongly encouraged to attend. For more, see below or at http://www.uff.ourusf.org/biweekly/Spring09.html#010809finance .

ELECTION SEASON
It’s election season! All UFF members are eligible to run for president, vice president, treasurer, or secretary. All UFF members are eligible to run for UFF senator and/or FEA delegate. For a description of how this works, see the on-line issue of the Spring 2009 Uncommon Sense posted at http://w3.usf.edu/~uff/US/Spring2009.htm . For information on how to nominate or self-nominate, go to the nomination page at http://uff.ourusf.org/letters/nomination.rtf ; all nomination materials are due on January 30; submit nominations to the Election Chair at tauber@ourusf.org . All UFF members are encouraged to vote!

CHAPTER MEETINGS
During the Spring, 2009, Chapter meetings will be on alternate Fridays, starting at noon, on January 16 & 30, February 13 & 27, March 13 & 27, April 10 & 24. We will meet at USF-Tampa in SOC 384, except for February 13 (when we will meet in USF-Sarasota, room TBA), and April 10 (when we will meet in USF-Lakeland/Polytech, room TBA). Come and join the movement.

SALARY BUMP IN TWO PHASES
Everyone eligible for the 2% pay increase should have seen that in your January 2, 2009, salary deposit. Merit increases will come one or two pay periods later, because that has to be calculated within each department and checked. At approximately the same time as the merit increases are put into the university’s payroll database, HR will send out the payment increase notices to everyone in the unit.

PROBLEMS WITH BLACKBOARD 8?
Chapter officers and Academic Computing have heard of a few problems with the transition to Blackboard 8 and the new "Grade Center." One problem revolves around the display of cells when font is enlarged (e.g., for faculty and graduate TAs with low vision). If you need technical support for Blackboard, please call the Blackboard Trainers group at 974-3286; if you are having problems related to vision impairments, please also contact Sherman Dorn ( sherman.dorn@gmail.com ) so the chapter can track this issue in particular.

ON FACULTY CONSENT, NOTE-TAKING, AND DISABILITY
A newly-revised policy on course notes and recordings that "sets forth limitations on, and the University of South Florida’s regulation of the use of notes/recordings" is posted at
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/ACADAF/GC10-048.htm . It gives more control to the instructor on notetaking and recordings and makes clear that students cannot resell notes or recordings (to a commercial note-distribution company) without the express permission of the university and the class instructor. Students may record class presentations for disability-related reasons.

A REVISED STUDENT ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE POLICY
New regulations on academic integrity and disruption of academic processes have been approved. For more, see below or at
http://www.uff.ourusf.org/biweekly/Spring09.html#010809grievance .