Meeting called to order at 9:05 AM.  Present were Vice-President Bob Becker (OSU), Secretary-Treasurer Kemble Yates (SOU), Greg Monahan (EOU), Sherry Yang (OIT), Tim Thompson (OIT), Steve Gibbons (WOU), Jacqui Arante (PSU), and Marie Vitulli (UO).  Also present:  Mark Nelson and Erica Hetfield.   

Vice-President Bob Becker called the meeting to order at 9:05.   

The minutes were approved as corrected.  Kemble will e-mail the corrected minutes to the Board. 

Campus reports— 

OSU (BB)

• OSU’s $13M deficit lingers – faculty believe the tuition ‘plateau’ has helped cause this.
• Several departmental condensations are being discussed; a 5% cut is being implemented.
  

UO (MV)

• Faculty just received 2.3% COLA and 4.7% merit raises.  This has been estimated to cost $8.8M for this fiscal year.
• Senate Budget Committee (MV on)… their goal is to move faculty from 85% to 95% of median comparator salaries (over several years).
• They’re also going to advise their administration on how to spend their share ($2M of OUS’ $8M) of faculty salary dollars in Governor’s budget request.
• Questions about tuition cap – weren’t UO and OSU exempt from the 3.4% caps?  Apparently Governor Kulongoski changed his mind late in the game.
  

EOU (GM)

• New library is in the OUS capital construction budget.
• 1% increase given to those faculty employed in 2003-04.
• President was renewed for one year, and is a finalist for another Presidency in Texas.
• Jay Kenton & Denise Yunker visited the EOU campus yesterday regarding retirement and benefits issues.
  

OIT (TT & SY)

• Faculty just received a 2% raise, and this is the first year of a post-tenure compensation plan.  This means faculty will be eligible for additional salary dollars every five years independent of promotion.
• Tim will send us a copy of this compensation plan to the Board via e-mail.
• Their accreditation self-study just completed.
• Strategic planning reports now being written.
• Their new technology fee monies are being distributed to departments.
• The Provost will be evaluated soon – he’s not particularly popular at this time.
  

PSU (JA)

• Up 2% in enrollment.
• A new role/mission is being envisioned.  Civic engagements?
• Deep dissatisfaction by faculty about the declining ratio of tenure-track faculty to the whole.  70% of SCH now delivered by non-tenure-track faculty.
• There is push at PSU (at least by the President) for recruiting international students.
• George Pernsteiner and Denise Yunker came to the December Senate meeting.  Instead of talking about the defined-contribution retirement changes, he talked about the Governor’s and the OUS budget requests.
• AAUP is gearing up for contract negotiations, to open in March.  Jonathon Uto will be the AAUP chief negotiator.
  

WOU (SG)

• Minahan has now been made the full-fledged President.
• An OHSU-run Nursing program is coming online.
• The union opens bargaining in February.  Ed Dover will be their chief negotiator.
• Provost is looking for a new job.
• New Math-CS building is among the latest capital construction projects.
  

SOU (KY)

• President declared “a condition requiring the reduction and/or elimination of programs” (a direct reference to the faculty union contract) on Jan. 8.
• A provisional plan will be announced on Jan. 22, campus comment period ensues until Feb. 19, and a final plan will be announced on March 5.
• The union contract allows the firing of tenure-track and tenured faculty in an affected program.  Seniority and notice requirements do govern this, but there is every indication there will be some faculty who lose their jobs.
  

Treasuer’s Report/ Membership Report 

Membership continues to be down – could be retirements.  We need more members.  We need a more visible and effective drive to recruit members.  We need to continue to update our webpage.  We should particularly concentrate on new faculty.  We need to  continue pursuing institutional memberships.

Executive Director Report (Mark Nelson) -- 

The new Legislature has convened and set its leadership and committees.  Mark thinks the Joint Ways & Means’ Education Subcommittee looks strong for higher education.  Tax reform is still on low simmer… perhaps it might emerge in the new “annual session” in February, 2008. 

The Governor’s budget is strong for higher education, and our job is to “keep what we have” in there!  Chancellor argued that our “roll-up” was about 15%.  It’s interesting that from the 05-07 to 07-09, there is a budgeted increase of about 600 FTE employees in the OUS.  AOF will send the Board the link to the part of the Governor’s budget relevant to OUS. 

We need to get clarified how the $9M for the regionals (Bend is now a “regional” in this distribution), the $6.9M for reducing student/faculty ratio, and the $8M for faculty salaries are intended to be distributed.  We have heard that the $8M will be given proportionate to each campus’ salary base. Pernsteiner claims to be in favor of a “funding as though there were steps” model, to more equitably budget for roll-ups. 

DAS has $130M budgeted for COLA’s for all state employees.  Supposedly NO steps – classified or unclassified – are to be rolled up with this.   AOF estimates that this would fund about a 3% increase each for each employee.  Additional salary monies are hypothetically available through the funding of the cell model (e.g. the $14M for enrollment increase).  Tuition dollars are also potentially available for salaries. 

The OUS capital budget is very good in the Governor’s budget.  ETIC continues to be funded. 

In a major shift, the Governor’s budget permits OUS to now keep the interest from tuition.  DAS not happy. 

ORP decoupling, PEBB withdrawal – OUS will not pursue, at least this biennium.  “Funding of steps” legislation will be pursued jointly by OUS and AOF. 

403(B) and ORP plan change 

An Investment Committee consisting of campus reps is being formed to advise the OUS on the “privatization” of the administration of these plans.  Marie is being told repeatedly that “only UO is complaining” about this.   The supposed impetus for the change is “new Treasury regulations” which still aren’t online!  The “best in class” model is brand new, and we (OUS faculty) would be the guinea pigs.  We need to alert Senates and Unions to engage on this issue, and complain if they are so inclined.  It’s still not clear what choices will be, how costs change, and how all of this evolves over time. 

AOF needs to be represented on this Committee.  Marie might be willing, if a more official role can be found for her.  Mark will talk to the Chancellor about this. 

Mark passed out the initial bills, AOF will tentatively prioritize, and the Board will look over to help affirm the prioritization. 

Future meetings:  Feb. 10, March 10, April TBA, May 12, June 9.