MSU Professional Council Minutes: Meeting:Oct. 11th, Residence Life Conference Room
Special Guests: Tami Eitle, Interim Associate Provost and John How, Space Planning Manager
James Tobin / Chair / Student Affairs / 3 / 9/18 / Present
Erika Matsuda / Chair-Elect / Outreach & Engagement / 1 / 9/20 / Present
Amy Stix / Past Chair, Treasurer / Academic Affairs / 3 / 9/18 / Present
Jenny Lavey / Website/Secretary / Outreach & Engagement / 2 / 9/19 / Present
Yvonne Rudman / Social Coordinator / Administration / 2 / 9/19 / Present
Gini Mohr / Website/Social Media / Student Affairs / 1 / 9/19 / Present
Matthew Ulberg / Archivist / Administrative Offices / 1 / 9/20 / Absent
Logan Schultz / Professional Development / Academic / 1 / 9/20 / Present
Brad Eik / Membership Liaison / Research / 2 / 9/19 / Absent
Julie Clay / Logistics Coordinator / Member at Large / 2 / 9/19 / Present
A. PC Position Reports
- Erika attended the previous University Council meeting and provided a summary of the meeting, which included: a name request from the Diversity Awareness Office to the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons; an update on the MSU Strategic Plan goals of access and enrollment growth for doctoral students and a presentation on TechLink.
- Yvonne provided an update on the President’s Commission on the Status of University Women and said the commission’s focus this year will be to create an event celebrating MSU’s 125th Anniversary. Another focus may be to continue to address gender-based pay inequities.
B. Old Business
- James mentioned there are 61 policies remaining for the HR review committee on policy review.
C. New Business
- Oct. 11 meeting minutes were approved, pending the edit of Betsy Asserson’s name.
- In light of the HR employee title review policy, professional employee classification will be changed to “contract employees.” James mentioned this change in title may necessitate a review of the role and name of the Professional Council and offered a suggestion to join the Staff Senate committee. The council agreed to keep meeting with the title of Professional Council and may return to the discussion at the end of the year. The council agreed to continue meeting once a month, for 1.5 hours.
- Erika will author the Nov. issue of the Professional Council Post. A Dec. author will be needed.
- Tami Eitle, Interim Assistant Provost, provided an overview of the upcoming seven-year accreditation process of MSU by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities. Dr. Eitle is a primary author on the university’s accreditation report, filed and submitted for the seven NCCU reviewers who will be visiting campus. Oct. 16-18 for an overall review MSU’s commitment to its institutional goals and mission fulfillment, largely led by its strategic plan. Dr. Eitle said the review is an opportunity for MSU to reflect on its mission, goals and service to the public and students. She also mentioned the accreditation team may wish to meet with the Professional Council before a formal commendation and recommendation ceremony. Dr. Eitle mentioned she expects the recommendations to be focused on student assemesment with greater program details and outcomes focused on learning and improvement.
- John How, Space Management Mangerpresented an overview of MSU’s new Space Management policy (and his position). John outlined the old, static request system for new space and shared the university’s new goals and mission when it comes to adequate space for meeting rooms, offices and labs. John mentioned a “robust new policy” from the MSU Space Management Committee and reorganizing the current space vacancy pool via after a campus-wide audit of available space. John said in his first year of this new position, it’s important for the university to clarify how space decisions and priorities are made. In the future, John said there will likely be an online and active portal for conference rooms that will likely instigate a new campus-wide culture change when it comes to meeting space. John said the committee will try it’s best to manage flexibly vs. needs of employees with the university’s shrinking availability of adequate space.
- Toni Lee presented briefly to the meeting a summary of MSU’s 125th anniversary “Bobcat Bash” celebration this February and invited the council to attend and help spread the word of the event.
D. Announcements
- The council needs help in sharing the call for the annual Rufus T. Firefly Award for excellence in innovative service from a non-faculty, professional employee. The council reviewed the members who are in charge of reviewing applications.
E. Next Meeting
- The next PC meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 8 in Renne Library UIT Conference Room 39.