Miami University

Unclassified Personnel Advisory Committee
August 7, 2007

Present: Melanie Hoffman, Vice-chair; Mary Bausano, Janet Cox, Doug Curry, Stephen Gordon, Scott Lessing, Karen O’Hara, Ted Pickerill, Anne Schauer, Barry Zaslow

Announcements:
Reminder:  September 4 -- 8:45 A.M.  Shriver Center steps for the UPAC group picture

Academic Personnel (Janet Cox)

• An orientation session for new, tenure-track faculty (N=37) will be held on August 15, 2007
• Janet announced new academic administrative appointments:
  Helaine Alessio – Chair, Kinesiology and Health
  Luis Actis – Chair, Microbiology
  Margaret Ziolkowski – Acting Chair, GREAL
  Peter Williams – Acting Program Director, American Studies
  Quanyu Huang – Director, Confucius Institute
  Sally Lloyd -- Interim Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity

Key Contacts List
Former UPAC members will be added to the Key Contacts list.  If UPAC members want to add names to the Key Contacts list, they should contact Matt Boaz.

Network Committee
Doug Curry agreed to serve as chair of the Networking Committee.

Communications Committee
Mindy Stephens, Assistant Director of Marketing for the Rec Center, has volunteered to help Karen and Stephen with the newsletter.  The next newsletter will include a call for non-UPAC volunteers to serve on various subcommittees.

Bylaws Committee
The bylaws committee will present a first draft of the bylaws, including a mission statement, at the working session scheduled for August 21.  Thanks to Bill Heck, former UPAC member, and CPAC for valuable input.

Weather Committee (Melanie Hoffmann)
Melanie represents UPAC on the Weather Committee.  Most of the issues discussed thus far have had more to do with classified personnel issues.

New Business
UPAC Website
Mark Walker, Director Computer Network and Services at the Rec Center, has volunteered to help with the website.  UPAC members stated a preference for a dynamic, interactive website that encourages unclassified employees to check in frequently.  Janet suggested that the Vice-Chair regularly monitor the website for employee comments and make appropriate responses and/or referrals. UPAC members were asked to bring suggestions for what they would like to see on the website to the next business meeting.

UPAC – August 2007

Alternative Retirement Plan
Several members raised questions regarding a letter received by Miami employees who participate in the ARP.    To clarify the issue, UPAC will invite Marsha McIntosh and Dawn Fahner to the September business meeting to address the changes in the ARP.  In addition, UPAC may invite OPERS representatives to campus for a Brown Bag Q and A.

2007-2008 Goals
Melanie Hoffmann listed six UPAC goals for consideration in the coming academic year:
1.         Adopt a set of bylaws
2.         Increase networking activities, especially for new employees
3.         Create more opportunities to hear from unclassified employees
4.         Adopt a UPAC service project
5.         Continue to provide input on benefit changes
6.         Improve the UPAC website

Committee appointments
Doug Curry will serve as UPAC representative on the search committee for Vice President of Finance and Business Services position

Next Meeting:
Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Bausano