MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL ON STAFF AFFAIRS MEETING

August 12, 2003

 

COSA Chair Rebecca Kimbrough called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. in the President’s Dining Room of the Palms Dining Center.  Members present:  Melinda Cutchens, Bobby Flowers, Carolyn Gaston, Shawn Gibbons, Jeff Giles, Jeff Grant, Inman Grimsley, Stanley Jones, Mike McKinley, Bob Lee, and Patrick Smith.  Special Guests:  Whit Chappell and Dr. Marsha Krotseng.

 

SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY:     

Whit Chappell from Planned Giving thanked COSA for inviting him to speak about the Faculty & Staff Campaign 2004 that will be kicking off soon.  Last year it was reported that 70% of the staff had contributed with 54.9% of all employees (faculty and staff) making contributions.  The campaign packs will be distributed to the team captains on September 2nd.  Whit encouraged all employees to fill out the cards and send them back to him.  Whit also mentioned that the minimum amount you can make for payroll deduction is $1 per pay period.  The ice cream social is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th at the Old Gym from 2-4 p.m.  He wanted to remind everyone to bring you VSU ID’s.

 

Dr. Marsha Krotseng VSU’s Chief Planning Officer thanked COSA for inviting her to speak about VSU’s Strategic Plan for the future.  The purpose of the strategic plan is to set specific goals for the university to achieve.  The strategic plan is also used for new faculty programs to help expand the university.  It has already made many changes in the past 12- 18 months.  On September 13th & 14th architects from Portman and Associates will be on campus touring residence halls and making assessments about the campus.  September 15th is the date for the next strategic planning retreat where they will celebrate accomplishments and set new goals.    September 16th, 17th and 18th is when the Master Plan kick-off will begin.  Dr. Krotseng also informed the group that the budget system is currently being revised.  The University Planning Advisory Council is asking departments on campus to set departmental goals and to try to tie their budget requests with their goals.  Dr. Krotseng encouraged all COSA members to become involved with the strategic plan.  They have a web site located at http://www.valdosta.edu/planning/ that contains information about the 8 goals, a list of the University Planning Advisory Council members and minutes from their meetings.

                

MINUTES:  

 

            Minutes of the previous meeting were approved as submitted.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT: 

 

Chair Rebecca Kimbrough presented a written report of the three COSA accounts for Treasurer Sharon Butcher. 

 

 

 

Ø      June:  Fund 10000 = $278.00

     Discretionary = $1,188.29

     Retirement Walkway = $12,385.55

Ø      July:   Fund 10000 = $2,280.00

                 Discretionary = $1,171.75

                 Retirement Walkway = $11,607.20 

 

There was a motion to approve the treasurer’s report from June.  There was a second and the motion carried.  There was also a motion to approve the treasurer’s report for July.  There was a second and the motion carried.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Chair Rebecca Kimbrough went over each committee and made sure that all committees that required chairs had appointed chairs and they would make reports to the COSA meetings.

 

  • Academic Scheduling/Procedures:  No report.  Will report when meetings resume this fall. 
  • Benevolence Committee:  Chair Carolynn Gaston.  No report.
  • Calendar Committee (Ad Hoc):  Chair Trisha Taylor.  No report.
  • Elections:  Chair Bobby Flowers.  Meetings are being scheduled.
  • Faculty Senate:  The first meeting is scheduled for September the 18th at 3:30 in the Magnolia Room.
  • Parking Appeals:  Chair Mike McKinley distributed a chart indicating the breakdown of the parking appeals for the month of July 2003.  The committee upheld 42% of the appeals while 58% of the appeals were dismissed. 
  • Policy: Chair Bob Lee.  There will be a meeting Monday Aug. 18th at 3 p.m. in the Public Safety Conference Room. 
  • Staff Development:  Chair Shannon McGee.  It was decided by the COSA reps. to combine the Partnership for Campus Excellence and Staff Development Committees. 
  • Staff Appreciation Day:  (Now a standing Committee) Chair Patrick Smith announced that we have a signed contract with Port-A-Pit, a local barbeque business, to prepare the dinner plates (1/2 chicken, baked beans, potato salad and a dinner roll) for our COSA fundraiser.  Jeff Grant was working on the tickets and will add Rebecca’s phone number on them.  Inman suggested the pick-up times be printed on the tickets.  All COSA reps. are responsible for their tickets and money.  The price for tickets will be $6.00 each.  The cut off date for ticket sales will be Thursday September the 11th.  This means all tickets and money are due on this date to Rebecca.  The food will be distributed at the pick up points (Plant Ops. Building or the University Center) on Thursday, September 18, from 5-7 p.m.  Patrick also informed the members of the Staff Appreciation Day menu that will consist of hamburgers, hot dogs and chips.  Melinda is working on a contract with Mix 96 for a DJ who will be playing a variety of music.  Games will include bingo, chess, dominoes, horseshoes, checkers, a dunking booth and the cake walk.  T-shirt sales are still going very slowly.  There was a motion to have different colored shirts for the COSA reps.  It was voted on and passed that the COSA representatives would have a different colored shirt for Staff Appreciation Day.  Patrick also indicated that the next Staff Appreciation Day Committee meeting would be scheduled for Thursday August 21st at 2 p.m. in the University Union conference room #1. 

 

 

  • State Charitable Contributions Program:  Chair Bob Lee is heading this again this year.  He is looking for a faculty co-chair.  He will be attending the kick off dinner in Atlanta on August 27th.  He has asked for volunteers for team captains.

 

 

  • Welfare Committee:  Chair Patrick Smith

 

    • Employee of the Semester:  Chair Stanley Jones.  Employee of the Semester ballots are due August the 18th.  So far they have received 25 ballots.  At the September 9th COSA meeting there will be a presentation for the employee of the semester.
    • Retirement Walkway/Luncheon -Employee Recognition:  Chair Shannon McGee.  Inman Grimsley will be working closely with this committee and is working on a letter to send to retirees inviting them to the luncheon and contributing to the retirement walkway fund.  The Salute to Service and Annual Awards luncheon is scheduled for May.
    • University Planning Advisory Council:  Will report when meetings resume this fall.

 

REPORT FROM THE CHAIR:  Chair Rebecca Kimbrough asked the COSA members to contact her if they are interested in attending the Strategic Planning retreat this year.  Rebecca also asked for volunteers for Blazer Beginnings to help students move into their residence halls, direct traffic, etc.  She handed out a sheet with the residence halls and times and asked that people sign up when they can. 

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

 

·        Holiday (Calendar) Committee (Ad Hoc):  Trish Taylor will chair this committee.  They will try to plan at least 2 years in advance.

·        Future election concerns that need to be addressed. 

 

NEW BUSINESS: 

 

·        Change logo on all stationary to remove Calling on Staff for Answers.  This was done by Jeff Grant.

·        Job Value Comparison letter and spreadsheet- Inman Grimsley handed out a copy of the Job Value Comparison letter and spreadsheet and asked all the COSA members to look it over and if they had any questions before he distributes it to the entire campus.

 

OTHER BUSINESS:

 

·        Questions about vending machine prices: It has been brought to COSA’s attention about the vending machine prices on campus.  Shannon McGee, who works in the Auxiliary Services 1Card Office that handles vending, informed us that there was a committee formed of staff, faculty and students who met and reviewed the vending PFP’s that went out to bid.  The prices for product were included in the RFP.  After all the responses were read and discussed it was recommended by the committee that Tom’s should be chosen.  Tom’s is able to provide VSU with refrigerated vending machines for a wider variety of products on campus.  

·        Bank of America CASHPAY:  Mr. Jim Black, Interim VP for Business and Finance, has asked COSA to review this program.  COSA will be contacting Sue Lampert to schedule a presentation to be done by Bank of America at a future COSA meeting.

 

·        Rebecca presented past chair Shannon McGee with a plaque in appreciation of her service as COSA Chair.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The meeting adjourned at 10:20 a.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted:

 

Shawn Gibbons

 

Shawn Gibbons, Secretary, Council on Staff Affairs