The COSA meeting was called to order at 8:35 a.m.

Special Order of the Day:

Dr. Ari Santas came to the COSA meeting to clear up any confusion the email he sent out may have caused. He said that he would like to conduct a forum about the change in our insurance coverage. We would have an open forum with a panel of experts from the medical profession, state officials, maybe someone from the BOR, faculty with expertise in the subject of Health Care, and staff leaders to discuss the PPO option offered to the University System employees. Another reason for meeting with COSA is to enlist your help in finding suitable panelists, help in determining the frequently asked questions and main concerns of the staff, and help promote the event campus wide. The goals we hope to attain are: To help inform state employees about the pros and cons of the PPO Health Plan; To gain more information about MRN and Georgia First (the Companies contracting with the State; To give state officials an opportunity to explain the plan and why it needs implementation; To give employees an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about the plan in an open and neutral space. Forum will be held at Powell Hall on April 24, 2000 at 7:00 p.m.

Mr. James Brignati volunteered to come to the COSA meeting to expand on the information about the insurance issue. First of all the Community Health Department came about because of the deceits in the state insurance plans. Russ Toal, who is the director, was asked to find another option to help keep the plans out of trouble not to change the plans already offered. The PPO option is what was offered along with the current plans in place. Since this is the Governor’s offer to the University System to help curb the deceits in our plan the BOR has embraced this plan to offer with our current plan at open enrollment in November. We were asked to wait to November so that we could have more information about the PPO option and the Valdosta area should be ready. The deceit that the insurance plan has now is being bailed out by the Governor and if the BOR decided not to consider the PPO option would mean the University System would have to take the deceit out of their budgets which would mean employee cuts through out the whole system. Actuaries were brought in to look over the current insurance plan. They said that it wasn’t a bad plan but a few things needed changing. The Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan will be offered with these changes in premium, maybe a 20% increase more or less, increase in deductibles, and increase in out of pocket expense. Another reason for the deceit is increasing medical costs across the state. Remember this is the Governor’s mandate to the State Merit System and the University System to find a way to stop the deceits in the health plans.

Now about the raises, to stop all the rumors, the Governor and the legislature mandated that in October 1, 2000 to bring all 12 months employees in line with the State Merit employees and this will be until further notice. So the budget money we receive July 1 will have the amount for raises to start October 1 and not before that.

Approval of Minutes:

The 50 % -100 % increase in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium mentioned the March minutes was information received from the Chancellor’s office and not information given by Inman Grimsley. The minutes were approved with this correction.

Committee Reports

Salary Study- .

Reports from the Chair:

Debi Parkhill reported that the new committee which will be renamed, which is made up of 4 staff members, 4 faculty members, 4 retirees, Chair of COSA, the H.R. director, Chair of the Welfare committee, and director of Planned Giving, will be divided up into sub-committees and each will be given tasks to do and then bring back to the main committee. This way the committee can get things organized. While at the meeting it was asked about maybe we could give our employee’s pins or something of this type for years served. It was then pointed out that the University could not use money to buy items for personal use. So we will need to find funds if we want to do this.

Now the P.R. person that COSA would like to have to help with promoting COSA. I have asked Ann Farmer to do this for COSA. She has accepted this duty.

Faculty Senate has elected Robert Hull as its new secretary as of August 1, 2000.

Old Business

Debi Parkhill said she is still checking into the issue about joining the YMCA, which is one of the benefits on campus. She has contacted several people about this issue and she is waiting for them to contact her with information about what kind of options we could get in paying the YMCA fees.

New Business

The 7^th annual University System of Georgia Staff Conference will be held at Polytechnic State University on October 5 – 6, 2000. Registration fee is $35.00 per person before September 15, 2000 after this date it will be $40.00. Any questions email dparkhil@valdosta.edu.

The VSU Staff Luncheon, where 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 year employees receive their certificates, will be held at Magnolia Room / UC on May 23, 2000 at 12:30 PM. Anyone with any questions can contact Gwyn Parrish # 5950.

There being no further discussion or business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:30 am and will meet again on May 9, 2000 at the Dogwood Room @ University Center at 8:30 am.

Submitted by; Holly M. Decker J COSA secretary