Administrative Assembly Minutes for February 16, 2001

Meeting opened at 12:10 p.m. by President Beaudrow

Minutes for 12/8/00 amended: President Beadrow is not a voting member of the President’s Award Committee. Minutes approved as amended.

Harry Agnostak, Director of the Office of Employee Relations (ER) presented to the Assembly. Also attending from ER were Arlene Buckley, James Gormley, Jeffrey Maschi, and Suzanna Polhamus. ER representatives attended the meeting at the request of Nancy Winterbauer who, at the 12/8/00 Assembly said she would contact ER concerning grievance procedures at other institutions of higher education.

H. Agnostak noted that ER was involved in a number of employee-related issues including the ADA, family leave, interviewing skills, and problem solving. ER will provide training and advise on Federal and State laws and University regulations pertaining to these and related issues.

He distributed packets of information to Assembly members, and outlined University problem solving procedures. The procedures are as follows:

-a grievance is filed by an employee against the person alleged to have violated University policy (normally the immediate supervisor)

-if it is not resolved, it is forwarded to the next level supervisor

-if it is not resolved, it is forwarded to the Vice President for Administration and Associate Treasurer or his or her designee.

-if it is not resolved, the employee may make a request to ER to initiate non-binding fact-finding.

-the University President will review the case and make the final decision

H. Agnostak stated that this procedure allows the employee to go to the Administrative Assembly at the fact-finding stage. He said University Counsel could advise as to whether or not Assembly members were indemnified if they were involved at this stage.

S. Beadrow and R. Toth raised several concerns that the Assembly had in being part of the University’s problem solving procedure, including the lack of training provided to Assembly members and limitations on the numbers and time of Assembly members. In a show of hands, most Assembly members indicated that they did not think the Assembly should be involved in the University’s problem solving procedure.

The issue of an ombudsman was raised. H. Agnostic said he had researched the matter and found no other college or university, which had an ombudsman. Assembly members pointed out that Princeton and Bryn Mawr, among others, had an ombudsman. He said he would look into the matter and get back to the Assembly. He offered to have a member of ER attend future Assembly meetings.

Sonia Robell, Project Manager, Human Resources, spoke on the Pay for Performance Program.

The 20002/2002 guidelines for the program were distributed with a January 22, 2001 memo from Nancy Winterbauer. Information can also be found on the website; the URL for the A/P/S Compensation Website is: http://www.rutgers.edu/faculty-staff.shtml

She also asked that any ideas concerning professional development could be sent to her via e-mail at: ttorak@hr.rutgers.edu.