Members Present:  Sue Walton, Emily Ronning, Gretchen Link, Mark Kinders, Sarah Egerstrom, Kimberly Gould Speckman, Sally Berhlolder, Larry Testa, Amber Tubre, Steve Lubke

Members Absent:  N/A

Guests:  Ann Lydecker, Jennifer Ninneman

Call to order at 3:05 p.m.

Approval of  10/22/03 minutes.  Motion made by Link.  Seconded by Ronning.  Unanimously approved.

Update from Chancellor Ann Lydecker

• The $925,000 that has to come from the UW-RF to offset financial aid has been billed to the appropriate University 128 accounts.  We will need to strategize on ways to help the legislature understand that they cannot continue to raid these accounts.
• Katherine Lyall has requested a growth plan from Lydecker for our campus.  How will we serve the needs of this growing region?  Discussions on this topic have already begun with the Chancellor’s Council.
• January 5, 2004 is the deadline to apply for the Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance position.  Mary Halada will cover Nylander’s duties until the position is filled.  The search committee has been named and Gary Smith will chair the committee.  There will be a party in Nylander’s honor on Thursday, December 18th from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.

• Welcomed Jennifer Ninneman to answer any questions on Category B academic staff.  Ninneman shared that there has been a lot of clarification over the last few years on the role of these positions on our campus.

• No report.  Ronning’s next meeting is scheduled for 11/20/03.

• Revenue projections are on target or slightly ahead which is good news.  Legislative issues will begin to heat up again in January 2004.

New Business

• Brief discussion on Category B – Teaching Academic Staff.  Concern was raised through Steve Lubke from a staff member in his department that the 15 maximum credit load is too much because teaching lower level classes carries a very heavy work load.  Walton offered to forward this concern.
• Ronning suggested we consider setting a minimum number of category B representative positions on the Council.  Kinders pointed out that would mean a change in our by-laws and would need approval by the Chancellor and the Board of Regents.
• Motion made by Ronning to review the number of category B employees currently working on our campus in order to better determine if we want to change our committee structure to include a certain number of seats be filled with category B employees.  Seconded by Link.  Unanimous approval.
• Discussion regarding someone to record the minutes for Council since Kaiser stepped down from her position on the Council.
• Motion made by Gould-Speckman to elect Tubre as secretary for the Academic Staff Council.  Seconded by Ronning.  Unanimously approved.
• Kinders presented a resolution of support for the proposed Knowles Physical Education and Recreation Building renovation project. (see Knowles Resolution.doc )
• Motion made by Ronning to adopt the resolution.  Seconded by Link.  Unanimously approved.
• Council reviewed a document that was prepared and approved by faculty senate regarding the granting and benefits on emeriti status at UW-River Falls.  Council reviewed the document.
• Motion made by Ronning to accept the criteria within the document to be used for academic staff.  Seconded by Link.  Discussion led to some necessary revisions of the document.  Questioned called to approve the document with revisions.  Unanimously approved. (see Emeriti Status Document.doc )

• The issue of professional development was discussed.  Overall opinion was that we should submit a proposal to have a speaker on neutral facilitation that would be open to all employees on campus.
• Motion made by Kinders to submit a professional development grant to the faculty development board on the topic of neutral facilitation.  Seconded by Egerstrom.  Unanimously approved.