USF-UFF Chapter Meeting

Domestic Partners Benefits.
President Genshaft announced at her State of the University address that USF would grant domestic partners’ benefits. Discussion of UFF’s long history of pressing for domestic partners’ benefits.

  • Motion made and seconded: That a Biweekly SPECIAL will be broadcast with an executive summary of the UFF proposal, with a link to a copy of the proposal and appendix. Motion approved.

Governance Document.
Discussion of two points:

  • Should the documents incorporate a Governance Council that encompasses all elected officers and representatives, with appropriate leadership duties?
  • What structure shall be developed for organizing and providing services?

Results of this discussion.

  • There is strong sentiment to continue this discussion, especially on the first point, in the next meeting.
  • The Secretary announced that at least for this semester, the secretary will broadcast an extra reminder to all Chapter Council members (under the current documents) to attend the Chapter Meeting.

Instructor Promotion Track
Discussion of current status.

  • Motion made and seconded: That the Chapter approve the following joint statement with USF: “Last year, the University of South Florida and the United Faculty of Florida agreed to an instructor promotion track with guidelines to be developed in 2008-09 and applications to start in the 2009-10 academic year. The university and the union have agreed that instructors deserve an update in the promotion track agreement. During the spring and summer, representatives of the university and the faculty worked on guidelines, and draft guidelines will shortly be circulated to the university community. The promotion process for instructors will follow a different annual cycle from tenure and tenure-track promotion review, and the first reviews of instructor promotions will begin in the spring of 2010, as agreed by the university and the United Faculty of Florida.” Motion approved.

The Chapter will make guidelines for promotion available to the instructional faculty using a Biweekly EXTRA.

Treasurer’s Report
The budget for the coming year was presented for approval:

  • PROPOSED BUDGET 2009-2010 for UFF-USF:
    1. Membership & Outreach: $ 15,000.
      Includes, Travel, Fall 2009 rebates, Meeting expenses.

    2. Travel Reimbursements: $ 8,000.
      Includes State UFF meetings, Regional campuses, National meetings.

    3. Office Supplies: $ 500.
    4. Printing/newsletters: $ 4,500.
    5. Postage/postal services: $ 3,000.
    6. Telecommunications: $ 3,000.
    7. Utilities: $ 1,000.
    8. TOTAL: $ 35,000.

    Note: Anticipated income is $30,000. There is carry-forward from 2008-2009 to cover the difference.
    Budget approved.

Report of the Senate Liaison
Discussion of the method by which discretionary raises were distributed.

  • Motion made and seconded: In future occasions, if UFF obtains advance information about discretionary raise decisions to be made, the UFF will disseminate such information as soon as possible. Motion approved.
  • Motion made and seconded: As soon as discretionary raises are distributed, the President of the UFF-USF Chapter will obtain the list of recipients and the Secretary of the Chapter will distribute the list to the unit. Motion approved.

Membership

  • Motion made and seconded: That the President of the UFF-USF Chapter extend a personal invitation (by phone, email, face-to-face, etc.) to new members to attend the regularly scheduled chapter meeting on October 9.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on September 12, 2009.