April 9, 2021
FSU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
April 9, 2021 (via Zoom)
Executive Committee Members Present: Steve Striffler; Sana Haroon; Caroline Coscia; Tracy Brown; Monique Fuguet; Travis Johnston; Linda Liu; Jose Martinez-Reyes; Jeff Melnick; Joe Ramsey; Tim Sieber; Meghan Kallman
Others Present: Lorenzo Nencioli, FSU Membership Coordinator; Steven Ackerman (FSU member); Joel Fish (FSU member); George Kelley (FSU member)
- Approval of the agenda and the minutes of the March 24 Executive Committee meeting: Motion to approve the agenda and minutes. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
- FSU Forums – Fall Opening Date/Time: Caroline: Suggest Thurs 5/13, 1PM, for FSU Forum (for after Provost’s meetings). Agreed to hold FSU Fall 21 Opening Forum on 5/13, 1PM. Steve Striffler: Ex Com members should reply to my draft email blast with small suggested changes.
- April 21 Ex-Comm meeting – Annual Budget meeting: Steve Striffler: Hold Ex Com meeting for one hour then have last 30 minutes dedicated to FSU budget meeting for members. Agreed to make this change to April 21st Ex Com meeting, add FSU member meeting re budget to last 30 minutes of scheduled time.
- Approving MTA delegates: Joe Ramsey, Tracy Brown, and Monique Fuguet volunteer to be delegates. Agreed to approve any current and subsequent volunteers to be MTA delegates up to 15 total.
- Listening Sessions: Steve Striffler: Worth thinking about strategic response. Joe Ramsey: Can we raise bargaining concerns? Jeff: Don’t recommend spending a lot of time on this.
- Vaccine Survey – does FSU need to take a “position” on vaccines?: Steve: 90% of fac feel vaccinations should be required before a return to campus. Official position of the university is that this cannot be mandated at this point in time because the vaccines are currently under emergency approval only. Steve Ackerman: We have to have everyone vaccinated. Joe Ramsey: Would be good to know how many members would refuse to come to campus if vaccinations are not mandated. Jeff Melnick: We should make sure that someone at UMB will be put in charge of ensuring vaccine access. Joe Ramsey: can we take straw poll re possible FSU statement on this? [straw poll taken]. Steve Striffler: We can revisit this another time.
- CIPHER Student Letter: Discussion of issues related to this request, concerns over possibly ‘alienating’ other departments at UMB, possibility of signing off of on request but with an additional letter to our members supporting ALL relevant increases in resources. Jeff Melnick: will draft statement of support. Steve Striffler: Intention is to approve the statement, then have Jeff submit accompanying statement without follow up Ex Com approval. General agreement with Steve’s
- JCC Appointments for 21-22: Agreed to reappoint Steve Striffler, Caroline Coscia, Tim Sieber, Ellen Frank to JCC for 21-22.
- FSU Annual Meeting and FY21 Budget planning (contact FSU office for draft budget presented at meeting): Caroline: I will put together an FSU ‘highlight reel’ for the Annual Meeting. Monique: We have a structural deficit problem. Would need an $89 increase to cover estimated costs of maintaining officer stipends plus add $3K for one semester for organizer. Need a long term strategy. Steve: If we have roughly same dues as in the past, where are areas of increase re debt? Monique: Salaries, health care expenses, and increased retirement payments are going up. I will ask our bookkeeper re MTA deductions issue, will review with Lorenzo approximate projections for FSU FTE members. Caroline: We need to have a taskforce over summer to discuss broader budget issues. Jeff Melnick: I will ask Pacey Foster to help with budgeting issues over summer. Steve: Would not suggest putting us over a $25 dues increase.
- FSU Constituency Meetings: DID NOT DISCUSS
- Anti-Racism: DID NOT DISCUSS
- Workload Survey: DID NOT DISCUSS
- Labor-Management and Bargaining Updates: DID NOT DISCUSS
MEETING ADJOURNS