February 2021 Monthly CAP Meeting
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021
Time: 1:15 PM
Location: Zoom

Attendees: Brent West (1), Allie Arp (2), John Mahlmeister (2), Mindy Spencer (3), Tasha Robles (3), Brandi Barnes (4), Dustin Yocum (4), Suzana Palaska-Nicholson (5), Ann Christine Jones (5), Doug Gucker (6), Lisa Merrifield (6), Betoel Escobar (7), Nicole DelMastro-Jeffery (7), Brian Brauer (8), Jake Metz (9), William Schlaack (9), Lisa Bievenue (10), Chaya Sandler (10), Sarah Ashcraft (11)

Absent: Amber Munds (1), John Scott (11)

1. Call to Order: Called to order at 1:15
2. Guest Speaker: Tim Killeen, President, UI System
   • President Killeen updated CAP on COVID and other University initiatives and answered AP questions.
3. Public Comment
   • None
4. Review and Approval of Minutes
   • No changes or modifications raised. January 2021 minutes approved.
5. Chair’s Remarks
   • Brian expressed gratitude for President Killeen’s time and efforts to weather budget stress without layoffs.
6.  Announcements
   • None
7. Academic Senator Reports
   • No Senate meeting since our last CAP meeting
8. Academic Senate Committee Reports
   • Campus Operations: Glennys Mensing
     • U of I Solar Farm 2 is operational
     • The Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment is updating the Illinois Climate Action Plan
     • Changes are coming to TEM system
     • Feedback on campus operations can be submitted via a web portal
   • Educational Policy: Nicole Turner
     • Covid grading policies are being reviewed to ensure maximum benefit to the most students
   • Faculty and Academic Staff Benefits: Francis Thomas, Brent West
     • Efforts to ensure parity between APs and new professional Civil Service class employees continue, including both having access to 13 non-cumulative sick days and ability to use leave time before it is accrued.
     • Discussions are underway regarding COVID testing for families of employees.
     • Discussions are underway about streamlining 403 B plan options and a possible RFP for a single 403B plan administrator for campus.
     • An educational funding program is providing support for job related degree completion for employees in District 1. Might be a model for the rest of campus.
   • Senate Executive Committee (SEC): Brian Brauer & Allie Arp
     • The committee is attempting to support student experience including looking at improving mental health and ensuring that break days issued instead of spring break do not include work outside of class. If you hear complaints about lack of flexibility when students are experiencing difficulty related to Corona Virus, please reach out to this committee. The general university policy committee will likely codify in policy ways to be more flexible with students struggling during this time..
     • Zoom security was also discussed.
     • The 5-year review of Chancellor Jones is being discussed. The discussion will focus on the codifying the process for review.
     • Change to standing rule 13 will be coming up for vote. The changes will restructure the charge to Ed Policy committee. Not a direct impact to APs.
9. CAP Committee Reports
   • Ad Hoc Committee on Bylaws: Jayesh Patel
     • No report, but will have discussion items for next meeting
   • CAPE Awards Committee: Rich Gegg/Amber Munds
     • Received 51 nominees; moved 12 forward as finalists. Chancellor will make the final decision later this spring.
   • Outreach Committee: Allie Arp
     • March – Dee Walls, Campus Outreach and Engagement
     • April – Virtual Campus Red Oak Rain Garden
     • May – Humanities Research Institute – Invited
     • June – Provost Cangellaris
   • Officer Nominating Committee: Allie Arp
     • Self-nominations will sent out early next week. Once by-laws confirmed, will fill the opening in District 8 cause by Crystal Zulauf’s reassignment to Civil Service Professional Class.
   • Public Safety Advisory Committee: Brian Brauer
     • University police policy review is continuing.
   • Racism and Social Injustice: Gio Guerra Perez
     • Gio will attend CAP meetings as time permits and will provide feedback from this committee, rather than having an additional AP added to the committees.
     • Charge letter, working groups, and committee members are available on website. The committee has been meeting since October. Teaching and learning, safety, policing, community-campus relationships, and climate and culture are being discussed. Recommendation will be made to Chancellor by June 1.
     • Funds to support research for campus faculty and staff and the communities to work on issues that will tackle systemic racism will soon be available. Health inequalities and the criminal justice system will be first priorities. Information will be available via web and information sessions.
   • Special Events Advisory Committee: Brian Brauer
     • This committee is building a single entry point for events on campus.
   • University Professional Personnel Advisory Committee: Brian Brauer
     • Currently working on a benchmarking project to compare our structure to what other universities of similar size are doing
10. Academic Human Resources Report Senior Associate Chancellor for Human Resources
    • HR is looking at how to support supervisors who are approached by employees requiring COVID-related and remote work assistance. The committee seeks to share information on available resources are and how to respond to the request for help.
    • Regarding the voluntary separation programs, the program is designed to give employees and incentive to retire if they are eligible. There will be a second program for the athletic department and employees, providing incentives to separate from the University without retiring.
    • HR has conducted a recently policy review of the employment of relatives. The current policy hasn’t always been followed as intended. HR is trying to identify areas where we need to strengthen policy.
    • HR is exploring ways to celebrate employees who win awards like CAPE or CDSA without being able to come together in large gatherings. Suggestions are welcome.
    • The 2021 All Employee Expo has been cancelled because most vendors were not in favor of a virtual event.
    • Chancellor is reconvening campus return to the office workgroups with the intent to have people back in place by the fall semester. The policy will incorporate continued remote work guidelines.
    • AP Development Fund has been reinstated. The funding has been prorated for the portion of the year remaining. Employees will receive $500 with match from departments. The program is available now or will be available in the coming weeks.
11. Unfinished Business
    • Impact of COVID on APs
      • A COVID spike expected mid-March because of virus variants. Continue to maintain COVID resistant measures and receiving COVID vaccine when eligible. The vaccine will not take away the need for prevention measures.
    • Vaccination Progress
      • All in person instructors, on campus researchers, and on campus staff have been offered a vaccine. People were identified by departments. All of the appointments filled this week (4040 vaccines this week). Once we know what the vaccine looks like for next week, there will be an additional signup. The 75 year or older group will be getting their second dose, so there will be fewer new doses. Other groups will be notified when eligible.
    • All Staff Expo
      • Vendor support not available. Canceled this year.
12. New Business
    • AP Development Fund: Ann Jones
      • Reissued and if not live now, it will be live soon.
      • Need 2-3 volunteers to help with APDF selections
    • Recruitment and Retention: Allie Arp
      • CAP is forming a committee to focus on AP recruitment and retention with including diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations. This will be like UIS and UIC. The committee will seek to identify why APs are leaving and when new employees are hired, work to get them involved in CAP. The goal is to reduce turnover. Any AP can join the committee
    • SAC/CAP Common Interest Areas: Brent West
      • An analysis of the two committees is underway. After the review is complete, the committees will consider joint activities.
13. Closed Session not held.
14. Adjournment – 2:43

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