May 2025 CAP Meeting Minutes | Council of Academic Professionals

Meeting Minutes
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 Time: 1:15 PM

Call to Order, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair
Speaker, Chris Ochs, Office of the Chancellor, Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services
- Faculty and Staff Emergency Fund
Chair Remarks, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair
- Election Results;
  - - New to AP Senate:
      - District 2: Todd Sweet
        
        District 3: Serenity Desmond
        
        District 4: Kate Stewart
        
        District 5: Chaya Sandler
        
        District 6: Katie Buckley
        
        District 7: James Quisenberry
        
        District 8: Matt Petruszak
        
        District 10: Elizabeth Rockman
        
        District 11: Sarah Berez
      - New CAP District Representatives:
        
        District 1: Marissa Brewer
        
        District 2: J. Teresa Davis
        
        District 5: Carolyn Helton
        
        District 6: Bobby Lewis Sibley
        
        District 6: Jenny Garner
        
        District 7: Carrie Anderson
      - District 4 will have a run off
      - Thank you to all who agreed to serve, new and returning!
- CAP Officer/Executive Committee call for interest, nominations.
  - - - Please contact Eric Kurt if interested
      - Please attend June meeting, we need a quorum to approve a slate of officers.
- June Meeting Plan
  - - - Meeting format and time
      - New Communication Plans
      - Better Organization of CAP
- Miscellaneous
  - - Thanks to everyone who served and participated last term!
    - No July Meeting( holiday conflict)

4. Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair April 2025

Motion to Approve: Neil Baer
Second: Brian Fulton

5. Human Resources Report, Brian Farber ,Chief of Staff & Special Projects, IHR Administration

- Staff Professional Development Fund (SPDF). The application may be found at https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employee-experience/current-employee/connect-engage/
  - - - QU 4 Apr: Amount awarded: $4,000; 8 recipients (5 CS, 3AP)
        
        TOTALS to date: Amount awarded: $48,330.00; 98 recipients (51 CS, 47 AP); 16 not approved/expended; $30,670.00 is the amount left to date ($75,000.00 – $44,330.00)
- Retirement Planning Conference. The University of Illinois System, along with each of the three Universities, hosted a virtual retirement planning conference on April 28, 2025 from 9 am – 2:45 pm. Topics included emotional and social preparations for retirement, understanding SURS retirement benefits and transitioning to state health insurance as an annuitant and each informational session concluded with a Q&A session. While over 800 people registered system wide, we understand that there were some technical issues which prevented some from getting access. System HR staff are working diligently to get the recordings and support material out to those who could not attend. We do know that 187 were on the call when doing the Urbana kick-off with Shari, Deb and Denise.
- Anniversary Awards. Digital certificates and gift codes for the online store were sent to all anniversary award celebrants January, February, and March in mid-March and April notices went out on April 1. Response to the program has been extremely positive with roughly 60% of recipients redeeming their codes thus far. The Anniversary Awards website is now live off of our “My Employee Experience” page at https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employee-experience/current-employee/recognition/anniversary-awards/ with FAQs and more information about the program.
- Performance Management: As previously announced, many colleges and units are participating in IHR’s Performance Management Program including: IHR, Gies, Tech Services, SPMO, Strat Comm/Marketing, Social Work, Grainger, and LAS. Know that not all employees in those units will be participating.
  1. We hosted a demo for other colleges/MAUs who might be interested in adopting the service on April 25. If you are interested in your unit adopting the program, contact your HR Caucus member.
- Faculty/Staff Emergency Fund: We are doing our annual drive to raise money for the Faculty/Staff Emergency Fund. For over 30 years, the fund has been financially assisting other faculty and staff in times of crisis. Consider making a donation today, either one time or by payroll deduction. https://humanresources.illinois.edu/about/culture-learning-engagement/faculty-staff-assistance-and-well-being-services/emergency-funding/
- Guidance on the Go – While I mentioned this last month, ELOE has now published the four-part mini-series called Guidance on the Go: What Is the PPP and How Does It Work? The four parts include:
  1. Introduction to the PPP and Informal Positive Steps
  2. Addressing Performance Issues Informally Under the PPP
  3. Addressing Performance Issues Formally Under the PPP
  4. PPP Documentation
  5. https://humanresources.illinois.edu/about/culture-learning-engagement/employee-learning-organizational-effectiveness/supervisor-development/
  6. If you want to self-enroll:
  7. Login to Guidance on the Go in Canvas with your NetID and password to self-enroll in the series and access the modules.
  8. Guidance on the Go Self-Enrollment Link – https://canvas.illinois.edu/enroll/Y3A6G9
- All Employee Expo – Please be reminded that the All-Employee Expo will return on October 23, 2025 and will again be held at the State Farm Center. Please save the date and look for invitations to both councils to assist in the planning process.
- Communications continue coming out from the Federal Updates Steering Group and our StratCom team. I remind each of you that this is a central hub to reference if you have or receive questions. Please reference- https://federalupdates.illinois.edu
- Benefits Choice – Opened today and closes June 2. If you are in Health Alliance, like me, be reminded that it is critical that you select a new provider as Health Alliance will no longer be available after June 30. If you fail to make elections prior to midnight on June 2nd, you and any covered dependents will be defaulted into the Quality Care Health Plan effective July 1, 2025. Take an active role in benefits choice and take advantage of this open enrollment period.
6. Academic Senator and Senate Committee Reports, Eric Kurt,CAP Chair- SEC Updates
- Senate met Monday, April 28; ST-83 was voted on, see: www.senate.illinois.edu/2024-2025/20250428senate/SP2502_response_FINAL_20250428.pdf
  - UIUC joining Big10 Academic Defense Pact to support one another if threatened by Federal changes and Executive Orders, see: https://www.senate.illinois.edu/ss20250428a.asp

7. Grievance Updates, Todd Sweet, CAP Grievance Officer

- CAP has been asked to serve in an advisory role for an ongoing grievance. First in the new process.

8. Closed Session– We will not have a closed session
9. Adjourn

Submitted: P. Gavin