Meeting Minutes

April 2026 CAP Meeting Minutes

April Meeting Minutes
Date: April 2, 2026

Time:  1:02

  1. Call to order, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair
  2. Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair
  • Motion to Approve: Brian Fulton
  • Second: Lisa Goodpaster Lahners

3. Chair Remarks, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair

  • Invited questions for our colleagues at Springfield or Chicago for upcoming UPPAC meeting
  • CAP district Election: Districts 1, 3, 10, and 11 were uncontested. Districts 5, 6, & 9 are going to election, which closes on April 6. Results will be announced at the May meeting.
  • AP Senate Election: District 4 was uncontested, Dists. 2 & 8 have elections, Dists. 6 and 10 have no nominations—please consider serving! AP seats need to be filled or our role will not increase in Senate.
    • A brief discussion was held about the number of APs in each district and whether a review of the districts is in order in the future.
  • AP Senate Committee Elections: Nominations due April 17th at noon. We need to show that APs are involved and interested in serving on these committees in order to keep or expand senate representation.
    • Brian Fulton won the election to have his name put forward as the Urbana-Champaign AP nominee for the President’s Search Committee.
  • The CS Pro/AP differences topic will be moved to the May meeting to allow more time for discussion.
  1. Human Resources Report, Brian Farber , Chief of Staff & Special Projects, IHR Administration
  • QU 3 Jan/Feb/ Mar
  • Amount awarded: $12,004.39
  • 27 recipients (12 CS, 15 AP)
  • TOTALS to date for FY2026:
    Amount awarded: $ 55,325.08
    115 recipients (50 CS, 65 AP)
  • HR Policy Updates – Subscribe to EWeek at https://emails.illinois.edu/subscribe?emailId=1795463542
    • At the top of most E-weeks is an announcement about pending changes to CAM policy with invitations for the community to comment on the proposed changes.
  • Employee Learning and Organizational Effectiveness (ELOE) https://humanresources.illinois.edu/about/culture-learning-engagement/employee-learning-organizational-effectiveness/organizational-development/ provides comprehensive learning, leadership, and organizational development services that support employees, supervisors, executives, and departments across campus. Have a training or organizational development need? Complete a form to the (ELOE) team for a free 30-minute consultation or guide you to helpful resources.
  • Anniversary Awards – https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employee-experience/current-employee/recognition/anniversary-awards/ – Illinois Brand standards changed on January 1, 2026, so all artwork on the gifts needed to be changed.  For that reason, the January and February 2026 codes were delayed but went out on February 17. March anniversaries went out on March 3.  A reminder that all 2026 anniversary codes will be open until February 28, 2027 to give our November and December celebrants more time to redeem their codes.
  • Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Awards (CSEA) https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employee-experience/current-employee/recognition/chancellors-staff-excellence-award/ The Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award (CSEA) is designed to recognize the importance of the outstanding work of all university staff members who perform a wide range of critical functions for our university. We have completed the selection process for this year and the 15 winners have been notified.  Each winner of the CSEA award will be honored at a reception hosted by the Chancellor on April 30, receive a $1,500 (after taxes) and a commemorative award. They will also be featured virtually in either a podcast or video through the University of Illinois and spotlighted by the News Bureau.
  • Illinois Orientation for New Employees (IONE) https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employee-experience/new-employee/onboarding/orientation/ This orientation welcomes new employees by connecting them to the university’s mission, values, and Illinois Value Proposition, while providing practical guidance, interactive learning, and resources to help them navigate the organization, access essential tools, and feel informed, connected, and inspired from day one. The last in-person orientation of the academic year is 4/20 and a virtual session will be held on 6/23. No IONEs in May or July, but we will resume a regular schedule in the fall.
  • Faculty–Staff Emergency Fund (FSEF) Drive https://go.illinois.edu/FSEmergencyFund  Since 1992, the Faculty and Staff Emergency Fund (FSEF) has helped more than 1,200 employees with emergency assistance during financial hardships. Your generosity makes a difference! More than $40,000 is provided annually in assistance to fellow employees each year.  You can make your gift by payroll deduction, online credit card payment, or personal check.
  • Performance Management – https://humanresources.illinois.edu/services-and-information/processes/performance-management/ – In accordance with HR-56, written performance reviews are required annually, and any employee who does not received one should approach their supervisor to request one.   IHR publishes a standard performance review instrument and provides self-guided training for employees on goal setting and writing a self-review through our Instant Insights  Also, I am pleased to announce our recent new supervisor resource in the Guidance on the Go Series, Conducting an Effective Performance Review, available on our website.
  • AI Professional Development Series – https://humanresources.illinois.edu/ai-professional-development-series/
    • Illinois Human Resources offers Foundational, Intermediate, and Leader learning for employees building AI skills. Explore hands‑on tools like Copilot and ChatGPT in cohort‑based workshops. Start with Foundational or go deeper with Intermediate. Registration is now open.
  • Federal Updates Steering Group – https://federalupdates.illinois.edu Communications continue coming out from the Federal Updates Steering Group and our StratCom team. I remind each of you that there is a central hub to reference if you have or receive questions.
  1. Discussion: Grievance Process Updates
  • Refer to the report in the Appendix.
  • A discussion was held about the old and new grievance processes, and CAP’s role in the new process, which began in 2025. Discussion included the numbers of grievances that CAP was involved in as advocates, along with the reasons for grievances and known outcomes of grievance hearings. Refer to the report in the Appendix for details. Reach out to CAP with any questions about AP grievances or the process.
  1. Academic Senator and Senate Committee Reports, Eric Kurt, CAP Chair– SEC Updates
  • Senate meeting upcoming on Monday, April 6 and again at the end of April; will share updates in May.
  • Ninth Senate Review Commission—final report on Honorary Degrees has been turned in and they have now turned to general senate composition and other matters. A survey has gone out about committees, so please take a moment to share your thoughts.
  1. Adjourn

 

Submitted by: J. Thomas-Ward