Inside Iowa State
Oct. 10, 1997
P&S Council
Classification study is under way
by Anne Dolan
Focus groups to discuss improvements to the Professional and Scientific classification system are scheduled to meet by the end of next month. During the P&S Council meeting Oct. 2, Dorothy Sally, P&S classification manager who is overseeing the study, said work on the project has begun. Sally currently is identifying positions that will be represented in the focus groups. Individuals from those positions then will be selected randomly.
Last month, Carla Espinoza, director of Human Resource Services, announced plans for a 10- to 12-month study of the P&S classification system. She said the structure is fine, but lacks policies and procedures that help employees across the university use the system more consistently.
Following are highlights of the meeting.
- Espinoza announced she has begun a formal review of the
employee grievance procedure for the P&S and merit
classifications. She expressed concern about what she called
"individual agendas" that sometimes prevent the process from
moving forward. She also would like to include opportunities
for more informal communication in the process, as well as
better protection against retaliation for employees who file
a grievance complaint.
- Discussion during the meeting about a Faculty Senate
plan to look into a "University Club" concept at Iowa State,
possibly in the Memorial Union, was mixed. Council members
were warm to plans generally that encourage camaraderie among
university employees, but less receptive to any plan that
takes Memorial Union space out of public use and requires
dues for membership. Council members also don't favor using
university funds to develop or remodel campus space for such
a club.
- Associate Provost Ed Lewis reported that five task
forces that looked at aspects of undergraduate education
during the last 18 months (student entry, teaching, advising,
special student populations and the faculty reward structure)
have completed their work and submitted a report to President
Martin Jischke. Lewis said copies of the report will be
distributed soon for responses.
- Council vice president Jim Meek volunteered to chair a
planning committee for the second annual P&S professional
development day next spring. P&S staff who want to serve on
the committee or have ideas should contact Meek, 4-6620, e-
mail: x1meek@exnet.iastate.edu.
- The council's compensation and benefits committee is
soliciting feedback from P&S staff on the ISU Plan benefits
package. The committee is interested in positive or negative
comments on all aspects of the ISU Plan. Comments are being
collected via e-mail from the council's Web site, accessible
from "faculty and staff information" on the ISU homepage.
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