Inside Iowa State
September 22, 2000
P&S Council Survey results top Dixon's agenda
by Anne Krapfl
Kerry Dixon has a big project to
oversee this year.
Since she's architect and project coordinator on behalf of facilities planning for the colleges of Agriculture and Engineering, this may not come as news. But this project is a bit different. As president of the 2000-01 Professional and Scientific Council, Dixon needs to make sure something gets done this year with results from last winter's much- anticipated survey of all P&S employees.
"I would like us to have some recommendations out there by spring," she said. "This has been a long time in coming, but the sense on council is we've got to do some good things with it.
"I think we're all glad we finally have something to work with. It's in our hands now," she added.
(The P&S Council serves in an advisory capacity; most of its recommendations move through the university administration via the Provost's Office.)
Much of what's in the survey results is positive, Dixon said. "P&S employees like their jobs, they like this place, there's incredible loyalty to ISU," she said.
That a whopping 75 percent of the 2,181 P&S employees who received the survey completed and returned it shows a high level of responsibility and care, she noted.
The greatest area of dissatisfaction was expressed with university benefits and salaries, and that's where the standing committees of the council the workhorses of the group -- will focus their attention this year, Dixon said.
Four issues emerged as high priorities during the council's annual planning retreat Aug. 3:
- Leave policies, including Family Medical Leave Act
(FMLA). "There's wide interpretation across campus of the
FMLA. Employees don't understand it and we hope we can help
change that," Dixon said.
- P&S staff in the lower P-levels (P11-14) who supervise
merit staff with higher salaries than their own. "We'd like
to look into increasing the pay matrix at those lower levels
to make sure P&S employees are compensated adequately for
the jobs we do," Dixon said. One contributing factor is P&S
staff who repeatedly seek, and are refused, reclassification
of their positions, she said.
- Salary increases -- their relationship to performance
appraisals and full state funding of them are two specific
areas the council will study.
- Cost, coverage and accessibility to health benefits. This impacts ISU Extension employees in particular, Dixon noted.
In addition to these priorities, Dixon said the council also cited better communication with constituents as a goal this year. A council Web site and e-mail tree have replaced a P&S newsletter success-fully. Dixon said council members still want to get more feedback from P&S staff about what's important to them and whether the council's efforts are judged as worthwhile.
"It's going to be a busy year. I'm looking forward to it," she said.
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