Iowa State University


Inside Iowa State
May 15, 1998

Approve further study

P&S Council members air concerns about proposed university club

by Anne Dolan

The Professional and Scientific Council is "not opposed to" further study of a university club for all faculty and staff, but the group believes strongly that any such club should contain an educational component for students. This is the recommendation the council will forward to President Martin Jischke in response to his request for input. Earlier last week, the Faculty Senate endorsed the concept of a university club. (see Faculty Senate story in this issue.)

Some council members said Iowa State needs such an on-campus facility. Other council members brought up concerns that included the limited size of the Memorial Union Cardinal Room, a proposed site for the university club; duplication of the education mission of the ISU Tearoom; funding sources for the proposed space renovation; and the uncertain fate of restaurants generally and the desirability of the university stepping into that market.

In other business, the council elected officers for the next year. Rob Bowers was elected to his second term as council president, Jim Twetten was elected vice president and Rich Jones was elected secretary/treasurer. Valrey Ketner and Danette Kenne were elected to at-large spots on the council's executive committee.

Pay matrix

In her monthly discussion with the council, human resource services director Carla Espinoza said the minimum and maximum salary levels in the P&S pay matrix will be increased an average of 6.7 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively, for the next fiscal year. The higher the pay grade, the larger is the percentage increase. The new ranges are "a more accurate picture of the way things are," she said, noting that market competition has driven up starting salaries, especially, at Iowa State.

In response to a question about some P&S employees' lack of movement through their pay grades, Espinoza said that the P&S system isn't a civil service system.

"The misnomer is that people will move through on some sort of schedule," she said. "But what we're seeing at Iowa State is the evolution of compensation. It's happening at all levels."

Student recruitment projects

In the open forum preceding the regular meeting, four recipients of P&S grants for student recruitment and retention projects this year summarized their projects and responded to questions. The four groups discussed a support program for minority student athletes, a peer education effort to discourage substance abuse among high school students, a faculty-high school student mentoring program in physics-related programs, and mentoring groups for freshmen in the food science and human nutrition department.

Sixteen projects received a total of $25,000 in grants this year from funds allocated by President Martin Jischke. This is the fourth year of the grant program. Jischke attended the forum.

The council's next meeting begins at noon Thursday, June 4, in 244 Memorial Union.

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