ACC Meeting Name:    Classified Association

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Date: November 11th, 2008                                                     Time:        12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Chair:   Suzanne Ortiz                                                              Location:  HBC

Attendees:

Draft: November 11th, 2008 Minutes

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• Agenda Item: Compensation FY09/Guest Speaker- Gerry Tucker

Suzanne Ortiz introduced Guest Speaker; Gerry Tucker.- Gerry answered questions concerning the FY09 Compensation Review Process. Attached are questions and answers from the meeting.

The Meeting adjourned at 1:00 p. m.

Other Information

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Next Meeting Date:  December 16th, 2008

Location:  EVC-Bldg. 8000

Respectfully Submitted:              Cindy Wiseman, Secretary

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This information is being sent in response to questions raised about the compensation review process for this year.  The administration intends to work closely with each association to ensure that the process and timetable is communicated and a process is followed that ensures compliance with ACC’s policies and practices regarding compensation.

Q.  We feel starting the various compensation studies the first week in April is too late to review the jobs and salaries. We request that employees be included in the process and adequate time be allowed for employees to understand the process.

Response:  Compensation studies begin in November 2008.  There are two projects related to compensation each year:  1) Compensation Study for market salaries and

• Position Analysis Review process for requests to review position grades.

HR Compensation will meet with the association representatives to discuss the process and timetable for each project.  The first project is a market study.  The results of the market study will be communicated to the association for review.  Any recommended changes are considered by the Presidential Leadership Team for inclusion in the budget process.  The results will be communicated to all non-faculty employees.

The second process is an internal review of positions in which an employee or supervisor feels the “grade” of the position needs to be reviewed (too high or too low).  Employees will be able to request a review of a “title” through the supervisory chain in February 2009.  These positions are reviewed by HR Compensation and the Presidential Leadership Team (PLT) and the PLT makes a determination of approved changes to the position levels.  The determinations are made in April in time for the budget process.

We are requesting information about the mechanism that determines our employee pay grade and salary.

ACC conducted its compensation study to determine the compensation scale of pay grades and salary ranges for those pay grades in 2007.  The study was conducted by an external consultant and the results were reviewed by the Presidential Leadership Team for inclusion in the budget process.

The consultants gathered data from other colleges and other entities with related positions to determine the grade and salary range.  The grades are based upon duties and responsibilities, levels of supervision, complexity tasks and scope of responsibilities in relation to other positions within the college.  The salary levels were determined based upon the market salaries being paid for those positions and then, ranges created based upon the market salaries.

This year, the Presidential Leadership Team will review any recommendation changes to the compensation and classification pay scale.

Why does the classified staff compensation study include community colleges in other cities when our classified employees are hired locally, not from other community colleges?

Market salaries are what individuals are paid for comparable positions in comparable organizations. Therefore, community colleges are used to determine what colleges pay for similar positions.  For the full-time faculty salaries, we also look at what faculty are paid at other community colleges.  For Classified positions, we also look at local entities (city, county and state and certain large employers) to ensure that our salaries are competitive with the local market.  Where region comes into play is in the cost of living increase that is awarded each year.

Other questions:

Why must an existing employee, who accepts another job with ACC, change to the monthly payroll when he or she has been chosen for another position?

Employees in their current position had an opportunity to designate whether to move to bi-weekly or not. However, when an employee applies for and assumes a new position, that position is viewed as a new position and all persons in new positions are on the monthly payroll.

Student Services classified employees were not allowed to attend the Fall General Assembly this year. They were told the Fall General Assembly was not for classified employees.  We understood the program and trainings were open to all employees.

General Assembly is open to all employees. There are generally two each year, fall and spring, held the Friday before the first day of the semester.  Business operations determine whether employees are able to attend. Counselors are approved to attend General Assembly because they are faculty, and this approval was given years back.  The majority of other Student Support and Success Systems employees are providing critical services on a very high demand day and expected to be working in their departments.  Enrollment services would suffer at the expense of students if staff attended General Assembly.   An exception is made if a staff member is receiving a service award, or is the President of an employee association.

Student Support & Success Systems values professional development and updates, and also the social interaction for colleagues.  For this reason, all SS&SS classified employees are expected to attend the two ½ day Student Services Updates scheduled in the fall and spring (repeated each time).  In addition there are annual ½ day Academic and Workforce Updates that classified employees are expected to attend; however these are not repeated.  There are many other more targeted SS&SS professional development opportunities throughout the year, both on and off campus. 

The high demand period for SS&SS is not the high demand for faculty and vice versa. As long as ACC doors are open for service, we must be there to serve students and be staffed appropriately.   SS&SS staff are appreciated and recognized for the high enrollment counts and quality services students are receiving while faculty and other staff are attending General Assembly. 

Where is the policy on vouchers to be used by dependents?

ACC does not have a policy that allows vouchers to be used by dependents. There was a pilot program some years ago but it was not implemented on a regular basis. As the college expands into new territories and we ask taxpayers to fund the needed expansions, we have limited budget expenditures to those absolutely necessary for the operations of the college.  Our focus regarding education has been to try to expand the offerings in our Professional Development area.    

If you have other questions, please email them to:  Gerry Tucker, Vice President, Human Resources, gtucker@austincc.edu.