Minnesota State Meet and Confer minutes
Dec 6, 2019
Publish Date
Committees
Minnesota State Statewide Meet and Confer Minutes
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Date: |
December 6, 2019 |
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Time: |
10 AM |
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Location: |
Minnesota State Office - Wells Fargo Building, St. Paul |
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Attendees: |
Devinder Malhotra, Sue Applequist, Anne Maile, Eric Davis ,Jerry Jeffries, Aaron Bouschor, Jamie Nordstrom, Bill Maki, Chris Dale, James Jorstad, LeAnn Snidarich, Clyde Pickett, Betsy Thompson, Marcia Beukelman, Barb Gosch, Kay Pedretti, Heidi Vidor and Lyz Martin |
MAPE Statewide Meet & Confer Agenda
December 6, 2019
1. Equity 2030
Jerry asked for an update, Devinder listed the 3-4 activities we were doing this year at SO. Hiring of Chancellor’s fellows to do foundational work. Those calls went out in November. 28 applications. Small group was created, and they interviewed 11 participants were narrowed down to 6. After talking to the 6, they hired 4. There were 3 areas that were covered: 1)developing/monitoring framework and target setting. 2) Data design and predictability 3) Academic Equity strategy. As Devinder was talking to candidates… he wanted to hire one person who comes from experience with 2 year and 1 for University- and they will work together and add all expertise and understanding. Announcement has not yet been made, but will be sent out next week sometime.
Jerry asked if the campuses were allowed to talk about Equity 2030? The answer was “Yes!” We are STRONGLY encouraged to discuss this openly!! The work plan doesn’t include the totality of all the work, but rather just talks about 3 things we’ll do at the System Office over the next year. There is no grand design that will work for everyone, but each institution will align their overarching stuff to match Equity 2030. We are allowing for flexibility and space for different colleges and Universities. Devinder would like the college presidents to explain how they will adopt the E2030 plan, and how they are progressing on it. -For our MAPE Membership- it’s important to ask the question, what am I doing, can I do something different to promote the E2030? If we each ask ourselves this question in our own spaces, we can accelerate our goals. Jerry- how can we measure any progress? Devinder mentioned that one of the chancellor fellows will lead this direction and identify some progression measures. We know that our institutions have been working hard and closing the gaps. We will also try to develop some progression measures- will help us understand the effectiveness of measures, otherwise it’s hard to see what we need to do differently to move the metrics, hopefully through those measures, we’ll start to see a reduction in the gap of Equity. Jerry- will we have a place to look to see what the plan is for each institution? Devinder- ask the presidents the questions on how to align. There will not be centrally located place to look at things. Just making a framework and from within that framework hold accountability. Each institution is so different, it doesn’t make sense to make a template for each college, because colleges are so different. 1) Ethnicity and race, 2) income and sociological needs 3) first generation students. The System Office accountability- what can we do to increase the effectiveness of existing work? 1)how to make more effective? 2)augmentation of capacity. Devinder encourages members to reach out to put on Meet and Confer agenda’s to ask what the scoop is. This is not a broad based strategy as a whole. This should become the central core of the academic enterprise. Jerry- How is this different than what campuses are already doing? Devinder- Awareness focus. Collectively doing the work to move the metrics. We could answer this question 37 different ways, or we could do it together. Example: many of the barriers our students face are outside of the control of institutions, money, Food, transportation, Child care, etc… from the first to the second year, we lose 30% of students on average. Among marginalized groups it’s more. Many students are in good academic standing. Because of circumstances beyond our control they had to drop out. We are also thinking about next summer to have an equity summit where we invite government office, state agency leaders, business leaders, k12 leaders, philanthropic, non profits, other higher ed partners- U of M, private schools. Bring them all to table 1)develop a shared state-wide vision. Commit publicly. 2) we let them know where we need help and which are broad societal entities working on those issues. Not asking them to change their focus, but give an education lens to it. Connect students who face existing or potential homelessness to the resources you already have. For them it’s important--what’s the best way to create an environment for affordable housing. Create an equal system of network of resources available to our students!
2. Human Resources Transactional Service Model (HR-TSM)
Eric Davis shared the upcoming realignment of the centers. Originally we had Winona, Virginia, and 2 in the Metro. Recently have decided to go from four centers to one virtual center. Managers in charge are in charge of functional work. Organized on the HR side, two teams. 1) serving university 2) College. Eric is purposeful about his language. We plan to have two managers in the cities, but the locations will remain. I expect more reliability and accuracy from the new approach. A few statistics to highlight increase concern about under/over payments. Eric took a look at April 2019 when everyone was in the system. We had 1320 underpayments we had to make up (we paid 26 diff pay periods they issued 36,000 paychecks. Putting into context it is not crazy) Those underpayments were total of under 1,000,000 1.4 % of transactions of total payments. 2020 November. 238 under payments. 327,000 .04% of total. Seeing more accuracy and is encouraged by that. 90% of the payments are paychecks. Challenging thing we need more practice- move to service center we add a layer of complexity that wasn’t there before. We get more consistency. Deadlines on campus are accelerated. What used to happen… class cancel, run down to HR, and someone would put change in at the last minute and paycheck would be ok. Now, Service Center can’t help at the last minute, and paycheck goes out wrong. Going to see if we can address this issue in other ways. Not have last minute changes! get right the first time. Dashboards have 0 errors consistently! Others have 4 or 5 .
Overpayments are more disruptive… people have to pay bac 2019 501. 2020 145. Trend going in the right direction. 2019 .08% 202 .02% Very encouraged by tends and if issues are raised, continue to share, and we are committed to having 0 errors. that’s our goal.
3. NextGenUpdate
Jamie Nordstom explained they just wrapped up 12 days of vendor presentation. THANK YOU to all who participated. Next come the reference checks and debrief meetings will be in Dec/Jan. We are still on track for that. Please become friends of Next Gen on Sharepoint.
Jerry-- when will we know what product? Jamie- not until contract is signed and we go through the full RFP process. They will go to the Board at the end of January to ask to negotiate with 1 or more vendors. Assuming the Boards answers ‘yes’, then negotiations will start in February. Ideally the timeline has us signing a contract in April so we can start. But everything will depend on negotiations. By the end of March, we should know who the vendor is.
Jerry- Once Next Gen is selected, what happens to our ISRS employees? What’s the plan? Jamie- until we know our vendors, depending on which is picked will help with identifying gaps, and what work needs to be done. Some Next Gen- activity hub- retooling employees, some employees have switched to integration Hub. We expect to see that. first will be Finance, then HR and Student Planning 2023 but it’s still 2 years out and there is lots of work to be done in ISRS. How do we ensure we have enough IT staff to keep things going?? Jamie- We don’t want to lose very valuable staff. Both are on their mind, will need to see which vendor is chosen first, to find the 4-5 year plan. Jerry- we keep bringing it up b/c we don’t want to be at the last hour, and then 100 of our people get notices that their jobs ended.
4. Enrollment Update
Do we have Spring Semester enrollment for schools? Yes, Bill, pass around. Weekly census report, as of last Monday. We are still 6 weeks out from the first day of the semester start. Caution on variability…. ranges vary from up to 22% and down 43%. System- washes out- overall for the whole year, summer fall and spring, planning on enrollment being down 3.4%. Summer- down 1.5%, Fall down 2.8%. Look at spring to be down 4.2%. relatively in line with projection of year. We would like to see enrollment stabilized, and not go down. We did have in October, from finance perspective, several institutions tripped financial and health instability- asked for enrollment reports updates- and asked for strategies, down in excess of 8% over 2 years, or if they missed budget projection by 8%. Some tripped both, some just one indicator. Following up with presidents and making sure everything is in line. Into January we’ll have a better idea of how FY 2020 will look.
5. Comprehensive Workplace Solutions Update
Heidi explained that last time she looked at the website it still had not updated information. Some classes are still showing up for 2018. This is a campus control, but the System Office will run a report and be in touch with campuses. Some campus might show a past class.. to have the option as a marketing tool. The System Office will try to tell campuses to shut it down when classes are done in their own time frame.
Homepage- being revamped within the system. Just got information on new framework before Next Gen. Next week- will be redeveloping home-page to make more user friendly on searching topics.
Steering committee meeting again with Comp Workplace Solutions with new presidents. Now have Lundblad, Parker, Johnson, Brimhall, Arther and Charlier, and VP Anderson, they met last week and continue to move forward, sales-force configuration, plans to create roadplan for all campuses, continue to pool money and target resources.
Can we envision this to be following like the HRTSM? Devinder- driving consideration are different from HRSTM
6. Campus Climate
Marcia explained what kind of feedback you getting? Feedback to presidents? Can we help?
Clyde- Survey and introduced a survey, pilot with 4 campus to examine. Support for diversity and inclusion and respect--look for all of that. We looked at 4 campus findings...plan to share and make a formal report for next semester SMSU, Hennepin and MN State. Many campuses have reached out to be in the next pilot. There is a different opinion on how they experience --dignity and respect--how do we respond to concerns. One of the things we identify--when employee leaves environment--that is important.
Davis--Clyde is doing it in a way that is manageable. Clyde--we want feedback--we want to connect to stakeholders.
Jerry-are exit interviews happening--Mixed at the campuses--we can do better.
That’s an area we can do better on. Jerry hopes we can really do that. Sue said we can look at data and turnover rates, to help us understand. We want balance and perspective on what is happening on the campuses.
7. Respectful Workplace
Kay asked for an update on required training and for whom and how that’s working out. Numbers, and what we’ve looked at beyond training. Eric- updates- 17 have made mandatory, others are optional course for their employees. 5,254 have completed 676 supervisors- completed supervisors MMB courses to adapt to MinState. ⅓ of total workforce. It is mandatory for all new employees and supervisors system wide to complete the course. Talent manager proposed to make mandatory and a refresher course for all employees systemwide. 100% support. Effective 2021- all will be mandatory! They will need to complete respectful workplace or supervisor respectful training. How often will employees take the refresher course? Eric responded, employees will take the refresher every other year.
Marcia- do we track issues and resolutions? Eric- no not at system level. 1B1 not confident in data. Each campus has own data and practices- on what they’ve done and what the results were. For us to get that data we have to ask for it, we don’t monitor it centrally. :Marica- Would reports provide useful data? We could see trends on campuses? Eric- YES- IFO are interested in central monitoring of these kinds of complaints.. and what trends. Mankato- their new HR director puts out a multi union report monthly. The report monitors complaints, investigations, puts it all out.
Eric explained the refresher course will be an online course similar to what is there now. Any thought beside the online module training? Eric- nothing in works. however- I am open to changing it!! Virtual training integration availability. There have been some interest and some practice, to do in cohort groups in institution in room together. Eric encourages that, and very open to it. Couldn’t tell us about how the comprehensive plan will work system wide.
8. 2019-2021 IT Grids
Jerry asked Where are we at with this new contract language Chris Dale doesn’t implement, and follow MMB lead. At this point not assigned new classes to grid nor reassigned to new grids. We will follow their leads. MMB will make that decision. Direction? no- looking into the issues. Anecdotal discussion about IT pay- but not what MMB is looking for. They haven’t given us any insight on to their direction. They seem to be a little thin. We will keep bringing up. Will effect 1,000 of our members.
9. New Student Loan Repayment Program
Kay asked about the new MAPE contract language in the 2019-2021 contract. Where are we at with implementing this language. Eric stated we are behind! Eric owns this and asks for forgiveness, asks for apology. Eric said we had JLM and expressed to consistent practice across the system. What followed was a plan, and get a sense of take temp to see what the temp was… and would they likely participate? What is involved? This week-- Eric Sent out and is waiting for feedback from 37 campuses regarding interest in participation as described. There is some urgency. Do You think we can have a robust conversation about this topic in March? Eric- Yes. Barb-said we appreciate you reaching out to all colleges/universities. Jerry--this is important to our members. Tuition is a lot student debt, lots of private industry is doing this. Company helped pay off my tuition. Eric agrees that we are in business to educate and optimistic…
Future Meet and Confer Meetings:
▪ March 6, 2020
▪ May 1, 2020
Jerry Jeffries – Minnesota State Mankato – Chair
Nicole Hamilton – South Central College – Vice Chair
Barb Gosch – System Office – Secretary
Tabatha Ries-Miller – System Office
Marcia Beukelman – Southwest State
Kay Pedretti – Winona State
Heidi Vidor – Anoka Ramsey College
Clay Passick – Century College
Lyz Martin – MAPE Staff