October 2022
Leadership Meeting Overview
Each month, the ASC Chair and Chair Elect meet with University leadership to discuss initiatives that directly impact administrative staff. Below you will find brief notes from our last meetings. If you have questions you want us to bring to our next meetings or a solution to an issue you have identified, please submit them through our ASC Question and Solution form.
Last meeting: Wednesday, Aug. 24
Next meeting: Monday, Oct. 31
- We have not had a meeting with President Rogers since our last newsletter. You can find that report in the September 2022 newsletter archive for detailed minutes.
- On Friday, Oct. 7, the Office of the President informed ASC that we will no longer be meeting with President Rogers once a month. We are now invited to meet twice a semester.
Last meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 11
Next meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 1
HR Report
- Health Benefits - Open enrollment is Oct. 31-Nov.18 - We thanked Human Resources for making it a priority to present at our Oct. 6 general meeting. Benefits were reviewed but rates were not set by the general meeting, so we talked a little bit about rate increases. Specifically, Plan A increased by 5.23% and Plan B increased by 9.1%. Although these rate increases may seem high, we were assured that these rate increases are relatively low in comparison to other institutions and business in our region. You can find rates on the BGSU Health and Perscription webpage.
- Community of Care Focus Group - The ASC Executive Committee has been invited to attend an in-person focus group to offer feedback on various health and wellness initiatives offered by BGSU. Additional focus groups will be conducted through the end of the semester with other staff populations.
- JAQ process under review - We discussed the current state of the JAQ process and potential future updates. At this time no updates to this process are in the immediate future but plans are in the works to use a third-party reviewer to advise on any updates that may need to be made. During this conversation, we (ASC) committed to review the current JAQ policy and provide any feedback on how the process is currently being utilized.
- Resource upgrades - HR is continuing to make improvements on their employee resources online with remediated PDFs, the Our BGSU newsletter and a revamped Benefits-at-a-Glace webpage that is currently under construction thanks to their partnership with Marketing and Brand Strategy.
ASC Discussion Items
- ASC Benefits and Morale Survey - We provided raw data from the 2021-22 survey and the 2022-23 survey that was just administered at the Oct. 6 ASC general meeting. Additional details can be found about the survey further down in the newsletter but during the meeting, we committed to providing a cleaned up report after our Personnel, Welfare and Compensation Committee has the opportunity to finish their review and consolidate the staff recommendations. After only a quick overview, HR identified several suggestions that are actually already available to us and we will make sure those are communicated widely so you are more informed about the benefits available to you.
- Handbook Updates - HR has begun their annual review of the employee handbooks. ASC noticed that the Parental Leave policy has not be added to the administrative staff handbook and recommend it be added in the next update.
- Years of Service - We discussed breifly the recognition ceremony that happens in March every year to thank staff for their years of service (at five year increments.) The committee is at the beginning stage of planning and they are looking at ways to revamp the program this year.
Additional Notes from the Chair
If you find yourself in need of workplace resolution support, please consider reaching out to one of our Ombuds. Omubds are designated administrative staff employees who serve as impartial dispute resolution practitioners. Their major function is to provide confidential and informal assistance to BGSU administrative staff in the resolution of workplace issues. You can find their contact information and learn more on our Ombuds webpage.
Submit a Question for Leadership
If you have a question or have an idea on how to resolve an issue you have noticed, that affect Administrative Staff and/or the greater good, please complete this anonymous form.
The ASC Chair and Chair-elect have standing monthly meetings with the Office of the President, Office of Human Resources and the ASC Executive Committee (which is a confidential group of admin staff, elected to serve you.)
Upcoming Events
Join ASC at the following staff engagement events. Remember to click "I'm interested" or "add to calendar" so you don't forget an event you want to attend.
THANK YOU!
Shout-out to everyone who donated to the ASC Homecoming Student Fundraiser. We raised $126.11 that will go to the ASC student scholarship fund.
ASC 2022-23 Benefits & Morale Survey Update
Thank you to the 150 administrative staff members who attended the ASC general meeting on Oct. 6 and completed the 2022-23 Benefits & Morale Survey. The 23-question survey provides ASC valuable insight into how we can best support and advocate for you. The raw data has been provided to the Human Resources leadership team and will also be presented to President Rogers and the BGSU Board of Trustees.
The Personnel, Welfare and Compensation Committee is reviewing and compiling the data and will be providing details that we can share with you. We received over 100 individual benefit suggestions within the survey. Some of them are new ideas, while others are already available to us. We will use this information to spread awareness of the benefits that many might not realize exist, so you can take advantage of the full benefits package that BGSU provides.
BGSU Bonus Policy
Within the Benefits & Morale Survey, we shared the BGSU Bonus Policy and found that out of the 150 responses, 66.43% were not aware that a bonus policy existed and 78.32% did not understand the policy and the process to earn a bonus.
Because of this, we feel it is important that we share this information in our newsletter. We encourage all staff to review the policy and become familiar with the process.
Attention Supervisors
Official recommendation and approval can only be submitted "at the discretion of the Departmental Manager/Director, Vice President, Dean or President" and will need to be submitted "to the appropriate Dean/Director/VP for review and final approval." If approved, bonuses are distributed in December pay checks, so now is the time to start talking with your unit's leadership if you want to recommend a staff member for a bonus. Approval is needed in November.
Please note: "Bonuses are dependent on the availability of funds as determined by the unit administrator, Vice President and University President" and "funding of bonuses will be the responsibility of the employing unit or division."
HLC Re-Affirmation of Accreditation Resources
Bowling Green State University has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1916. Presently, the University is preparing for a comprehensive re-affirmation of accreditation visit by the HLC. The visit is scheduled for Oct. 17-18, and will feature open forums with faculty, staff and students. All members of the BGSU community are encouraged to review our HLC Re-Affirmation of Accreditation resource page for more information, including training videos, copies of the Assurance Argument and other pertinent information and updates.
Student Recreation Center October One-Month Membership Special
Enjoy all of the amenities the Rec Center has to offer valid now through Oct. 31 for one low price. Just $24.99 per person and an additional $10 to add a dependent. Valid for 30 days from the date of purchase. Please visit the Recreation and Wellness website or contact Julia Adams at jhatch@bgsu.edu or 419-372-7485 with questions.
Recognizing your Staff
A common theme we hear from administrative staff supervisors, is they are looking for more ways to awknowledge their team members. Through ASC, we offer a monthly way supervisors (and colleagues) can do just that – through the Spirit of BG Award.
Just being nominated for an award can really boost morale, so we encourage all administrative staff to nominate someone deserving, and often.
Awards are given monthly during the academic year and consist of a check for $50, congratulations from colleagues and friends and a certificate of appreciation.
Updated: 10/17/2022 05:14PM