February 2009 Board Notes

UHPA Executive Director J. N. Musto had a confidential written report that was shared with Directors.  The report reviewed the status of bargaining, grievances and arbitration cases, and other matters reported to the Faculty Forum.  Directors unanimously passed a motion to approve the bid ($8,803.04) for the phone and cable installation by Integrated ComTel, Inc. for UHPA’s building modifications. 

MAUI CC DIRECTOR

In President Joseph Chernisky’s written report to Directors, he notified the Board that Maui CC Director Joshua Cooper has resigned his Director position with UHPA due to a change in his locus of teaching and his current credit hours of teaching assignments.  He also withdrew his nomination as a candidate for the new 2009-2012 Maui CC Board election.

Since Director Cooper’s Board seat expires on August 31, 2009 and the elections process is currently occurring, Nominations and Elections Committee Chair Sharon Rowe brought forth the following recommendation.  Directors unanimously passed a motion to invite Maui CC candidates Lisa Deneen and Vincent Linares to attend the next Board of Directors’ meeting scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2009 as observers.  Since the election of a new Director would be conducted in April and the elected person would take office immediately after the results are determined instead of on September 1, an interim Board Director will not be appointed prior to the election.

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENT

Directors unanimously passed a motion to confirm the appointment of Kathleen Sands of American Studies at UH-Manoa as the Faculty Representative for Primary Academic Unit 042 effective immediately.  Her term ends on May 31, 2009.  She replaces Theodore Gonzalves, who is on sabbatical leave for the spring semester.

HAWAII GREAT TEACHERS SEMINAR

Directors were informed that the Hawaii National Great Teachers Seminar will be having its 21^st annual meeting from Sunday, August 9, through Thursday, August 14, 2009 at the Kilauea Military Center in the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. For more information about the seminar, go to:  http://www.greatteacher.hawaii.edu.

Last October, the UHPA Board of Directors approved guidelines and criteria as well as a grant application form for the Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar for lecturers who are active UHPA members.  Lectures with 8+ credits in the previous and/or coming semester would be eligible to apply for a UHPA grant. Directors at their meeting on February 21 passed a motion to approve $4,500 for the 21^st Annual Hawaii Great Teachers Seminar with grants up to $1,500 for actual costs per person.  Directors Brenda Cartwright and Adrienne Valdez volunteered to serve on the Hawaii Great Teachers (HGT) Committee.  Lecturers will be notified how to apply for grants from UHPA to attend this year’s HGT seminar.

OTHER

• Directors discussed matters relating to publicizing the union’s position and the collaboration with other public sector unions.

• Changes to the nonprofit corporation law are likely to be incremental. This year allowing notice of meetings to be sent electronically with permission of the individual has been proposed. It is viewed as an editorial change.
  
  There are concerns expressed by nonprofit organizations and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that voting or conducting business electronically may present security and integrity problems. There will be a continuing dialogue regarding legislation for the next legislative session with the nonprofit organization and the Commerce Department.

• With regard to what is being proposed to reduce health benefits by certain legislators, Directors were asked to consider not continuing UHPA’s political endorsement of those legislators.
• An inquiry was made as to whether the Grievance Committee should be reinstituted.  The resulting discussion yielded no consensus.  It was suggested that a brief statement describing the charter for a possible grievance committee be submitted for Directors to review for possible action.

• When asked if UHPA is included in the selection process of the UH President, Executive Director Musto replied that the union has never been part of the process, and in the past has been asked by the Board of Regents not to request inclusion in the selection committees.

• According to the UHPA President’s written report, the Investment, Finance and Audit Committee (IFAC) will be assigned the task to review the lobbyist contract of Radcliffe and Associates as part of their review of the FY10 budget and bring forth a recommendation to the Board of Directors at its April 25 meeting. However, the President did extend an invitation to other interested Directors to also participate in the review of the lobbyist contract.

• A request was made to inform the full Board of any actions taken by the Executive Committee and if no meeting was held that Directors be kindly informed as well.