Faculty Council PAO/PAU Staff Resolution

To:         Charles R. Bantz, Chancellor, IUPUI

From:     Simon J. Atkinson, President, IUPUI Faculty Council

Subject:  Faculty Council PAO/PAU Staff Resolution

Date:      June 18, 2009

As you are aware, a motion was adopted at the May 5, 2009, Faculty Council meeting directing the IFC Executive Committee to prepare a resolution for vote by email addressing concerns over changes in time reporting and the switch to biweekly pay for PAO/PAU staff at IUPUI. Accordingly, the Executive Committee prepared a resolution (appended below), which was sent to council members on May 29, with voting continuing through noon on June 8.

The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of those voting, 54 in favor, and 8 opposed. I would also note that voting occurred after the end of the academic year, when many faculty were no longer on campus.

This vote clearly reflects the significant level of concern amongst the faculty, which parallels the level of anxiety, even distress, articulately expressed by the leadership of the Staff Council.

On behalf of the Faculty Council and the Executive Committee, I ask that you take these concerns most seriously and take immediate steps to reconsider the implementation of these changes for the PAO/PAU staff as called for by the resolution. Although not the subject of the resolution, it may be appropriate to also reconsider implementation of the synchronous system for other support staff in academic areas.

Enclosure

cc: Dawn Rhodes, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Ellen Poffenberger, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Sue Herrell, President, IUPUI Staff Council
IFC Members

IUPUI FACULTY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
May 2009

Title: IUPUI FACULTY COUNCIL Resolution to Suspend the Planned Implementation of the TIME (Timekeeping Information Management Enterprise) for PAO/PAU Staff

Whereas, the rationale offered for the change in timekeeping systems appears incomplete and misleading since there is no violation of compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and Indiana University’s internal auditors determined the current timekeeping system to be adequate; and

Whereas, the IUPUI FACULTY COUNCIL is concerned about the likely negative effect this change will have on the academic culture of the campus, the morale of faculty and staff, the vital bond of professionalism, and customer service, especially to students; and

Whereas, lack of timely and serious-minded consultation with the faculty, many of whom supervise and work with PAO/PAU staff, indicates disregard, if not disrespect, of the fundamental nature of academic work; and

Whereas, considerable time and energy will be required on the part of those faculty who supervise PAO/PAU staff, thereby shortchanging interaction with students and taking time from tasks that are research or service based; and

Whereas, the decision to shift from the current timekeeping system to the synchronous TIME system appears to be an arbitrary choice and one that is not systematically applied across the IU system, that is decidedly user-unfriendly, and that is expensive to implement; and

Whereas, the proposed shift from monthly to biweekly pay would cause affected staff to experience a de facto pay cut each month for more than six months and cause them a considerable amount of involuntary deferment of pay that would create real and considerable hardships.

Be it Resolved, the planned implementation of the synchronous TIME system and biweekly pay for PAO/PAU staff be suspended.