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SEAC Meeting April 18,2007
Attending: Jenae Schmidt, Mary Williams, Peggy Mereness, Gloria Ahlers-Uecker, Betsy Salvatore, Hannah Adams, Cindy Darrow, Nick Christensen, Julie Lucking, Jacki Betsworth
Follow up from previous meeting’s ACTION items
- Constituent questions will wait until fall, 2007.
- Division of sector list will wait until new reps take office.
JobX Concerns from AOP Group
Representative Betsy Salvatore brought to the group a list of concerns formulated by the Academic Professionals Group in response to the recent JobX transition. Issues discussed included:
- Communication. Many department chairs were unaware of the JobX switch before it happened. Academic departments within the AOP group felt that they had not received prior warning and had not been part of the decision-making process. Because of the many transitions within Student Employment, HR was unaware that the greater campus was not fully aware of the proposed JobX transition. The Student Employment office and SEAC recognize that, going forward, departments need to be informed of potential changes in a timely manner, so input can be gathered and transitions can happen as smoothly as possible.
- Training. The initial training for JobX was held at times that were difficult for academic departments to attend. It was suggested that future training happen in j-term, late May, or 2 weeks before fall, so departments can attend and learn the processes more fully.
- Workload. The process, particularly the initial entry phase, feels cumbersome and time-consuming for department administrators. It was a big shock for departments, especially those with many employees, to find that they needed to do much more entry this spring. Student Employment and SEAC members concurred that the initial input phase has been very labor-intensive. Going forward, the process should be easier, as most job descriptions will be in the system and people will be more familiar with the process.
- Transition timing. The impact of JobX plus Banner plus timesheets all at once made the issue more difficult for department administrators. But JobX had to be implemented at this time so it could be in place for this year’s job search.
- Role of Student Employment Administrator. The creation and staffing of this position allows Macalester to attend to the needs of our student employee population in the same ways that the HR office benefits our faculty and staff. This year, the JobX and Banner transitions have been the primary focus of the administrator’s workload. Regular duties also include overseeing all aspects of the Student Employment program, developing and administering policies and procedures, monitoring college compliance with government standards, and assessing the program’s effectiveness.
Hiring.
- Q.: If a department position is already full, why are we wasting our time putting it on line? A.: Federal funding requires that employers make all jobs available to all potential applicants. JobX makes it easy to hire those you want and notify other applicants that the job has been filled.
- Q.: If one is rehiring the same person for the same position, would there be a way to continue that job from one year to the next? A: Banner requires that the jobs be set up each year. Federal guidelines require that job openings be made available for all students on an annual basis.
- Also, because of the timing of the hiring process (late spring), some departments will not be able to hire students until their spring events are over. Is there a way to accommodate this?
Tracking.
- Q.: Where are students’ remaining fall awards? A.: Money from fall is not currently included in spring totals because fall semester was tracked in CARS. Next year, when the entire year is tracked in Banner, this situation will be corrected.
- Next year the financial aid and earnings pieces will be linked in Banner. There will be a place on 1600grand for students to find info relating to their awards. Supervisors will not be able to see individual students, but they should be able to see their student work rosters.
- Though SEAC was heavily involved in the decision to move forward with JobX and supports it fully, the decision to move forward with the proposal was a joint effort of the Student Employment and Financial Aid offices. The change was necessary to ensure effective tracking of our financial aid program and monitoring compliance with Federal law.
- HR is currently working on implementation of web time entry for non-exempt staff and students. This transition will be rolled out gradually. The hope is that by fall the whole college, including students, will be using web time entry.
- If there appears to be a need, Mary will consider making Student Employment communications to supervisors available on the Student Employment web site.
Evaluation of SEOTY Celebration
- Presentation of the award went well. There was a LOT of cake left!
- Many supervisors were there, but a lower percentage of students attended.
- Logistically, it’s easier for students to attend departmental events.
- President Rosenberg’s attendance was important – a nice touch!
- Put this event on the agenda for discussion early next academic year.
Chairmanship for 2007-2008 – tabled until May.
Please, everyone, consider nominating yourself or someone else.
Senior Week & Orientation – tabled until May.
Other Announcements.
- Membership. Since this is not a Presidential committee, SEAC may solicit its own members. In early fall, SEAC will discuss this topic. We will also review distribution of SEAC representatives among employer sizes.
- Summer forms. There is just one yellow piece of paperwork for summer people who can’t apply on JobX.
Final Meeting: May 9 @ 2-3:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jacki Betsworth
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