A. CAMPUS COMMUNITY COMMITTEE.

Report from Trustee Breckenridge.

Trustee Breckenridge reported that the committee heard presentations from Sherry Fisher of the Bloomington Professional Council and IUSA President Dave Orensten. She also said the committee considered and approved two human resources policy resolutions and asked Vice President Clapacs to tell the full board about them.

Vice President Clapacs said the two resolutions that the Campus Community Committee considered were to put in place requirements that treat our employees a little more fairly than perhaps past practice did.

The first resolution deals with full-time appointed positions and employees who are working essentially full-time hours, meaning 40 hours a week for more than nine months a year. The resolution requires that those positions be treated like an "appointed position," which is a term we use at Indiana University to describe a permanent position, and that those employees be given full benefits, meaning all medical and retirement benefits. This policy would go into effect beginning 1999-2000. That allows us time to do to the budget work necessary to pick up those additional benefit costs.

In terms of new costs to Indiana University, we believe this resolution will account for less than $100,000, but we think it's fair for those employees who are working 40 hours a week to be treated like any other employee working 40 hours a week and be given benefits. So stringing those employees out for one, two or three years in an hourly position, that will no longer be a practice.

He said the second resolution dealt with contributions to PERF retirement plans. He said it will put IU in better compliance with statutes that regulate how we contribute to employee retirement plans. This resolution essentially says that the University will begin to contribute to PERF retirement plans for those employees who work more than a thousand hours a year. That policy, too, will go into effect at the beginning of the year, 1999-2000.

Trustee Ferguson asked after this group of employees is brought into the health insurance plan, how many people receiving W-2s from Indiana University will not be covered by health insurance?.

Vice President Clapacs replied only those part-time employees not working 40 hours a week. He said IU does not provide medical coverage for part-time employees and added that a provision in the academic departments says that one can be considered a full-time employee if you work those nine academic months.

Trustee Ferguson asked whether a large number of people working for Indiana University don't have coverage?.

Vice President Clapacs said it was a small number - in the hundreds.

Trustee Ferguson asked about AIs and Vice President Clapacs said they are covered. Not everybody takes health insurance at Indiana University. Some take coverage as provided by plans through their spouse's employer. We have many of those. Essentially, it's offered to everyone.

Trustee Ferguson said he wanted to comment on the importance of health insurance.

He said that if you look nationwide, and it's also true in this community, the lower end of the income scale have Medicaid and Medicare, so they have a coverage provider. And then there are those they call uninsured but are really those who are employed but don't have access to coverage through their employer, or may be outside the system or in transition.

He cited a recent report that said during the course of the year, 75 million people are uninsured and a lot of those are moving between employers. But at this point in time, 9 million are uninsured because they are working for somebody and don't have health insurance. Health insurance quit being insurance, he said; it's really access to health care and if we don't provide access as an employer, then we cost-shift it to other people in the community - other employers or charity care.

He called the resolution a really good move, saying that as Trustees and a major employer in this community and the other communities around the state, we need to be cognizant of that and make sure we provide that service and we don't shift it back to everybody else in the community. He commended Vice President Clapacs on the resolution, calling it long overdue.

In response to a question about part-time employees, Vice President Clapacs said part-time is defined as less than 1,970 hours a year - basically the 2,080 hours minus the customary paid time off.

Vice President Clapacs said he wanted to comment on Trustee Ferguson's statement. As a member of the Bloomington Hospital board and being somewhat familiar with the way that medical care expenses are supported in the Bloomington community, he said he believed that Indiana University's health care plan is so comprehensive and so good that essentially we are contributing to that cost-shifting that takes place within this community. It makes our health care plan more expensive because we are essentially paying the bills for some of those others who do not have health care coverage in Bloomington and in other communities as well. But we see it here a lot.

Trustee Ferguson said he agreed with Vice President Clapacs, adding that every major employer is having it shifted back to them and that's become an important part of cost. For companies like GE, Otis and Westinghouse, where health care is a major cost factor, that hurts the competitive position internationally.

Trustee Breckenridge noted that the resolution would benefit all personnel on all eight campuses.

Resolution
Regarding Full-Time Appointed Positions

WHEREAS, Indiana University currently provides Full-Time Appointed Staff and Academic employees with personnel policies for respective groups and a comprehensive benefits program..

WHEREAS, Indiana University believes that all employees performing services on a full-time basis should have the same rights as other respective employees and should be provided the same benefits program coverages provided to other full-time employees performing similar responsibilities.

WHEREAS, Indiana University believes that Hourly employees are individuals hired to perform services of a temporary nature, and that these "temporary" assignments should not result in an individual performing full-time services, as compared to other individuals performing similar responsibilities, unless that employee is provided all the rights as other full-time employees. ("Full-time" is currently defined as 100% FTE or 40 hours per week for 9 months or more.)

BE IT RESOLVED, that

The Trustees of Indiana University intend that all employees who are performing Full-time services should be treated in a consistent manner, with the personnel policies and benefits program coverages provided to other individuals performing similar responsibilities.

When there is an official need for a position to provide services on a Full-time basis, that position shall be established as an Appointed position, with the rights and privileges of other similar Appointed positions.

This policy shall apply to Indiana University employees, including Staff, Academic and other employment categories; except that this policy shall not apply to individuals with IRS - qualified student status.

In the case of all employee categories, the term "position" shall mean assignments or services performed within the same University-designated organizational department; and the reference to "Full-time" shall mean the same amount of hours worked as any other individual in a Full-time Appointed position, taking in to account that such individuals receive paid time-off during each year. (Currently, "full-time" hours worked, as related to this resolution, equals 1,930 hour or more during a fiscal year.)

The above Indiana University policy is effective with beginning of the 1999/2000 fiscal year..

Resolution
Regarding PERF Retirement Plan Participation

WHEREAS, Indiana statutes allows Indiana University to only exclude employees from participating in the PERF retirement plan who are in positions normally requiring service of less than 1,000 hours during a year, as well as excluding employees covered by an IU-sponsored retirement plan, and

WHEREAS, Indiana University currently provides Appointed Non-Exempt Staff who normally provide 1,000 or more hours of services per year participation in the PERF retirement plan..

BE IT RESOLVED, that:

The Trustees of Indiana University intend that all employees who are not specifically allowed to be excluded from the PERF retirement plan shall be covered by that retirement plan, in accordance with Indiana statutes.

All employees who are in positions that normally require 1,000 or more hours of services in a year, shall be covered by the PERF retirement plan, unless covered by another University - sponsored retirement plan.

The above retirement plan coverage provision shall apply to all Indiana University employees, including Hourly and other non-Appointed individuals; except that this retirement plan coverage provisions shall not apply to individuals with IRS - qualified student status..

For Hourly and other non-Appointed classified individuals, the term "position" shall mean assignments or services performed within the same University-designated organizational unit; and the reference to "1,000 or more hours per year" shall mean 1,000 or more hours in any calendar year.

The above Indiana University policy is effective with the beginning of the 1999/2000 fiscal year..

Unanimously approved on motion duly made and seconded.

Trustee Breckenridge said that at the end of its formal meeting, the committee adjourned for a town meeting which was attended by three representatives of the Sycamore Valley Gun Club. One of the representatives, Fred Dunn, made a presentation left materials for each trustee.