STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

February 10, 2010

Executive Committee:
Christa Bruning, President, Christa.Bruning@du.edu, x13170
Nicky Bruckhart, Vice President, nbruckha@du.edu, x14241
Kate Martin, Treasurer, Kate.Bidstrup.Martin@du.edu, x12247
Kate Johnson, Webmaster, kate.johnson@du.edu, x16515
Saskia Sawyer, Secretary, Saskia.sawyer@du.edu, x14306

Members in attendance:
Kathy Aliaga, Facilities
Nicky Bruckhart, Athletics and Recreation
Sarah Childs, Human Resources
Linda Daubers, Graduate School of Social Work
Jan Drobnick, Daniels College of Business
Anne Gross, Admissions
Emily Hinga, Graduate School of International Studies
Cheryl Jackson, Morgridge College of Education
Kate Johnson, University Communications
Gayle Keahey, Law School
Kate Martin, Student Life
Marty Neary, DU Bookstore
Lynne Reed, University College
Bonnie Rodriguez, Facilities
Saskia Sawyer, University Advancement
Jerry Schwenke, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The meeting was called to order.

1) Introduction of Council Members

2) Chancellor Coombe addressed the following questions:

a) How did our fall numbers look and will there be raises next year?
• There will be raises next year.
• Fall numbers are looking very good; applications are up, over 12K.
• We are anticipating another good application year for undergrads, as well as grads.
○ For graduate schools: Law uncertain, others are up 5-6%
• We don’t see any issues with filling up classes – main issue is how much financial aid
we can provide.
b) Will there be other units offering fully online degrees in the future?
• Currently just University College offering fully on-line courses.
• Daniels Real Estate program has an online component.
• We are exploring the possibility of adding more: currently have five pilot programs
for next quarter, geared at students who are on campus.

1
 • Understand that we have to offer this as one in four students who enroll in a four-year
college has taken an on-line course, mainly for flexibility.
c) How can DU justify another tuition raise in the current economic climate? Aren’t we
pricing ourselves out of the market? Aren’t we struggling to meet our enrollment goals
already?
• We are meeting our enrollment goals fully.
• Tuition is our major revenue stream; if we want to give merit increases, we have to
raise tuition.
• The board has approved a 2.9% raise; the industry average is between 2-4% for
private institutions.
• Our financial models are done with no more than a 3% hike for the upcoming years.
• Our absolute cost is very competitive compared to the quality of education we
provide
○ We are still less than Colorado College by $2-3K/year
• The most important component is the net cost to the student (cost after financial aid)
○ Compared nationally, our net price is still high.
○ Other private institution’s endowments are way down; often far more depended
on endowments than we are.
○ That is the reason why we moved so many funds into financial aid as that allows
us to compete better.
d) Would DU consider a four-day week to save costs? How about over the summer?
• Most likely not as we are not a four-day school.
• The pressure is actually on to utilize our resources better, especially in the summer.
• Not entirely opposed to adjusted work hours in the summer – this would have to be
done by the departments individually.
e) Could there be a two-tier system of compensation one for staff working at DU less than 7
years and an accelerated compensation system for the career minded who work at DU
over 7 years (as it appears that some simply want to use the tuition reimbursement benefit
and then leave)?
• This is the first time I’ve heard of this; not sure if this is really an issue.
• We are supporting staff that is here for the long run, such as promotions on the
faculty level.
f) What is the status of DU’s web design project? How long will the consultants be here?
What happens when they leave?
• The web project has been going on for a while, dropped at some point, taken back up.
• Branding and marketing has shifted to e-media.
• We are aware that we need to modernize our thinking of how to convey our image.
• We are in the process of rebuilding the web group:
○ Hired two web developers, will hire two more as well as a writer.
• The consultants are leaving in March.
○ The idea was to bring high-level knowledge in for a certain time (We might
outsource this again on occasion).

2
 • There will be a new content management system for units next year.
○ The new web group will handle all of this.
• We are going to move branding and marketing forward internally, but, we do not
have the talent or the funds to pay for the talent needed to really be competitive in
that area.
g) When will the university move to either all students on semesters or all students on
quarters to eliminate administrative complications for students and staff?
• We ultimately want to be on quarters as we want to be a year-around operation to
ensure we run on full capacity at all times.
○ We currently only have 4K students in the summer.
• There is no need for semesters anymore (established to support farm schedule).
• Currently in active discussion with the deans to move to all quarters.
• If the online pilot program works it will help to move to quarters, especially during
the summer months.
h) According to the Clarion, “Public areas such as streets and sidewalks that run through
campus are exempt from the (smoking) ban.” So, it sounds like smokers only need to go
out into the street in front of our building to have a smoke? Is that true?
• The university is not in the business of restraining people’s behavior.
• We came to the conclusion that smoking presents a public health issue, especially
second-hand smoke.
○ Zoning presents an issue. According to studies 25 feet radius is considered safe
from second-hand smoke. Campus safety drafted a map based on that which
would set the middle of the campus greens as a designated smoking area; hence
we banned smoking campus wide.
○ Thoroughfare roads are public, we don’t own them, and hence we can’t enforce
DU law on those areas.
○ Campus safety also has not been charged with citing as they do have more
important things to do.
○ Research has shown that it takes a couple of years, if the signage is good and the
conversation is kept up, and the behavior will change.
i) Did any major new decision come out of the Board of Trustees meeting?
• No change in strategy or direction.
• Long-term goals are still to keep the momentum going and to compete on a national
level.
j) Is there a chance of staff trading in sick hours for vacation hours (2 to 1)? If not, is it
possible to donate sick hours to another staff member in need?
• No, probably not as that would be a complete change of HR policies, contracts etc.
• Will investigate RE: donating.
k) Would staff be able to use the tuition waiver towards a third class each quarter?
• Currently waiver tops at 20 credit hours/year.
• Taking three classes while working full time is simply impossible without having
impact on work.

3
 • Going beyond 20 credits creates a financial issue (we would rather give a raise to
everybody).
l) How about banking those untaken credits?
• Not possible as this is a non-recurring benefit, it’s a yearly benefit – use it or lose it.
m) Could staff be accommodated somehow to take 18-month programs?
• This is not a matter of university policy.
• Units need to see if they can accommodate this.
n) I see department trying to get around compliance issues. It seems that upper management
gives breaks to some, but not others. There should be no exceptions to the compliance
committee policies.
• The new policy is about appropriate spending.
• Prior to this there was no spending policy or hiring freeze.
• We’ve asked the deans and directors to manage the programs in a way that goes along
with the university expectations.
○ The deans are responsible for their budgets (staff and Supply & Expense budget)
• The cuts were indeed uneven across campus to take each individual unit’s needs into
consideration.
• We took $12M out of the operating budget ($4.5M for financial aid, saved $4M).
○ We were able to do so as we had $10M due to unit’s under-spending their budget.
o) I have worked at DU for a number of years but have never seen morale so low among
staff and across campus. Are you aware of this? Are you and other top administrators
concerned? What is the administration doing to address this? This is not solely because
of the salary freezes.
• Low morale is most likely associated with uncertainty.
○ The university is stable; there are no more job cuts in the near future.
○ There should be no low morale, unless it is a communication issue.
(a) Will send out update at the end of the quarter, even if it a little pre-mature as
the board of trustees will not approve anything specific before June.
(i) Will address this issue at the next Executive board meeting (February 16)
p) Some staff feels that they are overworked due to the cuts and therefore have low morale.
• The staff cuts should not affect anybody to that extent. If it is indeed an issue it
should be addressed with the unit.
q) Are you looking at the faculty in terms of cost savings? Work efficiencies? Early
retirement?
• We have the biggest salary gap at the senior faculty level (full professor).
○ We have to give raises (only about 30 faculty members get promoted each year).
• We are not looking at cutting faculty / people for cost-savings.
○ We like the current student-faculty ratio.
• We always try to be as efficient as possible.
r) DU keeps growing and buildings are being built to house new programs, new faculty, etc.
are there plans to build more classrooms into the new buildings or remodel some of the
old classrooms to accommodate the burgeoning class sizes? Classrooms are at a

4
 premium and we have to cap classes to realistically fit students into existing classrooms.
Is this issue being discussed at the higher level?
• We have enough classrooms – the issue is the management of space.
○ Currently everything is controlled by the units.
○ There is software that can help to optimize the space, but currently it is under
local control.
s) With regard to Nir Barkat’s invitation to DU on 11/3/09 in the light of the imperative that
DU remain an advocate for rigorous and unprejudiced inquiry, what efforts are being
undertaken by the Chancellor and the Office of Special Programs to secure a speaker that
can provide a different perspective on the controversial and complex topic of “Jerusalem
in Transition”?
• In regard to Nir Barkat, DU split the costs of the reception.
• We are happy to sponsor a speaker from Palestine – we want to be as diverse as
possible.
• We have diversity over time, it always seems to even itself out.
• What we need is an opportunity to invite these speakers.
t) We’ve received very positive feedback about the open house holiday party. Will you
plan on hosting an open house again this year?
• Yes, we are planning on doing the same this year as attendance was very high, higher
than expected.

3) All other agenda items will be covered at the March meeting.

4) Meeting adjourned.

Next meeting: March 10, 2010, 12 – 1 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Saskia Sawyer
Secretary