From: DDDH send Date: November 1, 2007 2:53:10 PM CDT To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Local 73 rally at Board of Trustees meeting in Springfield Reply-To: DDDH send To: Deans, Directors, Department Heads & Chairpersons From: Thomas H. Riley, Jr. Director of Labor and Employee Relations Re: Local 73 rally at Board of Trustees meeting in Springfield The Service Employees International Union Local 73 announced plans "to march" at the Board of Trustees meeting in Springfield on Wednesday, November 14. The rally is directed at four open Local 73 union contract negotiations, two bargaining units at UIC covering our clerical and technical employees and two at the Urbana campus covering food service and building service workers. Local 73 is promoting attendance for their members by providing a bus and you might receive requests from employees to take the day off in order to participate. This is not a University-sanctioned activity, so employee requests for time off should be handled in accordance with normal policy on scheduling and requiring the use of benefit time such as vacation or a floating holiday. Several supervisors and employees have inquired into the status of negotiations and regarding union-generated leaflets and emails claiming that UIC has been unfair on issues of wages, equity, job security, and respect for seniority. Although we typically focus our attention on negotiating at the bargaining table and not responding to propaganda that sometimes surrounds the process, this is an opportunity to provide the requested overview and status of negotiations with Local 73. UIC currently has 18 collective bargaining agreements mostly spanning 3-5 year terms, so at any given time we are in negotiations on successor agreements with several labor unions representing UIC employees. We generally have harmonious relationships with these unions recognizing our shared interests in our employees who are critical to the UIC mission of teaching, research and service, and in UIC striving to remain a destination employer with a distinctively competitive employment culture. Local 73 represents employees in three separate bargaining units at UIC--service, technical, and clerical. Last winter we reached a four-year agreement with Local 73 covering our approximately 800 service employees. We are in negotiations currently with Local 73 on the two successor union contracts covering our technical and clerical employees. Technical Employee Contract The technical workers' previous three-year contract, covering approximately 400 employees, expired last December and those workers continue to be covered by the terms of the previous contract as we negotiate the successor agreement. That prior contract allowed for compounded step, merit, and across the board annual increases of up to 6.5 % for the past few years. We have had 8 negotiation meetings. Our current offer at the table provides total annual increases of up to 5.5%, well in excess of the general UIC wage program for fiscal year 2007/2008 where faculty, academic professionals and other non-union represented employees were given raises up to 2.5% merit based on performance and an additional selective .5% market if necessary. Local 73's initial demands of total increases of 12 to 13 percent, and current position of 8½ to 9½ percent and their refusal to reach tentative agreement on any proposal, even when the University has orally agreed with a union proposal, has stalled progress. We are scheduled to meet with the union for our ninth technical employee negotiation session on November 8. Clerical Employee Contract Similarly, we are in negotiations with Local 73 on the union contract encompassing approximately 1,500 clerical workers who remain covered by the terms of their previous four-year contract, which expired in August 2006. That prior contract allowed for compounded step, merit, and across the board annual increases for a majority of the employees in excess of 5% and 7% for the past few years. We have had 17 negotiation meetings on the clerical contract. Our current offer on the table provides a total annual increase of up to between 3.5% and 5.5% depending on an employees placement on a step schedule, again well in excess of the general UIC wage program applicable to faculty, APs and other non-union represented employees. Local 73's initial demand was for total increases of 10 to 12 percent, and their current position is for total increases of 9 to 11 percent. Like with the technical negotiations, Local 73 has stalled on reaching agreement on any substantive provisions. We are scheduled to meet with the union for our eighteenth clerical employee negotiation session on November 7. The union contracts at UIC have extensive seniority acknowledgment provisions and provide job security through several articles, including "just cause" provisions for discipline and discharge, grievance procedures culminating in binding external arbitration, and a maintenance of employee seniority and job security rights provided to civil service employees under the State University Civil Service Act. Comparable labor market salary data supports that compensation for our technical and clerical employees is very competitive in the market. Also, Local 73-represented employees have been covered under and we continue to offer a rich benefit package that puts benefits as a percentage of salaries at approximately 50%, which is well in excess of the national average. Additional benefits unique to working on campus include: tuition waivers; pre-tax transportation program; campus recreation availability; employee assistance program; access to University lectures, performances and sporting events; employee recognition programs; student center activities; UIC child care program; and the ability to participate in financial programs such as 403 (b) and deferred compensation. We will continue to bargain in good faith at the negotiating table and look forward to reaching agreement on these two open union contracts with Local 73. Please share this memo with managers and supervisors in your area. If you have any questions about the status of negotiations please contact me or Steve Holz, Associate Director of Labor and Employee Relations at 5-3056. From: DDDH Send Date: November 5, 2007 2:43:21 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT: DIRECTOR - Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) Reply-To: DDDH Send Dear Colleagues:   As you already know, Philip Bowman has assumed a position at the University of Michigan after six years as Director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy within the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.  Professor Bowman has done a great deal to enhance the image and position of the Institute within the university and the nation. John Betancur, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Policy, is serving as Interim Director until a new director can be identified through a national search.   A search committee to identify a successor to Professor Bowman has already begun its work.  The membership of the committee is listed at the end of this email.  The position advertisement and other information related to the search are available at the following website:   http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/search/   Your participation in the search process will be essential to its success.  The Search Committee welcomes your nominations, questions, and suggestions.   Ads will start to run nationally in early November, and the review of applications will begin after December 3, 2007.   Questions about the position should be directed to Victoria Chou, Chair of the Search Committee, at (312)996-5641 or vchou@uic.edu   Applications and nominations, may be submitted to:   Kathleen M. Jones Assistant Director, Faculty Affairs HR University of Illinois at Chicago 2832 University Hall 601 South Morgan Street Chicago, IL 60607-7128   Email: irrppsearch@uic.edu Phone: (312) 355-2412 Fax: (312) 996-1700   I am confident that, with your support, the committee will be able to identify an outstanding set of candidates for the Director, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy.   Sincerely,   Michael Anthony Pagano Interim Dean, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs     Search Committee for the Director, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy:   Victoria J. Chou, Chair Dean, College of Education   Fabricio E. Balcazar Professor, College of Applied Health Sciences   Nilda Flores-Gonzalez Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences   Mosi Ifatunji Graduate Student, Department of Sociology (UIC) Graduate Fellow, IRRPP   Kevin K. Kumashiro Associate Professor, College of Education   Karen Ann Mossberger Associate Professor, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs   Javette C. Orgain Associate Professor, College of Medicine   Jesus Ramirez-Valles Associate Professor, School of Public Health   Beth E.Richie Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences   Thelma Chedgzsey Smith-McKeever Assistant Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work   Paul Tiyambe Zeleza Professor & Head, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences     From: DDDH Send Date: November 5, 2007 3:52:52 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: 2007-2008 Staff Directory Reply-To: DDDH Send Dear Colleagues: Preproduction of the 2007-2008 Staff Directory is complete, and we hope to begin delivering to departments in the next week. The attached ordering instructions have been sent to your phonebook contact person. You may want to consult with your phonebook contact about the number of copies to order. If you have any questions or need any assistance, feel free to send us a note at publications@uic.edu. Thank you. Gerard Catrambone Associate Director Office of Publications Services www.uicprint.uic.edu  ordering instructions1.doc From: DDDH Send Date: November 6, 2007 10:11:27 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Update on Grants & Contracts Re-organization Reply-To: DDDH Send To:                 Deans, Directors, and Department Heads, Academic Fiscal Officers and                Business and Financial Administrators   From:             Vanessa Peoples & Heather Haberaecker   Subject:         Update on Grants & Contracts Re-organization   In January, it will be a year since the Department of Grants & Contracts transitioned to a new organizational structure that has teams of grants specialists by school/college and a separate cash management team. We would like to take this opportunity to briefly update you on our progress.    Before tackling some of our re-organization tasks, we focused on internal operations. Our number one priority was to clean up some of the backlog of activities with the goal of keeping current on them from this point forward. A few of our key operational successes as of the end of FY07 are as follows: • Achieved a 72% rate of award setup in less than 5 days (our goal is 100% in 5 days) • Reduced the accounts receivable balance from $22 M (June ’06) to $11.3 M as of 6/30/07 (which is within $1M of the benchmark suggested to us by our external consultant) • Reduced the amount of overdue Financial Status Reports to NIH from 272 to 2  for reports due prior to 3/31/07 • Completed backlogged manual bills (approx. $1.3 M) for all projects with an unbilled balance as of 2/28/07  In addition, some of our re-organization successes to date include the following: • Enhanced teaming between the Department of Grants & Contracts and the Office of Research Services • Developed more detailed procedures for managing the accounts receivable process • Strengthened cost transfer policies and procedures • Developed a system to measure and manage department/team/individual productivity We still have much to accomplish with the re-organization project.  Some of our upcoming FY08 goals are as follows: • Increase communications to and training for department administrators and faculty • Review and re-engineer key post-award processes, including effort reporting and department billing • Enhance the Department of Grants & Contracts website Thank you for your continued support in our endeavors to improve our service to and partnership with the campus.  If you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact one of us.   Thank you,   Heather & Vanessa   Heather J. Haberaecker, PhD                                       Vanessa Peoples Executive Assistant Vice President for Business        Director of Grants and Contracts   and Finance/Chief Business Officer                           Office of Business & Financial Services University of Illinois at Chicago                                      University of Illinois at Chicago 809 S. Marshfield, Room 611 (MC078)                        809 S. Marshfield, MC-511 Chicago, IL 60612                                                          Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 996-2860 (phone)                                                 (312) 996-3373 (phone) (312) 996-7287 (fax)                                                       (312) 413-0798 (fax) hjh2@uillinois.edu                                                             vpeoples@uillinois.edu From: DDDH Send Date: November 6, 2007 10:31:55 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: 2007 Reduced Service Schedule Reply-To: DDDH Send TO:                      Deans, Directors, and Department Heads FROM:           John Loya, Vice-Chancellor for Human Resources                           Joe Muscarella, Vice-Chancellor for Administrative Services RE:                      2007 REDUCED SERVICE SCHEDULE DATE:           November 6, 2007 The University of Illinois will again observe a reduced service schedule for three days at the end of December. The holiday and reduced service schedule for the period December 24, 2007-January 1, 2008 is summarized below.                                     Essential Service Units(1)                                All Other Units Monday December 24               ½ Gift Day am + ½ Gift Day pm (2)                       ½ Gift Day am + ½ Gift Day pm Tuesday December 25                     Observed University Holiday                      Observed University Holiday Wednesday December 26            Regular Workday                                           Designated Campus Holiday Thursday December 27                    Regular Workday                           Reduced Service Day Friday December 28                               Regular Workday                           Reduced Service Day Monday December 31                      Regular Workday                                 Reduced Service Day Tuesday January 1                                Observed University Holiday                      Observed University Holiday         (1)              Hospital, clinics, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, all departments under the                  Department of Facilities Management and Capital Programs, Environmental Health and Safety,                Telecommunications, Facility and Space Planning, University Police Department, Campus Auxiliary                  Services, and Biologic Resources Laboratory.   1. (2)             Hospital employees required to work on the gift day are asked to schedule another day off between                December 1, 2007 and January 31, 2008.  The following points should clarify the reduced service schedule: • The University will not be officially closed, and essential service units, including security, will be provided.  General administrative offices will close and academic buildings will have entrance doors locked.  • Reduced service days are not holidays.  Employees are asked to use accrued vacation or floating holidays to cover these three days.  Hourly (nonexempt civil service) employees not using vacation or floating holidays to cover this period may take time without pay or use accrued compensatory time. • Monday December 24th is a gift day.  As such, employees who are required to work on that day will not be eligible for holiday pay; rather, they should make arrangements with their department to schedule an alternative day off with pay. • Academic or support staff members who wish to work during the reduced service days should notify their supervisor in writing by November 30, in order to provide sufficient time for making suitable arrangements.  The administrative officer (dean or director) of the unit should be copied on this notification.  Staff members who choose to work the reduced service days or the gift day will receive regular hourly rate of pay as will those who are required to work. • Information regarding paycheck distribution can be found on the “Holiday/Reduced Work Schedule” section of the UIC HR website. • For Civil Service employees who work other than Monday through Friday, Policy and Rules Section 8.02 of the Policies and Rules for Civil Service Staff located on Nessie applies. • Details concerning the access and service level of campus buildings will be forthcoming. For questions concerning the reduced service schedule, contact Steve Holz, Associate Director of Labor and Employee Relations, at 312-355-3056 or sholz@uic.edu . For questions concerning building closures, contact Karen Scherman, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Service, at 312-996-3200 or karengs@uic.edu. From: DDDH Send Date: November 6, 2007 2:50:00 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Resource & Policy Analyst Reply-To: DDDH Send University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Budgeting and Program Analysis The Office of Budgeting and Program Analysis is seeking a Resource & Policy Analyst responsible for designing, conducting, and reporting analytical studies which relate to long-range capital and financial planning, including the annual budget cycle.  Requirements include experience in performing research through statistical and economic analysis; comprehensive understanding of program budgeting; and working knowledge of productivity tools such as Microsoft Office.  Bachelor's degree with three to five years experience in higher education required, master’s degree preferred.  Preferred experience with finance, budgeting, data analysis and policy issues. For fullest consideration, submit letter of application, résumé, and names of three references by December 3, 2007 to Susan Ramirez, Resource Planning & Mgmt., (m/c 103), 2702 UH, 601 S. Morgan St. Chicago, IL 60607-7127, fax 312-413-5126, or ssramir@uic.edu.  UIC is an AA/EOE.  From: DDDH send Date: November 7, 2007 4:14:15 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Emergency text-messaging system Reply-To: DDDH send Dear Colleagues, In the event of a campus emergency, we want to be able to reach members of the UIC community as quickly as possible. Last spring, we implemented a text-messaging system that lets us send a short text alert to cell phones in case of a serious crime in progress, a weather emergency or other emergency situation. For those who have not yet taken advantage of this new system, we again invite students, faculty and staff to subscribe your phone so we can quickly provide important information in the event of emergency. Registration is free, and your privacy is ensured. To subscribe, simply go to http://sms.accc.uic.edu (or see the ACCC home page under Quick Links) and follow the directions to input your cell phone number to the notification system. You will then automatically receive all alerts as they are sent. The new system will augment, not replace, the existing means we use to notify you of important, time-sensitive information, including URGENT e-mails to your uic.edu address, postings to the Emergency Information page (the link at the bottom of the UIC home page), and recorded announcements on the emergency information hotline (312) 413-9696. Please share this note with your students, faculty and staffs, so that we can reach the members of our community quickly when it matters most. Thank you. Sincerely, UIC Police UIC Academic Computing and Communications Center UIC Office of Public Affairs From: DDDH Send Date: November 15, 2007 1:02:04 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: New Form I-9 Reply-To: DDDH Send Date: November 15, 2007 Subject: New Form I-9 Please be advised that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued an updated version of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form known as the Form I-9. Please begin using the new Form I-9 immediately. It can be accessed at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf or in the forms section of NESSIE at https://nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu/cf/index.cfm?item_id=161. USCIS has also issued a new I-9 Handbook for Employers, which can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/m-274.pdf. Changes to the form itself are primarily cosmetic. However, both the instructions and lists of documents have been redrafted and reorganized. Five documents have been removed and one document has been added to "List A" of Acceptable Documents. A full description of these changes is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site at http://www.uscis.gov/i-9. You may notice that the instructions for Section 1 of the Form I-9 now state that the employee is not required to provide his or her Social Security Number (SSN) in Section 1 of the Form I-9, unless he or she is employed by an employer who participates in the Federal E-Verify system. Due to provisions of Illinois State law, the University does not currently utilize E-Verify. As a result, new employees may abstain from providing their SSN in Section 1. However, if the employee is presenting their Social Security Card as a document to establish employment eligibility, then the SSN will need to be recorded in Section 2. Please share this information with the members of your staff who are responsible for administering the new hire process. If you have policy questions about the use of the Form I-9, please contact University Human Resources at uihr@uillinois.edu. Questions about the Form I-9 process should be directed to your campus HR office directly at 312-413-4848.   From: DDDH Send Date: November 15, 2007 2:15:46 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Alumni Career Center position announcement Reply-To: DDDH Send Client Contact and Office Operations Specialist University of Illinois Alumni Association Alumni Career Center Located in the Chicago Loop, this position is the first and sometimes main contact for alumni and employers using Alumni Career Center services. This position also manages general office activities, performs accounting-related functions and handles records updates for the Alumni Career Center and reports to the Vice President, UIAA Alumni Career Center. Qualifications Include: * High school graduation or equivalent required. Bachelor degree preferred. * Three years of relevant work experience or a combination of work experience and college coursework. * Exceptionally strong interpersonal and customer service skills that include sensitivity to multicultural differences, patience with difficult or upset people and ability to maintain a professional environment for alumni and employers using the Alumni Career Center. * Exceptionally strong verbal and written communication skills and listening skills. * Know Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access and Outlook), be familiar with the Internet and be able to learn other software. * Ability to work independently and to exercise judgment. * Ability to set priorities and manage multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail and being a team player. * Desire to use creativity for visual communications. * Aptitude for handling accounts receivable and payable. For a full job description, see http://www.uiaa.org/jobs/. For full consideration, send a cover letter, resume, references and salary requirements by November 30, 2007 to: Julie Hays Bartimus Vice President, Alumni Career Center University of Illinois Alumni Association 200 S Wacker Drive, First Floor, MC 200 Chicago, IL 60606 JLHays@uillinois.edu 312/575-7832 (fax) 312/575-7830 (phone) The University of Illinois is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. From: DDDH send Date: November 16, 2007 3:42:35 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: UIC in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Saturday Reply-To: DDDH send For the first time in our history, UIC will be participating in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival tomorrow, Saturday November 17. UIC's cheerleaders and the Dancing Flames will be entertaining the crowds prior to the procession on Hubbard and Michigan Avenue starting at 5:00 p.m. The procession begins at 6:00 p.m. and ABC7 will be airing the event in 35 national markets. The chancellor will be riding on an antique fire truck with the UIC pep band playing holiday tunes. Please join us on Saturday as we help illuminate the Magnificent Mile. Warren Chapman From: DDDH Send Date: November 28, 2007 11:08:48 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Chemical Security at UIC Reply-To: DDDH Send To:       Deans, Directors and Department Heads   From:    Marilyn L. Hau, MS, Director of Environmental Health and Safety Subject: CHEMICAL SECURITY AT UIC A New Federal Regulation On October 4, 2006, the President of the United States signed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act of 2007.  This law provides DHS the authority to regulate the security of facilities that use chemicals in their operations, including colleges, universities and medical centers.  In April, DHS issued the “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards” (CFATS) as a final rule intended to prevent potential misuse of certain chemicals.  On November 1, 2007 the Appendix A to the rule was issued.  This appendix lists the specific DHS chemicals of interest and their corresponding Screening Threshold Quantities (STQ). If a university possesses, or later comes into possession, a chemical of interest on the list at or above the specified screening threshold quantity, it must complete a consequence assessment tool known as a Top-Screen.  DHS will use this inventory information to rank facilities into four tiers based on risk levels.  Those facilities deemed “high risk” must then perform vulnerability assessments, develop site security plans, do facility personnel background checks and implement additional security measures.  Facilities determined by DHS not to present a high level of security risk will drop out of the regulatory program and go no further. What You and UIC Must Do UIC now has 60 days to report chemical information using this Top-Screen. EHSO has been tasked with leading this effort.  We will be gathering information on what chemicals are used, where on campus and in what quantities they exist.  Please be prepared to submit information about chemicals of interest present in your inventory or to certify that you do not possess or use any of the chemicals on the Appendix A list.  The Appendix A list is available on the EHSO website at www.uic.edu/depts/envh.  Please note that chemicals in laboratories that represent a “release” threat are exempted and “sabotage” chemicals are only a concern if they are being shipped.  Therefore, our website list has highlights in yellow for the chemicals of concern in laboratories.  Should UIC fail to comply, the DHS can impose civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day, and shut down our facilities.  Further information will follow on the methods EHSO will be using to gather the necessary data.  We thank you in advance for your time and assistance with this regulatory compliance mandate.