Montclair State University
PCAA 2002-03

Minutes
October 17, 2002

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Present: C. Meneghin, C. Fitzpatrick, C. Ortiz, J. Apolinario, E. Isaacs, C. Matteis, J. Ficke, R Aldridge, I. Barriera, O Rodriguez Srednicki, J. Harris, J. Yang, R. Halaby, J. Hain, A Dalocanog, B. Milton, T. Jacobowitz, D. DeBlasio, C. Cole, H. Perez, M. Coleman-Carter, M. Brown, L. Lemly, L. Wise

Absent: I. Caprio, Q. Dent, J. Rivera, S. Shaw, H. Gera, D. Rogers, L. McInerny.and L. Wilson

I. Call to Order

A. Opening
Chairperson T. Jacobowitz called the meeting to order at 12:00 when we reached the quorum.

Minutes of the September were accepted following a motion by C. Meneghin and second by L. Lemly.

Chairperson Jacobowitz appealed to members to attend flag raisings of constituencies represented in the Commission.

B. Readings
The discussion on anti-affirmative action by Rodriguez, Steele, and Carter (pp. 139-158) was postponed until the November meeting.

II. Old Business

The regular agenda was altered to allow C. Menegin to make a report, because she had to leave early.

A. Physical Plant Update
Upon researching communications accessibility of computers and phones physical plant staff, C. Meehan found the following:

- IT web pages indicate all computer labs are available for faculty, staff, and students.
- IT web pages give instructions how to activate web mail accounts.
- IT conducts training sessions
- The new directory of all e-mail accounts show many vacancies for physical plant staff (only 60 out of 200 have accounts)
- IT reports that it is possible to create multiple voice mails on one phone line
Since e-mail and phone access are necessities for job performance and information, the PCAA recommends that all employees have computer access now that e-mail has become one of the primary means of communication. New employee orientation should include computer (e-mail) training and establishing an e-mail account.

B. Communications with Constituencies C. Meneghin
For sharing information, there are two mail accounts in for the PCAA -
PCAA@Mail.Montclair.Edu or PCAA@Mail.Montclair.Edu.

It was also suggested and agreed that commission members' campus
e-mail addresses appear after our names with the constituency we represent to expedite and encourage e-mail communication with our respective constituencies.

III. Committee Reports

The commission engaged in a lengthy discussion about the appropriateness of our present committee structure, the purpose of the PCAA, and how problems should be assigned, especially when problems cross different committee boundaries. We didn't reach closure on many of the issues, but we did establish that the charge of the PCAA is to make recommendations to the President and to educate the campus on affirmative action issues.

A. Status of Women M. Coleman-Carter
The committee met to discuss goals and prioritize its work. They will continue in-service training and use University Day that will focus on the Strategic Plan on October 23 as another opportunity. Provost Lynde will encourage managers to include support staff to participate.

Another priority is the PAR. The committee will ask Shenita Brokenbur of HR to meet and plan workshops for managers. HR is decentralizing the PAR training and making it specific to our campus. The committee is also trying to identify women's issues and a method to obtain feedback.

Finally, the committee also announced the formation of a new organization, WAVES (Women Against Violence) who will present a program on campus October 24.

B. Status of Minorities
No Report. Chair K. Bledsoe was absent.

C. Recruitment and Retention L. Rodriguez
The goal of the committee at its last meeting was to aggregate the data in the Provost's report on faculty separations. However, there is a question about how to count separations, because the stated reasons may not be accurate.
With no additional information, the committee will be forced to use the exit interview reasons, analyze the data, and make recommendations to the PCAA.
Data 1994-2000 showed that 50% of the Latinos separated as compared to 26% overall. Why?

It was suggested that in order to obtain better data, departing faculty and staff be required to obtain the signature of the Affirmative Action Officer stating the reason for separation as part of the exit interview.

Another suggestion was to hire an outside firm to interview current and separated faculty about job satisfaction and/or reason for leaving

J. Harris suggested that Latino/a Caucus might wish to use the African American Caucus' approach to faculty retention as a model. The African
American faculty met with the Provost and the President about two years ago to discuss lack of promotion and tenure issues and disparate treatment. The results were presidential discretionary promotions, a hiring incentive program when departments make new faculty of color hires, and a promise to revamp the promotion and tenure processes in ways that are more equitable for faculty of color.

IV. New Business
None

Meeting adjourned at 1:50 PM.

Submitted,

Michael Brown
Recording Secretary