October 28, 2019 Meeting of Executive Committee

 

 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

AGENDA

October 28, 2019

1:30-3:00pm

428 Library

 

1. Approve minutes – September 23, 2019 and October 7, 2019
2. Question Time
3. Library Assessment Committee Membership. 
4. AUL’s Search Process Discussion   
5. FY20 Budget Allocations 

 

 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MINUTES

October 28, 2019

1:30-3:00pm

428 Library

 

Present: Dean Wilkin, chair, David Ward, vice-chair; Paula Carns, Mara Thacker, Jennifer Teper, Bill Mischo, Recording-Lucretia Williams

 

 

 

1. Approve minutes – September 23, 2019 and October 7, 2019 – Minutes from these meetings will be approved via email. David Ward will send the email to initiate the vote.

 

2. Question Time

Dean Wilkin discussed: He will chair Jeff Brown’s (Dean of Gies College of Business) 5 year review.

 

AULs have made significant progress on the strategic staffing plan and will share with EC.  A joint discussion is scheduled for November 4, EC members will get the draft plan prior to that meeting

 

 

• Library Assessment Committee Membership –EC approved appointing three proposed additions to the committee to serve until 2022, in order to stagger membership.  These positions filled vacancies.

 

 

 

1. AUL’s Search Process Discussion  –

 

Cherie’s term ends in August 2020.

EC discussed that AUL term appointments may be renewed, but we should be ready to have new folks fill those terms and have a path for AULs to return to their old job, or new ones that fill needs emerging since their initial appointment.

 

EC reviewed the most recent AUL appointment process. A challenge in the process last time was that there weren’t clearly defined areas of responsibility for AUL candidates to apply for. For the AUL for User Services search, we will be replacing a person with a clearly defined set of responsibilities, which can be refined to meet any current or emerging needs.  A big part of the conversation with the candidates centers on backfill for applicant’s positions and how they can step away from their jobs.

 

Things most important to Dean: Experience in getting things done/follow through/administrative experience; a strong collaborator; broad knowledge of the library; full

professor or associate professor well on the way to being full professor; knowledge of handling personnel issues, and supervisor experience.

 

 

EC proposed a timeline for the process which includes a search and public presentations in late

Spring.  The next step will be to craft a job description. All of EC will serve as the search committee, and the Dean will also meet with candidates separately.  EC discussed how candidates will be select from the pool of applicants, and how the advice and formal recommendation of EC will be incorporated into the final hiring decision.  A process outline was created indicating critical times for EC and the Dean to meet and discuss candidates and recommendations.

 

 

• FY20 Budget Allocations –

 

 

Dean Wilkin received a budget instructions draft from campus for next Fiscal Year, and the Library was not asked to model reductions.

 

EC reviewed a budget spreadsheet provided by the BHRSC, and the Dean explained some details for what is included in each category, and allocations are made on a year-to-year basis.  Allocations implies something more active than what happens in the budget process, in which funds assigned to a budget category roll over from year to year. The budget spreadsheet is primarily a reflection of years of practice with adjustments that are mostly incremental. Budgets are populated in Banner from year to year to reflect ongoing commitments with very few adjustments.  EC discussed the distinction between these automatic yearly allocations and budget decisions we are choose to do strategically.  There is always an opportunity for us to ask questions about how we are allocating in certain areas but not a lot of freedom to change it as much of it is already allocated.

Notable areas EC discussed included:

 

·         Facilities – there was an increased allocation to help meet day-to-day needs.  Major projects tend to be funded through allocation of end-of-the-year funding from underspent budget lines.

·         Library IT non-personnel costs – hardware, software, and especially cloud services. Chris Prom will be coming to an EC meeting in Fall to talk about IT staff and funds. We should expect that he will ask for an increase in the IT budget as it has been gradually been reduced over the years and just covers needs.

·         Allocations made by OVCR in support of activities funded by the library such as Research Data Services. We have been diligent in keeping those funds separate as a measure of accountability with OVCR though we fold them into other parts of the budget as we make commitments (e.g., staffing). Dean Wilkin has ongoing conversations with OVCR lkeaders about the value of centrally funding Illinois Experts.

·         $1M to Rm. 220 is not in budget yet – we need to spend those funds and then a transfer will be made by the Provost’s office.

·         Source of the $1M for new hires – this is coming from general funds.

·         By the time we are wrapping up the hiring we start this year and next year, 2-3 years will have passed, at which point we may be starting work to move personnel and services between buildings.  We may not be replicating every service point. This is an opportunity to rethink our needs and the work we want to occur in the Library. The Dean noted that the AULs had this in mind as they prepared the hiring plan draft, and it will be part of the discussion with EC on the plan.

Notable areas EC discussed included:

 ·         Facilities – there was an increased allocation to help meet day-to-day needs.  Major projects tend to be funded through allocation of end-of-the-year funding from underspent budget lines.

·         Library IT non-personnel costs – hardware, software, and especially cloud services. Chris Prom will be coming to an EC meeting in Fall to talk about IT staff and funds. We should expect that he will ask for an increase in the IT budget as it has been gradually been reduced over the years and just covers needs.

·         Allocations made by OVCR in support of activities funded by the library such as Research Data Services. We have been diligent in keeping those funds separate as a measure of accountability with OVCR though we fold them into other parts of the budget as we make commitments (e.g., staffing). Dean Wilkin has ongoing conversations with OVCR leaders about the value of centrally funding Illinois Experts.

·         $1M to Rm. 220 is not in budget yet – we need to spend those funds and then a transfer will be made by the Provost’s office.

·         Source of the $1M for new hires – this is coming from general funds.

·         By the time we are wrapping up the hiring we start this year and next year, 2-3 years will have passed, at which point we may be starting work to move personnel and services between buildings.  We may not be replicating every service point. This is an opportunity to rethink our needs and the work we want to occur in the Library. The Dean noted that the AULs had this in mind as they prepared the hiring plan draft, and it will be part of the discussion with EC on the plan.