Standard 6.C.1 - Leadership and Management

The Chancellor of MSU Billings is a full-time employee of the institution. Any outside responsibilities and/or consulting activity must be in accordance with the state Code of Ethics and Montana University System policies. Such outside activity is reported to the Office of the Commissioner annually.

Evidence: 6.6 Administrative Position Descriptions

Standard 6.C.2 - Institution Code on Ethics

The behavior of all University employees is governed by state policy in Code of Ethics: Standards of Conduct for State Employees. This policy is re-stated in Section 700 of the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual.

Evidence: 6.4 BOR Policy and Procedures Manual (§ 700) http://mus.edu/ borpol/default.asp

Standard 6.C.3 - Administrative Oversight

The MSU Billings Administrative Evaluation Oversight Committee, in cooperation with the Chancellor, schedules administrators’ performance reviews on a three-year rotation. These reviews involve a committee of faculty, staff, administration and student representation. Along with pertinent internal and external constituency groups, the committee conducts interviews based on the individual administrator’s position description, administrative responsibilities, and personal-professional goals. Results of the interviews are analyzed by the committee and consolidated into a summary report.

The report is shared with the administrator by his/her immediate supervisor in order to develop goals for the next three years. This process is equivalent to a “360-degree review” and is designed for professional development toward performance improvement. In addition to three-year 360-degree reviews, administrators are evaluated by their immediate supervisors annually.

The Chancellor undergoes a 360-degree review every three years under the direction and implementation of MSU Bozeman.

Evidence:

6.13 Administrative Curriculum Vitae/Résumés;
6.14 Administrative/ Staff Evaluation Processes

Standard 6.C.4 - Institutional Fund-Raising

Administrators, faculty and staff work closely with the MSU Billings Foundation fund-raising efforts. University representatives are ex-officio, non-voting members of the Foundation Board of Directors. The Chancellor advises the Foundation Board of Directors on University needs so that the Foundation Board can initiate and implement focused fund-raising. Efforts are made to insure that the oversight for all fund-raising is with the Foundation in order to protect potential donors from multiple and redundant requests.

Evidence: 7.18 MSU Billings Foundation Policies

Standard 6.C.5 - Institutional Financial Oversight

The Chancellor and three Vice Chancellors hold regularly scheduled meetings with their constituencies. The Chancellor’s Cabinet and Provost Council meet weekly or more often to address acute and chronic campus issues. The Chancellor’s Executive Budget Group meets regularly in order to provide ongoing financial oversight and to maintain a balanced campus budget. These regular forums for deliberation allow for ongoing and data-informed decision making.

Evidence:

3.8 Student Affairs meeting minutes;
9.3 Administrative Affairs BPR

Standard 6.C.6 - Institutional Financial Communication

Members of the administrative forums listed in 6.C.5 serve as communication conduits for their areas of responsibility. Issues discussed at the administrative level are carried to each administrator’s area of responsibility for information only or for further deliberation and re-evaluation. Maintaining two-way communication, deliberation and decision-making are a continuing challenge even for a small campus, but meeting the challenge is worth the effort to involve the entire University community in current operations, short-term progress and long-term realization of the University vision.

Evidence: 1.1 Mission Document

Standard 6.C.7 - Institutional Financial Data and Information

The Office of Information Technology, under the direction of the Chief Information Officer, provides data to the campus to inform program review, budget deliberations, etc. The Continuous Quality Improvement Office, in collaboration with IT, conducts a regularly scheduled cycle of University surveys and works with individual units in conducting surveys specific to the unit. IT in collaboration with academic programs is implementing an electronic assessment data warehouse with capabilities of storing program assessment data aggregating by program, disaggregating individual student progress, and providing a data warehouse for storing faculty accomplishments.

Program data have been used in academic program annual reports since AY 2005-2006. Survey data have been used to review student satisfaction, student and faculty engagement, employee morale, employer satisfaction and alumnae/i satisfaction on a scheduled basis since spring 2006. The data inform program revision, faculty load assignments, workplace environment changes and efforts to involve alumni/ae in campus activities.

Evidence:

1.8 IT reports, changes over time in types and format of IT reports;
1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, survey results

Standard 6.C.8 - Hiring and Promotion Policies

Policies followed in the hiring process, appointments to positions, employee probationary periods, performance reviews and termination procedures are outlined through the following:

HR policies and procedures
Staff contract
East Campus Faculty CBA
West Campus Faculty VTEM contract
BOR personnel policies regarding administrative positions.

Evidence:

6.7 Staff Contract;
4.4 CBA/VTEM faculty peer review process;
6.14 Administrative Review Process

Staff and Compensation Comittee

(Established September 23, 2004 as a standing committee)

Charge to the Committee:
The Staff and Compensation Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Regents that will meet on an as needed basis. The Committee shall provide guidance and assistance on management issues impacting the OCHE and the MUS campuses.

The Committee shall:

Review salary and compensation studies;
Review staff Items and format;
Review and recommend salary parameters;
Have general oversight of collective bargaining;
Review extra compensation reports;
Review the Staff Compensation Plan program;
Review and recommend policies and practices of the health insurance and employee benefit program;
Review and recommend policies and practices of the workers’ compensation program;
Review and recommend policies and practices related to retirement;
Review and recommend policies and practices related to workforce diversity and diversity reporting;
Review grievances and litigation and recommend policies or practices related thereto;
Review and recommend employee evaluation processes;
Review and recommend OCHE staffing levels, staffing patterns and other staffing matters;
Review the use of information technology as a management tool within the System;
Organize and oversee Board and System relations with the State legislature, the State’s congressional delegation, the Governor and other governmental officers and bodies;
Review and recommend procedures for long range planning and goal setting;
Assume responsibility for other tasks as assigned by the Board or the Chair.

Revised January 30, 2006

Standard 6.C.9 - Salary Policies

Salaries of the Chancellor and three Vice Chancellors are approved by the BOR. Other professional contracts are approved by the Commissioner’s office (OCHE). Staff salaries comply with Montana legislative mandates. Staff salaries are raised or not according to the state employee pay plan approved by the biennial Montana Legislature. Faculty salaries are negotiated every two years in the process of contract collaborative negotiations. Administrative and some professional staff salaries are negotiated on an individual basis as these groups do not have the advantage of union representation. MSU Billings monitors salaries of peer institutions across the nation but in particular in the Rocky Mountain front and makes every effort to maintain equivalency with peers. Ultimately, however, University salaries are proposed, negotiated and approved in a context larger than the University itself, a context that includes the Office of the Governor of Montana, the Montana Legislature, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), the Montana Board of Regents (BOR) and MEA-MFT (the Montana educators’ union).

The BOR is studying issues of salary compaction evident with newly hired employees earning the equivalent or more than experienced employees with years of service to the MUS. This initiative is evidenced by the charge and responsibilities given to the BOR Staff and Compensation Committee.

Evidence: