Minutes of October 30, 1995 Meeting



     The meeting convened at 2:04 p.m. in room 817 Cathedral of Learning.

     UPBC members present were: Thomas Anderson, Toni Carbo Bearman, Jacob
Birnberg, John Brice, Marjorie Carlson, James Cassing, H.K. Chang, Richard
Colwell, Ronald Gardner, Brian Hart, Randy Juhl, Peter Koehler, James Maher,
Franklin McCarthy, Keith McDuffie, Glenn Nelson, Michael Stuckart, Ben Tuchi,
Philip Wion, Julius Youngner, and Judith Zimmerman.  Also present were:
William Laird, Jeffrey Liebmann, William Madden, Jeffrey Masnick, and James
Vesco.
     UPBC members not present were: Thomas Detre, Jeffrey Romoff, and Bruce
Williams.

Approval of Minutes

     The minutes of the October 12 meeting were approved. 

Resolution Concerning the Urgency of Maintaining and Improving University of
Pittsburgh-Owned Properties in the Oakland Business District

     Members discussed the proposed resolution prepared by McDuffie and
distributed for review prior to the meeting.  McCarthy moved that the UPBC
adopt the resolution.  Juhl seconded.  The motion was adopted unanimously. 
The approved motion reads as follows.

WHEREAS, the health of the Oakland business district and its retail facilities
is vital to the general well-being of Oakland and the University of
Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, the presence of unsightly deteriorating properties can discourage
prospective retailers, especially major firms, from considering Oakland as a
desirable location to do business, leading to further degeneration of the
area; and
WHEREAS, the present economic life of the Oakland business district is not
vigorous enough to withstand further, perhaps irreversible, deterioration; and
WHEREAS, the decline of the Oakland business district may discourage parents
of prospective undergraduate students, and students themselves, from
considering Oakland as a safe, stimulating, and flourishing location in which
to live and study; and
WHEREAS, the University of Pittsburgh (or individual units of it) is the owner
of unsightly, boarded-up properties, which have remained undeveloped for
several years; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the University Planning and Budgeting Committee urge the
Board of Trustees and the administrators of the appropriate University units
to give very high priority and urgency to the development of these properties.

Proposed FY 1996 Salary Increases

     The Committee discussed two possible approaches to distributing $1.4
million of available E&G funds as a mid-year, retroactive salary increase to
faculty and staff earning below a maximum salary amount to be determined.  The
first approach would base increases on decreasing percentages, while the
second would award a fixed amount to all employees below a specified cutoff
point.  Members generally agreed that the second approach was more equitable
and had the advantage of limiting the possibility of instances of salary
compression.  Several members agreed that providing increases equal to the
relevant cost of living (2.7%) to those earning $20,000 or less should be
accomplished, even if doing so required lowering the maximum eligible salary.

     The opinion of the Committee can be summarized as follows:

1.  Faculty and staff earning $20,000 or less should get a flat dollar amount
equal to or exceeding 2.7%, which is the relevant cost of living increase;
2.  All regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff should be included;
3.  The maximum eligible salary should be determined by available funds;
4.  The increases provided to employees earning between $20,000 and the
maximum eligible salary should taper downwards to no lower than 1% of the
employee's salary; and
5.  The increase should be retroactive to July 1, 1995 and be included in the
January paycheck.

     Birnberg moved that the Provost proceed with the development and
implementation of the salary increase proposal given the sense of the
Committee's discussion, and that the Provost report back to the UPBC at its
next meeting.  Koehler seconded.  The motion was approved unanimously.

     The meeting adjourned at 3:33 p.m.