The President’s Liaison Subcommittee of the vitalization project opened discussion for the pending issue on analyzing administration personnel data and a new report template for Workgroups at the meeting Thursday.

The administration personnel data separates the amount of current Eastern personnel into 18 undergraduate and eight graduate categories determined by the employees’ job descriptions.

However, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data system, which is responsible for collecting and assisting universities, changed this system by expanding the number of categories.

Rob Miller, the chair of the subcommittee, asked members for comments on the numbers and definitions involved with the data.

He said he saw the numbers for the 2015 report and it seems appropriate.

Kathlene Shank, department chair of the special education department, said the data seem appropriate based on what the committee heard at the last meeting from Emily Stuby, interim assistant director of planning and institutional research.

“(That) is how they define (the data) but (Stuby) did define it differently in 2015 versus 2014,” Shank said.

Shank said she also talked to Paul McCann, the interim vice president for business affairs, who in turn talked to Stuby regarding whether he thought there was value in comparing the 2015 data with that of 2014.

“He said that was kind of up to (Stuby), but he thought it might be useful,” Shank said.

Stuby said that is why she put the 2015 number in the comparison. She said if IPED updates their numbers before they are done with the project, then she will provide those updated numbers.

As for comparing this data with other universities like the committee talked about at their last meeting, Shank said there is really no good way to get at this.

“If you call other institutions, you’re not likely to get what you need unless you see the organizational chart,” Shank said.

Stuby said she heard someone say the Resource Allocation and Management Program requires universities to submit the numbers of administrators or a count in the salary.

“I haven’t been able to look into it yet, but that was something I was going to definitely try to get with Hedi Hawkins (assistant university budget officer) on and see what we are reporting exactly,” Stuby said. “She would know if institutions are reporting consistently.”

Miller said the committee can also help Stuby in collecting data and asked what their next steps should be.

Shank said part of the next step is to look into the RAMP assertion because it might have helpful data.

Stuby said she looks at the data so much, some things may be overlooked that might be obvious to others.

“I’m good at gathering it, but it might be more beneficial if we all look at it more closely,” Stuby said.

Stuby said she will meet with Hawkins to discuss what exactly is in the RAMP document and email the Workgroup as soon as she found more information if there is something that is useful.

“Defining what an administrator is is the easy part,” Stuby said. “It’s finding something that you can benchmark that is the difficult part.”

Rob Miller, Eastern’s general counsel, said Workgroup members will keep reviewing the data and go from there.

The committee also discussed a report template for the Workgroups that Miller sent members via email.

Shank made a suggestion to omit the summary conclusion that would be listed at the end of the report and just lead with the executive summary that contains the main points of the report and other details.

“I don’t like to write reports when I have to say the same thing twice,” Shank said.

Miller said the report is just following the old English rule of starting with what is going to be said and finishing with what was said. He said the Workgroups could just cut and paste what was said in the executive summary in the conclusion.

“They can do the conclusion as lengthy or as short as they want to,” Miller said. “I don’t necessarily think they have to rewrite different things.”

Chemistry professor Mary Konkle said she thinks the executive story is very short, whereas the conclusion summary gives them space to explain gray areas in more detail.

“I respectfully disagree with having both parts,” Shank said.

Miller said they are giving Workgroups more flexibility to provide more information they believe is pertinent.

The next meeting will be at 3 p.m Tuesday. Miller said he will try to get same room, the Oakland room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].