Faculty Senate supports OU returning portion of health-care cuts

Ohio University's Faculty Senate unanimously voted Monday night in support of a resolution that asked President Roderick McDavis to give back the portion of the $2.1 million health-care benefit cuts that Senate did not approve.

Though it took a firm stance with this health-care benefits resolution, Faculty Senate chose to postpone a vote on a resolution by chemistry professor Ken Brown that would censure the McDavis administration's top officials, including the president.

Brown asked that Faculty Senate wait to vote on the resolution until the June meeting because Senate is currently undertaking a review of McDavis, and Brown said he did not want to bias that review either way.

Tuesday night, university spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said that Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl is reviewing the resolution to rescind the health-care benefit cuts with Vice President for Finance Bill Decatur and McDavis. Krendl will report back to Senate on the administration's decision within 60 days, in compliance with the Faculty Handbook. Krendl's signature on the resolution is needed in order for it to take effect.

At its March meeting, Faculty Senate approved an $860,000 cut in health-care benefits that results from the addition of a mandatory generic plan, a mandatory mail-order prescription plan and a procedure to charge premiums based on the highest wage earner in a family where both spouses are OU employees.

Sparking controversy, the president added an additional $1.24 million in cuts that added a spousal surcharge, a new deductible, and increases in office visit co-pays and co-insurance limits.

"This resolution is a formal way for Senate to say that we still do not approve of the changes and to call attention to the fact that the process was not followed," said Joe McLaughlin, newly elected chair of Faculty Senate and professor of English.

In a resolution presented by the Finance and Facilities Committee chaired by McLaughlin, Senate accused McDavis of knowingly violating the Faculty Handbook, as all changes to employee health-care benefits must be submitted to the Senate for approval.

In March, Becky Watts, McDavis' chief of staff, argued that the administration was not in violation of the handbook because the administration had submitted the changes for approval, and that the handbook does not say anything about the Senate actually having to approve the changes before they can go into effect.

It's the difference between Senate having an advisory role in such matters, or actually having veto power, as Faculty Senate maintains it has.

"The version of the resolution passed tonight had a bit of a bite to remedy the wrongdoing," said Sergio Lopez-Permouth, professor of mathematics and outgoing chair of Faculty Senate. "This puts the ball in somebody else's court, so maybe the censure may not be necessary."

The resolution began as a "Sense of the Senate" resolution that simply stated Faculty Senate's disapproval of the health-care changes, and lacked the provision asking McDavis to give back the benefits. Senators quickly criticized the original resolution as having no teeth, and McLaughlin added the amendment asking for the president to restore what had been cut over and above faculty's recommendation.

Faculty Senate also voted on new officers early in Monday's meeting. McLaughlin was elected as chair of the Senate, while David Thomas was re-elected as vice chair and Elizabeth Sayers was chosen as secretary. Thomas and Sayers ran unopposed, while McLaughlin defeated Ken Brown, an outspoken advocate for faculty unionization.

In other business, Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution to clarify the handbook language on health-care benefit approval, and two resolutions altering the promotion and tenure grievances procedures. Senate also unanimously passed a resolution that will allow faculty enrolled in the Alternative Retirement Plan to be eligible for the same Early Retirement Program as those enrolled in the STRS plan.