AIT GAZETTEIssue # 13, 31 October 2000

AIT GAZETTE
Issue # 13, 31 October 2000


Report of the 19 September 2000 Reform Process Committee (RPC) Meeting

A. Meetings of the Board of Trustees: Summary of the Most Important
Decisions

  1. A summary of the most important decisions arrived at the 15 September 2000
    Board meeting approved for release by the Acting Chairman of the Board
    has been communicated to the AIT Community and posted on the On-line Bulletin.
    This document is for the purpose of informing the AIT community of key
    decisions taken as soon as possible. It does not replace the minutes, which,
    although submitted to the approval of the Chair, are not yet confirmed
    until they have been formally approved by the Committee or Board itself.
    Until then, minutes should be considered a draft, and, therefore, not widely
    circulated.
  2. There was a view expressed that even though the minutes are not
    yet approved by the Committee or Board, the moment the concerned Chair
    has reviewed them, they are in a way confirmed since any changes to them
    would be minor and more of a technical nature. It was clarified that the
    summary of important decisions and draft minutes should already provide
    the general directions and that it is important to go ahead with the proposed
    actions and recommendations. The verbatim of the Board meetings will also
    be kept as reference.

  3. The importance and need to establish a clear distinction between the role
    of the Board and that of the Administration was stressed. The Board has
    set up a small by-laws task force, which, in close consultation with the
    newly appointed Board Chairman, will further review the by-laws and look
    at the structure of the Board, as well as the number, task, size and role
    of the Board Committees. It is important to have in place both a rigorous
    and transparent system, which ensures the academic independence of AIT
    as well as acknowledges the important role of the Board.

B. On-going Reform Process

  1. The Board has accepted the Reform Steering Committee (RSC) Report on the
    Action Plan. As recommended by the Board the RSC will continue to monitor
    the implementation of the on-going reform process. The summary table of
    the Action Plan is now available on the On-line Bulletin.
  2. RPC members agreed on the use of the term 'Voluntary Early Retirement'
    for the proposed retirement scheme. The AIT P&P; Statement governing
    the employment of Direct-Hire Faculty and Direct-Hire International Staff
    uses the terms 'early end of employment' and 'voluntary premature end to
    employment'. However, according to the Terms of Employment for Permanent
    Local Hire Personnel, 'early resignation' is used in the title but the
    term 'premature end to employment' is used in the content. From a legal
    point of view, both terms can be used with the condition that the employee
    must voluntarily submit a resignation letter to AIT.
  3. It is important to coordinate efforts among the Schools and to maintain
    some overall central coordination in the promotional activities so as to
    maximize efficiency and not duplicate efforts.
  4. There is a proposal to extend the ceiling of Local-Hire staff from 13 to
    at least 20 steps and to gradually reduce the amounts in between the steps,
    thereby discontinuing the need for a special merit award for those having
    reached the ceiling. According to the terms of employment agreement document
    for Permanent Local-Hire personnel, they are normally entitled to a one-step
    annual increase. There is a need to look at the agreement more closely
    and not to discriminate against any other category of staff. All Local
    Hire staff and non-academic International Staff will retroactively receive
    a merit increase as of 1 July 2000, based on the recommendations of the
    task force comprising of representatives of the administration and of the
    staff and Labour Union. In the case of Faculty and International Staff
    employed in academic activities (teaching or research) there will be no
    more automatic merit increase. Instead, there will be promotion within
    ranks and merit between steps based on existing, well-known criteria in
    rigour in academic institutions. A more rational salary scale needs to
    be established where the movement along the steps of Assistant, Associate
    and Full Professor should be part of the merit process, as a by-product
    of performance evaluation. The Academic Senate has been requested to look
    into this matter and to come up with a proposal.

C. Other Matters

The proposal to create an association of former AIT Faculty was welcomed
and will be further pursued by the Faculty Representative. The Professorial
lectures will also be reinstated.

D. Next Meeting

The date of the next RPC meeting will be announced later.