March 2025 Meeting Minutes and Handouts

Call to Order – Samantha Williams, Vice-Chair

Item 1: Treasurer’s Report – Natalie Davis, Treasurer and Abigail Miller, Treasurer-Elect

See attached report.

Item 2: Tip of the Month – Samantha Williams, Vice-Chair 

Blue Dalhia Bistro offers 10% off for TXST faculty, staff, and students! Ask for more details at the restaurant. 

Item 3: Staff Shout-Outs – Hana Fuller, Secretary  

  • Roxana Chynoweth, Administrative Assistant II, School of Social Work
  • Madeline Davila, Director, Payroll & Tax Compliance
  • Dr. Yongxia Xia, Director, Research Records Support Services
  • Evan Pickrel, Electronic Information Resources Accessibility Coordinator, Information Security Office
  • Teresa Duggins, Sr. Human Resources Analyst, Human Resources
  • Ava Bettersworth, Administrative Assistant I, Procurement and Strategic Sourcing
  • Rachel Wallington, Business Operations Specialist, University Business Ambassadors
  • Jessica Dunn, Director, University Business Ambassadors
  • Anita Ford, Programmer Analyst II, Enterprise Systems
  • Janell Pemberton, Project Management Director, VP for Information Technology
  • Bill Lovejoy, Public Safety Officer, Security/Parking Operations
  • Dylan Randolph, Academic Advisor I, College of Education Advising Center

Item 4: Staff Concerns – Krystyn Fleischauer, Parliamentarian 

Check the status of submitted Staff Concerns 

Item 5: Red Parking Permit Raffle – Hana Fuller, Chair, Marketing, Events, and Fundraising Committee  

Staff Council's annual Red Parking Permit raffle is back! Running from March 18 to May 12, 2025 (with the raffle closing at 5 pm), enter to win a 2025 - 2026 Red Restricted Parking Pass. FIVE lucky winners will be selected and announced on Tuesday, May 13, during the monthly Staff Council meeting. All funds raised from the raffle will support staff scholarships, awards, and initiatives.

Ticket prices are one for $5 or three for $10 and can be purchased online only.

A huge thank you to our sponsors! Thanks to the generous support of TXST leadership, all proceeds will go directly to Staff Council and staff initiatives. We deeply appreciate their commitment to supporting our community!

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:

  • Office of the President
  • Office of the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
  • Division of Student Success
  • Office of the Vice President for University Advancement 

Thank you for your support and best of luck! 

Item 6: Staff Council Awards – Amy Aguirre, Chair, Elections, Scholarships and Awards Committee  

Nominations are now open for four Staff Council Awards. If you or someone you know has gone above and beyond as a full-time staff member, nominate them for one of these awards! There’s no limit to the number of nominations you can submit. Nominations close on April 4, 2025.

The awards are open to all regular, full-time staff members, and self-nominations are allowed with proper documentation. Current Staff Council members are not eligible.

To submit your nomination and view additional information, visit the Staff Council Awards page. If you have any questions, please contact the Staff Council Elections and Awards Committee at staffcouncil@txstate.edu. 

Scribe How – Janell Pemberton, Project Management Director, VP for Information Technology

  • Cost and Licensing:
    • Scribe can be downloaded for free for limited use.
    • Full licenses can be requested for individual staff.
    • Lauren Clawson (lauren.clawson@txstate.edu) in IT Business Services is handling the full license structure. Contact her for a quote and provide cost/funding details for assistance.
  • Software Features:
    • Available as both a desktop and web application.
    • Records user actions to create operating procedures automatically.
    • AI-generated titles, descriptions of actions, and process steps (can be edited).
    • Users can customize visuals (arrows, colors, highlights) and combine multiple procedures.
    • Export options: Embedded link or PDF.
    • Desktop app allows the software to track user actions across multiple applications.
  • Security Features:
    • Approved by ISO.
    • Executive-level users can mask sensitive information (e.g., redacting student ID numbers).
    • Once information is masked, it is permanently removed from the procedure.

Step Up for State – Zoe O’Balle, Major Gift Officer, VP for University Advancement

Step Up for State will take place on March 26-27. The event, which was previously held in the fall, has been moved to spring to align with philanthropy week, focusing on educating students about the importance of philanthropy and giving back to the university after graduation. On Wednesday, March 26, there will be a Coffee Social for Faculty & Staff outside Trauth-Huffman Hall. Faculty and staff who donate a minimum of $50 will receive a mug while supplies last. Donations can be made through payroll deduction, and users will be directed to a secure platform for the transaction. 

When selecting an organization to donate to, the university's featured designations will be pre-selected, but individuals can search for other funds if desired. If a specific fund is not listed, individuals can email annualgiving@txstate.edu for assistance.

Direct link to give to Staff Council Excellence Fund. Funds will be used to endow our remaining annual scholarship.  

Q: Is there a way to pick up the mug if you can't go to the event?

A: Yes, mugs will be available in the giving office, JCK 380. If you are at the Round Rock campus and not able to attend the event on March 27, please reach out as soon as possible to arrange another pickup option. 

Q: For future reference, is there a process for "featured funds"? If a group wanted to be in that spot, how could they do that?

A: University Advancement and the President determined the featured funds that encompass TXST as a whole/high-level approach.

Kudos and Karaoke – Holly Hirsch, Director, Office of Special Projects

The 2nd Annual Kudos and Karaoke will be held on Monday, May 12, from 2-5 p.m. in Strahan Arena at the UEC. Information will be sent in advance to those who will be recognized or honored at the event. The event will use the graduation setup to help reduce costs. Award presentations will take place at the start, with President Damphousse speaking. Refreshments will be served, and of course, there will be karaoke! This event is a fun social time for staff to relax and enjoy. Supervisors will be emailed with a reminder to encourage their staff to attend, and shuttle service on both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses will be available.

Item 7: ERP Assessment Team Updates – Krystyn Fleischauer, Parliamentarian

TXST is launching a project to evaluate ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems used for HR & Finance, and Student Information. Currently, TXST uses SAP and Banner as our vendor solution. Our current solution is aging and as our university grows and evolves the need for a modern, scalable, solution is critical.  https://doit.txst.edu/erpevaluation.html Staff can relay feedback, questions, or concerns, to Krystyn Fleischauer as the Staff Council representative on the assessment team.

Upcoming vendor presentations:

  • Ellucian: April 3rd and 4th
  • Oracle: April 29th and 30th
  • Workday: May 6th and 7th

Currently, our timeline looks like

  • May 2025 – Vendor assessments completed
  • June 2025 – Vendors submit refined financial estimates
  • September 2025 – ERP selection finalized
  • September 2026 – ERP purchase planned
  • 2027-2028 – HR & Finance implementation
  • 2029-2031 – Student system implementation

Item 8: Committee Updates for AY 2024-2025 

  • Goal 1: Parking, Joshua Lopez 
    • No updates.
  • Goal 2: Employee Benefits and Accessibility, Stephanie Daniels 
  • Goal 3: Leave/Time Off, Kathy Weiser 
    • Thank you for taking the general workplace policy survey. Committee is reviewing responses. 
  • Marketing, Events, and Fundraising, Hana Fuller  
    • If you have not done so already, please pick up your Staff Council t-shirt! Pick-up is available through the end of this week in JCK 280 and AVRY 401.
  • Council Effectiveness, Krystyn Fleischauer 
    • Reminder to committee chairs to review operating procedures.
  • UPPS, Brandi Martinez 
    • No updates.
  • Elections, Scholarships, and Awards, Jade Figueroa  
    • No updates.
  • Compensation and Benefits, Leslie Burgess 
    • Continuing to address staff concerns. 

Item 8: Announcements – Samantha Williams, Vice-Chair 

Closed Session  

Staff Council members only.

Adjournment – Samantha Williams, Vice-Chair 

Motion: Krystyn Fleischauer, second: Kaycee Baker.