September 8, 2025
FSU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2025 3:30pm (Zoom)
Executive Committee Members Present: Caroline Coscia (President); Jason Rodriquez (Vice President); Andrew Elder; Keith Jones; Karen Grayson; Lynne Benson; Monique Fuguet; Rania Said; Jorge Capetillo; Patricia Krueger-Henney
Others Present: Lorenzo Nencioli (FSU Senior Staff Member); Katie D’Urso (MTA Field Rep); Tony Vandermeer; FSU Member; Travis Johnston, FSU Member
(agenda below)
- Welcome and Introductions
Introductions to new Ex Com members, introduction to Katie D’Urso, MTA Field Rep to the FSU.
2. Approval of Minutes:
No Ex Com minutes to approve. Will have minutes to approve on the 23rd.
3. Start of the AY and Necessary Action Items:
Caroline: Need to vote in a Clerk and Treasurer. Monique willing to serve as Treasurer. Motion to approve Monique as Treasurer for 25-26. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
Will revisit issue of filling Clerk position at a subsequent Ex Com meeting.
Motion to approve Brian White as FSU rep to Academic Technology Committee for 25-26. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously
Motion to approve Heidi Stanish, Paul Dyson, Laurie Milliken and Heidi Stanish as FSU Grievance Officers. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
Motion to approve Travis Johnston, Lynne Benson, Monique Fuguet, and Caroline Coscia to Elections Committee. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously
Will revisit issue of appointing FSU members to the Joint Coordinating Committee at a subsequent Ex Com meeting.
Will revisit issue of appointing an FSU rep to the university Health and Safety Committee at a subsequent meeting. Agreed to put out a call for a member with expertise in the area to FSU members.
Motion to approve Brian White and Rania Said to University Anomaly Committee. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously
Motion to approve Natalia Scarpetti as FSU representative to the Sick Leave Bank Committee. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously. Lynne Benson is willing to serve.
Discussion of MTA Legislative Committee. Agreed to have Caroline speak with other unions to gauge interest in this and follow up with the Executive Committee.
4. Funding Requests:
Discussion of Healey Archives open house and previous FSU co-sponsorship. Discussion of supporting 10/14 archives event. Motion to approve up to $200 to be given to Healey Archives event for 10/14. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously
Discussion of possible expenditure for new FSU t-shirts. Caroline noted that MTA grant money will cover at least some of the cost of shirts. Suggestion made to make some long sleeve. Agreed that Katie will ask MTA re costs of long sleeve shirts, whether or not front and back printing can be done. Katie notes that MTA has design team as well. Discussion of branding possibility, greater messaging around t-shirts. Agreed that Rania, Keith, and Karen will work on possible slogans.
Discussion of FSU course releases per the contract, need to inform Admin of Spring 26 CLR’s by 10/21/25. Agreed to discuss in the next few meetings.
5. Executive Committee Vacancy: Tenured Track
Discussion of what to do with Tenured seat vacated by Suha Ballout’s resignation from the Executive Committee. Motion to keep vacant Tenured seat vacant until regularly scheduled Spring 26 Ex Com elections. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously
6. FSU Events
Discussion of various possible FSU workshops. NTT workshop will be done in November. Katie noted that Andrew Leong is willing to do another workshop regarding rights around ICE.
Discussion of FSU pizza and cookies events for the semester.
Discussion of solidarity action with PSU re layoffs.
7. Grievance Committee: Looking To Change Name?
Discussion of possible name change. Discussion of possible benefits of having grievance training for Ex Com members.
8. Faculty Space: Private space/office including space to meet students
Discussion of office space issues, lack of signage in Africana Studies department.
9. Membership
DID NOT DISCUSS
MEETING ADJOURNS
Agenda
Welcome and introductions (5 minutes)
Welcome to Brian, Meredith and Keith
Meeting Minutes – Approval (2 minutes)
NOTE: We do have a couple of sets that we will do on September 23rd. This agenda item will always be at the top of the agenda.
Start of the new AY and necessary actions (25 minutes)
Election of a Treasurer and a Clerk (these are required by law)
University Committees: formal vote to add/continue an FSU representative on a variety of committees
FSU Committees: Elections and Bylaw. Discuss and vote to add members.
Legislative Committee: Should we join with other UMB unions to form a working group.
Funding requests:
Sponsor Healey Library Archives Open House on Oct 14th
FSU T-shirts (our swag): Purchased years ago and our supply is getting low. Vote to order more.
Same design?
Spring 2026 CLRS/Stipends per Article 5 (must do before Oct 21st)
We need to inform the provost office of the spring distribution in October. This requires a formal vote.
Will do one vote on the full list at one of the next two meetings.
Executive Committee Vacancy: Tenured Track (15 minutes)
Suha Ballout resigned from us and UMB.
Our bylaws provide options to fill the vacancy
Section 5: Should a seat on the Executive Committee become vacant through resignation, the
Committee shall, at its sole discretion, either (1) choose a replacement from among those who
were candidates in the previous election, (2) allow the seat to remain empty until the next
general election, or (3) allow the membership to elect a candidate to serve the remainder of the
term. Such an election will be a special election called by the Executive Committee, or will occur
at the next regularly scheduled annual election.
Discussion and vote on action to take.
FSU Events (15 minutes)
Forums: NTT Promotion workshop mid-November
Others?
Mid Semester member gathering? If so, set a date.
UDC Pizza and Cookies Gathering
The Planning meeting agreed to continue. Last year’s focus was to get members out of their offices
and come by. This year to goal is to build on this while encouraging attendees to become active
members. Doing this requires one of us to be in the UDC.
We are asking each member to commit to attending at least one gathering. Yes, we are all busy. Member
outreach and engagement are important. One-on-one interactions build union membership and union power.
Sharing the workload is important and comes with serving in an elected position.
Grievance Committee: Looking at changing the name. Ideas?
Begin discussion. Much of what they do (meet with faculty, work with faculty and the dept. to resolve an issue) does not lead
to the filing of a grievance. The name implies they only do grievances.
Will remain an agenda item until we decide what to do
Solidarity actions (5 minutes)
PSU has informed us that eleven employees in the pre-collegiate programs received layoff notices.
The reason cuts in federal funding. Action to show these positions is important to classroom
performance.
Faculty Space: Private space/office including space to meet students
Follow-up on Africana Studies Office suite upgrade
Note: FSU met with Labor Relations, and they agreed to add signage and secure space to meet
students. In addition, FSU asked for an update on the punch list.
Membership
Will be an agenda item for every meeting.
UPDATES
FSU Banner
We’ve ordered a banner from MTA print shop. This would be for tabling, hanging up as a backdrop and for when we protest on the plaza.
Parking & Transportation Coalition
The coalition is holding an all-union meeting Wed., Sept 17th 12:30 – 1:30 in the UDC plus on zoom. An invitation including a rsvp (need for pizza order) will be sent out Tuesday. We will share our bargaining values, our proposal and administration’s counter.
Monthly Labor Management Meeting.
This semester we are meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. We meet with Joe Berger, Denise McNair, Marie Bowen and Mickey Gallagher. Our first meeting is Sept 23rd.
Labor Relations Meetings
This semester we will be meeting every other Tuesday morning with Mickey Gallaher and Sophie Coddington. This meeting focuses on contract-related and personal issues.