Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics
Minutes of Meeting
1. Convene – Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m. by Chairman Frauenfelder in the Cabin John Room of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Members Present:
Hans Frauenfelder, Chairman of the Board
Peter B. Boyce
Kenneth W. Ford, Executive Director
Roderick M. Grant, Secretary
William W. Havens, Jr
David Lazarus
Edward N. Sickafus
F. Dow Smith
Martin Walt
Jack M. Wilson
Non-voting participants:
Robert T. Beyer (ASA)
Nagalingam Suntharalingam (AAPM)
Staff Present:
Gerald F. Gilbert, Treasurer
Robert H. Marks, Director of Publishing
John S. Rigden, Director of Physics Programs
Nathalie D. Wagner, Assistant to the Secretary
Theresa C. Braun, Manager, Personnel Division
William J. Condell, Jr., Manager, Washington Office
For clarity in presentation with reference to the printed agenda, events recorded here are not necessarily in the same chronological order in which they appeared.
2. Report of the Secretary
Secretary Grant reported that the minutes from the 10-12 September meeting of the Executive Committee were not ready for distribution.
3. Proposed Legislative Awareness Service
Condell referred to his 18 September 1987 memo to Ford, which included memos from Watkins and Spilhaus. He then distributed additional material relating to the proposed services, and spoke on possible uses during a one-year test period:
1) ltems from Congress, based on the Federal Register and Congressional Record, including information of common interest to all Societies.
2) Customized services for each society.
3) Personalized research service.
Not all of the information available on Legi-Slate would be of value to AIP. He has had a demonstration of the system. He is also looking into the question of copyright of the material with Lehrfeld (AIP attorney) toward the possibility of distributing some of it via PI-NET. Some accepted his invitation to observe the system, and he has received some written opinions. The AAPM representative to the CPP endorses it strongly. The AGU is the only Society with prior experience with it. This is an awareness service and would be different from that currently offered by some Societies. It will not include commentary or analysis. He thinks this is the best of the available on-line services, and that by the end of a one-year trial period it should be possible to judge the use of the services.
Boyce said the largest effort of liaison with the government involves contact with agencies. This service does not do much in terms of agencies. What is important is to develop personal contacts. He is concerned that we are not doing enough of this now. Relying solely on an electronic database could make this worse. What is in the Legi-Slate database is what has happened. It is vital to know what is about to happen. Legi-Slate contains has only texts of bills but no committee reports. He thinks the monthly summary from NSF is good and should be followed up by personal contacts.
Walt said Spilhaus wants to use it as a quick and easy way to give current information in their weekly newspaper. AGU would not intend to use this service to substitute for personal contacts.
Condell said that no overture was made to any Society that they should pay for the service. He would never claim that it is a substitute for personal interactions. Much advance information is on the database. Hearings are on Legi-Slate. If announcements are not made from offices of the committees or subcommittees, they cannot be made available on a service. The National Journal is going to be put online and will give some information on committee actions. He did searches on education for Watkins; she was surprised at what she found. The full texts of bills are available for downloading, which saves a lot of time. Full text will not be put on PI-NET, but will be available other ways.
Ford said that he is in favor of a trial use of the service. He noted that two Societies are especially enthusiastic and several others are positive. It has the unanimous recommendation of the Committee for Public Policy. It is a highly visible activity and can be approached as an experiment. The usage by Societies and individuals will be known in a year. The Washington staff are ready and willing to do it.
The following motion was referred from the Committee for Public Policy. It was CARRIED, with four (4) in FAVOR , three (3) OPPOSED , one (1) ABSTAIN.
MOVED that the Washington DC Off ice is authorized to subscribe to Legi-Slate services for one year on an experimental basis at a cost not to exceed $16,000.
4. Proposed Salary Matrix for 1988
Terri Braun (Manager of the Personnel Division) was present for this discussion. She referred to the proposed AIP salary matrix for 1988 which was prepared by the Personnel Committee.
A profile of AIP employees shows that:
7% (36) earn between $35-70,000
93% earn less than $35,000
79% earn less than $25,000
59% earn less than $20,000
Within the salary ranges (by quartiles):
31% (first quartile - new hires)
60% (second and third quartile)
In recent evaluations (scale of 1 to 5):
1% rated 2
60% rated 3
34% rated 4
5% rated 5
On recommendation from a consulting firm, the Personnel Committee will try to move the evaluation ratings down to the 2 to 3 range, and will lengthen the time for a person to rise from the hiring level to midpoint from the current four year average to. a target of five years. She stated that the current average length of service is five years.
Havens asked whether there was a need for budgeting a 5% overall scale increase. Braun said she thought that there was not. AIP has not had problems in recruiting as has, e.g., IEEE; their midpoint is 94% of the average for comparable organizations, whereas AIP is closer to the midpoint. For comparison, the American Cancer Society has a goal of a midpoint at 104% of the average at the end of 1988, and a budget for merit increases at 9%.
Braun read some general policy objectives of sister organizations, as follows:
Objectives:
To attract and retain competent staff, there is a need to: 1) pay competitive salaries; 2) grant larger salary increases to outstanding performers.
Method:
1) Observe midpoint of salary range as control mechanism. Employees below midpoint should be advanced at faster rate than those above midpoint.
2) When establishing a merit budget level, determine where actual salaries are in relation to salary range midpoints. If most staff are below the midpoint then you will need to adopt a "higher than average" merit budget to become more competitive. If staff salaries are at or above the midpoint, then the merit budget level can be lower.
Considerations:
1) New York City's unemployment rate is at its lowest level in five years. This means that other jobs are available and the labor market is more competitive.
2) AIP's level of turnover is projected to be 22.5% by December 31, 1987. U. S. average is 12% to 15%.
3) Competition for quality staff is keen, especially in the non-exempt area.
Gilbert said the inflation rate for 1987 is now estimated at 4-1/2 to 5%. If increases are lower than the rate of inflation we would have a lot of difficulty in recruiting staff. We do not have a salary policy which takes the rate of inflation into account. The overall budget for merit increases for AIP last year was about 7%.
Braun said last year we had to adjust salaries in Woodbury, and we will need to continue to monitor the situation. We have been losing people at Woodbury to high tech organizations who offer higher salaries.
Ford said over the last two years an average salary increase has been about 7-1/2%, which has enabled the Institute to retain personnel. The turnover rate dropped from 30% to 20%. This matrix proposes dropping increases by 1% in the most populated line. He thinks this is a conservative, and not an aggressive, policy.
Lazarus said the APS had put through an average increase of 5-1/2% in July. He will now get screamed at again; Ridge employees always know AIP salaries.
Marks said what counts is the productivity. For the AIP employees in Publication II Branch, this shows up in the budget as cost per page. Our costs per page have hardly increased at all. This matrix is designed to promote productivity.
Sickafus asked if this means not getting people but keeping them. Braun said this is the intent, and it will reward high performers.
Lazarus made the following motion, which was seconded by Sickafus, and unanimously CARRIED.
MOVED that an AIP Salary Matrix be adopted for employee salary ranges in 1988 which sets merit increases within employee salary ranges.
5. Soviet Translation Program Developments
Gilbert attended the Moscow Book Fair in September. He reviewed discussions which took place at that time with a representative of VAAP (the Soviet copyright agency) concerning our agreement covering the translation program. Adashko, editor of JETP and JETP Letters, was with him. Adashko has been with the program since its inception. The reason AIP got the contract originally was because of contact with the Soviet academicians; it was realized that AIP represents the physics community and would give the program the treatment it deserves. While at the Book Fair, Adashko addressed the Academy, and stressed our concern with maintaining the high quality of the Soviet translations journals. His talk was very well-received.
Gilbert later spoke with Rozanov (VAAP Director of Periodicals). He informed Gilbert that under a recent change in Soviet law the current contract with AIP is illegal; there now must be separate contracts to cover export rights and import rights. Our current contract covers both aspects. They want to negotiate new, separate agreements, to be effective 1 January 1989. Rozanov said they will propose changes in the financial arrangements, including the commission rate. He indi1cated he would be visiting the U. S. in the next few months, but did not give a specific timetable. Gilbert emphasized that we must receive a draft copy of any proposed new agreements by mail as soon as possible so they can be reviewed. Gilbert informed Rozanov that AIP would contact him in November if we do not hear from him by then.
6. Management of Computer Services (Information Resources)
Ford, referring to his 22 September Memo to the Executive Committee, said a progress report. He plans to build this position into the 1988 budget. The Executive Committee expressed no dissent.
7. Discussion of Governing Board Agenda
Ford said it is a crowded agenda, and there is time pressure resulting from the scheduling of a meeting with the head of NSF which is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The agenda was reviewed in order to assign priorities to the items.
8. Financial Statement for Six Months Ended 30 June 1987
Gilbert highlighted major changes only. The bottom line reflects an excess of revenue over expense of $339,400 for the six months ended 30 June 1987. It is not possible to project the first six months figure to the end of the year, as there is a lot of activity occurring in the second quarter. The publishing budget is on target. The investment income is budgeted conservatively. Reserves are in an excellent position. The present market value is $15 million, toward the stated goal of $24 million.
9. Proposed Associate Member Society Terms
Ford said he had talked with Baglin (Materials Research Society Vice President) regarding possible conditions for Associate Member Society membership. He proposes to reduce the surcharge for services from 15% to 7-1/2%, and to make Physics Today available at half the price charged to Affiliated Society members ($12.50 instead of $25.00). In addition, an invitation would be extended for MRS to send a non-voting participant to the Governing Board meetings. He suggests that a non-voting participant could participate in discussions and suggest motions. The indication is that if these changes were made, the MRS would be interesting in applying for this category.
Grant noted that the Associate Member Society would be required to pay the expenses for any non-voting participant who represents it at a Governing Board meeting.
The following motion was made by Lazarus, seconded by Sickafus and unanimously CARRIED.
MOVED that the Executive Committee recommend to the Governing Board that changes in the existing Guidelines for Associate Member Societies and in the Governing Board Rules be adopted as proposed by Ford after consultation with representatives of the Materials Research Society.
10. Executive Session
The staff were excused at 9:45 p.m. Minutes of the executive session are given in the official minutes only.
11. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.