Senators Present: Conroy, Gillis, Gordon, Hays, Irvin, McGee, Pascoe,
Renick, Sawey, Skerpan, Stimmel.
Absent: Anderson, Bible, Winek
Guests: Don Hazlewood (Math)
CONTENTS
FACULTY HANDBOOK REVISIONS
COUNCIL OF FACULTY SENATES
FACULTY REWARD STRUCTURE
SENATE/CAD/COC MEETING
ORPS
VPIT
NEW BUSINESS
MINUTES OF 2-24-99
Acting Chair Hays called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m.
FACULTY HANDBOOK REVISIONS
Prof. Hazelwood led a discussion of his committee's recommendations
for Handbook revisions. The last four pages of their draft incorporate Ev
Swinney's revisions discussed at previous meetings. Hazelwood expressed
concern about the VPAA's revision of the Academic Due Process statement and
the statements on evaluation. Following are the main areas that the
committee addressed and to which Prof. Hazelwood directed his comments.
1. Clarification of the wording concerning the role of ombudsman in the
grievance process as outlined in the document.
2. Discussion of wording of the performance and tenure section with Senate
recommendation that the wording of #15 in Swinney draft of 2/3/99 be
added to Hazelwood document (2nd Paragraph, second to the last page).
3. Discussion concerning removal of the word "contract" in the handbook
and substitution of the word "appointment." Handbook Committee
recommends using the original wording.
4. Sen. Conroy requested the opportunity to review the revised section
on REP.
The Senate voted (Irwin moved, Gillis seconded) to accept the work of the
committee. The motion passed with 1 abstention (McGee).
COUNCIL OF FACULTY SENATES
Acting Chair Hays reported on the meeting of the Council of
Faculty Senates. The minutes of that meeting were distributed.
Oneconcern discussed at the CFS meeting was the liability of faculty
advisors in the case of a student who does not receive the $1,000 for
graduating under a certain ceiling of hours because of incorrect advising.
Chancellor Urbanowsky's opinion is that advisors will not be liable, but that
in any case, employers will provide legal coverage.
The Council also discussed a proposal for Faculty Senates to have
a permanent place on the Board of Regent's agenda. As an alternative,
Chancellor Urbanowsky has offered to meet with the system faculty senate
represenative twice a year to discuss pertinent issues.
The Council considered a proposal to select a second member of the
Senate to attend the Council's meetings (we are allowed two seats). Sen. Hays
expressed her pleasure at being the SWT representative to this organization
and her willingness to continue in this capacity.
FACULTY REWARD STRUCTURE WORKSHOP
Sen. Stimmel reported on a meeting of a committee appointed to
examine an invitation by a Texas A&M group concerning revision of the faculty
reward structure. One concern is the turn away from teaching to research;
they are concerned with integrating research into teaching and that
scholarship be judged by peer review and communication of results rather than
traditional means.
SENATE/CAD/COC MEETING
Sen. Renick followed up on his concerns about theSENATE/CAD/COC
discussion of mediation, merit, and grievance. He prepared a Memo to the
Senate presenting a set of recommendations on these topics.
One question is whether the merit problem is a large one or instead is
limited to a few chairs who do not follow policy and are not held
accountable by their Deans. Discussion followed:
1. There was a great deal of disagreement with the notion of allowing Deans
to hold back a certain amount of merit money to correct perceived inequities
in merit allocations after chairs had prepared them but before they become
final.
2. There was a suggestion that outside arbitration be pursued to resolve
disagreements and clarification that the proposed change to a Dean's holdback
of funds would involve an appeals process, not a grievance process since the
grievance process has a much long time frame and would require Deans to
holdback funds for as long as possibly a year to reduce grievances.
3. The Senate discussed forming an ad hoc committee to make recommendations
to the VPAA on resolving the wording of #12 in PPS 7.1 concerning merit and
on mediating disagreements over the distribution of merit. The committee
will be composed of Sens. Bible, Renick, Gordon, Skerpan and Ombudsman John
McGee. The motion passed unanimously.
ORSP
Rta'd to 3/10.
The FRC roster needs to be updated and the terms of service added to
the roster on the ORSP web site.
The new FRC chair, Prof. Celelia Temponi, was invited to attend the
3/10 meeting to discuss problems in latest round of REP applications.
RAC representatives must be elected and in place ASAP so that proposals
can be evaluated.
VPIT
Rta'd to 3/10
NEW BUSINESS
MINUTES OF 2-24-99
Senators had several comments to amend minutes of 2/24. Sens. McGee
and Conroy will write their amendments to the minutes for Shirley Pilus who
will forward the amended minutes to Debbie Banks.
The Senate adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
