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Oct 13, 1999 Minutes



Senators Present: Bible, Conroy, Early, Gillis, Gordon, Hays, Irvin,
McKinney, McGee, Peeler, Renick, Skerpan-Wheeler,
Stimmel, and Stone.

Absent: None

Liaisons Present: Pierson [Occupational Education], Moffeit [Accounting],
Taylor [Management/Marketing], Caruana [Clinical Laboratory
Science], French [Health Services & Research],
Colten [Geography], Andrews [History], Aron [Biology],
DeLeon [Technology], Vaverek [Library]

Guests: Roy Martin, CIS and Quantitative Methods
Jack Mogab, Finance and Economics
Mike Moore, Skulker

CONTENTS

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE REPORT (MARTIN)
UPDATES FOR THE LIAISONS (HAYS, ET AL.)
ISSUES AND QUESTIONS FROM THE LIAISONS
APPROVAL OF 6 OCTOBER 1999 MINUTES

The meeting was called to order by Chair Hays at 4:05 p.m.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE REPORT (MARTIN)

The Curriculum Committee recommended endorsement of the following
new programs:

Certificate in Latin American Business
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry [name change only]
Master of Science with a major in Biochemistry
Bachelor of Science with a major in Manufacturing Engineering

After solemn reassurances from each affected department that none of these
changes require additional space now or in the forseeable future, the senate
endorsed the Committee's report. Stone/Stimmel 13-0.

UPDATES FOR THE LIAISONS (HAYS, ET AL.)

1. Hays. Another salary equity study is underway. The senate is concerned
and involved.

Conroy: Will salary equity alleviate salary compressions?
Hays: Nope.

Bible: Hasn't it already been established that the J.D. and M.F.A. degrees
are to be considered as terminal degrees?
Hays: Probably going to have to fight that battle all over again.

Stimmel: Merit history should be a part of the new equity study. In the
last round, at least one individual who had received no merit
increases had his or her salary increased more than a colleague
who had regularly received merit increases over the years.

Skerpan-Wheeler: But productivity does not necessarily imply that merit
increases are given.

Sex and race, as well as merit history, are not included as variables in
the salary equity PPS. The senate feels that they should be.

2. Gordon. A draft survey has been prepared and was distributed to all
present. After extensive discussion, the senate approved the survey
with the following modifications:

a. In addition to yes/no as possible answers to several questions,
allow 'insufficient data to answer'.
b. In question 35, change 'within a reasonable period of time' to
'within 15 working days.'
c. Add ethnicity to the demographic data collection questions.
d. In question 7, change 'are disseminated' to 'have been disseminated.'
e. Change 'college' to 'College' where appropriate.

Bible/Stone 13-0.

3. Renick. The senate is pursuing adoption of a policy which would require
the resolution of all merit allocation disputes PRIOR TO the awarding of
any merit adjustments to salary. This pursuit is designed to allow the
rewarding of successful merit cycle grievants in the then-current cycle.

4. Early. M&O budgets, which include travel budgets, are woefully inadequate.
At the last PAAG meeting, VPAA Gratz attempted to blame departments for
their dire straits because, for example, they took money from M&O during
the 1%-2%-2% budget reduction fiasco [where else but faculty salaries could
the money have come?], and because, for example, they resisted raising
course fees, now frozen, to unconscionable levels.

Gratz did hold out some hope that some relief might come in the form of
such things as changing telephone charges from departmental budgeting to
central budgeting [like electricity]. [One supposes, of course, that
they would simply reduce departmental M&O still further to account for
such changes.

5. Stone. Should we poll the faculty as to their agreement with the proposi-
tion that bonus money be transferred to departmental travel budgets?

Much discussion; little light.

6. Hays. Liaisons are invited to volunteer to carry the mace at the various
May 2000 and August 2000 graduation ceremonies.

7. Hays. Several potential faculty members will be asked to join the
Athletic Advisory Council as faculty senate representatives.

ISSUES AND QUESTIONS FROM THE LIAISONS

1. Vaverek. The senate subcommittee on librarian pay and status has conducted
a survey about library/librarian issues and will report to the senate when
that work is complete. Late night staffing in the library
has been improved with the addition of a Library Assistant to
work 10pm-closing shift. An assessment report concerning this
change will be coming. The librarians thank the senate for their
support of/interest in Library issues. Raises for Career Ladder
Librarians came through in a timely fashion this year.
Some of the Librarians are concerned that moving the library
from control of the VPAA to the VPIT might weaken the library's
role within the university. Much will depend upon the particular
candidate selected for the position. Some of the librarians feel
that it is essential that we get a VPIT who understands/appreciates
the library's critical connection with faculty and academic/curricular
ties. Some of the librarians would prefer that the library
remain in Academic Affairs.

2. Andrews. The history faculty is bitter about the skimpy raises for
1999-2000. They are confused about the workload policy and do not
trust the reward structure. They do not approve of the inaccessibility
of organized research funds to non-tenure-track Ph.D.s in their department.

3. Aron. Departmental budgets for journal acquisition are too small.
Also, as a faculty advisor, we should keep a clear distinction between
a _faculty_ advisor, who is responsible only for a club/fraternity's
_academic_ relationship with the university and the _chapter_ advisor
who, protected by national organization liability insurance, is
responsible for a club/fraternity's _social_ activities.

4. Taylor. The management/marketing faculty are concerned about the unfair
allocation of bonus money. They are also concerned about expectations
of research vs. teaching faculty.

5. Moffeit. The accounting faculty are also concerned about the bonus system,
and about faculty evaluation particularly as regards workload credit for
graduate courses and for summer courses.

APPROVAL OF 6 OCTOBER 1999 MINUTES

Early agreed to the minimal hacking required to make the minutes fit for
administrative consumption. They were then approved unanimously.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m.

cheerfully submitted

grady

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