Report from Executive Committee Meeting
1.
Meeting of
Attending:
Reeves, Tippett, Franz, Gaede,
Radonovich, Newman, Lawson, Karr, Neuschatz, Delugach, Fix
1.1 Faculty Senate President’s report:
No Report.
1.2 Reports from Administration
Dr. Radonovich reported we are now ok with grading situation brought up by Dr. Tippett regarding incompletes. This will not be an incomplete for one week. A memo has been sent by Dr. Radonovich to allow this to occur. This works especially for distance learning.
Dr. Fix reported the QEP is in
place and has gone to SACS. Dr. Fix
distributed the Executive Summary of the QEP.
On campus reviewers have been approved.
We need to make faculty, staff and students aware of the QEP. The
Questions were raised regarding having faculty and students on the Oversight committee. There was a bill introduced to the Executive Committee. There was agreement by Dr. Franz that faculty members should be a part of the Oversight Committee. Dr. Radonovich suggested the faculty member should serve a two year term. Dr. Delugach suggested that the faculty member should be a faculty who work with freshmen. The faculty member will be selected from a pool/list of names presented by the Senate Executive Committee. The Provost will select from this pool/list, two faculty members to serve. The bill introduced will be held.
Dr. Franz reported on the law suit with Nektar. The process discovered by Dr. Milton Harris (retired faculty member) allows for extended release drugs. It was done in the late 80’s and early 90’s. We went through a procedure and UAH got a patent. Intellectual Property information is found in the Faculty Handbook. If there are intellectual developments then the University owns the patent. The University excludes textbooks. Dr. Harris developed Shearwater and we allowed them to use the Patent. Nektar sent a letter saying they would no longer pay royalties. The suit has been filed because they stopped paying. In the process of preparing for the lawsuit it was discovered that Dr. Harris filed for many patents while at UAH. Dr. Harris has been added to the suit because of these patents that should have been disclosed to UAH. Shearwater had 28 patents and sold 20 to Nektar at 197 million dollars. The Trustees say we have a responsibility to do this. We may mediate to resolve. There was some discussion regarding the policy and a countersuit by Nektar.
1.3 Committee Items and Chair Reports
1.3.1 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (Rhonda Gaede and Kathy Newman).
No Report.
1.3.2
Personnel
(Lynn Boyd).
No Report. There was a bill regarding salary disclosure that is being sent to the Personnel Committee. There was discussion regarding the pros and cons about disclosure of faculty salary.
1.3.3 Governance and Operations (Donald Tippett).
There was discussion regarding a bill to amend the Senate Bylaws to prohibit department chairs and other administrative faculty from serving on the Faculty Senate. There was some concern about removing people from governance who are very concerned about the University. There is concern about Jr. Faculty getting in trouble regarding speaking out in meetings. The bill passed at first reading and will be on the agenda for the Faculty Senate Meeting next week.
1.3.4 Faculty and Student Development (Harry Delugach).
No Report.
1.3.5 Finance and Resources (Melinda Lawson).
No Report.
1.3.6 Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs (Jeffrey Neuschatz).
No Report.
1.4 Agenda
The