Report from Faculty Senate Executive
Committee Meeting
1.
Meeting of
Attending:
1.1
Faculty
Senate President’s Report
Dr. Gaede reported that Jim Harris is on the schedule for the meeting on the 25th. He will talk about the roles of Athletics and requirements for mentoring and attendance, etc. Brent Wren will be invited to come as well.
October 22 will be a joint Faculty and Staff Senate meeting.
1.2 Reports from Administration
Dr. Williams reported the Strategic Planning Committee is meeting. Volunteers are welcomed. Updates will be provided on the web. Dr. Williams will be meeting with the other Presidents in the System to plan for next year. It does not look pretty for this year. It looks like there will be further decreases in Higher Education which means increases in tuition. We are not sure about proration yet.
The VPR advertisement appeared in the Chronicle. Dr. Karbhari is responsible for this.
It appears the honeymoon is over based on the Exponent Article. We are trying to get students involved. Many suggestions are appearing on the “Why Not” site.
We have received permission from
the Transportation Department to put signs on University directing traffic to
the Sparkman entrance. We also will have
signs on
Dr. Karbhari announced the Focused Hire.
We obtained the last house in the Sanderson Subdivision and can start building the Greenway. We are making the campus more pedestrian friendly. We will continue to purchase property adjacent to the University as it becomes available to use for family housing.
We are looking at a new residence hall as ours are full. The Wilson Hall renovation will begin and should be completed in about 18 months.
Dr. Karbhari reported the Group Hires are truly group hires and goes across bounds.
As part of meeting the Power of 10 goals the Deans are challenged to do strategic planning and to start with faculty, benchmark themselves against the best of the best and plan from there. Know how many students, how many faculty, look at three years out and look at each year. The goal is to make each unit self sufficient. Everyone should know what they need and how to get it.
Dr. Karbhari was asked to check on the ANGEL friendliness to users and about changing the password and not using the SS# for any password or access.
Dr. Severn announced that Institutional Research is working on many projects right now and are snowed under to please hold requests for later.
1.3 Committee Items and Chair Reports
1.3.1 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (Gail Pritchard).
No Report.
1.3.2
Personnel
(Michael Anderson).
He talked with the Benefits Office and we cannot offer benefits to same sex partners due to a State law. We can develop and pass a resolution but we cannot do anything beyond that because of the State Law. It could be that some institutional benefits could be extended.
1.3.3 Governance and Operations (Jennifer English).
No Report
1.3.4 Faculty and Student Development (Andree Reeves).
No Report.
1.3.5 Finance and Resources (John Burnett).
No Report
1.3.6 Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs (Deborah Heikes).
Discussion of course repeat processes. Question of why students should have to repeat a course. The bill to change the course repeat policy was tabled.
A comment to change the incomplete policy so “I” turns into “F” after the end of the academic year.
Want to get rid of course repeat in graduate school.
Excused Absences for Athletes was discussed. Discussion of why we didn’t want to excuse students automatically. Should we have a university attendance policy? Melinda Lawson moved to bring back to the table last year’s bill on students being excused for university activities. Dr. Gaede seconded. Mike Anderson objects because some time the course is one time a year and one person is teaching it. Senate Bill 312 from September 2007. Vote is 10 Yes and 1 No. Dr. Heikes will send out the bill to the Faculty Senate.
Send issues with Athletics to Deans, Chairs, and Faculty Senate.
1.3.7 The Agenda was set for the September 25, Faculty Senate Meeting.