UAH FACULTY SENATE

DRAFT MINUTES OF MEETING #487

17 APRIL, 2008

PRESENT:

ADSC: Schnell

LBAR: Rountree, Pritchard, E. Smith, Gyasi, Reeves, Sitaraman

ENG: Gaede, Jovanov, Gholston, Cassibry, Wessling, Lin, Karr

LIB: Vaughan

NUR: Lawson, O’Keefe, Linsky, George, Thompson, Ferguson

SCI: Mecikalski, Boyd, Magnuson, Davis, Scholz, Aygun, Etzkorn, Wu, Ravindran, Miller

ABSENT WITH PROXY:

ADSC: Bao

LBAR: D. Harwell, M. Johnson, Bollinger, Heikes,

ENGR: Banish, Anderson, Coe

SCI: Edmondson,

ABSENT WITHOUT PROXY:

ADSC: Wilhite, Burnett

LBAR: J. Johnson, Moore, Ragsdale, Neuschatz

ENGR: Kulick,

SCI: Bishop, Elsamadicy

0. Senate President Lynn Boyd called the meeting to order at 12:50 p.m.

1. Draft Minutes of Meeting Number 486 were approved. Motion by Joyce Thompson, seconded by Rose Linsky.

2. Senate Executive Committee Report accepted. Motion by Melinda Lawson seconded by Shari George.

3. President Williams’ Report.

He reported he has been in active communication with the Chancellor and people at system office. Putting through a 5 year tuition plan and presenting it to the Board in June. Message that we have done our part in efficiency and efforts to save and at some expense of education of students. Has to cost more or sacrifice education. Working with Lew Radonovich on a plan and things we have already done to save and tuition increase. We have not invested in recruiting students—have not done it aggressively. If come here and work hard will get job. If student cannot take care of $21,000 debt for education after getting a $50,000 job then we have failed. If we market self properly then can get $32,000 education here. Some cannot afford and it is the job of the community and us and Financial Aid to increase scholarships and provide ways. Do not like being the bargain. Need to pay for education. Areas of university need to be looked at. Faculty and staff going above the call recognized and those who are not looked at seriously. Everyone evaluated and look at and say to those performing you are doing great and should be rewarded and those not performing no merit increase. We all work together. Call offices and do not get answer. Service offices. Anyone who calls service office should get an answer. Think of ideas you can use to raise money. How many of you are running external short courses. There are numerous examples around the country. Dr. Williams ran short course and brought in $220,000 with course and paid CE and rest was department. It was voice the Faculty feel burdened with administrative duties and sometimes do not feel they have time for these other things. Dr. Williams responded you have to set your priorities. Don’t believe in cuts across the board and say all the same and do not give merit increase across the board and say all same. Maybe someone is not doing their job, that overburdens others.

It was voiced that growing international student population seems a good idea. Some blocks and hindrances to international students coming here and staying here. Attitude to work together and serve each other needs to happen and not here yet. Setting expectations and rewarding those who meet and exceed and dealing with those who do not meet expectation. Will communicate with you as much as can as receive information. The Chancellor keeps Dr. Williams informed. Going to be right behind Tuscaloosa. Should be able to attract students and we need to work on that. Will invest in recruitment. Need to know difficulties in doing your job. It is expensive to educate students and we are cheap. Told trustees that. People will pay and we will help those who cannot. Hire more in recruiting and advancement. They give return on dollar. Have to give time. Rick is professional and he will come to department and talk to you about what to do and how it works.

Thanked for faculty turn out at inauguration. Success of goals will bring in money 88743210. CE working with to bring in money. Faculty teach through CE instead of using non professional. Faculty do not work 8 to 5. Your sacrifice needed. For all problems good benefits. Can still relate to what you do. Thank you for what you do.

4. Dr. Radonovich’s Report.

Thursday Chancellor met with Chief Academic Officers and Chief Financial Officers and presented we would receive minimum of 10% cut in State budget. Tuition increase would be hard sell. Made suggestions for 9, 10, 11 month appointment for staff. Scheduled time to meet with President, Deans, and Directors. Prior to this went through 5% scenario. This now contingency plan and asked to derive 5% cut and 7.5% cut. This is based on analysis by Ray Pinner’s division. Did minimum of 6% to 10% and include tuition increase. Dr. Radonovich made an appeal to others that Academic Affairs should not be cut same as others for many reasons. 85% budget in AA goes to salary and fringe benefits. This is serious constraint. Of the rest of 15% 10% is fixed cost that do not have variables on. We will grow our way out of this no matter what happens. Until that growth comes, do not want to create catastrophic situation of decreasing teaching, etc. Think positively about it. Last year Alabama among top ten states in funding for Higher Education. Past two years good also. Increases in top ten. It is hard but it is an opportunity to evaluate. If have to think in direction of cutting classes, etc. please minimize that thinking.

It was pointed out that with some Co-op programs the company pays finders fee to university and the company takes it as write-off.

Other sources of income. Have students do marketing research on potential patents and money makers. Tuscaloosa done well in marketing themselves out of state and good source of income. Right kind of thinking. Will seek tuition increase.

Dr. Radonovich was asked why are you so confident in growth. Dr. Radonovich stated that in the past watched growth pattern. See our potential and the right things in place. I think it is imminent. Experience and little bit of intuition. This region needs what we do. Doing important things right. Some carry over from this year to take care of some things for next year. Carries through short time but need creative ideas to continue.

5. A. Senate Committee Reports:

1. Executive: The report was distributed with the minutes. The report was accepted.

2. Faculty and Student Development: No Report.

3. Governance and Operations: Sampson Gholston agreed to be on the ballot as Ombudsperson. President Elect-still working on that position. Melinda Lawson will be Parliamentarian. Dr. Gaede is soliciting issues and ideas for next year.

4. Personnel: No Report.

5. Undergraduate Curriculum: Dr. George reported the Committee approved requests from Nursing and Economics.

7. Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs: Dr. Rountree reported they had a proposal for the Course Strike Policy and it was tabled.

8. Finance and Resources: The Committee received proposals for Distinguished Speakers and will meet and discuss and we should be able to fund them all.

B. University Committees:

No Reports.

Officer Reports:

Parliamentarian: No Report.

Ombudsperson: Dr. Karr reported he will be retiring. He has been the Ombudsperson for the past few years and it has been an interesting position. Those rewriting the Handbook have a challenge to get the deans to follow procedures in the Faculty Handbook.

President-Elect: No Report.

President: Lynn Boyd: Alabama System Board Meeting last week.

Approved Tuition increase at UAB medical and dental school.

Espy had impassioned speech talking about investments in higher education paying off. Working hard in Legislature to minimize cuts

President Williams gave speech at Inauguration and plan for next five years

Staff Senate contacted and invited to Picnic and asked for help. Committee of ten senators to organize picnic. Picnic will be May 14. If interested please tell Dr. Boyd.

Added item to agenda. Discuss revisions to earlier resolution from this year.

Cuts in funding next year state funding 10% cut. Budget adjustment to accommodate those cuts. Communicate to administration to let know how painful this is. Department asked to cut 25% anything not faculty or staff in Biological Sciences. Department is looking at cutting GTAs and part-timers and this goes contrary to directives to grow and cutting classes undermines direction we want to go. Cutting in academic units not best way to go.

6. Sense of Senate Resolution—Form Handbook Review ad hoc Committee for AY those serving on this committee would not have to serve on other committees. Make sure handbook accurate and no internal inconsistency and review for clarity and if policy needs to be reviewed and revisited then recommend to Senate Committee. Where needs amending do so otherwise make sure followed. Unanimous.

Clarification—friendly amendment to clarify who faculty representative is—same as for Senate representative.

Rita Ferguson

Yeqing Bao

Jeff Kulick

Andree Reeves

Rich Miller

Linda Vaughan

8. Dr. Boyd adjourned the meeting at 1:50 p.m.