Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes October 19, 2016
Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes October 19, 2016
Senate Meeting called to order at 4:04 PM
Approval of Minutes: A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the September 21, 2016 meeting of the faculty senate. The motion passed.
Executive Officer report:
Lewis Deaton reported that President Savoie agreed to add a faculty senate representative on the provost search committee. The president requested 3 names from the senate from which to choose. Due to the need to quickly fill this committee position, the senate executive committee proposed 3 names of senators to submit to the president. The senate will vote today on the list to be submitted.
Reports of Senate Committees:
Committee on Committees: The committee on committees distributed ballots for filling vacancies on permanent senate committees. After counting of ballots the results were as follows:
Elected to the Committee on Committees: Jamal Khattak from the College of Engineering, Joanne Derouen from the College of Liberal Arts, Anita Hazelwood from the College of Nursing, Susan Lyman from the College of Education, and Thomas Junk from the College of Sciences. The 3 at large members elected to one year terms on the Committee on Committees were Monica Tauzin, Donna Gauthier, and Chad Parker.
Elected to the Academic Planning and Development Committee were Kiwana McClung from the College of Arts, Colleen Wolverton from the College of Business, and Emily Deal from the Library.
Elected to the Governmental Concerns Committee were Donna Wadsworth from the College of Education and Gwen Leigh from Nursing.
Elected to the Ways and Means Committee were James Underwood from the College of Business, Cheylon Woods from the Library, and Sheri Lazare from the College of Liberal Arts.
Ways and Means: Dr. Deaton has forwarded a faculty handbook revision submitted by Robert McKinney to the committee for review.
Academic Planning and Development: no report
Governmental Concerns: no report
Faculty Advisory Council Representative: no report
Ad Hoc Committee on Underrepresented Faculty Groups: no report
Ad Hoc Committee on the Status of women: no report
Reports from University committees:
Curriculum: no report
Faculty Grievance: no report
Faculty Benefits and Welfare: no report
Library: no report
Academic Affairs and Standards: no report
Parking and Planning: no report
Student Evaluation of Instruction: Dr. Autin reported that Institutional Research is adapting the SEI as needed for Banner implementation. This semester the SEI will be available to students from Wed. Nov. 16 to Sunday Dec. 4.
Distance Learning Leadership Council: no report
Strategic Program Review: no report
New Business:
Dr. Deaton submitted the proposed slate of 3 senators to be forwarded to the president who will choose one to serve as faculty senate representative on the Provost search committee. The 3 senators are James McDonald from English, Denise Linton from Nursing, and Chad Parker from History. In addition to these three senators, Salah Massoud was nominated from the floor. A motion was made and seconded to approve the slate proposed by the executive committee. The motion passed.
A suggestion was made to replace the Ad Hoc Committee on Underrepresented Groups with a broader ad hoc committee on equity issues. Kiwana McClung volunteered to serve as interim chair for an equity issues committee.
Next, Emily Deal presented a resolution on Library funding. The resolution included reference to the University’s Strategic Plan for 2015 – 2020 which calls on the University to “allocate sufficient funds to increase library expenditures for provision of research and information resources to meet or exceed the average of our comparative peer institutions”, cited statistics showing that UL currently allocates substantially less for library funding than peer institutions, and stated that the faculty senate expects the University to prioritize Library funding for material and human resources and to investigate sustainable and enduring sources of funding for the Library. George Wooddell seconded the motion. Jean Keisel pointed out that the Library lacks sufficient personnel to provide services that would be helpful to both students and faculty in pursuing research. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously.
Senator Jindal introduced a suggestion to change from a department head system to a department chair system. He discussed the difference between department heads and department chairs and said that changing to a department chair system would improve communication between administration and faculty. Senator Deaton commented that there is currently a task force working with Robert McKinney to develop a policy regarding compensation of department heads. Senator Baker pointed out that the faculty handbook calls for faculty to choose the department head and then the dean must either approve the choice or request another submission. Nancy Autin suggested that faculty read the current faculty handbook document titled “Procedures for Selecting Department Heads” which is document 19 in appendix A of the Faculty Handbook before the next senate meeting, prior to further discussion of the topic. Senator Lynch stated that every department is different and one policy may not fit all. Some small departments can’t find other faculty willing to take over the job. Judy Gentry suggested an ad hoc committee to examine these department head issues. Senator Jindal proposed switching to a chair system where the dean has little roll in selection, eliminating some administrative steps. Senator Autin disagreed, stating that there is a need to have set of steps spelled out. Lewis Deaton stated that he will talk to Robert McKinney about these issues.
G.H. Massiha then reported that the committee on summer pay has had their first meeting. He said that he proposed a pay increase for next summer but the rest of the committee voted “no”.
G.H. Massiha also commented that the senate merit raise committee should meet.
Meeting adjourned at 5:18 pm.
Kathleen Knierim
Secretary