Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes February 19, 2020

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes February 19, 2020
Senate Meeting called to order at 4:04 PM
Presiding: Donna Gauthier; Secretary: Clai Rice
    1) Meeting agenda approved.
    2) Quorum check – at least 24 needed, we have that.
    3) Approval of Minutes from 01-15. Approved (one abstention)
    4) Executive Officer’s Report: Gauthier
        a) Reported $1.7 million less income this semester
            i) Question: how is this figure derived? Not clear.
        b) Women’s leadership conference scheduled for March – could be a good opportunity for face-to-face with Governor Edwards.
    5) Committee Reports
        a) Faculty Senate Committees
            i) Governance report filed, find on Moodle. Legislateive session is beginning, things to keep an eye on.
            ii) Ad Hoc Committee on Salaries hasn’t met yet.
            iii) Committee on the Status of Women – volunteers notify Pres. Gauthier.
            iv) Committee on Underrepresented Faculty hasn’t been active
        b) University Committees
            i) SEI – N. Autin has filed report, check on Moodle
            ii) Distance Learning – F. Crocco, Committee has started the review of our CMS. In response to a request from the floor, Pres. Gauthier says she will post the membership of this committee.
    6) Old Business
        a) Ways and Means: C. Berry
            i) Vote on revised SEI motion,
                (1) Motion to amend, striking the phrase between the commas. (Baker, Berkeley) passes.
                (2) Vote on whole motion passes (two against, one abstain)
            ii) C. Berry summarizes changes to FS Constitution (can be found in Moodle)
            iii) Item postponed.
    7) New Business
        a) Pres. Gauthier requested Committee on Faculty Grievances to review mediation part of policy. Why aren’t administrators following the handbook?
        b) Request to align committee membership with FS membership (in other words, update committee membership and lists)
        c) Speeders on East Louis are a concern, especially the crosswalk at Rex.
        d) $20 million would be needed to get salaries to SREB averages. Is it time for some civil disobedience to promote this issue with administrators and legislature? Some suggestions are not turning in self-evaluations, not turning in grades.
        e) Job descriptions are needed for faculty roles in departments. What are the duties of, for example, emergency temporary assistant professors?
    8) Motion to Adjourn: 5:28 p.m.

Submitted April 29, 2020
Clai Rice
Secretary