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Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes February 24, 2021

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Faculty Senate
Minutes, Wednesday, February 24, 2021, Zoom Meeting 
Presiding: Donna Gauthier (DG), Secretary: Clai Rice

1. Call to Order at 4:04 pm
2. Quorum Call - 40 and counting
3. Approval of Minutes – (accidentally skipped)
4. Report from Faculty Senate President (DG)
  • U Council notes are on Moodle.
  • No emergency grade policy for spring 21 (Is this set in stone?).
  • We are asked to participate in committees and task forces, but admin response is so slow. Strategic planning is now at the Dean’s level. Why don’t faculty have a more explicit time line for participation?
  • DG has been unable to get Code of Conduct and Ethical Behavior policy rescinded and re-examined. Each policy has a designated Executive Officer who is the only one who can rescind the policy. He has not budged. DG is trying to work on it more piece meal now. Other Universities consulted have a very draconian policy.
  • ADVANCE—Sherry Krayevsky wishes to present to us at March meeting.
5. Old Business
  • Faculty Policies that need to be addressed
    • Grievance committee has complained that current procedures do not match handbook.
    • Faculty teaching qualifications - this has not been followed or needs to be clarified.
    • Faculty Governance April 2019
    • DG is requesting a modest operating budget for the Senate. The President has no release time, no staff, nothing. GH says McKinney has stated there is a release time and $2000 budget. McKinney told DG specifically that there is no release time or confirmed budget. Things have to be written into policy.
6. Reports from Senate Committees

Committee on Committees – JoAnne DeRouen

  • No Report.

Ways and Means – Jimmie Kimble

  • Admin updated mass evacuation policy for classrooms and want us to update our syllabi. Some discussion of slow responses from U on building issues.

Academic Planning and Development – Kristi Carr?

  • No chair?

Governmental Concerns – Robert Slater

  • Planning to invite a series of speakers. Clay Higgens will attend on March 11 at noon on a zoom session. Asking for a rep from AAUP. Contact committee members with suggestions.

Faculty Advisory Council Committee

  • UL Systems and BOR meetings

Reports of Ad-Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Compensation

  • Data has been analyzed and we are designing a presentation form to present to various stakeholders.
7. Reports from University Committees

Curriculum Committee – Jaimie Hebert

  • Link for committee service was sent out last week. Follow it up to volunteer for next year’s committee service.

Faculty Grievance Committee – Natalia Sidorovskaia

  • No Report.

Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee – Praven Das

  • No Report.

Library Committee – Blair Stapleton

  • Report is up on Moodle.
  • The Library Dean search failed.

Committee on Academic Affairs and Standards – Donna Wadsworth

  • No Report.

Student Evaluation of Instruction – Nancy Autin

  • No Report.
  • Question: Can we get SEI feedback earlier, so we can use it for next semester?

Campus Planning – Thomas Sammons

  • No Report.

General Education – Pearson Cross

  • No Report.

Distance Learning Leadership Council – Claire Arabie

  • No report.

Strategic Program Review Committee – Donna Gauthier

  • Blanca Bauer has been working on revamping strategies for institutional effectiveness. SPR used to be conducted by committee, but now will be done out of the new office.
8. New Business
  • Nominating Committee
    • We need a president nominee (tenured). Some names have been put forward but no commitments yet.
    • We have 2 VP nominees already.
    • Rice agrees to serve as Secretary again if no one else is willing.
  • No news about University being involved with vaccine distribution.
  • University’s Diversity council should be added to list of committees that Senate gets reports from.
9. Motion Regarding the Ad Hoc Committee on Underrepresented Faculty Groups
  • Submitted by Clai Rice, seconded by Matthew Green
    • a) “Whereas the University has taken steps to address issues raised by the Faculty Senate’s Ad Hoc Committee on Underrepresented Faculty Groups (CUFG) 2014 report, and Whereas the University has established an Office of Diversity that coordinates and implements policies and procedures regarding the development, recruitment, hiring, retention, and support specifically of faculty from underrepresented groups; The Senate moves that the CUFG, after meeting with representatives from the Office of Diversity and gathering other information as might be needed, such as faculty surveys, prepare a review of the University’s response to the 2014 report that evaluates the effectiveness of the ongoing efforts regarding faculty from underrepresented groups, highlighting especially any additional actions or areas of concern that should be addressed, to be submitted to the Faculty Senate in the Fall of 2021.”
  • Passes with 2 abstentions
10. Announcements
  • Decision about retirement distribution was announced. Who made the decision? (GH)
  • Next meeting March 17, 2021
  • Ratliff: we should write a letter of thanks for Dr. Savoie and others who helped the library get the local grant for panel on voter suppression.
  • Ish: Outlook is losing email. Beware. We were not consulted.
  • Brooke Breaux: Jimmy Kimble is current Ways chair but he does not meet requirements (must have served a year in Faculty Senate).
    • Breaux proposes a motion, Zack Stein second.
      • “We waive the one year member requirement for the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee for Jimmy Kimball for the next year.”
    • Passes by a lot.
12. Adjournment at 5:33 pm.

Submitted by Clai Rice
3/15/21