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Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes November 20, 2024

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Faculty Senate
Minutes, Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Zoom Meeting
Presiding: President Philip Auter, Secretary Kelly Robinson

I. Call to Order

3.55 pm

II. Quorum Check

at 3:57 pm

Need 21 Senators; at 33 senators; quorum met

III. Approval of Meeting Agenda

Approved 33 senators; nay 0; abstain 0 → motion carries


IV. Executive Report

by Philip Auter

  • Faculty Handbook edits are almost finished. Last addition documents are being added to the handbook. Expected completion timeline is the end of November 2024.
  • Barns and Noble bookstore
    • Fall 2025 / Spring 2026 for implementation
  • Handbook improvements being made by Provost Jaime Hebert and Chad Parker
  • Faculty Senate Leadership workshop
    • Open to all faculty senators to participate
    • Goal is to improve familiarity with university processes and structure
  • Faculty Senate Officer elections in April 2025
  • Last rap session is with the registrar on Dec. 3, 2024. Focus of the rap session is how that office is handling name changes for folks with fluid identities.
  • Approval of October 2024 Minutes
    • yes 30 out of 34 senators; nay 0; abstain 4 0 → motion carries
V. Committee Reports

Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Standing committees report

  • No Updates

Ad Hoc committees report

  • Faculty Handbook Updates (Phil Auter & Leah Orr)
    • Discussion of pathways for producing policies.
  • Dean Search Policy (Matt Green)
    • Present draft to Faculty Senate in February 2025
  • Policy for hiring department heads being handled through Provost Office
  • Leadership workshop (Elena Babtsouli)
    • 9a-4a (day long) with a one-hour break midday
    • Invitations sent out to upper-level administrators, including President
    • Take place the beginning of Spring 2025 semester ideally; may be moved back a couple weeks to accommodate speakers’ schedule
    • Survey sent out to faculty to better understand early career faculty viewpoints
  • Market Adjustment (Kelly Robinson)
    • No set date/time for the initial meeting of the market adjustment committee from Provost’s Office

University Committees

  • No Updates
VI. Old Business
  • Vote on the amendment for sick leave and substitution payment for colleague on sick leave
    • Vote to call to question
      • 14 yes; 2 abstain; 1 no
      • Minutes paused during discussion…
    • Vote to call to close discussion
      • 29 yes out of 33 senators; 2 abstain 0 → motion carries
    • Vote on the proposed amendment: “Faculty may be presented with the opportunity to assume the teaching duties of a colleague for one week or longer; they will be paid at the standard adjunct rates, prorated weekly for the time they are teaching the extra class. Faculty who assume teaching duties of a colleague for less than one week, or who perform extraordinary functions such as compiling and submitting final grades, shall be compensated at the discretion of their department head and academic dean.”
      • yes 37 out of 38 senators; nay 1; abstain 0 0 → motion carries
VII. New Business
  • Presentation of syllabus policy, a Faculty Handbook Amendment #11 “Basic Course Expectations Syllabus Policy”
    • Plan to vote on at the Faculty Senate Meeting in January 2025
    • Discussion of Amendment #11 current language
    • Matthew Green proposal:
      • “Friendly amendment - change the word policy in the title to requirements?”
      • The provost made clear last year the only policies are the ones that go through the policy on policies. And those are the only ones that are legally binding.”
    • Leah: something along the lines of guidelines also would work instead of requirements. Want to be as minimal as possible for the university.
    • Phil: “Guidelines” sounds too soft and optional
    • Leah: want to avoid the impression that this a mandate from high
    • Charles Rice: Policy on policies requires a policy to state who enforces it.
  • Vote on friendly proposed amendment to change the title of Faculty Handbook Amendment #11 to “Basic Syllabus Expectations” from “Basic Course Expectations Syllabus Policy”
    • yes 33 out of 34 senators; nay 1; abstain 0 → motion carries
VIII. Announcements
  • If you know full professors, and want to be on the Senate, have them email Kelly Robinson or me, Phil Auter, to add them to roster.
  • Senate Elections in March to be able to seat new senators in August
  • Senate Officer elections during the April 2025 meeting.
  • John Gargano to chair ad hoc committee on evaluating upper-level administrators
IX. Adjournment

Motion to Adjourn by Phil Auter

Meeting adjourned at 4:46 pm

 

Submitted by Philip Auter
November 20, 2024