George Mason University
Approved Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting
April 23, 2003
Present: J. Bennett, L. Brown, P. Buchanan, R. Coffinberger,
M. De Nys, E. Elstun, D. Kuebrich
Chair Jim Bennett opened the meeting at 12:35 pm.
I. Approval of Minutes
The Minutes of the April 16, 2003 Executive Committee meeting were approved
as distributed.
II. Announcements
Virginia Tech’s Computer Privacy Task Force report was distributed last
week to the Executive Committee and Bob Nadeau. Dr. Nadeau did extensive research
on this subject as Chair of the Challenges to Academic Freedom and the Right
to Privacy Ad Hoc Committee in 2001, and will be asked to head up a
new task force on this issue. The Executive Committee agreed that the privacy
issue is important, and the Senate needs to initiate action.
The Chair has finished a peer university salary and cost-of-living analysis
that will be distributed to the Executive Committee this afternoon. After comments
are received, the report will be sent to all faculty members on Friday.
The Senate office has received 253 responses out of 864 to the Faculty Evaluation
of Administrators. Another mailing will go out Thursday to all faculty who did
not respond to the first mailing.
The Executive Committee members were reminded that their annual reports are
due to the Senate office ([email protected] or [email protected]) by Friday.
III. Old Business
Chris Hill will be the only speaker during Old Business at the May 7th meeting
since Judy Palmore cannot attend.
IV. Reports from Senate Standing Committee Chairs
A. Academic Policies
The Committee will give a report on a pre- and co-requisite courses, a report
on University Internship Courses, and a motion based on the Provost Office’s
report on Minors at the next Senate meeting.
B. Facilities & Support Services & Library
No report.
C. Faculty Matters
The Committee will submit a motion concerning compensation for summer school
lab instructors, and possibly a second motion on the potential merit raises
at the next Senate meeting.
The Committee has reviewed the new policy on term faculty—some of which
was tacitly understood between the faculty and the administration before, but
has never been put in writing—and came up with recommendations on the
policy. Provost Stearns has agreed to approximately half of them. Marty De Nys
will take the revised recommendations to the Committee for review and approval
this Friday.
D. Nominations
The Committee will present a slate of nominees for the Task Force on Midterm
Grading at the next Senate meeting.
E. Organization & Operations
Phil Buchanan will be meeting on Monday with Michael Wood (IRR) and Dave Rossell
to begin “clean up” of the IRR personnel database.
The Committee has not responded to Dr. Buchanan’s e-mail concerning available
dates for a meeting on a Senate Charter review, so the Committee will begin
the revision process in September.
V. New Business
There was no new business.
VI. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Debi Siler
Clerk, Faculty Senate