George Mason University
Approved Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting
March 5, 2003
Present: J. Bennett, R. Coffinberger, M. De Nys, E. Elstun,
D. Kuebrich
Chair Jim Bennett opened the meeting at 12:03 pm.
I. Approval of Minutes
The Minutes of the February 26, 2003 Executive Committee meeting were approved
as distributed.
II. Announcements
There will be no Executive Committee meeting next week due to spring break.
III. Old Business
There was no old business.
IV. Reports from Senate Standing Committee Chairs
A. Academic Policies
The Committee will be meeting today at 1:00 pm and will have an action item
for the April meeting.
B. Facilities & Support Services & Library
No report.
C. Faculty Matters
The Committee has been advised by the President’s Office that the administrators’
activities reports will be available by March 15th. The Secretary and Clerk
of the Senate will follow up with the President’s Office to get this information.
Once the data are obtained, they will be put on the Faculty Senate website and
the web link will be noted in the Faculty Evaluation of the Administrators cover
letter and in an e-mail to the faculty.
The Committee has had referrals from the Task Forces on the Honor System and
Academic Integrity reports. Marty will communicate to the O&O Committee
that there doesn’t appear to be a need for direct action on these recommendations
by
the Faculty Matters Committee.
The Committee has also received a document from the Provost’s Office concerning
the appointment and re-appointment of fixed-term faculty. Although it has apparently
been seen and approved by the BOV, the Committee has very serious concerns about
the document and sees it as an attack on tenure. Jim Sanford is working on a
position statement on behalf of the Committee to discuss with the Provost and
bring before the Senate. Rick Coffinberger will track down the minutes from
the BOV and Faculty and Academic Standards Committee meeting in which this document
was discussed to review their reaction to the document. The concern was raised
that the Administration is creating a class of faculty not covered by the Faculty
Handbook (it only mentions tenured, tenure-track, adjunct, and visiting faculty).
If this is a Handbook issue, then the Faculty Senate has to be included in the process.
D. Nominations
The Committee will submit a partial slate of nominees for the new Task Force
on Reporting Satisfactory Academic Standards. Other nominee possibilities include
Sharon deMonsabert and Bill Sutton.
E. Organization & Operations
The Committee will introduce two motions at the meeting this afternoon to establish
a Faculty Senate Standing Budget and Resources Committee to replace both the
current Ad Hoc Budget Committee and the Facilities and Support Services
and Library Committee.
The Committee will also present the allocation of Senate seats among academic
units for AY 2003-2004 for approval.
F. Ad Hoc Budget Committee
No report.
V. New Business
There was no new business.
VI. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 12:22 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Debi Siler
Clerk, Faculty Senate