MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OF THE FACULTY SENATE

Monday, April 16, 2012 

Mason Hall D1, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

 

Senators Present:  Star Muir, Peter Pober, Earle Reybold, Jim Sanford, Suzanne Scott, Suzanne Slayden, Peter Stearns, June Tangney.

 

I.  Approval of Minutes of  March 19, 2012:  The minutes were updated to note that the Family Leave proposal will not be returned to the Faculty Matters Committee until further information becomes available.  The minutes as updated were approved.

 

II.  Announcements

Dean Censer will offer his brief remarks at the next Senate meeting (April 25th).  Provost Stearns will also make a brief announcement at the beginning of the meeting.  Mark Broderick will provide a brief update on the Capital Campaign. As the campaign is still in its “silent phase,” his report will be delivered in closed session near the end of the meeting.  The meeting will end with the election of a new Senate chair. 

 

Provost Stearns shared some final information on the Korea project.  Answers quite favorable:  for greater than 5 years:  no rent for the 6th and 7th years.  A per student fee/space will be charged after that, a better option than paying a set amount.  We will present this to the BOV at a meeting in April and in May for an up/down vote as the legislating authority will expire in June


Provost Stearns also reported that the family leave data requested from Human Resources is pending.  Data was requested for the past two years.  Records are not complete, as faculty can have children and not inform Human Resources.  He also reported that the Admissions data looks good.  He made a pilgrimage to Phoenix and is very favorably impressed with the incoming President.

 

III.  Progress reports, business, and agenda items from Senate Standing Committees

A.  Academic Policies –  Suzanne Scott

Proposed Changes to Catalog Copy:  Permission to Study Elsewhere:  The committee decided that the issues were complex and needed to be addressed by the committee again in the fall.

Conferral Date for Fall Degrees: Recommendation to change the conferral date from January to December.  The committee was concerned about the impact on PhDs and others, but after discussions with various people in the registrar's office and in administration, the committee agreed that the degree date needed to match completion of work, and will be included as an agenda item for a vote at the April 25th meeting.  

Clicker ID Issue:  Complaint by parent sent to Provost Stearns; given to AP Committee.  The AP Committee recommends complaint should be handled by the department.  

Discussion:  Which committee should address this issue in the future, or defer to faculty judgment in certain situations/issues?  May want to ask Stanley Zoltek, Chair of the Technology Policy Committee, whether this is an issue for their consideration or another committee relating to technology? If issue does cross units, what would be our response?  

 

B.  Budget and Resources – June Tangney

Independent Study Survey:  Jerry Mayer is doing a qualitative analysis of survey data.  We have also contacted Linda Harber requesting faculty leave data.

 

C.  Faculty Matters – Jim Sanford

Family Leave:  as noted above, the Family Leave proposal will not be returned to the Faculty Matters Committee until further information becomes available.

Faculty Evaluation of Administrators:  Response rate just under 40%.  The final reminders were just sent out today. 

Computer Privacy:  an ad hoc committee will be established.  Professor Zachary Schrag is working with the Faculty Matters Committee on this issue.   O&O will work with Professor Schrag to develop a committee charge.  The charge needs to be very specifically scripted to have outcomes to identify certain details of policy.

 

D.  Nominations – Suzanne Slayden:  We will have a faculty nominee to the GMU Foundation.  The articles of incorporation of the GMU Foundation state three names can be submitted from the Faculty Senate and the community at large.  Very vague, faculty names can come from anyone.  We have found one very good name. It is difficult to put two very good nominees in competition with each other.  We also need a very strong nominee as the faculty member becomes a voting member of the GMU Foundation Board.  The Budget and Resources Committee will also contact the new faculty representative.  

 

E.  Organization and Operations – Star Muir

Audio/Video Links for Faculty Senate Meeting:  In conversations with Cherie Galantis (Manager, Collaborative Video Technologies) and Tim Murphy (Director, Classroom and Lab Technologies), Skype is not in the order of magnitude for what we want to do.   Joy Hughes suggests moving Faculty Senate meetings to Research I room 163.  We really need to talk about moving the entire Faculty Senate to a room not set up as a peanut gallery. A project to be handled over the next year, there is no alternative to moving the meeting location; they will not commit to a Skype solution.  Long-term solution involves Telecom, Events Management, Classroom Support, and Events Production.   There are rooms available on Prince William and Arlington campuses which can handle teleconferencing.  Executive Committee members expressed concerns including procedures for closed session, awkwardness of passing out microphones, how to deal with paper ballots, and how to confirm votes.

FS Agenda Placement Question:  Should the election of the next Senate Chair occur earlier in the meeting under “Special Orders” per Roberts’ Rules?  Parliamentarian Star Muir will look into this question. 

 

IV.  Other Committees/Faculty Representatives

The Annual Reports of the University Standing and Ad Hoc Committees AY 11-12 will be included on the April 25th meeting agenda.

 

V.  Agenda Items for April 25th, 2012

 

VI.             New Business, Updates, and Discussion

The Resolution of Appreciation to Rector Volgenau will be circulated among the Executive Committee for input and included on the April 25th meeting agenda.  The Faculty Senate Evaluation of the President and Provost will be included on the meeting agenda.  There have been no official announcements to date on the Provost Search Process.  A Resolution on the Provost Search Committee will be included on the April 25th meeting agenda.  We have not yet received the report from the Campus Police – Community Relations Advisory Council; we had hoped to distribute it in advance of the April 25th meeting.

 

Proposed Changes to P&T Appeals Process:  The Provost relayed concerns from APDUC of the BOV that they had too much involvement in P&T appeals during the last couple of years. At their behest, the Provost made an initial proposal for reducing their involvement as well as some other procedural changes that he recommends. The issue was referred to the F.H. Revision Committee for further action.

 

Provost Search Committee:  The 1999 Provost Search Committee included some faculty who were elected and some appointed (by the President).  Concerns expressed about electing all faculty representatives; to give the President the opportunity/flexibility to balance the committee.  Suggestion made to amend “a majority of faculty, a majority of whom are elected.”   There is nothing to preclude the President from appointing additional faculty to the committee.  Chair Pober feels that President-elect Cabrera will want faculty voice on the Provost Search Committee.  Elections can always lead to bad outcomes; one of the perils of democracy. 

 

Chair Pober expressed his genuine delight and joy to serve as Chair of the Faculty Senate.  He will continue to serve as a Faculty Senator next year.  It has been a tremendous learning experience and thanked everyone very much.  Members of the committee expressed their appreciation:  “we are so lucky to have his wit and wisdom as chair”.    “He has the ethos of being fair and hearing people’s voices…above board in allowing all to be fairly heard…positive aura to have in the Faculty Senate – thank you for all of that!”  Cool beans!

 

Respectfully submitted,

Meg Caniano

Faculty Senate clerk