GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
MINUTES OF THE FACULTY SENATE
September 11, 1996
Senators Present: Albanese, Bergmann, M.Black, Blaisten-Barojas,
Boileau, Conti, Crockett, DeNys, Deshmukh, Eagle, Elstun, Fuchs, Gantz, Hamburger,
Jensen, Kaplan, Manchester, Merten, Metcalf, Miller, O'Connor, O'Hara, Palkovich,
Perry, Potter, Rine, Rosenblum, Ruth, Sanford, Sofer, Spikell, Tabak, Taylor,
Thomas, Wood and Zoltek.
Senators Absent: P. Black, Carty, Chung, Clements, Fulmer,
Hurt, Manne, Mellander, Mose, Ruhling and Sage.
Attending Guests: Richardson (Gazette), Fletcher (Provost Office),
McKalip (Academic Advising), Jones (Registrar's Office), Bafundo (Undergraduate
Studies), Rosenzweig (History), Schools (Student Senate), and Jennifer E.S.
Lee (Faculty Senate).
I. Call to Order
The Chair, Anita Taylor, called the meeting to order at 3:00 P.M.
Ms. Taylor welcomed Senators and explained that, to facilitate vote counting,
senators should sit in the center and left sections of the room and guests should
sit on the right. She then requested general consent of the senate to suspend
the agenda in order to allow President Alan Merten and Provost David Potter
to address the Senate at the beginning of the meeting. Ms Taylor also noted that the agenda failed to include election of a chair and of members of
the Nominations Committee under New Business. She requested that these elections
be scheduled immediately after the nominations committee report. Hearing no
objection, she introduced Mr. Merten.
Mr. Merten expressed his appreciation for faculty support and for faculty participation on the Presidential Search Committee. He said theat two general issues, dean searches and program review, will dominate the 1996-1997 agenda. The program reviews will concentrate on (a) the budget process, which will be more open and will involve individuals from other units in unit budget review; (b) space allocation; (c ) student life (d) faculty contract, including issues of salary, workload, conflict of interest/commitment, intellectual property ownership, and performance review: and (e) the distributed university: in which questions will be addressed regarding types of programs the university should be offering in the context of its three campuses. Mr. Merten requested Senate involvement in dean searches and all program reviews.
Several questions ensued. In his responses, Mr. Merten explained theat the university needs to clarify the role of technology in education and make use of it when technology improves the quality of learning,. He also elaborated his concept of faculty contract review, indicating theat it will encompass both full-time tenure-stream and part-time faculty rights and responsibilities from an institutional perspective. Every faculty member should be reviewed annually followed up by a personal meeting with his or her supervisor. There are no immediate plans for a review of "administrator contract" becuase each administrator is reviewed continually by his or her supervisor.
Mr. Potter elaborated on Mr. Merten's presentation and offered some additional issues for 1996-1997. George Mason is undergoing a culture change in which the base of decision making is broadening. The Faculty Senate should play a stronger role in university life. Internal searches are underway for administrative positions involving university life, information technology, and continuing education. Mr. Potter commented on the crisis in self-government in business education. He plans to meet with the faculties of the School of Business Administration and the Graduate Business Institute next week. Other issues to be addressed this academic year include gender equity; educational quality, both from the standpoint of admitting and retaining excellent students and in academic programs; faculty contract; development of programs in the context of three campus sites; academic support assessment; budget process development; distance learning; and K-12 partnerships.
II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the May 1, 1996 meeting were approved as distributed.
III. Announcements
Ms. Taylor announced that the Faculty Senate of Virginia will present a report under Other Committees.
Mr. Sanford informed Senators that an attendance sheet and an information sheet were circulating. Senators should check information on the information sheet for accuracy. He also announced that the Senate office has been relocated to Room 10, North Chesapeake Module. The telephone number (993-2990) and the Mail Stop Number (5E5) remain the same.
Ms. Jennifer Lee expressed her appreciation to the Senators for the baby gift. Madison Victoria Lee was born on May 14, 1996.
Ms. Taylor distributed a list of items carred over from last year. Ms. Taylor also announced that the Executive Committee has been meeting with the Provost and former Provost about resolution of governance issues in business education. There will be a special meeting of the Faculty Senate at 3:00 pm on September 25 in Robinson B-113 for the sole purpose of resolving process issues regarding this topic. Mr. Potter will present a proposal for discussion, and Ms. Taylor said that she has been assured that the Senatoe role is not limited to approval or disapproval, but that amendments are in order.
IV. Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business.
V. New Business
A. Senate Committee Reports
1. Executive Committee
Ms. Taylor reported that the President's Council has been expanded
to include more administrators and the Chair of the Faculty Senate. President
Merten has agreed that additional faculty representatives will be appointed
and he will do so in consultation with leadership of the Faculty Senate. He
envisions the committee meeting monthly and engaging in "serious, results-oriented
discussions of major institutional issues."
2. Academic Policies Committee
There was no report.
3. Faculty Matters Committee
Mr. Boileau said that the Committee will continue to review salary
equity. Different methods have produced different conclusions regarding salaries
of men and women faculty. The Committee is also continuing discussion of summer
salaries.
4. Organization & Operations Committee
Mr. Spikell reported that an important issue for 1996-1997 will be
Senate organization, including length of term on Senate committees.
5. Faculty and Support Services Committee
Mr. Zoltek reported that parking continues to be an important issue.
He will meet soon with representatives of Parking Services.
6. Nominations Committee
Mr. Metcalf presented the slate as prepared by the Committee. According
to Senate Bylaws, terms of office for newly elected Senate officers commence
immediately after the meeting at which they were elected. The following faculty
and Senators were elected:
University Faculty Standing Committees:
Athletic Council: Coilin Owens, Charles Thomas (Senator)
Effective Teaching Committee: Michelle LeBaron, Ariela Sofer
(Senator)
Faculty Senate of Virginia: Richard Bolstein, Anita Taylor
(Senator)
Library Committee: Lawrence Butler, Vernon Gras, David Rine
(Senator), Mary Silva
Minority Affairs Committee: Debra Bergoffen, Flavia Colonna,
Cynthia Fuchs (Senator), Karen Rosenblum (Senator)
Non-Traditional, Interdisciplinary, and Adult Learning Committee:
Eugene Norris, Stanley Zoltek (Senator)
Senate Committees:
Academic Policies: Denise Albanese, Martin DeNys, Marion Deshmukh,
Ann Palkovich, James Sanford
Facilities and Support Services: Jae Chung, Ronald Jensen,
Wayne Perry, Daniel Tabak, Stanley Zoltek
Faculty Matters: Don Boileau, Roberta Conti, Karen Rosenblum,
Charles Thomas, Joseph Wood
Organization and Operations: Estela Blaisten-Barojas, Steven
Eagle, Donald Gantz, Robert Ruhling, Mark Spikell
Other Senate Positions:
Secretary: Henry Hamburger
Sergeant-at -Arms: James Metcalf
Nominations for Chair of the Faculty Senate and for members of the Nominations
Committee were taken from the floor. Esther Elstun was nominated and elected
by unanimous ballot as Chair.
Senators elected to the Nominations Committee are: Kevin Clements, Bruce Manchester,
James Metcalf, Linda Miller and Anita Taylor.
VI. Other New Business
The schedule for regular meetings of the Faculty Senate was approved.
On behalf of the Faculty Senate, Mr. Gantz recognized Ms. Taylor's three years of service as Chair by presenting her with a plaque. Senators responded with sustained applause.
VII. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
James F. Sanford
Secretary, Faculty Senate