George Mason University
Approved Minutes of the Faculty Senate
March 21, 2001
Senators Present: K. Avruch, E. Blaisten-Barojas, D. Boileau,
B. Brown, L. Brown, P. Buchanan, J. Censer, R. Coffinberger, M. DeNys, E. Elstun,
P. Feerick, T. Fresz, K. Gaffney, D. Gantz, H. Gortner, L. Griffiths, M. Holt,
A. Kolker, D. Kuebrich, J. Moore, E. Price, L. Rigsby, L. Rikard, L. Rockwood,
R. Rubenstein, S. Ruth, J. Sanford, J. Scimecca, L. Seligmann, P. So, A. Sofer,
P. Story, C. Sutton, S. Zoltek
Senators Absent: K. Alligood, W. M. Black, L. Bowen, R. Carty,
S. Cheldelin, R. Conti, S. deMonsabert, R. Diecchio, T. Domzal, R. Ehrlich,
J. Flinn, M. Ford, M. Grady, E. Gunn, G. Hanweck, K. Haynes, R. C. Jones, M.
Krauss, L. Lederman, C. Mattusch, A. Merten, R. Nadeau, D. Struppa, C. Thomas,
P. Wilkie, J. Zenelis, P. Stearns, S. Sanchez
Guests Present: R. Davis, S. Jones, L. Schwartzstein
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 3:05 by Chair, Don Boileau.
II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of February 21, 2001 were approved.
III. Announcements
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held on April 11 at Prince William I,
room 110A at 3:00 pm. The vans will leave Finley Building at 2:00 pm. If you
have not signed up to take the van to this meeting, please call Diana Smith
at x2990.
A symposium on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning will be held March 22,
2001. Highlights are presentations by Dr. Lee Schulman of the Carnegie Foundation
for the Improvement of Teaching and Barbara Cambridge of the American Association
of Higher Education.
The College of Arts and Sciences Celebration of Scholarship Lecture will be
held April 18, 2001, in the Johnson Center cinema. “Culture and Ethnic
Conflict in the New World Disorder” will be presented by Kevin Avruch,
Professor of Anthropology.
The Board of Visitors met today, March 21. A report will be given by A. Sofer
later in the meeting.
The Quality of Life Report will be available in the next two weeks. (It took
the summary position on the qualitative comments.)
IV. Unfinished Business
None
V. Senate Committee Reports
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate met on March 19, 2001. Summer
Session teaching was discussed and the Committee continues to review the language
of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Academic Policies Committee – Esther Elstun
No report, but will have new business in April.
Facilities Support Services and Library Committee – Stanley Zoltek
Will submit a detailed report attached to minutes of the next meeting.
Technology Committee – Stanley Zoltek
No report
Faculty Matters Committee – Joe Scimecca
An all-fac email will go out to faculty to see if any problems still exist with
summer school teaching. J. Scimecca will send a letter to all Dean’s and
Director’s requesting information with problems on Summer Session. He
will also meet with
Renate Guilford, Director, Enrollment Planning, Summer Term and will report
to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.
J. Scimecca reported on the Administrative Survey that was sent out in January.
The Faculty Matters Committee has not decided how to publish the qualitative
comments. A straw poll was taken at the meeting with a majority in favor of
not
publishing these comments verbatim.
Copies of the Senate Seat Allocation for 2001-2002 were distributed. There has
been a 30% increase in FTE from last year. These numbers were taken from the
university census in October of 2000. After receiving their allocation, each
school must
report back to the Senate by May. 1, 2001.
Nominations Committee – Rick Coffinberger
R. Coffinberger presented a slate of nominees (of which 3 must be senators)
to work as liaison with the Board of Visitors Faculty Awards and Incentives
Committee.
GMU Senators: Robert Nadeau, Carol Mattusch, Sharon deMonsabert
GMU Faculty: Martin Lipsett, James Trefil
A motion was moved and the motion was seconded
and passed unanimously for the above slate to serve on the BOV Faculty
Awards and Incentives Committee.
Organization and Operations – Estela Blaisten-Barojas
The Faculty Senate Web site has been redesigned. Faculty Senate members are
requested to look at it and send comments to G. Wang – [email protected],
D. Smith – [email protected], or Estela Blaisten-Barojas – [email protected]
The Charge of the BOV Faculty Awards and Incentives Committee, which will be
working as a liaison to the BOV, is being worked on at the present time.
VI. Other Standing Committees
External Relations Committee
Ariela Sofer reported the Board of Visitors approved a Master’s of Public
Policy (MPP). It also approved a Post Masters Degree in Information Technology.
This program provides an advanced; post Masters degree for those interested
in advanced
topics in information technology. In essence, it combines the course work of
the Ph.D. degree with an applied project of shorter duration than a conventional
Ph.D. dissertation. This degree has been developed in response to interest from
students and businesses.
The BOV also expressed concern of their not being involved in the appointments
of Deans in the University. President Merten described to them the hiring procedure
and faculty involvement in the hiring process of Deans.
Sid Dewberry, BOV, will attend a SCHEV meeting on the tenure process on April
29 in Williamsburg.
VII. New Business
BOV Faculty Awards and Incentives Committee
This Committee chaired by Jack Censer met with Tom Hennessy who reported on
the Quality of Life Survey. The results of this survey will be made available
in two weeks. The subject of Research Faculty on soft money was discussed at
length. The
university currently has approximately 125 research faculty. The Charge of the
BOV Faculty Awards and Incentives Committee, which will be working as a liaison
to the BOV, is being worked on at the present time.
J. Censer was asked to bring up the issue of no salary raises for faculty and
the cut back in retirement contributions at the next meeting of the committee.
J. Censer speculated that the Committee will probably spend the remainder of
the academic year in fact finding. The Charge of this Committee will be available
for Senate perusal at the next Senate meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Brown
Secretary, Faculty Senate