George Mason University
Approved Minutes of the Faculty Senate
January 23, 2002

Senators Present: J. Bennett, A. Berry, E. Blaisten-Barojas, D. Boileau, B. Brown, L. Brown, P. Buchanan, S. Cobb, R. Coffinberger, R. Conti, S. deMonsabert, M. DeNys, M. Deshmukh, E. Elstun, P. Feerick, A. Kolker, D. Kuebrich, B. Manchester, J. Moore, H. Morgan, R. Nadeau, L. Rockwood, J. Sanford, J. Scimecca, L. Seligmann, S. Slayden, B. Smith, A. Sofer, P. Story, B. Sturtevant, C. Sutton. C. Thomas, S. Trencher, P. Wilkie, S. Zoltek

Senators Absent: K. Avruch, W. M. Black, L. Bowen, R. Carty, S. Cheldelin, T. Chorvat, Y. D. Chung, T. Friesz, J. Gorrell, H. Gortner, M. Grady, L. Griffiths, G. Hanweck, K. Haynes, J. High, R.C. Jones, H.W. Jeong, R. Klimoski, M. Krauss, C. Mattusch, A. Merten, L. Pawloski, W. Reeder, J. Kozlowski, S. Ruth, P. So, P. Stearns, D. Struppa, J. Zenelis

Guests Present: Steve LaNasa, Doris Bitler, Walter Rankin, Susan Jones, Robin Herron, S. Beach

I. Call to Order
Chair, Don Boileau called the meeting to order at 3:05 pm.

II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of December 5, 2001 were approved.

III. Announcements
Steve LaNasa, Human Resources announced changes to the optional retirement plan, which the Board of Visitors has approved. GMU will be dropping Metlife, Great West and T. Rowe Price as vendors. TIAA-CREF, VALIC and Fidelity Investments will remain as vendors. There will be an open enrollment period from February 1 to April 30. The vendors will be on campus next week to answer questions. The schedule is as follows: Pr. Wm. Campus – Tues, Jan 29 from 9:00-12:00 noon. Arlington Campus – Thurs. Jan. 31 from 9:00 - 12:00 noon and Fairfax Campus - Tues, Feb. 5 from 9:00 – 12:00 noon. Please check the Human Resources website for updated information.

IV. Unfinished Business
None.

V. Senate Committee Reports
Executive Committee
The following reports were given at the Board of Visitors meeting on January 23, 2002:
1. SACS Accreditation – Cost/Benefits (Linda Schwartzstein)
2. General Education Update (Sheryl Beach)
3. College of Visual and Performing Arts Update (Wm. Reeder)
4. Troops for Teachers (Jeffrey Gorrell)
5. Task Force on Faculty Rewards and Incentives (Jack Censer)

The Task Force on Faculty Rewards and Incentives Committee is in the process of drafting their report. Members of this Committee are Dee Holisky, James Miller, Sid Dewberry and Jack Censer, Chair. Dr. Censer informed the Board this report will be completed the first week in April.
An open forum on the current budget activity will be held on January 30 at 3:00 pm in the Johnson Center Cinema. Items currently under consideration are freezing pay raises for the next 3 years and capping tuition increases at 5%. Equipment purchases are expected to be delayed. The Doctoral institutions will act as a body for lobbying purposes, with James Madison University’s president acting as spokesperson. Jack Herrity of the BOV suggested using Capital Campaign monies in this current fiscal crisis.

At the BOV meeting on Jan. 23, board members requested clarification on appointment of faculty. They reviewed with particular interest the appointment of new faculty and cases of promotion. BOV, Chairman Miller raised new issues:
1. A request for a plan of action for the ranking of GMU from the third to second tier for the University.
2. Mr. Miller requested a plan of action for the next meeting on the above issue.
3. Mr. Miller requested that Peter Stearns, Provost provide them with a distribution list of grades by department. This will be made available to the BOV at the next BOV meeting on March 20.

The following are changes to Faculty Senate positions: Jim Bennett; Chair pro-tem, Cliff Sutton; Sergeant-at-arms, Hal Gortner; Committee on External Academic Relations

The Board of Visitors book is now on line: http://gmun07.ssg.gmu.edu/dscgi/ds.py/View/Collection-482. This includes the BOV meeting agenda.

It is anticipated that special meetings of the Faculty Senate will be needed this semester.

Academic Policies Committee – Esther Elstun
This Committee will meet each Wednesday afternoon beginning January 30 from 3:00-4:30, room 397, Robinson A, except when the Faculty Senate meets. The Minor, and the extent to which double counting will be permitted will be the topic of the next meeting. If anyone is interesting in attending, please contact Pat Wilkie.

A report from the Task Force on Teaching Evaluations will be presented in spring.

Facilities and Support Services and Libraries Committee – Stanley Zoltek
A meeting has been set up with the Director of the Library.

Technology Policy Committee – Stanley Zoltek
A meeting with Joy Hughes, VP for Information Technology has been scheduled for Friday, January 25, 2002.

Faculty Matters Committee – Joe Scimecca
The Administrative Survey will be conducted again, with the results reported on line to save costs. The Survey itself will be a hard copy. Peter Stearns, Provost, Don Boileau, and Joe Scimecca will meet to discuss the Summer Session issue.
Joe Scimecca will meet with Chris Hill, Vice Provost for Research on Intellectual Property.

A motion will be presented at the next Faculty Senate meeting regarding reimbursement for BIS/MAIS students.

Peter Stearns, Provost has drafted a policy on full-time faculty teaching at other institutions. The Faculty Senate will work on this issue with the Provost.

Organization and Operations – Estela Blaisten-Barojas
There is now a link from the Faculty Senate web page to the new Board of Visitors web site.

Nominations Committee – Rick Coffinberger
If you would like to volunteer to assist on any upcoming requests for Senate representation on various committees, please contact Rick Coffinberger.

Faculty Liaison to the BOV – Ariela Sofer
Two bills are on the floor of the Virginia Legislature concerning faculty issues To show your support, please email the appropriate representative. HB 538 – Faculty representatives to the Board for Community Colleges, local Community College Boards, and Boards of Visitors (Patron - Steven Landes). HB 28 – Higher Education; expectation of privacy in electronic communications (Patron - Vincent Callahan). Please use your home computer to show your support. It was noted that of the 60 days the legislature meets, one-fourth of the days are over.

General Education Committee – Sheryl Beach
I. No Action Items to bring forward.
II. Information Items:
1. Top agenda item this semester is continuing work on Synthesis courses and logistics.
2. Gen. Ed. web page will be revised
3. Tracking statistics on faculty contributions to Gen. Ed. Teaching, Fall 2001: Fall 2001 is the first semester for our new General Education program. We call attention to a slight increase in 100-200 level full time faculty participation, from
38% in 2000, to 40 % in Fall 2001. We report a decrease in 300-400 level participation, which skews the overall participation into a decrease. Please see notes below for further discussion.

Percent Full-Time Faculty Instructing Gen Ed. By Year and Class Level

An analysis of Fall 2001 Full-time faculty by rank revealed the following:
Of 100-200 level general education courses taught by full-time faculty, 49% are taught by tenured or tenure track; of 300-400 level courses, 57% are taught by tenured or tenure track; and an overall balance of 50% taught by tenured or tenure track, and 50% by contract or restricted full-time faculty.

NOTES: “Full Time” includes Tenured, Tenure Track, and Contract (formerly named Resticted) faculty. Team taught courses count each instructor as one full section instructor. These data cross over two general education systems, the new program
starting in Fall 2001. This may explain the large variation (decrease) in upper level course participation, because that is where the largest differences occur between the old system and the new system, but the trend was in a decline in the previous system. This decrease in upper level skews the overall Gen Ed pattern. Relatively lower percentages of full-time faculty teaching in the 100-200 level courses vs. 300-400 level may be partially explained by the inclusion of more lab sections in 100-200 level classes, often taught by GTAs and part-time instructors. A future analysis will attempt to break out lab and discussion sections.

A motion to adjourn was requested, and it was so moved and seconded. The meeting adjourned at 4:25 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Brown
Secretary, Faculty Senate

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