Senators Present: K. Avruch, J. Bennett, R. Berroa, A. Berry, P. Black, D. Boehm-Davis, R. Brayley, L. Brown, P. Buchanan, R. Carver, S. Cobb, R. Coffinberger, W. Decker, C. Douglas, R. Ehrlich, E. Elstun, M. Ferri, M. Houck, D. Joyce, C. Kaffenberger, J. Kozlowski, D. Kuebrich, J. Mahler, J. McDonald, A. Merten, J. Metcalf, L. Monson, J. Moore, A. Motro, P. Moyer-Packenham, P. Pober, D. Polsby, J. Razeghi, W. Reeder, P. Regan, L. Rockwood, E. Roman-Mendoza, J. Sanford, J. Scimecca, S. Slayden, C. Smith, P. Stearns, C. Sutton, J. Tangney, T. Thatchenkery, I. Vaisman, P. Wiest, S. Zoltek Senators Absent: M. Boardman, B. Brown, M. DeNys, J. Gorrell, L. Griffiths, K. Haynes, B. Johnsen, M. Kafatos, K. Johnsen-Neshati, R. Klimoski, R. Nadeau, D. Struppa, S. Travis, S. Trencher, J. Zenelis Guests Present: B. Crandall, D. Faxon, D. Gomes-Moran, R. Herron, S. Jones, A. Moran, M. Terry, E. Verheyen I. Call to Order II. Approval of Minutes III. Announcements and Introductions The Chair announced that Rector Dewberry was unable to address the Faculty Senate asplanned due to the death of his sister. The Chair instructed the Secretary of the Senate to send a letter of condolence to Rector Dewberry on behalf of the Facultyand the Faculty Senate. B. President Merten�s Address Michael Moore: Senators brought up the fact that AAUP Director Roger Bowen had written President Merten and the GMU Chapter of the AAUP, expressing concern that Moore�s cancellation was a violation of academic freedom. President Merten responded that he had spoken by phone with Bowen, explaining the situation and that Bowen was satisfied. However, Stanley Zoltek and Joe Scimecca, former and current presidents respectively of GMU�s AAUP chapter, reported that they believed Bowen still had concerns and that, given his position as head of the leading faculty professional organization, these concerns should not be lightly dismissed Various questions were asked: Why was the problem not anticipated? How was the decision made to invite Moore? Is a new policy needed? Did the decision to cancel Moore�s speaking engagement satisfy the state legislators and others who complained? On the last point, President Merten responded that he had received about 350 emails on the issue. He said some will never be satisfied but others had emailed or called to praisethe University for its prompt decision. Legislative Priorities: Faculty salaries: Improving salaries is the first priority of GMU and all the other state universities. GMU set aside funds for a 4.5% increase this year (of which 1.5% was from State funds and 3% from tuition). The President stated that the faculty should receive 5 % salary increases (3 percent from the State, 2 percent from tuition) for at least the next 3 years to bring GMU to the 60 percent benchmark among its designated group of peer institutions. Senators welcomed this information but pointed out that GMU salaries are not keeping pace with the raises given to area workers by the federal government and the private sector. In response to a question regarding the need for GMU to receive a salary locality adjustment, the President responded that it is not politically feasible to ask for this during the coming year, but GMU will make a �big push� for a COLA in the ensuing year. Student aid: The recent increases in tuition have enabled the University to supplement the financial-aid pool, but this is not a viable long-term solution. GMU will ask the State to increase student aid by an additional $12-15 million over the next 3-4 years. Enrollment growth: the 2004 fall-term enrollment is over 29,000 (up from about 23,000 four years ago). There are many reasons for this increase: a higher number of applications received, a higher percentage of admitted students choosing to come to GMU, and a markedly higher retention rate (now in the 70-80% range). The number of out-of-state students has also increased to about 20% of the student body�which is salutary for the University�s profile and revenues. Current demographics project a significant increase in demand for higher education in the years from 2007-12. Senators expressed satisfaction with the improved retention rate but there was concern that it might reflect a lowering of academic standards. President Merten said the explanation is simply that students are reporting a greater degree of satisfaction with GMU. Capital Projects: The University is requesting more capital-project funds from the legislature for the building of Academic V. It is also asking for planning monies for Academic VI and Research II. The new parking deck should be finished by December, and the construction of Research I is continuing. Sources of Revenue On Friday, October 8, 2004 the University will sponsor a program on increasing financial sources. III. Reports from Senate Standing Committee Chairs B. Budget & Resources � Rick Coffinberger Senator Coffinberger also reported that in a summer meeting with the President and Provost, the Faculty Executive Committee raised concerns about instructional faculty moving to administrative positions and then returning to the teaching faculty with significant increases to their salaries. At that meeting, the President and Provost acknowledged that these transitions have caused problems and that a new policy would be implemented to address these issues. Under this new policy, an instructional faculty who transitions to a twelve-month administrative position will be paid the market rate for persons serving in such positions. When that faculty member opts to return to the instructional faculty, he/she will return at his/her former nine-month salary adjusted by the average raises for such faculty members in that department/LAU. Senator Coffinberger also reported that the records given to the Budget & Resources Committee by the Payroll Office reveal that one high-level GMU administrator received two raises last year: one in December of 2003 and another in January of 2004. This administrator received total raises in excess of $26,000 (or 14%). Given the tight nature of the University�s budget, Coffinberger noted that this situation deserves further Senate attention. Senator Coffinberger presented the following resolution to the Faculty Senate: WHEREAS George Mason University operates twelve months per year and the Summer Session is a critical component of the University�s course delivery system; and WHEREAS GMU students rely on the summer session to permit them to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner; and WHEREAS GMU�s Full-Time Faculty have historically supported the delivery of a robust set of course offerings in the Summer Session,volunteering to teach during the summer session; and WHEREAS GMU�s Summer Session generates in excess of $10 millionin tuition and fees, which constitute nearly three times the costs of compensating Faculty to teach in the Summer Session; and WHEREAS the Full-Time Faculty who teach during the Summer Sessionhave historically been compensated at a rate of ten percent per course forup to two courses; and WHEREAS DURING THE LAST TWO SUMMER SESSIONS a growing number of Full-Time Faculty have been paid less than ten percent for teaching a second course. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Faculty Senate that all Full-Time Faculty should be paid ten percent of their nine-month contract salary for each course taught for up to two courses starting with the 2005Summer Session; and further, BE IT ALSO RESOLVED by the Faculty Senate that all Full-Time Faculty who taught a second course during the 2004 Summer Session and were paid less than ten percent for that course should be retroactively compensated at the level of ten percent for that second course IF ADOPTED, this Resolution is to be sent to the Present, Provost and to the Board of Visitors. The Provost responded that this resolution contravenes the agreement he previously reached with the Senate, and he expressed a willingness to meet with the Committee well in advance of next summer for further discussion. The Resolution was adopted with a divided vote, including abstentions. The Secretary was instructed to send the Resolution to the President, Provost, and the Board of Visitors. C. Faculty Matters � Jim Sanford D. Nominations � Lorraine Brown The motion was made and seconded to elect Egon Verheyen as Faculty Senate Representative to the College of Arts and Sciences Restructuring Committee. The motion passed unanimously. The motion was made and seconded to elect Don Gantz as the Faculty Senate Representative to the School of Computational Sciences Restructuring Committee. The motion passed unanimously. In addition, the motion was made and seconded to elect Stephen Zaccaro from the Department of Psychology to serve on the Task Force on Teacher/Course Evaluations. The motion passed unanimously. E. Organizations & Operations � Mike Ferri VII. New Business Ann Moran of the University Service Department spoke with the Faculty Senate about handicap parking. Over the past few weeks, she has spoken with the ADACoordinator regarding the number of handicap-parking spaces required. After verifying the number of parking spaces on campus, the requirements are for 197 spaces, and currently there are 273. Ann Moran agreed that Enterprise Hall is somewhat hard to access, but she stated there are 12 spaces by Science and Technology I and II. It was mentioned that the parking situation should get better by January 2005 when the new parking garage is opened. Ms. Moran said that the fraudulent use of the handicap-parking spaces might be another cause of the problem. The ensuing discussion raised several issues. It was pointed out that the University should not only provide an adequate number of parking spaces but also locate them appropriately. The University�s concern should be focused not simply on satisfying the law but on meeting the needs of the handicapped. Senators also asked why the concerns of Senator Ferri and others were not addressed earlier? And have concerns such as this received less Senate attention since replacing the earlier Facilities and Resources Committee with the Budget and Resources Committee? Esther Elstun commented that with the absorption of the Faculty responsibilities by the Faculty Matters Committee some issues may not being resolved in a timely fashion.
Chair Jim Bennett called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m.
T. Thatchenkery�s name was added to the list of Senators present at the September 8, 2004 meeting, and then the minutes of September 8, 2004 were approved as distributed.
A. Chair�s Announcements
The Chair introduced Marylou Masiyowski as the new Clerk of the Faculty Senate.
President Merten spoke on three topics: Michael Moore, legislative priorities, and sources of revenue.
President Merten expressed his regret about the handling of Michel Moore�s invitation and its subsequent cancellation. Stating that the details of the issue had been reported correctly in the Washington Post, the President explained that the University had cancelled its contract (which allowed each party to cancel until five days prior to the scheduled program) with Moore because it was illegal to pay a �political� speaker $35,000 with state funds. There was no suppression of free speech. �I am all for free speech,� President Merten said, �Political or controversial figures can and have spoken at George Mason before, but the events were paid for by private sources.� A mistake was made, but �we�re now moving ahead.�
President Merten said that GMU has four priorities: faculty salaries, student financial aid, enrollment growth, and capital projects.
President Merten stated that the GMU budget is about $480 million. Of this, $120 million comes from the State, $120 million from tuition, and the remaining $240 million comes from such sources as research grants, student fees, private contributions, and fees on the use of the Patriot Center. To maintain itself and optimize its potential, GMU needs to identify new donors. Every local academic unit and school/college must ask itself how it can generate more funds. When feasible, local academic units are urged to develop more fee-for-service courses.A. Academic Policies � Esther Elstun
The Committee has no action items. It is continuing to examine the process of approving degree programs jointly offered by two or more local academic units. Faculty interested in this item should contact Carol Kaffenberger, the Committee member in charge of it and/or come to the next meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 3:00 in Robinson A397.
Rick Coffinberger noted that the Budget and Resources Committee is working with the Faculty Matters Committees to better define and coordinate their fields of activity to avoid overlap and repetition.
Jim Sanford reported that Faculty Matters is addressing the issue of overlap with the Budget Committee.
Lorraine Brown brought to the attention of the Faculty Senate that there are times when a Faculty Senate Representative is required on little notice. Accordingly, it was now necessary for the Senate to approve two faculty members who had already assumed Senate positions on committees. Jim Bennett explained that with the Faculty Senate meeting only once a month, there have been times when it has been hard to find someone to fill the request in a timely manner.
The Librarian Consultation Request is ongoing.
Mike Ferri questioned whether the University�s designated spaces for handicapped parkingand pathways meet ADA regulations. His concerns include poor lighting, a lack of handrails, and pathways with loose gravel and steep grades. In addition, a building such as Enterprise Hall currently has no handicapped parking spaces within several hundred yards. Senator Ferri pointed out that he and others have repeatedly called these matters to the attention of University Services, but there has been no satisfactory response.
2003-2004 Report of the Minority and Diversity Committee 2003-2004 Committee members: Heibatollah Baghi, Rei Berroa, Molly Davis (Chair), Ellen Fagenson-Eland, Jeng Eng Lin 2004-2005 Committee members: Heibatollah Baghi, Rei Berroa, Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, Jeng Eng Lin, Peter Pober (Chair) Charge: To work in concert with the Equity Office, Minority Students Services Office, other pertinent administrators, and campus organizations in developing and implementing means to ensure nondiscrimination, tolerance, and protection of the rights of all persons affiliated with the University; and to facilitate dialogue among those connected with the University and those in the broader community on matters concerning minority populations and diversity issues. The Minority and Diversity Committee embarked upon a year long investigation to define excellence in diversity at George Mason University. It was noted that the phrase �excellence in diversity� was prominently placed on the University web page, but it was not exactly clear how this term was being operationalized. The Committee sought to interview key stakeholders within the GMU community. Our goal was to understand the functions of their offices and to obtain their perspectives on how to assess the standard of excellence in diversity. The following individuals made presentations to the Committee at monthly meetings and we gratefully acknowledge their contributions: Ron Sinacore, Office of Equity and Diversity CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS The Princeton Review has identified GMU as the most diverse university in the country. Diversity is a strong asset to the university community and contributes to every aspect of the life of GMU students, faculty, staff and administrators. There is general consensus that diversity should be valued and appreciated. There is less consensus about specific strategies on how to demonstrate an appreciation of diversity. The publication Diversity Facts and other documents provided by each of the above mentioned presenters provided insight about programs and services targeting diverse members of the GMU community. Although the committee did not interview everyone it could on this topic, the presenters were able to share vital information for the group to consider. The following represents the goal and the list of standards for the Excellence in Diversity initiative mounted by the committee during the year. In the next phase, this committee will determine the evaluative procedures to assess the implementation of the following standards. The committee supports increased attention to the issue of diversity. The statistical data clearly indicates that the student body is diverse. It is now important to make additional steps to ensure that GMU is a place where diverse members can thrive. Special attention should be directed toward increasing the diversity represented among faculty. This will require a concerted, committed effort on the part of all academic units. In addition, the data gathering process also revealed the need to examine ways to retain diverse faculty and staff and to create opportunities to increase the representation of diverse groups within the ranks of the administration and governance of the university. Goal: To define the standards for Excellence in Diversity at George Mason University. Standard 1: Diversity Goals Identify diversity goals through a process of broad participation and widely publicize them to all units of the GMU community. Standard 2: Organizational Culture Develop a culture at George Mason University that values, appreciates and celebrates diversity and a climate that reflects respect, openness, and tolerance toward differences. Standard 3: Inclusion Seek full participation of diverse groups of students, faculty, administrators and staff in university affairs. Standard 4: Full Participation Maintain a diverse community through recruitment and retention policies that promote continued representation of diversity among faculty, students, administrators, and staff. Standard 5: Resource Development Provide adequate, ongoing funding for diversity programs and services. Standard 6: Policies and Procedures Preview standards for diversity policies and procedures to assess their efficacy and implementation. Standard 7: Research and Data Gathering Use research and data to assess the university�s success in implementing corrective plans. Standard 8: Administrative Support University leaders and administrators will commit to institutional diversity goals and ensure that all academic and administrative units reflect them. VIII. Remarks for the Good of the General Faculty
Rei Berroa from the Minority and Diversity Committee made the following report:
Earl Ingram, Office of Equity and Diversity (prior to his retirement)
Karen Rosenblum, Vice President for University Life
Karen Gentemann, Office of Institutional Assessment
Art King, Office of Diversity Student Services
Meihua Zhai, Institutional Research and Reporting
Camille Hazeur, Office of Equity and Diversity
Esther Elstun remarked that the dates for the Summer Session 2005 have not yet been posted onto the Web, and requested that the Clerk of the Faculty Senate report these to the Faculty. Those date for Summer Session 2005 are below:
| Session | Days | Dates | Exam Dates |
| A | MTWRF | May 23-June 21 | June 23 & 24 |
| MTWR | May 23-June 21 | June 23 | |
| MWF (evening)* | May 23-June 22 | June 27 | |
| TRS (evening)** | May 24-June 23 | June 28 |
University closed on Memorial Day � Monday May 30
| Session | Days | Dates | Exam Dates |
| B | MW | June 6-July 25 | June 27 |
| TR | June 7-July 26 | June 28 |
| Session | Days | Dates | Exam Dates |
| A | MTWRF | June 27-July27 | July 29 & 30 |
| MTWR | June 27-July 27 | July 29 | |
| MWF (evening)* | June 27-August 1 | August 3 | |
| TRS (evening)** | June 28-August 2 | August 4 |
University closed on Monday, July 4 In Observance of Independence Day
No Standard Classes on Tuesday, July 5
Session X - Days, dates and times determined by individual course instructor VI. Adjournment Respectfully submitted,
The meeting adjourned at 4:15 pm.
David Kuebrich
Secretary, Faculty Senate