GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

MINUTES OF THE FACULTY SENATE

DECEMBER 1, 2004

 

 

Senators Present:  Kevin Avruch, Jim Bennett, Alok Berry, Deborah Boehm-Davis, Brack Brown, Lorraine Brown, Richard Carver, Richard Coffinberger, Esther Elstun, Michael Ferri, Mark Houck, Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, Dan Joyce, Carol Kaffenberger, Jim Kozlowski, David Kuebrich, Julie Mahler, Jim Metcalf, Linda Monson, Jean Moore, Ami Motro, Patricia Moyer-Packenham, Peter Pober, Jane Razeghi, Joseph Scimecca, Suzanne Slayden, Christine Smith, Clifton Sutton, Tojo Thatchenkery, Stanley Zoltek.

 

Senators Absent:  Rei Berroa, Peter Black, Michelle Boardman, Russ Brayley, Phillip Buchanan, Sara Cobb, Warren Decker, Martin De Nys, Charlene Douglas, Bob Ehrlich, Jeff Gorrell, Lloyd Griffiths, Kingsley Haynes, Bruce Johnsen, Menas Kafatos, Rich Klimoski, Jane McDonald, Alan Merten, Robert Nadeau, Daniel Polsby, William Reeder, Priscilla Regan, Larry Rockwood, Esperanza Roman-Mendoza, James Sanford, Peter Stearns, Daniele Struppa, June Tangney, Shirley Travis, Susan Trencher, Iosif Vaisman, Phil Wiest, John Zenelis.

 

Liaison Present:  Linda Fauteux, Staff Senate.

 

Guests Present:  Jamie Cooper, D. Faxon, Dolores Gomez-Moran, Robin Herron, Walter Rankin, Michael Terry.

 

I.  Call to Order

Chair Jim Bennett called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

 

 

II. Approval of Minutes

The Minutes of November 10, 2004 and November 17, 2004 were approved as distributed.

 

 

III.  Announcements

The Chair announced that Phi Beta Kappa has for the second time denied our application for a chapter to be established at George Mason University.  The denial letter, addressed to Provost Peter Stearns and Marion Deshmukh, cited governance issues as a major problem.  The Chair will ask the Provost for a copy of the letter.

 

 

IV.  Reports from the Senate Standing Committee Chairs

 

A.     Academic Affairs – Esther Elstun

 

The committee will meet tomorrow to discuss ongoing matters cited in the November 17th Faculty Senate meeting.

 

B.  Budget and Resources – Rick Coffinberger

 

  1. The committee is working with the Human Resources Office to provide an update of faculty salary information as soon as possible after the December 16, 2004 pay period ends.  The information will be posted on the Senate website.  Faculty can access this information with the same user name and password used to access one’s GMU email account.  A notice has been added to the website explaining this procedure.  Rick is also willing to provide password information to those who wish to read in greater detail the summer school report.

 

  1. Summer Session 2004 Report.  Rick presented the following information (on transparencies):

 

A.     Budget Highlights from the Summer Session of 2004

 

-         $10,922,700 in tuition was generated.

-         $3.949,814 in costs were incurred for salaries, stipends and fringe benefits (Social Security contribution).

      These costs were $370,318 less than the budget allocation.

      $280,072 was transferred to the colleges/schools.

-         $6.972,886 in surplus revenue was generated for GMU.

-         All full-time faculty who taught were paid 10% of their nine month’s salary for the first course.

-         Most (85%) were paid 10% of their nine months salary for the              

second course.

-         Sixteen (15%) were paid less than 10% for teaching a second course (mostly in SOM and CAS).

 

B.     Equity-based Salary Allocations from the Provost  (Fall 04)

 

                        UNIT              ALLOCATION          PERCENT

 

CAS                $  165,000                       47.99

                        CEHD                   21,500                         6.25

                        CNHS                   15,000                         4.36

                        CVPA                    18,000                         5.24

                        ICAR                      9,000                         2.62

                        IT&E                     30,000                        8.73

                        SCS                        10,000                        2.91

                        SOL                       17,000                        4.94

                        SOM                      50,000                      14.54

                        SPP                          8,300                        2.41

 

                        TOTAL           $   343,800                     100.00%

 

            C.   Equity-based Salary Allocations from the Provost   (Fall 04)

 

UNIT        ALLOCATION          F-T FACULTY           RATIO

 

CAS          $  165,000                             457                    361.05

CEHD             21,500                               96                    223.96

CNHS             15,000                               52                    288.46

CVPA              18,000                               47                    382.98

ICAR                9,000                               14                    642.86

IT&E              30,000                               93                    322.58

SCS                 10,000                               34                    294.12

SOL                17,000                               36                    472.22

SOM               50,000                               66                    757.58

SPP                   8,300                               34                    244.12

 

TOTAL     $  343,800                             929                    370.08

 

 

A surplus of almost $7,000,000 was realized during summer 2004.  The Provost rejected a resolution passed by the Faculty Senate at its October 2004 meeting stating whereas the “Summer Session generates in excess of $10 million in tuition and fees, which constitutes nearly three times the costs of compensating Faculty to teach in the Summer Session,” then starting in summer 2005, full time faculty should be paid ten percent of the nine-month contract salaries for each of their first two courses.  In addition, faculty who were not so compensated in the 2004 Summer Session should receive retroactive pay. The Provost responded that this resolution contravened a previous agreement he reached with the Senate (see Faculty Senate Executive Committee Annual Letter  2003-2004, p. 2).    Rick used an example from the School of Management to illustrate that full-time faculty who taught a second summer course were paid the same as adjuncts.  (Instructors on one year appointments are considered full-time faculty.)

 

Rick explained that it is not certain whether lab courses were included in the above figures.  Nor is it known whether the tuition figures include premium price programs in which students are charged at rates greater than standard tuition.

 

The Committee has requested information from the Provost’s Office re equity-based raises (as distinguished from merit raises); so far, little information has been received. 

 

The above statistics for full-time faculty were obtained from the Institutional Research and Reporting webpage.  In response to a question regarding how many students must be enrolled to have a second summer school course, Rick responded he knows examples of higher numbers of students enrolled in the second class, but that individual class size should not be the issue.  Clearly every unit is generating summer school revenue.  The surplus revenue earned has been in the $6,000,000 – $7,000,000 range for the past several years.

 

The Chair also noted that  the faculty also brings in additional revenue by offering independent study courses. He has requested data from Registrar Susan Jones regarding the number of students enrolled in independent study courses in recent years

 

3.  The committee has received the reports on travel expenditures.   They will be presented at a future meeting.

 

C.     Faculty Matters – Jim Sanford

 

1.      The Committee continues to meet with individual faculty members regarding the Office of Sponsored Programs.

 

2.      The Committee has decided that this year it will use the same form (as used last year)  for the faculty evaluation of administrators.  The one contemplated change is to decide whether to use a four or five-point scale as standard throughout the form.

 

D.  Nominations – Lorraine Brown – no report this month.

 

E.  Organization and Operations – Mike Ferri  - no report this month.

 

 

V. New Business

 

A.  Status of the Equity Office – Camille Hazeur

 

Camille Hazeur, Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity Services, assured the Senate that the Office is moving on in the wake of the recent incident involving  the arrest of  Associate Director, Ronald Sinacore and is planning the search process for hiring a replacement.  The Office has conducted a review of harassment complaints handled by Mr. Sinacore.

 

The Equity Office handles complaints of discrimination.   When a person in distress makes a complaint, it may not always be a matter of federal or state law.  A first step often involves communication with the appropriate department head or dean in an effort to resolve problems.  Often this involves advising the concerned party on what steps can be taken to best address the grievance. 

 

The Equity Office also handles resources for the disabled. Ruth Townsend is the ADA coordinator for the University and is the point of contact for issues regarding access and accommodations.

 

There are currently six inquiries regarding equity in the workplace.  On these issues, the Office also works closely with David Rossell and the department heads. 

 

In response to a question raised regarding the lack of van accessibility in the new parking garage, Camille promised to report back to the Senate.  She also encouraged faculty members to email her about any matters they may wish to discuss.

 

 

VI. Remarks for the Good of the General Faculty

 

A retirement reception in honor of Anita Taylor, founding member of the Women’s Studies Program, will be held Friday, December 17, 2004 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. at George’s Restaurant.  Please RSVP to Karen Thompson at [email protected] if you wish to attend.  Be sure to wear your red hat and leave all your speeches at home. 

 

The Faculty Senate Office will be relocating to West Hall, room 257 later in December.

 

 

VII. The meeting was adjourned at 3:34 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

David Kuebrich

Secretary

 

 

 

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