George Mason University
Draft Minutes of the Faculty
Senate
September 8, 2004
Senators Present: K. Avruch, J. Bennett, A. Berry, P. Black, D. Boehm-Davis, R. Brayley, B. Brown, L. Brown, R. Carver, R. Coffinberger, W. Decker, C. Douglas, R. Ehrlich, E. Elstun, M. Ferri, M. Houck, K. Johnsen-Neshati, D. Joyce, C. Kaffenberger, J. Kozlowski, D. Kuebrich, J. Mahler, J. McDonald, J. Metcalf, L. Monson, J. Moore, A. Motro, P. Moyer-Packenham, P. Pober, J. Razeghi, P. Regan, L. Rockwood, E. Roman-Mendoza, J. Sanford, J. Scimecca, S. Slayden, C. Smith, P. Stearns, C. Sutton, I. Vaisman, P. Wiest, , J. Zenelis, S. Zoltek.
Senators Absent: R. Berroa, M. Boardman, P. Buchanan, S. Cobb, M. DeNys,, J. Gorrell, L. Griffiths, K. Haynes, B. Johnsen, M. Kafatos, R. Klimoski, A. Merten, R. Nadeau, D. Polsby, W. Reeder, D. Struppa, J. Tangney, S. Travis, S. Trencher.
Liaisons Present: Linda Fauteux
Guests Present: D. Faxon, D. Gomez-Moran, R. Herron. M. McKenzie, E. Verheyen.
Chair Jim Bennett called the meeting to order at 3:05 pm and welcomed everyone to the new academic year.
The minutes of May 5, 2004 were approved as distributed.
The Chair announced that this will be Debi Siler’s last Faculty Senate meeting as Clerk. She will be leaving to teach at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas.
The Chair thanked the Senate Standing Committee Chairs—Lorraine Brown, Phil Buchanan, Rick Coffinberger, Marty De Nys, and Esther Elstun—for their dedication and hard work last year and throughout the summer. He also recognized David Kuebrich, Secretary of the Faculty Senate; Suzanne Slayden, Parliamentarian; and Carol Kaffenberger and Cliff Sutton, Sergeants-at-Arms for their service to the Senate last year.
The following appointments have been made:
Ø Alok Berry, Daniel Polsby, and Patricia Moyer-Packenham have agreed to serve as Sergeants-at-Arms.
Ø Esther Elstun, Rick Coffinberger, and Lorraine Brown have been appointed as liaisons to the BOV, and Esther Elstun will be the Faculty Senate representative to the BOV’s Faculty and Academic Standards Committee.
Ø Linda Monson has agreed to serve as Chair, Pro Tem for another year.
Ø Suzanne Slayden has agreed to serve as Parlementarian for another year.
The Chair encouraged all faculty to attend the Town Meeting to be held concerning the Plan 2010 on September 14, 2004 at 1:00 pm in Dewberry Hall.
The proposed meeting schedule for Academic Year 2004-2005 was approved.
David Kuebrich was nominated and elected by unanimous vote to continue as the Secretary of the Senate.
The following nominees were presented by the Nominations Committee and elected unanimously by the Senate for the Senate Standing Committees:
Academic Policies
Continuing Members: Esther Elstun, Cliff Sutton, Susan Trencher
Nominees: Carol Kaffenberger, Jean Moore
Budget & Resources
Continuing Members: Kevin Avruch, Rick Coffinberger, Charlene Douglas
Nominees: Joe Scimecca, Tojo Thatchenkery
Faculty Matters
Continuing Members: Patricia Moyer-Packenham, Larry Rockwood
Nominees: Richard Carver, Esperanza Roman-Mendoza, Jim Sanford
Organization & Operations
Continuing Members: Julie Mahler, Linda Monson
Nominees: Mike Ferri, David Kuebrich, Jane McDonald
Nominations
Continuing Members: Lorraine Brown, Mark Houck, Phil Wiest
Nominees for this committee must be nominated from the floor. Jane Razeghi and Jim Kozlowski were nominated and elected unanimously.
The following nominees were presented by the Nominations Committee and elected unanimously by the Senate for the University Standing Committees:
Academic Appeals
Continuing Member: Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, Doug Mose, Colleen Shogan, Min Wan
Nominees: Bob Ehrlich
Admissions Committee
Continuing Members: Deborah Boehm-Davis, Pamela Cangelosi, Don Faxon
Nominees: Jeng-Eng Lin, Egon Verheyen
Athletic Council
Continuing Members: Gerry Hanweck, Saleet Jafri, Steve Klein
Nominees: Phil Wiest
Effective Teaching
Committee
Continuing Member: Julie Mahler
Nominee: Stephanie Holaday, Doug Mose, Janette Muir, Robert Pasnak, Victoria Salmon
External Academic Relations Committee
Continuing Members: Bob Nadeau, Bob Smith
Nominees: Warren Decker, Christine Smith, June Tangney
General Education
Committee
Continuing Members: Peter Black, Bob Ehrlich, John Stanbury, Cliff Sutton, Terry Zawacki
Chair: Marilyn McKenzie, Associate Provost for Educational Programs
Nominees: Alok Berry, Peggy Feerick, Sheryl Friedley, Michelle Marks
Grievance Committee
Continuing Members: Charlene Douglas, Bob Pasnak, Linda Samuels
Nominees: Sheryl Friedley, Joe Reid
Minority and Diversity
Issues Committee
Continuing Members: Heibatollah Baghi, Rei Berroa
Nominees: Kristin Johnsen-Nashati, Keng-Eng Lin, Peter Pober
Non-Traditional, Interdisciplinary, and Adult Learning Committee
Continuing Members: Frieda Butler, Michelle Davidson, Farnoosh Shahrokhi
Nominees: David Beach, Don Seto
Technology Policy Committee
Continuing Members: Maria Dworzecka, Steve Klein
Nominees: Melissa Martin, Iosif Vaisman, Steven Weinberger, Stanley Zoltek
Writing Across the Curriculum Committee
Continuing Members: Tamara Maddox, Tom Owens
Nominees: Susan Durham, Victoria Salmon, Beth Schneider, Stanley Zoltek
The newly elected Senate Standing Committees were instructed to meet immediately after the meeting to elect their chairs. After adjournment, the Committees reported that the following Senators were elected chairs: Academic Policy: Esther Elstun; Budget & Resources: Rick Coffinberger; Faculty Matters: Jim Sanford; Nominations: Lorraine Brown; Organization & Operations: Mike Ferri.
The newly elected University Standing Committee members will be notified by the Faculty Senate office with instructions to meet and elect their chairs.
The Faculty Matters Committee clarified the process for writing the Faculty Evaluation of Administrators’ summaries. Members of the Committee were given verbatim—but undocumented—comments from the survey forms to summarized. If there were less than four comments, positive or negative, they were not summarized to protect the anonymity of the writers.
The Budget & Resources Committee reported that the faculty salary data was loaded on the Faculty Senate website this summer and can be accessed using your “G” and pin numbers. Human Resources has agreed to give the committee updated faculty salary data twice a year. The Committee also noted that it will continue working on summer school compensation issues this year, including faculty receiving 10% for teaching a second summer school course.
The Academic Policies Committee only has one carryover item of business: the approval process of interdisciplinary programs.
VIII.
Remarks for the Good of the General Faculty
A. “The
State of the University” – Jim Bennett
The Chair noted that, in his thirty years at George Mason University, he has noticed that the bottom line has always been “Growth is Good.” The University continues to bring in new faculty and graduate students, but not the resources to support their professional development. The faculty is being asked to do more and more with less and less. In addition, they are being asked to raise money on top of the teaching, research, and writing that they were hired to do. Another issue is new professors who just finished their doctorates are getting hired at better salaries than long-term professors who are published and known in their field.
Everyone involved with the University wants it to be the best institution possible for the students and faculty. That isn’t possible, however, if the University doesn’t cover the basics and has a strong core program.
The Chair was disappointed to see that the University’s “blueprint” for the future, Plan 2010, does not address any of the faculty’s issues or concerns. He noted that there will be a second opportunity to discuss Plan 2010 at the General Convocation on Wednesday, September 22, at 3:00 pm in Dewberry Hall.
The Provost added that the Dr. Merten had pledged this plan to the BOV and promised the academic units that it would be a “bottom up” plan.
Senators commented that the Plan seems more like a set of goals for the units than an organized plan, and that it appears the faculty gets input concerning what the goals are, but not how we will reach those goals or how they will be implemented. Another Senator noted that the faculty was very involved in the Technology portion of the Plan.
The Provost was also asked about the proposed plan to reorganize CAS and SCS. He emphasized that the reorganization is only proposed, not a “done deal.” He also noted that five committees are being set up to do feasibility studies concerning resources, the state of science and science research, faculty salary data, space availability, and structure and organization. It was pointed out that Egon Verheyen has already been named the faculty representative on the Structure and Organization Committee.
B. The
Democracy Project – Marilyn McKenzie
Dr. Marilyn McKenzie, the Associate Provost for Educational Programs, explained that The Democracy Project is a national endeavor that George Mason joined last year. The program is designed to counter civic apathy among college students and have them think of themselves as citizens and not just students. The Project will hold various events throughout the year to achieve this goal.
VI. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 3:56 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
David Kuebrich
Secretary, Faculty Senate