The Executive Council of the Faculty Senate
February 15, 2007 – 11:30-12:45 am
Board Room, Newcomb Hall

Meeting Minutes

Present:  Kenneth Schwartz, Ricardo Padron, Houston Wood, Harold Burbach, Alison Booth, Marcia Childress, Jennifer Harvey, Edmund Kitch, Teresa Culver, Lawrence Phillips, Janet Herman, Reginald Garrett, Amy Bouton, Milton Adams

Kenneth Schwartz, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order.

Planning & Development Committee Update – Marcia Day Childress, Chair

• The Committee is exploring the faculty role in academic planning.
• President John Casteen is creating a “Commission on the Future of the University”, and it will draw on some of the issues from the University’s 2020 Plan, from the Academic Plan as it continues to evolve and will have a relationship with the Capital Campaign.
• The Planning & Development Committee will be working from the “Faculty Senate Vision Statement” with reference to the other studies and initiatives noted above.  The Committee will be identifying ways University faculty can serve and help in the advancement of the University.
• A Planning & Development Committee dinner will be held in Provost Gene Block’s pavilion on Tuesday, February 20th.  Among the invitees are members of the Executive Council, David Brautigan, Kevin Lee, Mike Weber, and several people from the performing arts will be added to the Committee.
• Kenneth Schwartz said Marcia Childress, Gene Block, Robert Sweeney, Ricardo Padron, Elizabeth Powell, and himself have had a meeting focusing on academic planning.  He said the Faculty Senate is enthusiastic about being involved in this work, primarily through the Planning & Development Committee.
• There is another planning meeting today, February 15, with John Casteen, Tim Garson, Leonard Sandridge, Marcia Childress, Elizabeth Powell, Ricardo Padron, and himself.
• Schwartz suggested that if members of the Executive Council had other ideas regarding framing and addressing the issues, they should contact Marcia Childress.
• The Education Policy Committee of the Board of Visitors will meet on March 12th, and will talk about the University’s planning initiatives.
• Jennifer Harvey suggested that this is an ideal time to address the faculty enhancement issue with President Casteen.  Kenneth Schwartz asked her to prepare some notes or a proposal in this regard, asking Dr. Harvey to send them to him, and he will forward this to Casteen and others.

Academic Affairs Committee (Subcommittee addressing Titling Issues) – Reginald Garrett, Chair

• Reginald Garrett submitted a draft handout with a summarization of the issues involved with faculty titles at the University.
• The document contained information on defining the problem, the goals of the subcommittee, and the subcommittee’s recommendations for titles to replace some of the current non-track faculty titles.
• Some of the Councilors pointed out that the new suggested titles will not apply to all schools, and the Provost will need to look carefully at these school-based issues.
• It was suggested that faculty representation from schools where the recommended titling issues may not apply with the same logic, such as Nursing, Medicine, and Law, should be added to the subcommittee.
• Kenneth Schwartz suggested that the next Academic Affairs Committee meeting should include someone from the Provost’s Office to add input to the issues involving titles at the University when they continue their discussion on this.
• The titling issue should then be brought back to the Executive Council for further discussion.  After this review, the Executive Council can forward any recommendation to the full Faculty Senate for discussion.
• Larry Phillips, a Councilor from the School of Medicine, suggested that Sharon Hostler, Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the Medical School, should be invited to attend an Academic Affairs Committee meeting to talk about faculty titles in the Medical School.

North American Diversity Proposal, presented by Kenneth Schwartz

• William Harvey, Chair of the University’s Diversity Council, placed this on the most recent agenda of the University Commission on Diversity.  Mr. Schwartz brought it before the Executive Council for informational purposes.
• Richard Handler, Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences presented the proposal at the earlier commission meeting, and it has been presented to the CEPC of the College already.. 
• The area requirement would be 3-credit hours within Arts & Sciences.
• Mr. Harvey asked for the Faculty Senate’s symbolic support of the Diversity proposal.  It was agreed that the Executive Council would return to the consideration of any possible resolution of support at a future time.
• The Faculty Senate will observe as the Proposal unfolds in the School of Arts & Sciences.

The meeting adjourned at 12:45

Submitted by Harold J. Burbach, Secretary of the Faculty Senate