January 16, 2002

Present: Robert Grainger, Michael Smith, Patricia Werhane, Kathryn Neeley, Robert O'Connell, Rebecca Kneedler, Houston G. Wood, III, George Cohen, Michael Levenson, Julian Connolly, David Brautigan, Susan Perry, Robert Davis, Gene Block

Robert Grainger, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order. President John Casteen has invited the members of the Executive Council to a dinner at Carr's Hill on Wednesday, February 27th . The dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. Frances Peyton will RSVP on behalf of the Executive Council.

The Council members discussed the University's faculty misconduct policies and the recently published AAUP report, which was critical of the University's procedures. A subcommittee will be appointed and will meet soon with Gene Block, Vice President and Provost, and Paul Forch, General Counsel, to discuss the University's faculty misconduct policies. The Subcommittee will begin writing a formal policy that addresses the issue. A draft of the policy will go to the Faculty Senate on February 28, and there will be a Senate vote on the policy at the April 23, 2002, meeting. The policy will also need to be passed by the Board of Visitors. After meeting all approvals, the policy will be included in the University's Faculty Handbook.

A letter sent to Robert Grainger, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was distributed. The letter addressed concerns regarding ACC Athletics and their relationship to the educational missions. The Virginia 2020 Strategic Planning Task Force Report for the Department of Athletics was also distributed. The Task Force was chaired by Carolyn Callahan, Professor, Curry School of Education. The Council members decided it would be useful to have Ms. Callahan and Craig Littlepage, Director of Athletics, attend an Executive Council meeting to provide additional input.

Susan Perry, Chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee, reported on the Committee's work. She reported that there were 42 Faculty Senate Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards given this year. There will be an Awards Ceremony to honor the recipients on Thursday, February 14th, in the Rotunda Dome Room, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Next year, the Call for Proposals will be sent out in the spring, rather than the fall.

Robert Davis, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, reported on the work of that Committee. Mr. Davis said the Committee is administering Dissertation-Year Fellowships for the 2002-03 year. He distributed a poster that advertises the event and gives details for applying for a Fellowship. The poster has been sent to all schools. The Committee is in the early stages of planning a banquet in the spring to honor the recipients of the Fellowships. The Committee is also reviewing funding issues for graduate students. A draft report will be given to the Executive Council for approval, and then it will be circulated to the full Senate and other administrators in advance of the April Senate meeting. The target date for getting the draft to the Executive Council is March 1.

Gene Block commented that Yoke San Reynolds, Vice President for Finance, and Melody Bianchetto, Director of the Budget Office, are working on finding ways to address graduate student funding issues. Mr. Block said the Astronomy Department is trying to establish a telescope division, which is proving to be difficult. Robert Rood is chairing the division. This issue will be put on the agenda for a future Executive Council meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Submitted by Kathryn A. Neeley, Secretary of the Faculty Senate