Meeting Minutes
Present: Ricardo Padron, Edmund Kitch, Kenneth Schwartz, Pamela Norris, Daniel Willingham, Erika James, Elizabeth Powell, Teresa Culver, Lawrence Phillips, Janet Herman, Arthur Garson
Guests: Roseanne Ford, Associate Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies
Graduate Student Council Representatives – Clara Sherley-Appel and
Isaiah Vincent
Ricardo Padron, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order. Mr. Padron offered welcoming remarks and gave a brief update.
• P&T Review group is up and running.
• The Faculty Senate Policy Committee has been designated.
• The Faculty Senate Research and Scholarship Committee membership is near completion.
• Ricardo Padron, Ed Kitch, and Ann Hamric, are looking for someone to chair the Faculty Senate Dissertation-Year Fellowships Committee.
• Mr. Padron met with the Provost and Peter Norton, and spoke at a General Faculty Council meeting.
• Administration & College Foundation are interested in faculty development work.
Arthur T. Garson, Provost and Executive Vice President, said the University’s dean searches are going well. The School of Continuing and Professional Studies is just starting its search for a dean.
Dr. Garson would like to have further conversations with the Executive Council regarding titling issues, and other alternatives to the challenges faculty titles present. One concern is the expectation of continued employment for some faculty members and how to ensure job security. The Faculty Senate will include some members of the General Faculty Council in discussion of these issues. It was suggested that this issue could be addressed by the P&T Review group.
The Councilors discussed, revised, and approved the agenda for the November 28th Faculty Senate meeting.
Graduate Study – Presentations by Roseanne Ford and representatives from the Graduate Student Council (Clara Sherley-Appel and Isaiah Vincent)
“What can or should the Senate do to enhance awareness of the importance of graduate students in planning/development efforts?”
Roseanne Ford, Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, said she views her role as one that raises awareness of graduate education. Component units of the Office of the Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies are 1) Graduate Student Diversity Programs, 2) Graduate Student Professional Development Programs, and 3) Postdoctoral Enhancement Programs.
A key to recruiting top graduate students is to improve competitiveness with tuition assistance, stipends, and health insurance. Ms. Ford discussed the role of private funding for graduate students, graduate research, teaching, and graduate student services.
Ricardo Padron asked what the Faculty Senate can do to help raise awareness of the need for increased funding for graduate students. Ms. Ford said that a funding increase has to be a priority of the institution. Mr. Padron said the Faculty Senate will continue to support development efforts for graduate student funding.
Comments/Suggestions Made:
• Articulate the case for graduate student support in the humanities.
• Identify some good graduate students to present the case for increased graduate student funding.
• Graduate student participation in programs that already exist.
• Monetary support.
• Allocation of graduate student space.
• Child care programs.
• Allocation of travel accounts.
• Acknowledgement of a changing post-doctorate experience and the need to prepare students for this eventuality.
• Better opportunities in some disciplines for students to get the teaching experience.
Elizabeth Powell, Chair of the Faculty Senate Planning and Development Committee, commented that the Committee is interested in creating a “special interest group” to address graduate student issues.
Kenneth Schwartz, Past Chair of the Faculty Senate, expressed his and the Executive Council’s support for graduate student programs.
Arthur Garson, Provost and Executive Vice President, encouraged the presentation of ideas for graduate student support to University donors.
Ricardo Padron said the Senate will work with the Faculty Forum for Scientific Research to organize a town hall style meeting to discuss the sciences and ways to move the sciences forward at UVA. The focus of the forum will be the WAG report the Pappas report, and the Commission document.
Other issues that were on the November 20th agenda will be tabled until next semester.
The next Executive Council meeting is December 19, 2007, in the Board Room at Newcomb Hall, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
Submitted by Pamela Norris, Secretary of the Faculty Senate