The Executive Council of the Faculty Senate

November 23, 2004 - 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Board Room, Newcomb Hall

Present: Marcia Childress, Houston Wood, Robert Davis, Deborah Johnson, Daniel Hallahan, Arlene Keeling, William Kehoe, Kenneth Schwartz, Gene Block

Guests:

Eric Denby, Director of Procurement Services

Roseanne Ford, Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies

Ariel Gomez, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies

Marcia Childress, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order. Ms. Childress reported on:

• The Dissertation-Year Fellowships - There will be at least five Fellowships awarded for the 2005-2006 Year, at $20,500 each. The Office of the Provost is providing funding for three of the Fellowships, the dean of Arts and Sciences is funding one, and the Curry School of Education is funding one. The Fellowship funded by the Curry School will provide funding for a graduate student in the Curry School. Ms. Childress has asked Steve Macko to chair that subcommittee again this year.
• Activities of the Research and Scholarship Committee (in Larry Bouchard's absence) - The Research and Scholarship Committee has met two times. Dave Hudson, Office of the Vice President for Research, attended one of those meetings to discuss sensitive research issues. In addition, the Committee is overseeing the Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards, which are being administered by the Office for Undergraduate Excellence. The awards are being funded this year with a gift of $150,000 from the Harrison family and an additional $10,000 secured by the Senate from the Office of the Provost. Ms. Childress will meet with Larry Bouchard and Nicole Hurd after Thanksgiving break to outline this year's Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards application requirements, advertising, and selection process.
• Faculty Senate Development Committee - This group has not yet met but will begin its work in second semester. Co-chairs of the Committee are Michael Levenson, Department of English, and Robert Grainger, Department of Biology. Gene Block suggested that it would be helpful for this group to put forth a set of priorities for review and consideration as the Capital Campaign moves forward.
• Eleven faculty members making up an ad hoc Faculty Committee on the Commonwealth Chartered Universities Initiative will draft a faculty position on the charter proposal. Co-conveners of the committee will be Alison Booth, Department of English, and Herbert Braun, Department of History. Half of the group is from the Senate, while the remainder is not. Most schools are represented. The committee will report by mid-January to the Executive Council.

Kenneth Schwartz, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, reported on the work of the Subcommittee on Faculty Honor Perspectives. The Subcommittee is following up on the work the Academic Affairs Committee did last year and the Faculty Senate's position statement of April 2004. The Subcommittee has met twice The Subcommittee has proposed a survey of faculty perspectives of the Honor System., to be conducted by the Center for Survey Research (CSR). CSR's cost estimate and proposed timetable are pending.

Ariel Gomez, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, attended the meeting to discuss with the Executive Council some new policies that are affecting especially faculty involved in research. On this occasion, two particular policies were discussed, the first being a new statement requirement that, for non-contract purchases, departments must obtain and document at least one price quote from a state-certified minority- or woman-owned firm. Eric Denby, Director of Procurement Services, spoke to this new state policy and its implementation. Mr. Denby also discussed eVA, the Commonwealth's electronic procurement system, and the problems this poses for the University, which is now required by the state to participate in eVA.

The second new policy, discussed by Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Roseanne Ford, concerns billing research grants for the health insurance subsidy for students supported as graduate research assistants (GRAs) by those grants. Ms. Ford explained this process but also offered a broader view of the graduate student health insurance funding situation that the University now faces.

Dan Hallahan asked if graduate student funding in general could receive some assistance from the Development Office, through the Capital Campaign. This issue will be looked at further when the Faculty Senate Development Committee meets next semester.

Dr. Gomez said he would like to have an ongoing dialogue with the Senate about issues that concern the University's research community. Many such issues actually extend beyond his purview as Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, into other vice presidents' domains. He offered to meet on a regular basis with the Executive Council and to have someone in his office flag issues of interest that can be brought to the Senate for discussion.

In her closing remarks, Marcia Childress reminded the Councilors of the upcoming Faculty Senate meeting on December 2, at 3:00 p.m., in the Rotunda Dome Room. The main topic of that meeting will be a discussion of diversity issues. There will also be committee reports and a report from Craig Littlepage, Director of Athletics.

The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.

Submitted by Deborah Johnson, Secretary of the Faculty Senate