University of Virginia Faculty Senate

Meeting of 22 March 2005 3:00-5:00 P.M.

Jordan Conference Center Auditorium

Marcia Childress, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order.

President's Report -- John T. Casteen, III, President

President Casteen discussed next steps in the legislative actions associated with restructuring higher education in Virginia (formerly, "charter"). Governor Warner is likely to make amendments to the restructuring bill or submit his own version at the end of March. Legislators will reconvene for a one-day session on April 6 to act on the Governor's proposals.

By terms of the legislation passed by the General Assembly, the Board of Visitors must commit by 1 August 2005 to developing a management agreement for the university with the state and meeting ten state goals having to do with student access and affordability, academic offerings, academic standards, research serving the state, student progress toward graduation, articulation agreements with community colleges, partnering with K-12 education, and efficient business operations. The agreement itself will be negotiated through the fall. The University will be a level-3 institution, which means that the institution will apply for the greatest autonomy possible from the state and, in return, will be held fully accountable by the state. Like Virginia's other public colleges and universities, the University will be required to develop a six-year plan that includes a financial plan, an academic plan, and an enrollment plan; such plans will be required every other year. In preparation for academic planning, Provost Gene Block will be forming a faculty advisory group by late spring, with planning work to be undertaken this summer.

President Casteen discussed other education-related actions coming out of this General Assembly session, including legislation that would restrict state funding for graduate students to in-state students. Governor Warner is being urged to amend this by doing away with the restriction.

The President also discussed actions in Congress toward reauthorizing the Federal Higher Education Act.

Provost's Report - Gene D. Block, Vice President and Provost

Provost Block reported on several ongoing projects and activities. The new performing arts center and art museum will be built at the corner of Emmet Street and Ivy Road, on the site now occupied by the Best Western Cavalier Inn.

Searches are underway for the Deans of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and the School of Engineering and Applied Science; for the director of the Miller Center; and for several eminent senior scientists and their laboratory teams.

Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement Gertrude Fraser is creating an on-line training module for search committees to aid them in more effectively recruiting a diverse faculty.

The University's new January Term (J-Term), which ran for two weeks during winter break, was highly successful.

The program review process is being reorganized. The first programs to be reviewed under new guidelines will be smaller interdisciplinary programs (Bioethics and Studies in Women and Gender). Certain program reviews may extend beyond single departments to clusters of related departments, as in the sciences.

Vice Provost for International Affairs Leigh Grossman has completed an inventory of international programs and activities. Her findings indicate that the University has low numbers of international graduate students. Dr. Grossman will present an overview of her work at the upcoming Board of Visitors' meeting.

University's Reaffirmation of Accreditation through SACS - Clo Phillips, Associate Provost for Institutional Advancement

Ms. Phillips presented an overview of the University's upcoming reaffirmation of accreditation process, required every ten years. Reaccreditation is a self-regulatory process undertaken by SACS, a regional accrediting body. SACS's process, revised since the University's last reaccreditation in 1996, now requires institutional review, compliance certification, and formulation, implementation, and assessment of a quality enhancement plan (QEP). The first phase of reaccreditation, compliance certification, will begin this summer, with the institution required to meet 79 individual compliance standards. The QEP involves the institution's many constituencies developing a forward-looking plan of action and assessment for enhancing overall institutional quality and effectiveness around a specific theme that relates to student learning; UVA's QEP theme has not yet been decided upon, and faculty were urged to submit suggestions. Ms. Phillips will keep the Senate apprised of the reaccreditation process.

Committee Reports:

a. Academic Affairs - Kenneth Schwartz, Chair

Mr. Schwartz reported that the Dissertation-Year Fellowships competition attracted 70 applications. Six fellowships of $20,000 each will be awarded for 2005-2006. Funding for the fellowships is coming from the Office of the Provost (3), Arts and Sciences (1), Curry School of Education (1), and Athletics Department (1). Fellowship recipients will be announced and honored in April.

Mr. Schwartz reviewed the Academic Affairs Committee's actions related to faculty involvement in the honor system. Building on the position paper developed by a subcommittee (and adopted by the full Senate) in 2004, the committee this year convened an ad hoc Committee on Faculty Perspectives on Honor, including the chair of the Honor Committee, other Honor Committee members, a member of the Board of Visitors, a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Honor Committee, and some Academic Affairs Committee members. The group determined that a survey of faculty attitudes about Honor would be useful, although the Senate's Executive Council recommended that such a survey would be more appropriately undertaken by the student-run Honor Committee. Mr. Schwartz and Ann Hamric met with the Honor Committee to recommend and discuss the proposed survey, which could be undertaken by the Center for Survey Research. The Honor Committee is considering this opportunity.

b. Research and Scholarship - Larry Bouchard, Chair

Mr. Bouchard reported that the Research and Scholarship Committee, working with the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, reviewed 100 proposals and awarded 42 Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards of up to $3,000 each.

The committee is working with Dave Hudson, in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, to review and revise research-related institutional policies, including policies on patents, and institutional and individual conflicts of interest. The committee will meet again with Mr. Hudson on March 23.

Darden School Executive MBA Degree Proposal - Marian Moore

Ms.Moore, a professor in the Darden School and director of the Executive MBA Program, gave an overview of Darden's proposed new Executive MBA degree program. Because the program is an offshoot of an existing degree program, it does not require SCHEV approval. The program is scheduled to begin in June 2006. Darden faculty and the Senate's Academic Affairs Committee have reviewed the program proposal, as has the Executive Council, and all groups voted to endorse it; the proposal goes next to the Board of Visitors for approval.

A motion was made for the Faculty Senate to approve the Executive MBA Program. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. March 22, 2005

Resolution on Academics and Athletics - Marcia Childress

Senators addressed a document drafted by the University's Athletics Advisory Council (AAC), "Resolution Celebrating Academics and Athletics," proposed as a joint resolution of the AAC and the Senate. Following vigorous discussion, the resolution was withdrawn.

Faculty Speakers Bureau - Fred Damon

Mr. Damon presented a brief overview of the purpose and work of the Faculty Speakers Bureau, which serves as a clearinghouse for matching faculty with outside organizations seeking expert speakers. Faculty are encouraged to participate in this University service. Mr. Damon will send a letter to all faculty, inviting participation in the Faculty Speakers Bureau.

Chair's Report - Marcia Childress

The Executive Council met with Patricia Lampkin, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Milton Adams, Vice Provost for Academic Programs, to discuss new programs mandated by the Diversity and Equity Report. A residence-hall based program of small-group discussion around issues of diversity and equity in everyday University life will be developed and piloted for incoming first-year students next year; Ms. Lampkin said faculty will be involved in this program, and she is assembling a steering committee that will include faculty. Mr. Adams is overseeing implementation of the Diversity and Equity Report's recommendation that faculty be encouraged, even given financial incentives, to create new courses exploring diversity and equity or to revise existing courses to include greater consideration of such matters. A steering committee that includes faculty will be formed to assist in this effort.

The Executive Council looked at resolutions passed by the General Faculty Council concerning institutional policies about general faculty but took no action as members felt insufficiently knowledgeable about the University's general faculty. At a future meeting, the Executive Council will consult with University officials to learn about the general faculty and policies and issues specific to this group.

Bill Kehoe will represent the Senate for three years on the Academic Calendar Committee newly constituted by the Provost's office.

Rob Grainger and Michael Levenson, co-chairs of the Senate's Development Committee, have been meeting with Senior Vice President Bob Sweeney and will meet next month with Provost Gene Block to discuss faculty involvement in the capital campaign, in academic planning, and in outreach to alumni. The committee will have its first meeting before the end of this semester.

The Senate's Nominating Committee (Robert E. Davis, Houston Wood, Michael Fowler, Ann Hamric, and Stephen Railton) will be meeting to develop a slate of candidates for the elections at the next full Senate meeting, on 3 May 2005, 3:00 pm.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

A reception followed the meeting.

Submitted by Deborah Johnson, Secretary of the Faculty Senate