October 23, 2001

Robert Grainger, Chair of the faculty Senate, called the meeting to order.

Mr. Grainger gave welcoming remarks, and he gave a special thanks to the numerous Senators that are serving on Faculty Senate committees. He also recognized Gene Block, Vice President and Provost.

Mr. Grainger expressed his condolences in the recent death of Senator Emily Couric. He spoke of her strong support to the University and to the Faculty Senate. In closing, Mr. Grainger noted that the Senate appreciated her help, and that Senator Couric will be missed.

McIntire School of Commerce Degree Name Change

The Commerce School had asked the Senate for approval to change the degree named "Master of Science in Management Information Systems" to "Master of Science in the Management of Information Technology." The name change has already gotten the approval of the Dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee, and the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate. Robert Davis, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, called on Ryan Nelson, Professor of Commerce, to present the rationale for the name change. A motion was made from the floor of the Senate to approve the name change, it was seconded, and it passed unanimously.

Faculty Senate Committee Reports

Academic Affairs Committee, presented by Robert E. Davis, Chair

The three main charges to the Committee are Dissertation Year Fellowships, Graduate Student Funding, and Graduate Education at the University of Virginia. There have been three subcommittees of the Academic Affairs Committee appointed to address the three topics. The Chair of the Dissertation Year Fellowships Subcommittee is Robert J. Davis, School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Chair of the Graduate Education Subcommittee is Richard Warner, Drama Department. And, the Chair of the Graduate Student Funding Subcommittee is Robert O'Connell, Astronomy Department.

The Dissertation Year Fellowships Program is a new program started this year, with support from the School of Engineering, the School of Arts & Sciences, the Jefferson Scholars Program, and the Office of the Provost. The awarding of these fellowships will be competitive based, and University-wide. There will be 10 or 11 fellowships funded at $20,000 for one year, and the fellowships will be awarded in the 2002/2003 academic year.

The Graduate Education Subcommittee will explore some of the issues/suggestions raised during the table discussions at the Faculty Senate Retreat. The Graduate Student Funding Subcommittee will address the issue of fiscal support for graduate students and the problems associated with tuition differentials.

Research and Scholarship Committee, presented by Susan E. Perry, Chair

The charges to the Committee are:

· Planning the 2001 Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards. Scott Vandenberg, Professor of Pathology and Director of Neuropathology will plan the event.

· Administering the 2001/2002 Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards. Reginald Garret, Professor of Biology, will chair the group that administers this year's Harrison Awards.

· Creating a Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards Brochure. Paul Kingston, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Arlene Keeling, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, will work on developing the brochure.

· In the spring, the Committee will write a Teaching Initiative Awards white paper for fund raising.

· As part of the Intellectual Community 2001: Science and Society initiative, the Faculty Senate will sponsor a symposium in the spring. The Research and Scholarship Committee will plan the symposium, which will be on "Patenting Genes."

Ms. Perry told the group that the Harrison Awards Program has been very successful. The Office of the President and the Office of the Provost have generously funded the program for the past three years. That funding was for three years, and it comes to an end after this year. The Faculty Senate will pursue ways that they might secure permanent funding for this exciting program.

ROTC Affairs Committee, presented by William J. Kehoe, Chair

Mr. Kehoe mentioned the five members of the ROTC Affairs Committee, and he went over the Committee's charge. He introduced the three commanding officers that were in attendance, and gave their credentials. The officers were Colonel James Allshouse, Air Force ROTC; Captain Richard Bedford, Navy ROTC; and Lieutenant Colonel Hampton Hite, Army ROTC.

Faculty Senate Faculty Grievance Committee, presented by John D. Lyons, Chair

Mr. Lyons reported on the charge of the Faculty Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee has nine members. Mr. Lyons also reported on the activity of the Committee, and he said the group is currently working on a grievance case.

Report from the Colonnade Club, Ida Lee Wooten, Club President

Ms. Wootten said the Club looks forward to working with the Faculty Senate. The Colonnade Club has been under renovations for the past 3-1/2 years. The Club has now returned to Pavilion VII. Last spring a joint Faculty Senate/Colonnade Club survey asked U.Va. faculty what enhancements they would like to see in their experiences at the Club.

The Club's board of governors has embraced a new commitment to supporting the University's academic mission while promoting opportunities for social interaction among faculty. Two new initiatives were launched this fall: a Faculty Authors Series and Day Excursions to cultural sites. Gordon Steward, Associate Dean in Arts & Sciences planned both of these initiatives, Ms. Wootten said. Mr. Steward is Chairman of the Colonnade Club's Academic Affairs Committee.

Another Club initiative supporting the University's academic mission is an annual event designed to recognize the accomplishments of those who gain tenure. The Club has also started the Third Thursday Happy Hours in Pavilion VII.

All teaching, research and general faculty and administrators are eligible to join the Club. Membership may be extended to part-time teaching and research faculty. Departments can also obtain membership in the Colonnade Club. In addition, membership is also open to alumni and people at affiliated higher educational institutions. The Colonnade Club is providing complimentary year-long membership to all new faculty. Membership dues are $126 yearly.

Report from the Arts & Sciences Council - Lauren Purnell, President, and Janis Millete, Vice President

The Arts & Sciences Council has four primary goals. Those goals are to strengthen student identity, to serve as peer academic advisors, to foster student-faculty relations, and to solidify student-alumni relations. Ms. Purnell spoke to the Senators regarding the strategies for undergraduate research, as outlined by the Undergraduate Research Network. Those strategies are to provide guidelines of support and financial resources for individual research projects, to create an infrastructure of memtorship between students and faculty in which faculty mentors can help to familiarize students with the process and presentation of research, and to provide a forum for students to present and celebrate their research across disciplines.

Ms. Purnell said the Arts & Sciences Council has funding available for promoting undergraduate research and bringing quality programs to the College of Arts & Sciences community. Faculty can obtain funding through co-sponsoring events that fosters student-faculty interaction, peer-academic advising, or student-alumni interaction. These funds are available to anyone associate with the College -- an individual, or an organization. Departmental grants are available to any faculty member or ASC representative to fund programs that enhance the classroom experience through outside speakers, fieldtrips, and special equipment. Additionally, funds are available for faculty entertainment, such as supplementing expenses incurred by faculty members that invite students to their homes for meals.

Shadi Kourosh spoke to the group about the Undergraduate Research Network. The goals of the group are to initiate, develop, and share through mentorship, showcasing and reflection, and providing resources. URN is a collaborative effort dedicated to fostering an undergraduate research community, guiding students to initiate independent projects through increasing accessibility of resources and consistent guidelines of research, creating a structure for mentorship and providing a forum to showcase and reflect upon the results of their experience.

The Arts & Sciences Council will have a Majors Fair on Monday, October 29th, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in Newcomb Hall Ballroom. In closing, Ms. Kourosh said the Arts & Sciences Council needs one or two faculty members to serve on their Executive Council.

Report by Robert M. Grainger, Chair of the Faculty Senate

· Science and Society Lecture Series: co-sponsored by the Faculty Senate and the Institute for Practical Ethics. Mr. Grainger said the Series reflects on the University's talent pool. He thanked some of those faculty members involved in this initiative - James Childress, Marcia Childress, Carl Trindle, and David Brautigan. Mr. Grainger reminded everyone of the upcoming event, a lecture by Harold Shapiro, of Princeton University, and Chair of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission.

· The Faculty Senate will host a symposium on "Patenting Genes" this spring. The theme of the symposium will be "Global Health."

· Dissertation Year Fellowships: Mr. Grainger gave some background information on the Fellowships. These Fellowships are being offered with financial support from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Jefferson Scholars Program, and the Office of the Provost. The Fellowships will each be for $20,000 a year, for three years, tying research and teaching together, Mr. Grainger said.

· Faculty Salaries: There are no funds in the State budget for faculty or staff salaries this year. Mr. Grainger said he attended a recent Faculty Senate of Virginia meeting, at which Senator Chichester addressed the issue. It was noted that lower salaries affect recruiting and retention. Colette Sheehy, Vice President for Management and Budget, was available for questions from the Senators. There were no questions, and Mr. Grainger asked the Senators to contact him with any thoughts on the issue.

· Harrison Awards: Funding is about to end for this program. Mr. Grainger thanked the President and the Provost for their support of the program, which was for three years. The Faculty Senate will work on finding a permanent source of funding for this very popular and worthwhile initiative.

Gene Block, Vice President and Provost

The Envision Virginia process was developed to address the recommendations outlined in the Virginia 2020 Report. This process aims to get information from University deans and administrators regarding what their aspirations for the future are. The Envision Virginia initiative will involve holding a series of workshops, one with each school's key faculty and administrators. The workshops will provide useful comments and information on the school's goals and plans for the future. Mr. Block said this information would be merged into a final document, the University's strategical plan. There is a two-year window to complete the final document, which will then be circulated in all schools.

John T. Casteen, III, President

Mr. Casteen said that State revenues are behind what they should be, and there likely will not be pay raises for faculty and staff this year. The University should be careful with spending discretionary funds during these uncertain times, Mr. Casteen said.

Regarding the University's curricula, Mr. Casteen encouraged the deans to review their current curricula. He said the curricula should be the next level of learning from what students learned in high school. Students should then be able to go through the higher education system at a reasonable pace. Mr. Casteen took questions from the audience.

Mr. Grainger thanked Mr. Casteen. Mr. Grainger asked if there was other business. There was none.

The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.

Submitted by Kathryn Neeley, Secretary of the Faculty Senate.