March 23, 1999

Present: Edward Ayers, David Gies, Jahan Ramazani, Marva Barnett, Kathryn Neeley, Rebecca Kneedler, Miles Townsend, Robert Grainger, Janet Horne, Patricia Werhane, Richard DeMong, Peter Low

Guests: Patricia Foley, General Faculty Council Joyce Green Pastors, General Faculty Council John Portmann, Executive Assistant to the Provost

Ed Ayers called the meeting to order at 12:00 noon. Elections for new officers of the Faculty Senate and for new members of the Executive Council were discussed. Calls for nominations will be made at the Faculty Senate meeting on April 6, and election results will be announced in May. The newly elected officers and members of the Executive Council will begin their terms on June 1, 1999. The Executive Council and the chairs of the Academic Affairs Committee and the Committee on Research and Scholarship are working on appointing new chairs for the Academic Affairs Committee and the Research and Scholarship Committee. The appointed chairs for those committees will also begin their terms on June 1, 1999.

Mr. Ayers asked for additional volunteers to address entering first-year undergraduates at the orientation sessions.

Ms. Pastors and Ms. Foley arrived at the meeting. Introductions were made. Ms. Pastors and Ms. Foley, members of the General Faculty Council, attended the meeting to talk about issues of mutual interest to the General Faculty Council and the Faculty Senate, and how the two groups might work together on those issues. Ms. Pastors gave an overview of the General Faculty Council. There are approximately 1,800 general faculty, or non-tenured faculty, at the University, which are divided into two groups, teaching and research faculty and administrative and professional faculty. Of particular concern to the General Faculty Council is the issue of faculty salary increase disparities for those who are considered general faculty. Ms. Pastors proposed that the General Faculty Council have a representative on the Executive Council, in an ex officio capacity, in order to facilitate dialogue between the two groups. The Executive Council will discuss this issue at the next Executive Council meeting, to be held on Tuesday, April 20, and Mr. Ayers will let Ms. Pastors know what is decided. Mr. Ayers thanked Ms. Pastors and Ms. Foley for attending the meeting.

Copies of the nominations for the David Harrison Awards and a small sampling of the types of nominations that are being received was distributed. The 30 recipients of these awards will be decided and announced before classes end. Mr. Ayers agreed to get in touch with the Harrison Awards Committee members and ask that they schedule a meeting soon after the April 5 deadline for submitting nominations.

Louis Bloomfield, Chair of the Committee on Research and Scholarship, was unable to attend the meeting, and Mr. Ayers gave a report on the work of that committee. There are now 52 faculty members signed up to participate in the Faculty Senate Speaker's Bureau. Work is also being done on the creation of the web site that will contain this information. Mr. Bloomfield will make an announcement regarding the Speakers Bureau at the April 6 Faculty Senate meeting.

Richard DeMong, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, reported on the work of his committee. A subcommittee is now reviewing the proposals for funds from the Faculty Senate Teaching Initiative. The subcommittee on faculty/student interaction, which is being led by John Lyons, is progressing in their work. Mr. DeMong agreed to ask Mr. Lyons to report on the work of that subcommittee at the April 6 meeting. The next Academic Affairs Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 12, at 5:00 p.m.

The agenda for the April 6 Faculty Senate meeting was discussed. Mr. Casteen will address the group; Edward Flippen, Chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission, will also address the group. The approval/disapproval of the Ph.D. in Music will come to a vote at the meeting. In addition, there will be reports from the committees of the Faculty Senate. Mr. Ayers reminded everyone of the final Faculty Senate-sponsored technology session, which is being held on Thursday, April 8, at 4:00 p.m. in Minor Hall Auditorium. He encouraged more faculty participation in the session, and Mr. Ayers will send an e-mail reminder regarding the session. An Executive Summary by the SCHEV Planning Committee on "Decentralization of Program Approval Authority" was distributed. The Executive Council has reservations regarding the report. Mr. Ayers will write to SCHEV, indicating those reservations.

The meeting adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

Submitted by Marva A. Barnett, Secretary of the Faculty Senate