December 3, 1997

Jahan Ramazani, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order at 3:08 p.m. in the Garden Room at the Colonnade Hotel.

Mr. Ramazani welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Mr. Ramazani said the primary business of the meeting was a discussion of the recommendations presented in a report by the Committee on Research and Scholarship in response to the charge they have been given.

Mr. Ramazani told the Senators that Richard Kovatch, Assistant Vice President for Business Operations, had generously given meal passes to the Senate so that they might enjoy intellectual exchanges with students. The meal passes were distributed to Senators.

Mr. Ramazani introduced John Casteen, President of the University of Virginia, and thanked him for his support of Faculty Senate initiatives.

Mr. Casteen said the University is a top-tier national university, which is built by validating the work of the students and the faculty of this Institution. He said the University ought to be doing better at producing Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars, and other national-award recipients. Some possible reasons that other institutions produce more scholars are coaching and better preparation. Mr. Casteen asked for the Senate's help in assessing the issue. Mr. Casteen noted that the University does not have a good mechanism for recognizing and cultivating the achievements of its faculty, particularly their advancement into national academies.

Mr. Casteen said the faculty ought to have a more active role in first-year orientation. This could help with the problem of binge drinking and put the focus on academics. There need to be more academic-oriented activities during orientation. During the first weeks of the semester, students are more socially active than active in academics, Mr. Casteen said. Mr. Casteen said the University should consider moving the Greek Rush process to the students' second year at the University. He said historically this has been when Rush was held until recent years.

Mr. Casteen took questions. Mr. Ramazani thanked Mr. Casteen.

Mr. Ramazani said the faculty and students have engaged themselves in the intellectual community initiative, and Mr. Casteen's remarks point the Senate in a useful direction.

Mr. Ramazani then addressed the work of the Committee on Research and Scholarship. He said the Committee is doing a terrific job, and that the Committee has earned the respect of the faculty. The members of the Committee introduced themselves.

Mr. Ramazani introduced David Gies, Chair of the Committee on Research and Scholarship. Mr. Gies reported on the work of his Committee. He said his Committee's report in response to the charge they were given had been reviewed by the Executive Council. The Executive Council had endorsed the basic principles of the report, and he asked the Faculty Senate to endorse the principles. Mr. Gies discussed the content of the report with the Senators. Mr. Gies then took questions.

Mr. Ramazani asked for a motion to endorse the principles of the report. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Mr. Ramazani introduced Ben Ray, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. Mr. Ray reminded the group about the teaching grants, and said the Committee is ready to take applications and hopes for strong participation.

Marva Barnett, a member of the Academic Affairs Committee, reported on the work of her subcommittee on Junior Faculty Development and Retention. She told the group there will be a Junior Faculty Reception/brainstorming session on December 15. There has also been an e-mail address of the subcommittee members created so that messages/comments can be sent to this group (jrfac-sen@virginia.edu). In addition, there is an anonymous comments form on the Web at the Faculty Senate website (http://minerva.acc.Virginia.EDU/~facsen/).

Mr. Ramazani introduced William W. Harmon, Vice President for Student Affairs. Mr. Harmon has been asked by President Casteen to head a task force which will examine and make recommendations on such issues as Greek Rush, first-year orientation, the student culture of the institution, and alcohol use. Mr. Harmon said the task force will create activities and programs that focus on academics to help fight alcohol-related problems. Mr. Harmon said this is not just a University issue, it is a Community issue. He will ask for representation from the Mayor's Office, the Neighborhood Association, and the Merchant's Association in working to combat the problem. When asked about a timetable for the report's completion, Mr. Harmon said he hopes to generate the report during the Spring semester and present it to Mr. Casteen in May with recommendations for further actions.

Mr. Ramazani thanked Mr. Harmon for addressing the group.

Mr. Ramazani recognized Tom Hutchinson, Past Chair of the Faculty Senate and Past Chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee, and thanked him for his hard work and dedication to the Grievance Committee.

Mr. Ramazani recognized James Clawson, a professor in the Darden School and Chair of the Faculty Grievance Committee, for agreeing to serve in this role.

Mr. Ramazani thanked everyone for attending the meeting and said he hoped they could attend a reception at Carr's Hill, given by Mr. Casteen, that was to begin immediately after the Senate meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Submitted by Janet Horne, Secretary of the Faculty Senate