Full Minutes
Rebecca Kneedler, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the
meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. in the Minor Hall Auditorium. Ms.
Kneedler welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked that each person
stand and introduce themselves and tell what department they were
from. After the introductions were made, Ms. Kneedler introduced John
Casteen to the group.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Casteen told the Senate that he is
especially pleased with the involvement of the Senate in governance
over the past three years. He mentioned the value of input through
conversations with the Chair of the Senate and the participation of
the Chair of the Senate in Senior Cabinet meetings and Board of
Visitors meetings. Mr. Casteen also mentioned the value he has found
in the use of electronic mail for a good deal of the communications
with the Senate. He recognized and thanked Tom Hutchinson, Dan Larson
(both past chairs of the Senate) and Rebecca Kneedler for their
contributions in making the Senate a more effective body.
Mr. Casteen told the Senate he wanted to address two issues,
faculty salary and legislative matters in Richmond. Mr. Casteen
reported that, at its November meeting, the Board of Visitors had
approved a resolution of intent concerning the commitment of private
funds to faculty salaries. He said both the alumni and Virginia's
Secretary of Education, Beverly Sgro, responded positively to, and
supported, the Board's resolution of intent. Mr. Casteen said that
this was a deliberate step to move the University beyond its
dependency on state appropriations and to change how the University
funds its core obligations. On December 4, 1996, the Board of
Visitors Finance Committee considered what was necessary to raise the
faculty salary average to its highest AAU ranking by the year 2000.
The Finance Committee approved two resolutions regarding the
endowment policies that will, in part, fund the increases in faculty
salaries. Mr. Casteen said there will be a reallocation of certain
existing chair accounts and new unrestricted gifts to fund the
balance of these increases. He cited donors such as Davenport and
Harrison. Mr. Casteen noted that he will recommend to the Board of
Visitors in February that certain unrestricted endowments be
committed to perpetual funding of faculty salaries. Salary funds will
be allocated to those schools whose average faculty salary has fallen
behind peers.
On news from Richmond, Mr. Casteen said the Senate Finance
Committee projects a surplus of about $266 million. Statutory and
other commitments are expected to reduce the discretionary portion of
the surplus to about $115 million. Mr. Casteen also reported that
SCHEV supported UVA's priorities for the coming year, which are
faculty salary increases and student scholarship support. In SCHEV's
recommendation, UVA faculty members are slated to receive, on
average, a 5% pay increase. In closing, Mr. Casteen told the Senate
that the Governor submits the budget on December 20th, and he (Mr.
Casteen) will keep everyone informed as the session progresses. Mr.
Casteen then took questions from the audience. In response to one
question, Peter Low noted that the faculty raises resulting from the
Board of Visitors' resolution of intent would be retroactive to
December 1, 1996, but would probably not be implemented until later
in the semester. Ms. Kneelder thanked Mr. Casteen for his
remarks.
The next order of business was an update on the status of the
work of the Task Force on Continuing Education and the work of the
Division of Continuing Education. David Breneman, Dean of the Curry
School of Education, and Chair of the Task Force on Continuing
Education, said the report of the Task Force was in draft form and
had not yet received final approval from the Task Force members. He
gave an overview of what the report contains, i.e., a mission
statement, which was developed as a result of an ad hoc committee of
the Task Force. The ad hoc committee was chaired by Dan Larson. Some
other issues addressed in the report are summer schools, conferences
and institutes, regional centers, educational technology, credit
versus non-credit courses, and financial issues. Dean Breneman said
the full report should be out in January. He said he would be
delighted to come and address the Senate again at this time. Ms.
Kneedler thanked Dean Breneman for addressing the group.
Ms. Kneedler introduced Sondra Stallard, Dean of the Division
of Continuing Education. Dean Stallard gave an overview of the work
of the Division of Continuing Education. She told the Senate what the
Division is about, the services it offers, and she cited some
statistics on the Division of Continuing Education. Dean Stallard
then passed out a brochure on the services of the Division. There was
a video of the Division that was shown. Ms. Stallard spoke again
briefly and showed another brief video. Ms. Kneedler thanked Ms.
Stallard for addressing the Senate.
Ms. Kneedler gave background information on the work the
Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate is doing on teaching
evaluation. She stated that the initiative began two years ago with
the recommendations in the Self-Study report, which were developed as
a result of the Steve Cushman report on teaching. Ms. Kneedler said
assignments would be made to the Senators as a result of the teaching
document (developed by the Academic Affairs Committee and passed out
at the Senate meeting). Each Senator will be asked to report to their
unit and, working with their dean or chair, to initiate dialogue on
the teaching document and compile a report to be submitted to the
Senate by February 15, 1997.
Ed Ayers, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, was
introduced to the Senate to give his report on the work of the
Committee and what the Committee hopes to gain through this
initiative. He said the main purpose is to stimulate dialogue among
colleagues and to see what works and what does not work, and build on
that information to prepare an overview of teaching at the
University. The end result being to encourage faculty to think about
their teaching more rigorously and provide a stronger basis for
chairs, deans, and the provost to offer incentives and rewards
focused on teaching. Mr. Ayers then took questions and remarks from
the audience.
The next order of business was the passing of the request to
terminate the Masters of Arts in Public Administration Program, in
the College of Arts and Sciences. Ms. Kneedler gave background
information on the reasoning for terminating the program. She then
asked for a motion to terminate the program. Tom Hutchinson made the
motion to terminate, Taylor Beard seconded the motion, and it passed
unanimously.
Ms. Kneedler briefly spoke about the Honor System. She said Jim
Tybur, Chair of the Honor Committee, would like greater faculty
participation in the Faculty Advisory Committee and in the monthly
roundtable discussions. Ms. Kneedler encouraged the members of the
Senate to get involved in these activities. She also mentioned to the
Senators that she is working closely with the Chair of the General
Faculty Council and the Chair of the Employee Council on issues of
mutual interest, i.e., delayed pay and the health care issue. Ms.
Kneeler thanked everyone for attending the meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Submitted by Susan McKinnon, Secretary to the Faculty
Senate
