3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Newcomb Hall, Room 389

Present: David T. Gies, Patricia H. Werhane, Kathryn A. Neeley, Rebecca D. Kneedler, Houston G. Wood, III, Donald J. Innes, Jr., Marva A. Barnett, John D. Lyons, Robert M. Grainger, William R. Johnson, Peter W. Low

 Guests:

Leigh B. Middleditch Jr., Alumnus and Attorney

John B. Syer, Executive Director, Alumni Hall

Hunter O. Ferguson, Chairman, Honor Committee

Frank B. Griffiths, Student Coordinator, National Make a Difference Day

Michelle A. Samuels, Assistant Dean of Students

---

David T. Gies, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

Mr. Gies welcomed everyone. Introductions were made.

Hunter Ferguson, Chair of the Honor Committee, spoke to the group about honor-related faculty issues. He said the German Department had contacted the Committee regarding the use of web material, which may or may not be accurate. The Honor Committee took steps to inform students of the issues involved, Mr. Ferguson said. Mr. Ferguson also spoke about two web sites that are posting lecture notes, which is a concern to some in the University community. He asked the Executive Council for thoughts on the issue. The Council mentioned such things as copyright laws and freedom of information. It was pointed out that students need to be reminded to cite their sources when using web information, or any information that is not their own.

Leigh Middleditch spoke to the Council about the Alumni Association's view of the student-run Honor System. University alumni value the system and want to preserve it, he said. He pointed out that the "single sanction" is at the heart of the Honor Committee's controversy, and he thinks the single sanction needs to be defined or simplified. The Alumni Association is prepared to establish an Honor endowment to support the Honor System, Mr. Middleditch said. Mr. Middleditch also said the Honor Committee needs an Honor Advisor, and the Alumni Association will financially support that position.

Mr. Syer, Associate Director at Alumni Hall, asked the Council to help inform new faculty about the Honor System. He suggested Council members could contact the deans of the schools and encourage them to have new faculty attend an information session on the Honor System.

Mr. Gies thanked the Honor Committee representatives for bringing the information to the Executive Council.

Mr. Gies introduced Frank Griffiths, the coordinator of The Make A Difference Day Project at the University of Virginia. Mr. Grifffiths gave the group some history of the event, which has University-wide participation of both faculty and students. More faculty participation is needed, Mr. Griffiths said. The event is held the 4th Saturday in October. The scheduled events for this year's Make A Difference Day will be posted on the web, and Mr. Griffiths will get the web address to Mr. Gies.

Mr. Gies asked Council what role they might take to help with this initiative. The Executive Council and Mr. Griffiths discussed different ways that the Executive Council could help, such as ways to get the word out to more faculty and encourage involvement. Mr. Gies will work with Mr. Griffiths, and possibly the Academic Affairs Committee, on this initiative. Mr. Gies thanked Mr. Griffiths and Ms. Samuels for attending the meeting.

The Executive Council discussed the Faculty Senate Retreat, and how the issues identified at the Retreat can be addressed over the course of the year. Patricia Werhane suggested that the issues be further discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting on October 4. Peter Low asked what outcome the Senate would like to come from these discussions. Such things as explaining to the community the importance of research, "do students understand the importance of faculty research," and the perception that faculty are rewarded for research and not teaching, were mentioned as topics that should be addressed. The relationship of research to further knowledge needs to be addressed, and attention called to this relationship, Kathryn Neeley commented.

Mr. Gies will develop questions, which target the issues raised at the Retreat, regarding "Teaching, Research and the Creation of Knowledge." The questions will be sent to the Senators in advance of the Faculty Senate meeting on October 4.

Other items to be on the October 4 Faculty Senate meeting agenda are an address by John Casteen, reports from the Academic Affairs Committee and the Committee on Research and Scholarship, and possibly a new degree proposal from the School of Engineering.

William Johnson, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, gave a report on the work of his committee. He reported that the committee is working on reviewing and approving a new degree program, Computer Engineering, in the School of Engineering. Other initiatives the committee continues to work on are student/faculty interaction and the Teaching Initiative, which is in its second year of a three-year pilot program. The committee will review and evaluate the program's success.

Robert Grainger, Chair of the Committee on Research and Scholarship, reported on the work of his committee. Issues his committee is working on include the rejuvenation of the Garden Room, the Forum for Contemporary Thought, the Faculty Senate Faculty Speakers Bureau, and Research and Teaching.

Mr. Gies and the other members of the Executive Council discussed diversity at the University. Through the discussion, the group identified ways they might show their support for the University's current policies on diversity. They identified some of the positive effects the University's diversity initiatives have brought about, such as UVa's successful history with diversity, the education goals of minority recruitment and retention, and the contributions a diverse student body has made to the intellectual atmosphere. Mr. Gies will prepare a statement voicing the Executive Council's support of the University's current policies on diversity.

The meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Submitted by Sharon W. Utz, Secretary of the Faculty Senate