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Faculty Senate Retreat 1999

Annual Retreat: September 10, 1999 - 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Alumni Hall Ballroom

Opening Remarks: David T. Gies, Chair of the Faculty Senate

Mr. Gies announced the upcoming full Faculty Senate meeting, which will be held on October 4. The meeting will be in the Rotunda Dome Room, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. There will be reports given by the Chairs of the Academic Affairs Committee and the Committee on Research and Scholarship. William Johnson is Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, and Robert Grainger is Chair of the Committee on Research and Scholarship.

Mr. Gies discussed some of this year's activities for the Senate. The Senate will continue to focus on intellectual life and intellectual community, Mr. Gies said. In addition, the Senate is in its second year of a three-year Teaching Initiative Awards program, which is funded by the Office of the Provost. The Teaching Resource Center will host a Forum this fall that will highlight some of the Teaching Initiative projects and what has been accomplished with these funds. In addition, the Faculty Senate has created a Faculty Senate Faculty Speakers Bureau, Mr. Gies announced. Mr. Gies said the Forum for Contemporary Thought is operating under the leadership of Joshua Dienstag. Also mentioned was the Garden Room's lunch operation. Mr. Gies praised the Garden Room, and he encouraged everyone to patronize the establishment so that it will be able to remain operational. At the present time, the Garden Room stands to be closed after December if it continues to lose money. Any ideas for how to advertise and improve the Garden Room are welcome.

Mr. Gies noted this year's Faculty Senate theme, which is "Teaching, Research and the Creation of Knowledge." The Retreat will focus on ways to develop this theme and plan strategies for the year's activities.

The Faculty Senate's e-mail system will not be used to forward mass e-mail messages unless the message is filtered by Mr. Gies, and the message is determined to be of interest to the Senate. One such message will come from Frank Griffiths, regarding "National Make a Difference Day." Mr. Gies will invite Mr. Griffiths to attend the upcoming Executive Council meeting to discuss this initiative.

In closing, Mr. Gies urged everyone to read the Faculty Senate Constitution and By-Laws and to represent actively their constituents in faculty governance.

Remarks by President Casteen

John T. Casteen, III, President of the University, addressed the members of the Senate. Mr. Casteen gave an overview of the budget and target areas where some of the funds will be used. The Capital Campaign will continue to raise funds through the year 2000. $1 billion is predicted to be raised by the end of this year, with $940 to $950 million raised to date. The funds are being used to establish endowments, fellowships, and scholarships, funds for academic programs, and to create new Chairs, Mr. Casteen said.

Mr. Casteen mentioned some of the student issues that the University is addressing, such as alcohol use, student violence, the rental market for student housing off-Grounds, which creates security problems. The Student/Neighborhood Watch Program is being reinstated, in response to students' request, Mr. Casteen said.

The University is looking at issues concerning the historic Grounds and the standards for occupying Pavilions and other faculty housing. Mr. Casteen said the Board of Visitors is rewriting the standards for occupancy of these buildings. Mr. Casteen said the usage of U.va. real estate is also being addressed. The Division of Continuing Education Adult Education Program is off to a good start, with about 20 students. The Robertson Media Center will open September 13, 1999. The University still has some contact with the Qutar Foundation, Mr. Casteen said. The University will continue to look at other intellectual initiatives.

Other issues that Mr. Casteen discussed were the atmosphere for diversity, the Task Force on the Status of Women, the University's planning commissions, major searches at the University, State commissions on the future of Higher Education in Virginia, faculty salaries, and BOV priorities for the coming year.

In his closing remarks Mr. Casteen said the Faculty Senate agenda for the year is appropriate and timely. He said issues to do with ethics are important in research, and he mentioned modern communications and how it has changed teaching and learning. The University may need to reexamine relationships between researchers in the academy and in business and industry. Mr. Casteen expressed gratitude for the common work of the Senate and the administration, and for the useful dialogue that takes place between the Board of Visitors and the Faculty Senate.

Mr. Gies thanked Mr. Casteen for his thoughtful comments.

Small Group Work By Senators

Mr. Gies distributed a question pertaining to "Teaching, Research and the Creation of Knowledge" to each of the seven tables. Each table should discuss its question and identify from one-to-three issues and one-to-three suggestions for action. The individual table discussions would last for thirty minutes.

Below is a list of the questions distributed, and the table number each question was assigned to.

Table 1: "In your discipline what constitutes research?"

Table 2: "Does research enhance teaching or does it interfere with quality teaching?"

Table 3: "In your discipline, what constitutes teaching?"

Table 4: "How can faculty handle the frequently conflicting demands of teaching and research (the creation of new knowledge)?"

Table 5: "What do our critics say about teaching vs. research?"

Table 6: "How does one combine quality teaching and quality research?"

Table 7: "Do teaching and research have an outreach component?"

Barbara Armacost spoke for Table 1 "In your discipline what constitutes research?"

Issues:

  • Can research be defined generally, or does it need to be defined discipline by discipline?
  • The need to obtain funding makes research more difficult

Suggestions:

  • Address through Faculty Senate Faculty Speakers Bureau, "Why I do what I do."
  • Faculty publications/brochures, describing research activities
  • Public discussions, such as Television panels to discuss research in your area

William Pearson spoke for Table 2 "Does research enhance teaching or does it interfere with quality teaching?"

Issues:

  • Research or/vs teaching - a false dichotomy
  • Need for more refined criteria (intellectual liveliness)

Suggestions:

  • Need to communicate more effectively.

Patricia Werhane spoke for Table 3 "In your discipline, what constitutes teaching?"

Issues:

  • The basic courses are repetitive, time consuming and more "cost efficient"
  • The rewards are focused on smaller seminars
  • The demands to get grants requires time commitment
  • Identify ways to keep on the "edge" of your discipline
  • Identify ways to get students to think "out of the box"

Suggestions:

  • Teaching and research is a continuum
  • Act as role models
  • Change reward structure

Sharon Utz spoke for Table 4 "How can faculty handle the frequently conflicting demands of teaching and research (the creation of new knowledge)?"

Issues:

  • Students stimulate faculty
  • The demands are always getting greater

Suggestions:

  • Design teaching loads to facilitate research
  • More mentoring - organized, encouraging environment, help from TRC
  • Encourage lateral learning
  • Create a web site of examples of best practices - integrating students

Rebecca Kneedler spoke for Table 5 "What do our critics say about teaching vs. research?"

Issues:

  • Critics identified as politicians, citizens and parents
  • Saying, "not enough teaching"
  • "Using TA's too much"
  • "Research has a limited value to the public"

Suggestions:

  • Re-educate the public
  • Get input from alumni
  • Use of more USIMS

Donald Innes spoke for Table 6 "How does one combine quality teaching and quality research?"

Issues:

  • Can teaching and research coexist?
  • It is a balance, what are the rewards?
  • Teaching is more than lecturing, it also involves mentoring

Suggestions:

  • Establish an "equivalency" standard, i.e., x tutorials = 1 class = 1 article
  • Study professional partnerships
  • Rebalance assignments? More classes?
  • A change in goals for the University, i.e., a top research university, would likely change the evaluation criteria

Marva Barnett spoke for Table 7 "Do teaching and research have an outreach component?"

Issues:

  • Yes, teaching and research do have an outreach component.
  • Where is the service component?
  • An outreach component helps build community awareness and appreciation
  • Better publicity is needed

Suggestions:

  • Organize outreach better
  • Reward outreach efforts more clearly
  • It was noted that not everyone is suited for outreach efforts
  • Define the role of the faculty for outreach efforts vs. public relations

Mr. Gies thanked everyone for participating in the Faculty Senate Retreat. These issues and suggestions will be used at the upcoming Executive Council meeting as a base for an action plan.

The Retreat adjourned 3:00 p.m.