Jane received a letter from Tom Gausvik thanking the Council for manning a booth at the recent Resource Fair.

Jane reported receiving a query from someone in Neurosurgery who wants to change from a twelve-month to a nine-month status. This person was advised by Jane to seek information from Kathy Reed’s office.

Attention was drawn to an article by Abby Curran in the Cavalier Daily

which addressed the issue of revisions to the Policy on the General Faculty, and summarized the Council’s activities and concerns. General comments by Council members reflected gratification at having a media correspondent willing to give good coverage to issues of concern to the general faculty.

Two other items were reported by the Chair: (1) concern about a scheduling conflict with WFPA; and (2) whether GENFAC Council members could be listed with the Speakers Bureau.

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The application by the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Allies Concerns Committee for representation on CCUG has been tabled for the time being.

A task force will be established to begin the UVA-wide climate study. Members of the general faculty will be involved in the study, which is expected to be initiated this coming summer.

Officers are usually elected at the April meeting each year, but the decision was made to table this until next month. The positions which need to be filled include: Chair, Policy Chair, By-Laws Chair, and Elections Chair. (Jan Redick, Secretary, volunteered to also assume the position of Communications Chair.) Jane Penner urged members to consider volunteering for the open positions, emphasizing that new members should not hesitate to take on one of these posts, as there is plenty of help available from the pool of old members.

Owing to the designation of some members as "at large", a change in the wording of the by-laws is indicated. Suggested wording for this change, which would be added at the of Section VII.A. is

A certain number of the Council seats may be designated

"at large."

Changing the wording of Section VII.A. also indicates that consideration be given to changing by-laws wording to allow all general faculty members to vote for candidates running for "at large" seats. Current election rules allow general faculty members to vote only for those candidates which would represent their school(s).

Final action on by-laws changes was tabled until the next meeting.

Joyce Pastors reported that, pursuant to last month’s discussion, she submitted a request to Alex Johnson and Kathy Reed from the Provost’s office to submit in writing their suggested changes to the December 1999 draft version of the Policy on the General Faculty, and then be prepared to attend the May meeting to discuss these matters. To date, Joyce has received no response (not even an acknowledgment of receipt) to her communication.

Jane asked for assistance in planning the annual Spring Party, an event to thank out-going members for their years of service, and to welcome new members to the Council. Volunteers are to contact her as soon as possible.