University of Virginia General Faculty Council (GFC)

 

Minutes: January 8,  2002    12:00-1:30 PM,  Room 200 Ruffner Hall

               

Members Present:  Mary Abouzeid, Frank Butros, Donal Day, Rosie Dunn, James Freeman, Joe Gieck, Carol Hunter, Bill Keene, Lotta Lofgren, Barbara Millar, Jan Redick, Lynda White, Ellie Wilson

 

Members Absent:   Jann Balmer, Chuck Callaghan, Aaron Laushway, Maurice Lipper

 

The meeting was chaired by Frank Butros

 

 

1.     Minutes of the November 11 and December 11 meetings were discussed.  Jan Redick will make additional corrections and send out by email to members.  Frank Butros asked Jan Redick to look into whether approved minutes from recent months are/are not posted on the website, and to post all which have been approved to date.

 

2.     Chair’s Report:

Frank Butros reported that he attended the recent Legislative Forum and that the discussions were as expected with no surprises.  Several other council members were in attendance as well.

 

Frank asked for volunteers to staff  Faculty/Staff Resource Fair on April 17, 2002.  Ellie Wilson and Jan Redick volunteered to split the time hosting the table.  Frank Butros will order promotional materials to be handed out at the table.

 

3.     Committee Reports:

A. Barbara Millar reported on the 27 November 2002 meeting of CCUG.  At that meeting the mission of CCUG was discussed, along with general discussion of how to make CCUG more effective on grounds.  Several other issues were touched upon: childcare, salaries, benefits, etc.

 

B.     Carol Hunter reported that there has not been a meeting of the Benefits Committee since the last council meeting, but that she has undertaken an effort to look into the issue of benefits for part-time general faculty.  The study completed on this topic in 1996, and subsequent discussions within the Benefits Committee (the latest in 2000), have yielded no action.  Carol has put together a four-part approach for another look at the issue of benefits for part time staff: (1) she will talk with Tony Townsend and Trish Foley for background information; (2) she will review the 1996 study;  (3) she will find out the number of employees that would be eligible for part-time benefits, and (4) she will look at peer institutions to see what policies others have adopted.  Lotta Lofgren volunteered to work with Carol on this endeavor.

 

C.      Policy Committee:  Bill Keene reported that Alex Johnson sent a revised version of the Policy on the General Faculty to the policy committee on January 1, 2002.  Johnson requested that the revised draft not be distributed beyond current and past members of the policy committee. Twenty-eight changes to the previous draft (dated May 14, 2001) have been proposed by the Provost based on the recommendations of his cabinet, deans, and other administrators.  Of these, about half involve relatively minor word changes; approximately 25% involve potentially ambiguous or confusing additions; and the remaining are more substantive.  Current and past members of policy committee (Donal Day, Trish Foley, Carol Hunter, Bill Keene, Lotta Lofgren, Joyce Pastors, Jane Penner, and Lynda White; Frank Butros will be unavailable) will meet with Alex Johnson on Thursday, January 10, 2002 to discuss these proposed changes.  To prepare for that meeting, the policy committee will meet immediately following the adjournment of the present council meeting (ie, today at 1:30 PM).  The policy committee will report to the council following the meeting on January 10, 2002.

 

4.     Goals and Objectives:

In response to feedback from council members about Gen-Fac Council Objectives, Frank Butros devised and handed out a chart showing a breakdown of the objectives into four committees.  The four committees are Policy, Data, Political, and Communication.  The chart lists those council members who are on each committee, as well as the committee chairs.  The chairs are: Bill Keene (Policy); James Freeman (Data); undecided at this time (Political); and Barbara Millar (Communication).  Frank emphasized that, while he had placed some members on committees, anyone could assist or work on another committee as well.  The chairs of the committees will give some thought as to mode of operation of the committees and report at the next meeting.

 

5.     Other business:

Spring Party.  A date of May 21st was discussed.  Ellie Wilson will look into booking the garden of Pavilion I for that date.  If that works out, the regular GENFAC meeting will be moved to earlier in the day on that date, and the party will follow.   Donal Day, Jan Redick and Ellie Wilson will work on the party plans.

 

Elections.  Ellie Wilson and Jan will work on getting set up for the March elections.  Those going off council include Joe Gieck, Jan Redick, and Aaron Laushway.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1:30.

 

 

NEXT MEETING: February  11, 2002   12:00 noon, Room 389, Newcomb Hall

 

Submitted by: Jan Redick