Minutes: July 11, 2000 12:30-2:00 PM, Room 481 Newcomb Hall

Members Present: Mary Abouzeid, Frank Butros, Chuck Callaghan, Donal Day, Patricia Foley, Joe Gieck, Brad Holland, Aaron Laushway, Maurice Lipper, Max Salinas, Lynda White (for Jane Penner)

Members Absent: William Keene, Jane Penner, Jan Redick, Betsy Tucker, Ellie Wilson, Barbara Millar

Patricia Foley chaired the meeting

1. Minutes of the June 11, 2000 meeting were approved.

2. Report from the Chair. Patricia Foley reported that Kathy Reed had been contacted regarding the status of the new General Faculty policy. No information was available at this time. Trish also passed out a document prepared by Bill Keene that gave the University’s definitions of different classifications of General Faculty. The definitions were discussed but it was decided that we would wait for Bill to be present at a meeting to complete the discussion.

  1. Elections. Max Salinas reported that two names (Carol Hunter, Librarian, and James Freeman, Dept Psychology) were submitted to all General Faculty for voting. 140 votes have been submitted so far and there is one more week before elections close.
  2. Other Committee Reports. Brad Holland reported that the Coordinating Council of University Groups (CCUG) voted to allow gay and lesbian student/faculty representation at their meetings. He also reported on the climate survey. Although he said there had been some difficulty finding a chair and someone who could help with the survey, the draft of the RFP is completed. Many people are already committed with reps from the hospital and all areas of the University on board.
  3. BRAINSTORM. Trish asked that the rest of this meeting be spent on a brainstorming session regarding the role of this council. Several suggestions were brought forth regarding ways the General Faculty elected representatives could be responsive to their constituents. These suggestions came after an opening discussion about the definition of "General Faculty", a history of the council (created by the President’s office; as a parallel group to the Faculty Senate, acknowledging the large number of General Faculty at the University and the role its voice should be given), and its general "mission" (to act as an advocate for General Faculty and as a liaison group between the administration and faculty).

The bulk of our discussion focused on ways that representatives could establish a more personal presence among the 1700 General Faculty members across the University. Suggestions included:

Other tasks discussed in this brainstorming session included the possibility of the Council continuing policy studies and/or the salary study proposed by President Casteen. The group felt that the salary study would be much time spent on not much return. They also felt that we should connect with the General Faculty members of the different schools as our first effort this year.

Therefore, Trish agreed to get us all recent lists of General Faculty members, their schools and their emails. She asked each rep to find a room in which to host a meeting sometime in October with their constituents. (For example, the "other" reps would contact by email all General Faculty in the schools they represent, identify themselves, and establish the local town meeting date, place and time.) The General Faculty Council budget, Trish said, could accommodate refreshments for these meetings. We each would bring back concerns, etc. to the Council in the following month’s meeting. Hopefully, we also might have the new General Faculty policy to present to them and hear their reaction and questions. We all asked for the flyers explaining the Council so we could use these with new hires and in the town meetings. Trish agreed to get the flyers to everyone.
  1. There will be no meeting in August. Before the September meeting, Trish will have an annual report of the General Faculty’s work last year to bring to us. Next Meeting September 12th, 12:30 p.m. Newcomb Hall.
  2. In September, Kathy Reed will be invited back to give the policy update. In October, we will have the town meetings across Grounds.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:00.

Respectfully submitted in Jan’s absence by Mary Abouzeid