Faculty Senate Minutes
MSU Collage Image

 

Faculty Senate Minutes
February 19, 2009 

Call to Order:

Call to order: 4:15 pm; ADUC. 
 

Senators Absent: Glen Colburn, Latonya Hesterberg, Gary Lafleur, Barbara Lyons, Bruno Morro, David Smith, Yuqui You 
 

Minutes:  Senator Neeper moved to approve the minutes of February 5, 2009 as submitted.  Senator Chatham seconded the motion.  Motion passed.

Committee Review:
Academic Policies:     No Report
Communications:       Ongoing discussion regarding communications with the President and administration
Evaluation:              No Report
Fiscal Affairs:           Will have a resolution
Governance:            Will be working on Standing Committees
Professional Policies:  No Report

Reports:

Regent’s Report:

Regent Morrison thanked the Senators for attending the Board of Regents work session - Mike Walters and Sharon Reynolds reported on the Administrators survey - Regent Morrison identified some of the problems with the survey - Mike Walters will try to incorporate some of the Senate suggestions in the next survey - Regent Booth suggested the University explore how other institutions conduct administrators surveys - 2% budget reduction - Bills in Frankfort that would freeze tuition are dead - Discussion of legislature disbanding the CPE - Tuition increase might be on agenda of March meeting - Beth Patrick provided overview of the progress to date on faculty salaries - New assistant professors (in their 1st or 2nd year make 101% of CUPA - Assistant professors make 97.2% - Associate professors make 95.2% - Professors make 95% - Curriculum audit, a little behind, but better to do it right - Should be released to campus community 1st week of March - Board will discuss the recommendation, not vote on the plan as a whole, but vote on various elements as they are ready for implementation - Curriculum audit report was not available at the work session - Board of Regents will begin process of evaluating the President on February 25th and 26th

Chair’s Report:

Senators received from the FGEAC Assessment Committee a document containing three bulleted items dealing with the fact that there will be assessment in General Education; Executive Council voted to send back the framework for lack of specificity; Executive Council asked for a more specific plan for assessment and course structure.

Provost’s Report: 

    1. The Provost explained what the Stimulus package would mean for this University – 82 % must go to education – University will get about three million dollars one time money to bring budget back to the 07-08 level 
    2. Dollars might be available for projects that are ready to start quickly- Provost asked the deans to begin thinking about proposals 
    3. Cabinet is discussing the information that Beth Patrick is providing regarding salaries 
    4. University has about five million dollars of discretionary funds 
    5. Reported on the closing of the Day Care Center – Day Care Center is not at capacity – Quality of child care is good – Facility is in need of repair - Director is leaving – Workers are temporary – University subsidizes Day Care Center at $82,000 per year – Provost talked to Mike Walters about a partnership with Frontier Housing when we have access to the stimulus money – Senators provided several suggestions for possible solutions to closing the Day Care Center to be taken to Mike Walters 
    6. FGEAC is being asked to submit a proposal to Senate regarding General Education before the end of the semester 
    7. Curriculum Audit is about a week behind - All recommendations and rationale (foundational process) will be finished by Friday February 20 – Quality of the feedback was excellent – Operational process will contain implementation plans – Program and/or departmental eliminations are recommendations, there are processes that will be followed – Distributed to BOR on March 12, 2009 – Release to campus week of March 2nd –  No reduction of faculty lines from the audit – General Education will be a driver in teaching assignments – Deans, Chairs and Provost will schedule meetings with faculty who are impacted the most 
    8. College of Education is conducting a pilot project on a business center concept for support staff to increase efficiency  
    9. Some offices that deal with enrollment related services have been asked to remain open during Spring Break in order to facilitate student visits – Deans are on call 
    10. Decision about work studies and GA’s for next year should be made prior to March 1 
    11. SACS requires electronic access to faculty credentials - Faculty 180 will be adopted – Can be updated yearly and used for promotion, tenure and PBSI – Training for faculty by end of March 

Senate Actions:

Communication:  Communication committee met with the President and the Provost regarding communications between faculty and administration.  A discussion forum is open on Blackboard for faculty input as to what can be done to improve communication.

Fiscal Affairs:  Senator Buck presented the following resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED that in future health insurance plans offered by the University, preventive care not be made subject to co-pays or deductibles.  After discussion, there was a motion and a second to accept the resolution.  Resolution passed.

Adjournment:  5:30 pm