Index
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Site Index |
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September 20, 2004
October 18, 2004 |
November 15, 2004
February 7, 2005 |
March 7, 2005
April 4, 2005 May 2, 2005 |
C. White called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONS
White introduced C. Sanderfer, new SGA president, J. Joyce, SGA Senate chairman, A. Haddow, GSS president, and L. Souza, Secretary for Graduate Student Senate. The latter announced that a UT chapter of a graduate honor society will be started this summer; she asked for faculty persons to serve as chairs. White then announced that S. Winston will graduate this Saturday and presented her with cards and gifts. White then noted that L. Gross has been elected president-elect. She then announced that more than $800.00 has been collected for the shared-governance fund.
White next reported that the Executive Committee reviewed the revised version of Chapter 7 of the Faculty Handbook and decided it is so different from the old chapter that its full review should be delayed until the summer and next year. She then briefly reported on several other matters that will continue through the summer and into next year. Revision of the Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology should remain a Senate priority. She noted that the faculty's role as watchdog led to the formalization of the loan from the system to the Athletic Department for paying off the recently fired basketball coach. She ended by reading an old resolution calling for the chancellor of the Knoxville campus to have the same authority and autonomy as the chancellors of other campuses.
Crabtree reported that the library has been ranked 45 among over 100 research libraries. He then noted that the president's intentions are the same as that of the faculty on the matter of chancellor authority. He announced that B. Bursten has accepted the deanship of Arts and Sciences and that there will be a 20% addition to the facilities fee for green power.III. MINUTES
Crabtree reported next that the budget situation still is fluid. He believes the salary situation is reasonably positive. He noted that the SACS report has not arrived, but everything went well during the recent visit.
In response to a question from W. Hart, Crabtree said that a search committee for the vice-president of agriculture was approved today. In response to another question, he said that the green power agreement says that green power will be purchased if it is available.
Minutes of the Graduate Council meeting of April 21, 2005, were approved. Minutes of the Undergraduate Council of April 20, 2005, were not posted electronically soon enough to be approved today. They will be considered next fall. The delay presents no problems.IV. PREVIOUS BUSINESS
Resolution Concerning Smoking, Cigarettes, and Tobacco on Campus (C. White) W. Morgan moved to consider the third "resolved" statement separately. M. Harmon said he did not consider it a friendly amendment. The motion was seconded and carried 37-24. The new resolution with the first two "resolved" statements was considered first. Changing "some" to "at least one" in the second "resolved" statement was accepted as a friendly amendment by Harmon. A proposal to make all entrances non-smoking entrances was not accepted as a friendly amendment by Harmon. The revised amendment was approved. The new resolution with the third "resolved" statement was considered next. (The word "FURTHER" was deleted.) Morgan spoke against the resolution as an inappropriate way to address the problem. D. Patterson spoke in support on a health basis. T. Handler spoke against restricting the behavior of adults. C. Craig responded that cigarettes still would be readily available, but the resolution speaks against the institution's being a party to smoking. After several more comments the question was called. The resolution failed 26-39.V. REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Ansley noted that the report is not quite complete. She reported that various changes made since the 2000 report made it impossible to do a simple update of the old report. She expects the new report to be more useful and announced that a handout would be available as Faculty Senators leave the meeting. It is hoped that an easily updated format will be created. At the request of B. Lyons, Ansley reported that wage information has not been received from either Aramark or Service Solutions, two big contractors on campus.Committee on the Campus Environment (M. English, J. Nolt)
English reported that the committee has about 15 members with about one-third being faculty. She reported that environmental management was the focus of the 2005 UTK Environmental Progress Report. Comparisons with other institutions are included. She then briefly reviewed the use and cost of electricity, clean water and sewage, other types of waste, green buildings, etc. The full report is available at http://www.cce.utk.edu.VI. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Watson briefly described the changes to the Resolution Concerning the USA PATRIOT Act. White noted that administrators would be asked to communicate the Faculty Senate's position to legislators. It also was explained that the act radically lowers standards for intrusive actions by agencies of the federal government. The resolution was approved in a voice vote.Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee (N. Howell)
Howell noted that the new proposal is only one page and then briefly reviewed it. In response to a question from P. Crilly, Howell said that a second department involved in an application of the policy would not be restricted or coerced and that the chancellor has indicated his support for having a policy and his hope any funding needed to implement such a policy could be found. After considerable discussion, the Faculty Senate approved the proposed policy.VII. NEW BUSINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
White read the names of outgoing senators, asked them to stand and asked for a round of applause for them. She then thanked R. Blakeman and O. Stephens for their help as Information Office and Parliamentarian, respectively. She announced that Stephens will continue as parliamentarian.Election of Faculty Senate Secretary for 2005-2006 (C. White)
Sam Jordan was re-elected for another year.Approval of Standing Committees for 2005-2006 (C. White)
White noted that the list of proposed committee assignments for next year was available at the meeting. The proposed committees were approved.The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
White introduced L. Gross and S. McMillan, candidates for the office of president-elect. She also thanked S. Kurth and the Nominating Committee for their work in obtaining a slate of candidates. The two candidates spoke briefly about their views on the roles of the Faculty Senate and its value. Their statements are posted on the Web. In response to a question from B. Lyons, Gross said that, as president, he would pass the gavel any time he felt the need to express his opinion on a question. C. Craig complimented McMillan for her confidential work last year dealing with faculty appeals; there were no questions for her.
White then thanked the candidates again and noted a large number of ways the Faculty Senate has had a positive impact. She included an announcement that there would be an UT Employee Speak Out will have a meeting from 5:30-6:30 today to continue to promote reasonable raises for all university employees. She also thanked everyone for the re-vote on COIA Academic Integrity Document and reported that she had informed COIA of the approval.
White next reminded everyone that nominations/applications for one position of ombudsperson are needed. She announced that the next lunch with the chancellor will occur April 14 and noted that the fund-raiser will be April 20.
Crabtree said that the SACS reaffirmation visit occurs this week. He noted that the quality-enhancement program is intended to expose students to more intercultural and international material and events. He expects many questions about the plan. Crabtree turned next to the budget and said that no new funding is expected. He also said that calendaring is a major problem on campus; too many important events occur at the same time. He then said that very good consultants have been hired to help with the large capital campaign. Fall enrollment appears as if it will be strong; the new class is well qualified. He ended by noting that there will be a UT Day at the legislature on April 20; it will include displays from the four campuses and people to answer questions.MINUTES
Minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of March 7, 2005, were approved with the change that J. Malia was present.MINUTES POSTED ELECTRONICALLY
Minutes of the March 15, 2005, meeting of the Undergraduate Council and of the March 3, 2005, meeting of the Graduate Council were approved.REPORTS
McMillan reported the committee's involvement in the budget hearings. She then noted that the 2004-2005 Faculty Salary Data Report was distributed with the agenda and asked for suggestions on how the report could be used. Lyons suggested that salary pools be used to try to help units in which salaries are significantly below the average salary for comparison units. D. Thomas noted that librarians are faculty, but they are not included in the report. McMillan responded that a separate report is being prepared to address the matter.Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee (N. Howell)
Howell briefly described the formulation of the Spousal/Partner Recruitment & Retention (SPURR) Guidelines (distributed with the agenda) and gave an overview of the document. It was noted that copies of a list of comments from J. Richter, Office of Equity and Diversity, were available at the meeting. Howell emphasized that the proposal does not call for creating new positions and, in response to a question, listed several universities with similar policies. White noted that those universities have policies but UTK does not. In response to a question Howell said that there was discussion of two persons sharing one tenure-track position, but the proposed policy does not address that matter. M. Fitzgerald expressed concern that the policy would have a negative effect on efforts to have a more diverse faculty. Howell reported that the committee had discussed that possibility and had asked institutions with similar policies whether they had seen any effect. Only U. C. Berkeley responded; it reported no problems.Library Committee (J. Watson)
V. Long suggested having an "opportunity-hire" program; Richter responded that the institution already has such a policy. Lyons then said that the institution already is engaged in spousal hiring and there is a real need for a policy to guide the practice. T. Handler noted that the policy should state explicitly that faculty in the "second" department must be involved in the hiring decision. Concern was expressed about a hiring based on one's spouse or partner, rather than qualifications. Richter made a personal observation that the assistance part of the policy is a positive feature. C. Reynolds said his experience has been that these sorts of matters can be worked out informally. In response to a question Howell said that a growing number of universities seem to be using such policies to obtain a competitive advantage. Long moved that the decision be postponed. The motion was seconded and approved.
Watson briefly reviewed the history of the Resolution Concerning the USA PATRIOT Act (distributed with the agenda). The lack of specificity in the resolution was criticized. Watson listed several specific aspects of the act that the committee had in mind. Lyons said he believes the issues are well-known and greater specificity is not needed. D. Patterson moved that the resolution be returned to committee for the addition of more specificity. The motion was seconded and approved.NEW BUSINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
M. Harmon presented a Tobacco, Smoking and Cigarettes Resolution (distributed at the meeting). It applauds research efforts into non-lethal uses of tobacco and new land uses for farmers who grow tobacco and encourages administrators to create non-smoking entrances to campus buildings and to stop the sale of cigarettes at its campus stores and shops. Lyons objected to the resolution being introduced at the meeting instead of through the Executive Committee and after a similar resolution was extensively discussed and rejected last year. B. Kaye spoke in support of the resolution. K. Kahn moved that the discussion be postponed. There was a second and the motion was approved by a show of hands.The meeting adjourned at 5:06 p.m.
C. White called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m.II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONS
White reminded everyone that the Shared Governance Fundraiser will occur April 20, 5-7 p.m. and that the next brown-bag lunch with the chancellor will occur March 17. She commented that attendees at previous such lunches have raised many good points, some of which have generated some actions. White also spoke about the "Student Academic Bill of Rights" which was discussed at the last Board of Trustees meeting. The university takes a position (for, neutral, against) on every bill before the legislature. The university opposes this particular bill and White recommends that the Faculty Senate not take public action. She also encouraged everyone to contact privately his or her legislator to oppose the bill.
White next expressed her hope that each senator would encourage colleagues to run for the position of senator. She also reminded everyone that senators may serve two consecutive terms. She then announced that S. Martin will be working this spring to see that faculty are appropriately represented on administrative committees.
White announced that a Historic Preservation Task Force has been established. The charge to the task force was distributed with the agenda. White noted that the SGA already has passed a resolution in support of historic preservation. She also thanked G. Schroedl for his initiative getting the task force started. Task Force members are Gerald Schroedl, Chair; Sarah Weeks, Boyce Driskell, Stan Rabun, Tim Ezzell and Terry Ledford.
White next introduced Vice President Zhou Zhe-Wei of Shanghai University. He is visiting for several weeks to study the administration of higher education in the U.S. He briefly described the history of Shanghai University and its interest in establishing more international relations.
Mayhew reported that there is a record number of freshmen applications. The increase is due partly to the lottery scholarships, but out-of-state applications are up. The average academic profile of applicants is higher than in the past. The institution cannot handle all the applicants; having 4,000 incoming freshmen is the current goal, but estimating the "yield rate" is difficult.III. MINUTES
The budget hearings are essentially complete. Everyone has pressing needs, but funding is not available for everything. There will be a tuition increase; a large part of it will be applied to fixed costs, such as utilities, which increase every year.
Candidates for the deanship of Architecture and Interior Design are being interviewed. All candidates for the deanship in Arts and Sciences have been interviewed.
Mayhew concluded by echoing White's comments on the need for quiet diplomacy on the "Student Academic Bill of Rights." She noted that there is a different bill concerning distant education. The university is trying to work with the legislator who submitted the bill to see what its intent is.
Minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of February 7, 2005, were approved without change.IV. MINUTES POSTED ELECTRONICALLY
Minutes of the Undergraduate Council meeting of February 1, 2005, and of the Graduate Council meeting of January 27, 2005, were approved.V. PREVIOUS BUSINESS
Kennedy began with the changes concerning the Budget and Planning Committee. The proposed changes were approved without opposition, as were the proposed changes concerning the start dates of terms for officers and the proposed changes concerning nominations. The proposed elimination of the Educational Policy Committee also was approved without opposition. Proposed changes for the Graduate Council were approved with the addition at the end of the first paragraph of a statement that the immediate past-Chair of the Council will remain a member for one year after his/her term as Chair. Finally, proposed changes for the Undergraduate Council were approved.VI. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Bailey recalled that the committee could not support the "best-practices" document from COIA, but reported that it does support a recommendation concerning weekday football games. He then read a resolution (distributed with the agenda) calling for no scheduling of "home football games on Monday through Friday while school is in session." He noted that the athletic director supports the resolution. In response to a question from P. Crilly, Bailey noted that there would be an impact on the educational process if there were a weekday game, since security rules require buildings near the stadium to be closed for an extended period before the game and parking lots would be needed for fans long before kick-off.
S. McMillan moved that "home" be stricken. T. Handler reported that the athletic director does not support this change. B. Lyons and D. Lockwood supported the change because of the loss of class time by athletes and band members. After some more discussion, the proposed amendment was passed.
Schroedl moved that "while school is in session" be deleted at the end of the resolution. After a brief discussion, the Faculty Senate rejected the amendment. The amended resolution then was approved.
Information Technology Committee (C. White for G. Whitney)
White reported that several voice-over-the-internet-protocol software programs will be tested on campus. She also called special attention to the proposed Acceptable Use Policy and noted that the Executive Committee found many problems with the document. B. Dewey encouraged everyone to read the preamble of the current policy to see the tone it sets. D. Leatherman described the proposed policy as vague and extraordinarily obnoxious and then noted several specific examples; he urged the Faculty Senate to strongly censure the proposed document. There was strong agreement with Leatherman's comments and several more objections were raised. A motion to censure then was approved unanimously.Nominating Committee (S. Kurth)
White noted that the proposed policy affects Knoxville-area computers, but the system-level has control. Lyons recalled that T. Davies raised questions about the lack of a requirement that a user be notified before his or her privacy is violated.
Kurth said the committee is close to having a slate of candidates for President-Elect. White said the two candidates will make statements at the April meeting.The meeting adjourned at 4:57 p.m.
The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate
MINUTES
February 7, 2005
Those absent were: Mary Albrecht, John Ammons, Basil Antar, Denise Barlow, Dave Bemis, Bill Blass, Bruce Bomar, Toby Boulet, Jan W. Brown, Tom Burman, Hui-Shyong Chang, Col. Alfred Coffman, Chris Cox, Christopher Craig, Rajan Ganguly, Jean Gauger, William Hamel, Susan Hamilton, Mark Harmon, Heather Hirschfeld, Syed Islam, Ed Jepson, Dukwon Kim, David Lockwood*, Vena Long, William Martella, Mary McAlpin, Blance O'Bannon, Bob Rider, W. Tim Rogers, Mary Rogge, Dileep Sachan, Carl Sams, Mandyam Srinivasan, John Waller*, Fred Weber, John Wilkerson, Jan Williams.
*Alternate Senators: Michael Davidson for David Lockwood, Kimberly Gwinn for John Waller
I. CALL TO ORDERC. White called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONS
Establishment of Quorum (S. Jordan)
Jordan confirmed that a quorum was present.
Senate President's Report (C. White)
White welcomed new senators elected to fill vacancies and called attention to copies of the president's report and the shared-governance document, both of which were available at the meeting. She also noted that there would be an open lunch with the chancellor on February 14 in the arena. She then noted that the new ombudspersons are Neil Cohen (3 years), Richard Strange (2 years) and Marla Peterson (1 year). She also reminded everyone that caucuses need to be functioning; new senators will be needed and elections need to be held.
White next noted that she is wearing her living-wage button and reported that the Living Wage Task Force is hard at work. It is tri-chaired by F. Ansley, M. Rogge and David Linge. White also talked about the January meeting of COIA in Nashville, which she and A. Fairhurst attended. She reviewed the purposes of the COIA and the document produced at the meeting (as described in the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting of January 10, 2005). She concluded by announcing that there will be a shared-governance fund-raiser at Preservation Pub on April 20. Chancellor Crabtree will serve as bartender and there will be a pizza buffet and live music.
Chancellor's Report (L. Crabtree)
Crabtree reported that the underlying assumption of the governor's budget proposal is that TennCare will be under control. The governor has proposed to continue for another year funds to replace an earlier loss. He also proposed funding for joint positions with ORNL. There also is funding for capital projects. Some is for repairs and some is for new construction. A one-percent salary increase is proposed. A one-percent bonus also is planned. The proposed budget includes no new operating funds, so there probably will be a significant tuition increase.III. MINUTES
Crabtree turned next to rankings. A Chinese university's ranking of the top 500 universities in the world places UT between 101 and 152. Some of UTıs peer institutions are ranked higher and some lower. The Lombardy ranking places UT, Knoxville rather high and gives UTK high marks for its recent progress.
Crabtree next reported that undergraduate applications are up 23.4% over last year's applications at this time. The average ACT of admitted resident students is 26.2 and the average GPA is 3.59. The ACT average for nonresidents is higher. Graduate applications are up to 18.3% over last year at this time.
In response to a question from B. Lyons, Crabtree said the governor has not addressed tuition increases. In response to a question from W. Morgan, Crabtree expressed concern about proposed reallocations of lottery money and expressed hope the General Assembly would collect good data before acting. In response to a question from M. Fitzgerald, Crabtree said increased demand for upper-division courses could be met in terms of classroom space by spreading the teaching day. He noted that adequate housing is another concern. In response to another question, Crabtree said the trend to using non-tenure-track faculty is 20 years old and is the only way many institutions of higher learning can meet demand. He noted that if UT becomes a primarily upper-division institution, then tenured and tenure-track faculty will be needed. He also discussed several ways in which UT is ranked low in the Lombardy rankings and observed that some of the data used was not correct.
Minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of November 15, 2004, were approved with three changes: (1) George Dodds was present, (2) in the next to last line of the paragraph under New Business "building" should be "build" and (3) under Handbook Committee there should be inserted an additional paragraph reading as follows:IV. MINUTES POSTED ELECTRONICALLY
Lyons identified issues raised by Katherine Greenberg regarding Chapter 1. In response to a question, Susan Martin confirmed that the solutions posed by Lyons to two of Greenberg's concerns are acceptable. As outlined on the temporary handbook web site (web.utk.edu/~blyons/handbook) these are: Kathy Greenberg has expressed some concern regarding the deletion of the sentence regarding "interdisciplinary" in the "Nature and Purpose" section. It was agreed to move this to Chapter 2, page 2, line 8 on the "Importance of Scholarship" to read "The university also encourages and supports interdisciplinary activities by faculty members." Greenberg also expressed concern regarding the "nomination" rather than the "selection" of faculty representation on (non-Faculty Senate) university committees (p. 10, line 33) which Beauvais Lyons has proposed to be changed to "working with the Faculty Senate President to nominate faculty members for service on university committees." Lyons also indicated the web site included suggestions from Mary Albrecht regarding Chapter 6 that Susan Martin agreed were acceptable.
Minutes of the Graduate Council meeting of November 18, 2004, were approved.V. SENATE BYLAWS CHANGES
Changes presented for first reading (D. Kennedy)VI. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Kennedy described a proposed change from August 1 to July 1 as the start date for the terms of officers; this proposal was distributed at the meeting. Kennedy then discussed the proposed changes distributed with the agenda. There were no questions or comments.
Athletics Committee (A. Fairhurst)
Fairhurst reported that a subcommittee has reviewed the COIA document. It noted some concerns with the document and recommended that the document not be approved. There was no objection, so that decision will be forwarded to COIA.Budget Committee (S. McMillan)
McMillan reported that the committee worked with the administration to improve the questions deans are asked to answer. The committee will review the reports of the deans and be actively involved in the budget hearings.Faculty Affairs Committee (B. Lyons)
Department Heads Evaluation
Lyons described a review of department head evaluation forms. A new form was developed and then used in a pilot program last year. Lyons invited D. Scroggins to discuss implementation of the evaluation on the Web. Scroggins said lists of tenured and tenure-track faculty would be sent to department heads. To provide anonymity each faculty member may have a special number, which can be used once to complete an evaluation. D. Patterson suggested using the anonymous survey available in Blackboard. Scroggins responded that he had been assured the proposed method was the best choice. M. Beck noted that any method will depend on the discretion of someone or some group. Lyons noted that paper forms of this evaluation document can be used, instead of waiting for the implementation on the Web. C. Reynolds asked whether the Executive Committee might discuss the matter and make a recommendation; Lyons suggested involving the chancellor and the Council of Deans. Scroggins noted that heads would see college and university comparative data.Department Bylaws Guide
Lyons discussed the need for a guide to help departments revise bylaws to conform with the new Faculty Handbook. The guide was distributed with the agenda.Information Technology Committee (G. Whitney)
Whitney reported there is a new Acceptable Use Policy to be reviewed by various groups. She also said the committee is looking into many tools for voice-over communications in teaching and research. Finally, Napster is being tested in residence halls this semester. Whitney next introduced Brice Bible to speak on information security. Bible described some of the security issues of a large educational institution. There are over one-half million attempts per day to hack into this universityıs systems. Bible described some of the efforts already made and services available to help protect computing on campus. He also discussed some additional steps that may be taken. During this month, which is IT Security Month on campus, short videos on various security matters will be available to help create awareness.The meeting adjourned at 5:03 p.m.
The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate
MINUTES
November 15, 2004
Those absent were: Mary Albrecht, John Ammons, Misty Anderson, Denise Barlow, Micah Beck, Kathy Bohstedt*, Tom Burman, Col. Alfred Coffman, Chris Cox, Loren Crabtree*, Barbara Dewey, George Dodds, Dave Edwards, Charles Feigerle, Bob Gorman, Susan Hamilton, Karen Hughes, Ed Jepson, Barbara Kaye, Dukwon Kim, William Martella, Deborah Murphy, Jan Musfeldt, John Preston, Bob Rider, W. Tim Rogers, Dileep Sachan, Mandyam Srinivasan, Otis Stephens*, Deborah Thomas*, Fred Weber, John Wilkerson
*Alternate Senators: Sheldon Cohen for Kathy Bohstedt, Susan Martin for Loren Crabtree, Mary Papke for Otis Stephens, Rita Smith for Deborah Thomas
CALL TO ORDERC. White called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONSEstablishment of Quorum (S. Jordan)
Jordan confirmed that a quorum was present.Senate President's Report (C. White) White announced that M. Papke was substituting for O. Stephens as parliamentarian. She then read the names of the members of the Faculty Handbook Revision Committee and thanked them for their good work. She also called attention to the dedication of the new handbook to M. Moffett; the dedication was distributed with the agenda.
White reported that President Petersen has approved and the General Counsel confirmed the use of the new diversity statement in all university documents. It will be added to documents that come to the president's office without it. It may not be added to the EEOC statement.
White announced that there is a move to make all faculty/staff parking permits valid for all faculty/staff lots. A straw vote gave almost complete support to the idea. White will report the result of the vote to G. Reed. She then called attention to the "Faculty Senate Strategic Plan" (distributed with the agenda) and briefly reviewed the need for it and the strategies listed in it. She also called attention to a flyer (distributed at the meeting) from the Athletics Department. It documents ways the athletics program benefits the institution, the community and the state.Chancellor's Report (S. Martin for L. Crabtree) Martin reported that the new diversity statement will be posted on the Web along with instructions for its use.MINUTESMinutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of October 18, 2004, were approved unanimously without change.MINUTES POSTED ELECTRONICALLY
Minutes of the Undergraduate Council meeting of November 2, 2004, were approved without change. At this point, M. Harmon moved that consideration of the minutes of the last Faculty Senate meeting be re-opened. His motion was seconded and approved. He then asked that the following be added at the end of the Chancellorıs Report: Crabtree agreed with M. Harmon that smoke-free entrances to campus buildings are a worthwhile goal. It was agreed to add this statement.REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Handbook Committee (B. Lyons)
Lyons reviewed the history of the revision of the Faculty Handbook to assure new senators that it has been considered extensively by the Faculty Senate. He emphasized that the new handbook applies to faculty at more places than the old handbook. He also noted that there is a new chapter on contingent faculty.REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Lyons next briefly reviewed the parts of the new handbook and special aspects of each of the chapters. D. Patterson expressed concern over deletion of a statement of Chapter 3 that a positive vote of the majority of the faculty in a unit is necessary for recommending that a faculty candidate be extended a job offer. Lyons responded with an example in which a hiring committee's recommendation was overruled by the department head who wanted to take a broader view than the committee had. Martin added that it is important to remember that all hiring recommendations are advisory. Patterson reiterated his view that the deletion weakens the role of the faculty. M. Cetingok said he supports Patterson's position. In response to a question from T. Boulet, White and Martin said that colleges and departments may add to their bylaws a statement like the deleted one. C. Craig raised a question about making an appeal through one route and possibly needing to drop that appeal in order to meet a deadline for filing an appeal through another route. Martin responded that, once an appeal has passed the dean level, it can be redirected. Lyons expressed confidence that an ombudsperson will be able to help in such a case.
White next held votes on the various parts of the Faculty Handbook (excluding Chapter 7 which was not under consideration). All parts were approved. C. Reynolds then asked that Lyons and B. Dunne be thanked for their efforts. White then called for a round of applause for them.
Athletics Committee (A. Fairhurst)Fairhurst said that the committee recommends membership of the Faculty Senate in the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA). The committee's motion was seconded. White noted that there are no dues, but the shared governance fund would provide some funding for a meeting in Nashville in January and for someone to attend the meeting. The faculty athletics representative has agreed to serve as the representative to COIA. The motion recommending membership was approved.Library Committee (J. Watson)
Watson called attention to excerpts from The USA PATRIOT Act distributed with the agenda. She then introduced D. Raber who described how the act was passed without hearings or mark-up, how it affects many facets of life in this country, and how even conservative institutions have expressed concern about the changes it makes. He focused on Section 215 which allows the FBI to obtain a search order for any tangible thing it says is needed for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. No judge may reject a request for such an order. Moreover, any institution or person presented with such an order may not disclose anything was sought. Library records and internet communications are just two matters subject to the act. Raber gave some examples of how extensive FBI searches can be under this act and how vague their reasons can be. It was noted that the ³gag order² of the act prevents doing research on the act and its effects. One section of the act has been found unconstitutional because of violations of the first and fourth amendments. Raber ended by urging everyone to review Sections 213-220, the heart of the act.NEW BUSINESSJ. Malia reported the outrage of a distinguished faculty member over the campaign to raise large amounts of money for renovating the football stadium when many academic buildings are in terrible condition. White said she would include this matter in the agenda of the next Executive Committee meeting. Lyons urged Malia to use the senate listserve to building momentum for constructive action. White said she would start the discussion.The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate
MINUTES
October 18, 2004
Those absent were: Bill Adams*, John Ammons, Denise Barlow, Bruce Bomar, Marianne Breinig, Hui-Shyong Chang, Barbara Dewey, David Eastwood, Dave Edwards*, Charles Feigerle, Bob Gorman, William Hamel, Dennie Kelley, Dukwon Kim, Way Kuo, Julia Malia, Sibyl Marshall, Deborah Murphy*, Jan Musfeldt, John Preston, W. Tim Rogers, Mary Rogge, Bart Rohrbach, Mandyam Srinivasan, John Waller, Fred Weber
*Alternate Senators: Melissa Kennedy for Dave Edwards, Robert Donnell for Bill Adams, Joan Rentsch for Deborah Murphy
CALL TO ORDERC. White called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONSEstablishment of Quorum (S. Jordan)
Jordan confirmed that a quorum was present.Senate President's Report (C. White)White noted the death of M. Moffett and then reviewed some of the Faculty Senate accomplishments during her year as president. These included a revision of the Faculty Handbook. There will be a time of remembrance at a local church on November 21.
White then reported that the Faculty Handbook revisions are progressing on schedule and final approval will occur at the November 15 senate meeting and that nominations for ombudspersons are being received. She also noted that some committee charges were distributed with the agenda or available at the meeting. She called attention to a SWOT report on the recent retreat that was distributed with the agenda. A "Faculty Senate Digest" is being prepared by several past and present senate leaders. There also are plans for a regular Faculty Senate column in "The Daily Beacon." White then emphasized that restructuring is a means to an end, not an end in itself, but that form should follow function, so periodic reviews of the Faculty Senate structure can be valuable. She then observed that the status of campus facilities is a major concern of faculty across campus and suggested that perhaps the Budget Committee should be changed to the Budget and Planning Committee, so that it can react properly to such concerns. White also noted that the duties of the Educational Policy Committee overlap significantly with activities of the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils, so the role of and need for the Educational Policy Committee should be reviewed.
White then reported that the Board of Trustees has passed motions to add the Faculty Senate and student government association presidents as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committees.
Chancellor's Report (L. Crabtree)Crabtree said he agrees with White on the need for form to follow function and thanked her for her remembrance of M. Moffett. He then reported that the statement on diversity in Chapter 1 of the new Faculty Handbook now will be included in position announcements. He noted that several projects are moving forward. These include a funding initiative with the state and planning for a capital campaign. C. Craig then asked that the diversity statement be included in the minutes; it reads as follows: "The institution welcomes and honors people of all races, creeds, cultures and sexual orientations, and values intellectual curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and academic freedom and integrity."
B. Lyons then asked how Austin Peay University is able to have a diversity statement as part of its policy. Crabtree said he raised that question with counsel and did not get a satisfactory answer. White then noted that Crabtree will be available at lunch tomorrow to answer questions.
MINUTES
White noted that minutes of the Undergraduate Council meeting of September 28, 2004, and of the Graduate Council meeting of October 7, 2004, were posted on the Web and senators were informed of their availability. Brief summaries of the main items were given and each set of minutes was approved.REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Athletics Committee (A. Fairhurst)
Fairhurst announced that three reports would be given.
Report of Faculty Representative to Athletics Board (T. Diacon)
Diacon said he has a great job because it is a wonderful opportunity to interact with student-athletes. He sees his duties partly as being a "go-between" for the faculty and those managing athletics. He also oversees the institutionıs compliance with NCAA and SEC requirements. He briefly reviewed new NCAA progression requirements for individual athletes and for squads. He encouraged faculty to respond to requests for progress reports on student-athletes.
Report of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Director of Thornton Center (R. Darling)
Darling read a description of activities of the Thornton Center. It has a writing center and a mathematics center. Almost all tutoring takes place in the center; any tutoring that occurs elsewhere must be approved in advance. Darling noted that she is active in the area of academics for the NCAA. In response to a question from K. Hughes, Darling said that funding for the Thornton Center is provided by the athletics program through the campus administration. In response to another question, Darling and Diacon said that coaches determine any penalty for an athlete who misses class. The Thornton Center reports attendance at its activities. Diacon said he can talk to a coach about a student's absences only if instructors have reported those absences. In response to another question, Darling said benchmarks for adequate progress were set by the NCAA after studying data on athletes; the data covered ten years. She also said athletes have five years to compete and six to graduate. Their majors are quite diverse, although certain areas attract more than other areas.
NCAA Certification Self-Study (G. Reed)
Reed noted that information was distributed to senators to allow them to access the draft report on the Web. He then described the goals and the methods of the certification process. The NCAA will send a team to campus to interview a selection of individuals, to verify the information in the self-study and to verify that the process used by the campus was broad-based. The institution has an opportunity to respond to a preliminary report from the NCAA. Reed invited everyone to send him questions, if there are any.
NEW BUSINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
White noted that a list of meeting dates for 2005-2006 was distributed with the agenda. She then turned to a recent survey by G. Bogue on faculty and administrator compensation trends. Presidents of the various faculty senates hope to have a resolution on the topic to present to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on November 9. Copies of the resolution were distributed at the meeting. Adoption of the resolution was moved and seconded. White reported that the four senates might approve somewhat different resolutions. Crabtree read several statistics indicating a reduction in the number of Knoxville administrators and an increase in the number of Knoxville FTE faculty positions; he then spoke in favor of getting accurate numbers. White responded that the various numbers reflect various time periods and various groups. When asked about the contingent faculty component of his data, Crabtree responded that he was not sure. He also said he believes Bogue's study is flawed. S. Kurth moved that "at more than twice the rate of" be replaced with "more rapidly than" in the first paragraph of the resolution and that the third paragraph be deleted. The motion was accepted as a friendly amendment. J. Malia moved that the title be changed to "Resolution Concerning Administrative and Faculty Salaries and Operating Budgets." The motion was not accepted as a friendly amendment and D. Sachan and others spoke against it. B. Blass expressed concern about including administrative salaries. He then moved that the first paragraph be deleted. This motion also was not accepted. The question was called by M. Harmon. A more-than-two-thirds majority voted to close debate. The amended resolution then was approved. It reads as follows:Resolution Concerning Administrative Salaries
WHEREAS, Administrative salaries among the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) institutions have increased more rapidly than faculty salaries in recent years; and
WHEREAS, Faculty salaries in the University of Tennessee system have not kept pace with the SREB averages; and
WHEREAS, Cuts in state funding to higher education have resulted in decreased operating funds for academic departments and programs; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Faculty Senate(s) urge Governor Bredesen and the Board of Trustees to establish budget priorities that address the relative decline in faculty compensation, restore faculty lines and academic program operating expenses, and link administrator and faculty compensation trends and decrease the disparity between them.
The meeting adjourned at 5:09 p.m.
The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate
MINUTES
September 20, 2004
Those absent were: Bruce Bomar, Toby Boulet, Col. Alfred Coffman, Dave Edwards*, Rajan Ganguly, Bob Gorman, William Hamel, Susan Hamilton, William Hart, Karen Hughes, Ed Jepson, Kenneth Kahn, Barbara Kaye, Dennie Kelley, Dukwon Kim, Sally McMillan, Deborah Murphy, Jan Musfeldt, John Preston, Neal Schrick*, Mandyam Srinivasan.
*Alternate Senator: Robert Donnell for Dave Edwards, Michael Essington for Neal Schrick
C. White called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONSEstablishment of Quorum (S. Jordan) Jordan confirmed that a quorum was present.Senate President's Report (C. White)White introduced the officers and then presented a resolution recognizing the service of B. Lyons as President of the Faculty Senate for academic year 2003-2004. The resolution reads as follows:Chancellor's Report (L. Crabtree)
D. Kennedy also presented Lyons with a plaque and a gavel.The University of Tennessee
WHEREAS, Professor Beauvais Lyons is a highly respected colleague, teacher, and artist; and
Faculty Senate
WHEREAS, he is internationally known in the field of "Mock Academics," helping to bring the first excavated adult male centaur to Hodges Library; and
WHEREAS, he has served with distinction as President of the Faculty Senate during the 2003-2004 academic year, enhancing relationships between the Senate and the greater University community with a perfect balance of assertive leadership and collegiality and good will; and
WHEREAS, he has helped advance the welfare of faculty, staff, and students by advocating for a Living Wage and a more inclusive non-discrimination policy; and
WHEREAS, he has worked tirelessly to complete the Faculty Handbook;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the University of Tennessee Faculty Senate expresses its sincere appreciation toProfessor Beauvais Lyons
for his exemplary leadership and service to the Senate and the University of Tennessee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this Resolution be presented to Beauvais Lyons and that the Resolution become part of the minutes of the Senate meeting held on September 20, 2004.
G. Samuel Jordan
SecretaryCandace White
President
White then briefly described some of the activities of the Faculty Senate for the coming year. She said the Faculty Senate needs to have a stronger voice at critical stages of decision-making processes with more information from administrators before decisions are made, and that senate committees need to work in concert with administrative committees at important policy intersections. She also noted that copies of a letter to her from the United Campus Workers was available at the meeting. White next spoke about the Faculty Senate Retreat Friday, September 24, 2004.Crabtree thanked Lyons and M. Moffett for their work last year. He then noted that the UT Downtown Gallery opened recently and a Tang Dynasty exhibit recently opened at McClung Museum. He also noted several other recent events and then reported that the faculty ranked well on a recent survey of research citations.Remarks by the President of the UT System (J. Petersen)
Crabtree reported next that the budget appears okay, although all funds are committed. He identified several projects currently getting his attention and emphasized some concerning diversity and student support. He thanked the faculty for their efforts on behalf of the university and urged senators to vote as citizens of the university, not simply as citizens of their units.
O. Welch asked Crabtree to say more about the proposed Academic Success Center. He responded that it would be an "answer center," a place with thoughtful people to respond to students' needs in a timely way.
M. Harmon asked whether an old matter might be dealt with this term; it is the matter of identifying a smoke-free entrance for each building. Crabtree agreed that the matter should be dealt with. In response to another question, Crabtree said that candidates for employment at UT may be told that the institution does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.White read the resolution on campus autonomy passed by the Faculty Senate last year, thanked Petersen for increasing Crabtree's level of autonomy and then invited Petersen to speak. Petersen reported that he has enough to do without trying to run the Knoxville campus. He prefers to empower others to run campuses and to hold them accountable.
Petersen said he sees part of his job to be communicating the good works on all the campuses to everyone interested in the university. He acknowledged that the faculty and campus administrators have been asked to do more with less and have done so. He then noted that several system-level appointments have been or soon will be made.
Petersen then spoke about some advantages the institution has. Among these were an improving state economy and a supportive governor. He noted that the state administration and legislature need to hear that state higher education has been under good stewardship that has made good use of the state support provided. He said that he has asked the campus leaders to choose their battles and to focus on the major goals, which they determine. Petersen then spoke about ORNL, St. Jude's Hospital and Vanderbilt University as three especially important entities in the state. He believes cooperation with each of these will be especially beneficial.
Petersen next recalled that J. Britt has been appointed Executive Vice President (temporary, until approved by the Board of Trustees). Petersen wants Britt to help the various chancellors to achieve their campus goals.
In response to a question from Harmon, Petersen said that proposals for better graduate student stipends, better operating budgets and better undergraduate support are being formulated. In response to a question from D. Sachan, Petersen said he does think it is important for a president to get to know faculty. He stressed, however, that chancellors are responsible for the campuses. So far most of Petersen's campus visits have been with administrators, but he expects to begin to meet with faculty as well. For such meetings he expects to be accompanied by the appropriate chancellor.
Lyons then asked Petersen to speak about the impact of lottery scholarships. Petersen said that he has been saying that the experiment has worked and that the state can expect more students to become workers in the state. He also has been pointing out that the scholarships do not increase the budget and that a better budget is needed to deal with the increased enrollment. Those who have heard these comments have not disagreed.
P. Crilly encouraged Petersen to walk around campus to see what is going on and to see the condition of buildings and grounds. Petersen agreed and said that one point he already has noted is that there is not enough recycling being done. In response to a question from M. Anderson, Petersen said that it costs a lot to do science, engineering and medicine and there should be a good return. At the University of Connecticut he tried to support humanities, social sciences and fine arts financially and in other ways. He believes excellence in these areas can be achieved more economically.
MINUTESMinutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of May 3, 2004, were approved without change. Minutes of the April 22, 2004, Graduate Council meeting and the April 27, 2004, Undergraduate Council meeting were approved unanimously.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Review and Redirection Task Force (A. Mayhew)Mayhew noted that the task force is being disbanded and then briefly described the major policy accomplishments of the task force. She also noted that the task force was involved to various degrees in several organizational changes. She also asserted that these changes have been and are being processed within the usual policies. There were no questions.Faculty Handbook Committee (B. Lyons)Lyons briefly reviewed the history of the current revision. He reported that almost everything the Faculty Senate approved last year has remained intact, including the statement on sexual orientation in Chapter 1. However, the location of tenure continues to rest in academic programs, rather than the university. Lyons believes Chapter 8 is one of the most important, since it gives the Faculty Senate and the chancellor responsibility for changes to the Faculty Handbook. He also said he hopes the new handbook can be considered by the Faculty Senate in November. Crabtree then said that it is his intention to be finished by the end of November, but that, where and when legally possible, the new handbook is being followed.Appeals CommitteeFaculty Ombudspersons (D. Patterson)Patterson described these positions and the criteria for them. An ombudsperson is a consultant and mediator. It is hoped these faculty can solve problems early and at low levels. Patterson read both required and preferred criteria for an ombudsperson. There were no questions.NEW BUSINESS
Faculty Senate Retreat (C. White)White briefly described plans for the retreat.
The meeting adjourned at 5:01 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Sam Jordan, Secretary
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