Report to Faculty Senate Meeting of Feb 5, 2007 Louis Gross, Senate President 0. Data tidbit of the day on salary compression matters. Given that the Chancellor and Provost have noted that we should be hiring new faculty at market rates and this may cause additional compression problems I wanted an estimate of how our current compression status is relative to our peers: Results are for Average Full Professor Salary ----------------------------- Average Assistant Professor Salary UTK THEC Peer group Top 25 Public SUG Peers 1.5889 1.7196 1.7148 1.6927 1. Attendance at Board Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee Main points were (1) discussion of planning needs for UTC campus, (2) discussion of public-private student housing and the associated issues it raises, which may arise here if Knoxville Place comes under the authority of UTK housing (3) post-Geier planning, in which the President's staff has met with various experts on what we can do legally to enhance diversity (achievable and legal goals) but they are not ready to float a draft policy (4) the lottery was discussed with a variety of data provided indicating it is "easy to get but hard to keep" for many students across UT (94% of UTK TN students have lottery scholarship of one type or another but only about 50% retain them across the State) and (5) the Governor's School High School that UTK is now responsible for has fallen to Jan Simek to organize. Numerous faculty have evidently been drafted to work on this. A Director is in the process of being hired - it will be at TN School for the Deaf campus starting in the Fall with 24 students - 12 male and 12 female. What is not clear to me is what role we as faculty should have in this endeavor - we have authority over all curricular matters at UTK but it is not clear whether we (or who) has authority over curricular matters at a high school run by UTK. 2. Chancellors Council - the latest meeting focused on (1) the capital campaign and associated development issues, relevant items includ the fact that the highest priority for the System's capital request to the State was for infrastructure for Cherokee Farm - not clear who wants this (certainly I am unaware of any request for any formal Faculty Senate input on this) though I've been told there has been lots of faculty input in this process - it seems to be driven by the System not the campus. (2) A Communications report which basically says we don't do a good job communicating internally (a great example is the almost complete lack of communication on the round of email problems we've had over the last two months as to what the plan is to deal with it). There is along list of findings in this report, which I have not seen. 3. Discussions with Provost and Dean of Graduate School regarding plans for regrowth of graduate programs here - I have been assured that the Graduate Council will be involved in plans - they are not ready to bring forward any plan at this time, but we can expect to see a plan being brought forward for discussion. As you know the Provost has requested faculty participate in a First Year Studies seminar program - approval of this is on the agenda for the March Senate meeting. 4. Tenure decisions - important to keep in mind Board Policy which I repeat here: From UT Board POLICIES GOVERNING ACADEMIC FREEDOM, RESPONSIBILITY, AND TENURE Criteria for Tenure Tenure is awarded after a thorough review which culminates in The University acknowledging a reasonable presumption of the faculty member's professional excellence, and the likelihood that excellence will contribute substantially over a considerable period of time to the mission and anticipated needs of the academic unit in which tenure is granted. Professional excellence is reflected in the faculty member's teaching, research, and service including the faculty member's ability to interact appropriately with colleagues and students. The relative weights of these factors will vary according to the fit between the faculty member and the mission of the academic unit in which he or she is appointed. Note several aspects of this: tenure is based in an academic unit, it is the faculty in that unit who presumably have the best knowledge of the mission of the unit and how an individual can contribute to it. Ongoing discussion of the relative role of the faculty and various adminstrators in the tenure decision process is healthy and I encourage it. I have received and tried to respond to numerous messages on this, in part driven by a vibrant and stimulating gathering sponsored by the UTK Black Faculty and Staff Association just down the hall last week. I believe it is important to have open discussion about the meaning and determination of tenure and hiring decisions in general, as well as frank discussions about the poor record we have at UT with regard to diversity (as I have particularly noted in my remarks to Board with regards to gender at our most senior ranks). If we as a faculty do not strive to move our institution forward in this regard we are doing our students and the Tennesseans who support us a disservice. 5. Elections - President-Elect Patterson is organizing elections and I encourage you to assist him in this process by working with your caucus to identify potential new Senators and encourage colleagues to participate. President-Elect Patterson would appreciate your help in ensuring the Senate has a full contingent of interested faculty to carry out our activities. 6. Please consider appropriate individuals to nominate for the position of President-Elect and send nominations to Glenn Graber, Chair of the Nominations Committee.