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Members Present: Mike Combs, Beauvais Lyons, Kathy Greenberg, Sam
Jordan, Otis Stephens, Glenn Graber, Misty Anderson, Jon Coddington,
Loren Crabtree, Sylvia Davis, Barbara Dewey, Salvatore DiMaria,
Ann Fairhurst, Jim Gehlhar, Louis Gross, Carolyn Hodges, Laura Jolly,
Majid Keyhani, Wesley Morgan, Bonnie Ownley, David Patterson, Paul
Phillips, Peggy Pierce, John Shumaker, Richard Strange, Fred Weber,
Olga Welch, Candace White, Sara Williams
Guests: Phil Scheurer
Introduction (M. Combs)
Combs called the roll and introduced each committee member.
Opening Statement by the Senate President (M. Combs)
Combs reminded everyone of his "Statement of Vision and Guiding
Principles," a final draft of which was included with the agenda.
He said he would like to focus this year on eliminating the "big
orange screw," to focus and direct the Senate's work in an
efficient way and to open lines of communication at all levels to
better facilitate the charge from the Board of Trustees to the Faculty
Senate. Combs then expressed his intent to preserve balance of input,
his hope that all items requiring input or action will be provided
as an agenda item in advance if at all possible, his desire to limit
the length of meetings and to provide information in more ways,
his intent to have a Presidential Advisory Group (consisting of
Senate officers, M. Anderson, S. DiMaria, C. Hodges, C. White and
P. Phillips) to meet with him on short notice when matters requiring
a quick response arise, and, finally, his plan to get input concerning
assignments to campus committees.
MINUTES
Minutes of the April 15, 2002, meeting of the Executive Committee
were approved without
change.
Dialogue with President Shumaker (J. Shumaker)
Shumaker reported that he is looking at the issue of whether the
Knoxville campus needs a chancellor. He said he wants the Executive
Committee's input on the matter. He hopes to take a proposal to
the Board of Trustees in October. He is not interested in trying
to manage the Knoxville campus, but he is willing to be available
for discussions. He said he believes in openness and transparency.
He also stated that he is talking about the structure of higher
education in Tennessee with people in Nashville. Campus beautification
in Knoxville is another area of activity. He then reasserted his
commitment to shared governance.
L. Gross expressed concern about which programs would report to
a chancellor and which would report to system administrators. Shumaker
responded, in part, that athletics is a state-wide function and
the system administration usually has responsibility for such functions,
but that the whole matter will have to be discussed thoroughly.
In response to a comment by Phillips, Shumaker said he does not
think the system administration needs to reflect the campus administration,
but again the matter will have to be discussed in detail. After
B. Lyons commented that members of the Board of Trustees have been
invited to the retreat in September, Shumaker said he would encourage
Board members to attend. He also responded to a comment from M.
Keyhani by saying that the success of athletics teams helps the
institution's image, but it is not enough; many have expressed to
him concern about how students sometimes are treated. He cautioned
that marketing and communication efforts must be followed by sincere
efforts to improve how students are treated. D. Patterson asked
whether replacing a provost with a chancellor would weaken the focus
on academic affairs. Shumaker responded that he would expect a chancellor
to focus on academic affairs and to have a vicechancellor for academic
affairs. He then listed several positive aspects of the academic
program. In response to another question from Gross, Shumaker said
that he would seek faculty, staff and student input before making
decisions about reallocations. He noted that discussions on how
to refocus and reshape UTSI have already begun with various constituencies
in Tullahoma; constituencies in Knoxville also will be involved.
It was noted that the UTSI budget is roughly $78,000 per student
and about half of the students are international students.
Dialogue with Provost Crabtree (L. Crabtree)
Crabtree noted that he is in agreement with Shumaker on the matter
of shared governance and that he hopes to eliminate "command
and control." He also said that students may be first, but
they are not customers who can buy something off the shelf; they
are co-creators of learning and knowledge. He then said that he
wants to add to "students first" the phrase "faculty
first." He said he would like for the Faculty Senate to be
more nimble and more effective in order to change the nature of
governance. In response to a question from Keyhani about having
department heads or department chairs, Crabtree said he likes five-year
terms with a significant review to determine whether the leadership
continues. He added that authority, accountability and responsibility
must be placed with the deans and department heads and everyone
must buy into the collective mission of the institution. He agreed
that better evaluation is needed. Phillips noted that there had
been a recommendation to switch to chairs, but the president at
the time rejected the idea on the grounds that he wanted to be able
to remove any administrator at any time. DiMaria asked whether Crabtree
would favor elections of department heads by the faculty and of
deans by the heads. Crabtree said he had operated under that system
and found it effective and, in particular, had removed a dean because
of substantiated faculty complaints. He also said that he prefers
a faculty handbook with succinct policies that will outlive any
particular administrator.
Campus Tour by Vice President Scheurer (P. Scheurer)
Scheurer distributed copies of the Master Plan for the Knoxville
campus and then discussed it. Parking is being moved to the periphery
of campus. A surface parking lot in Fort Sanders will be converted
to a park. Renovation of Hesler is another major project. Part of
Alumni Memorial Building will be used for the first time this term.
A pedestrian mall, an outdoor amphitheater, a time line of campus
history and an "arts quad" will change the west end of
the main campus. Scheurer also distributed information on classroom
upgrades.
Review of the Shiloh Room/Full Senate Meetings (M. Combs)
Combs asked that everyone read the material (distributed with the
agenda) on these topics and send him any comments.
UPDATES FROM SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Faculty Handbook Committee (J. Coddington)
Coddington noted that, in light of some of the comments by the provost,
the committee will look at policies concerning centers and institutes.
Also, Combs presented the new and continuing special committees
for 2002-03. All were approved with no objection form the Executive
Committee. Beauvais Lyons offered corrections to the membership
list and there was no discussion. The special committees include
Senate Committee to revise the Faculty Handbook
Marian Moffett, Chair
Members include: Mary Albrecht, Michael Combs (ex-officio), William
Dunne, Clark Garland, Bob Glenn, Katherine Greenberg, John Haas,
Peter Hoyng, Benita Howell, David Patterson, Charles Reynolds, Beauvais
Lyons, Joe Trahern, and Jon Coddington.
Senate Committee on Non-Tenured Faculty
Alan Chesney, Chair
Members include: Don Cox, John Haas, Ray Hamilton, Marva Rudolph,
Don Scroggins, Dolly Young, Penny Tschantz, Jenny Fowler, Amadou
Sall, Denise Harvey, Lou Gross, David Patterson, and Fred Weber.
Senate Committee on Equity and Diversity
David Patterson, Chair
Membership to be recommended by chair 2002
Senate Retreat Planning Committee
Kathy Greenberg, Chair
Members include: Beauvais Lyons, Mike Combs, Wes Morgan, Candace
White, David Patterson, and Peggy Pierce
BRIEF REPORTS FROM CHAIRS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Bylaws Committee (B. Lyons)
Lyons briefly reviewed proposed changes, statements of which were
distributed at the meeting. They will be presented at the September
meeting and voted on at the October meeting. There was no discussion.
NEW BUSINESS
Combs called attention to the announcements listed in the agenda.
The meeting adjourned at 5:11 p.m.
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