February 2006 - Joint Assembly/Senate Minutes
MINUTES OF JOINT MEETING
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
UNIVERSITY ASSEMBLY AND FACULTY SENATE
FEBRUARY 21, 2006
3 P.M. 222 J. C. PENNEY
The meeting was called to order at 3:02 p.m. by Assembly/Senate Chairperson
Paul S. Speck, Sr.
Minutes from the November 8, 2005, joint meeting of the Assembly and Senate were approved as submitted with one dissenting vote.
Report from the Chairperson -- Dr. Paul S. Speck, Sr.
The Chair reported that at the last meeting of the Board, during a discussion of tuition increase scenarios, Curator Wasinger asked and was informed that our highest single expense is for health care and benefits, including for retirees. He commented that our pension program is a “dinosaur.” Chair Speck noted the current trend in business to move from old-fashioned defined management programs, whereby the University manages the plan for employees/retirees, to a defined contribution model, whereby the money is given on a period-by-period basis and the individual is required to manage his/her investments individually. Although the remark by Curator Wasinger seemed to be just a passing comment, UM Vice President for Human Resources R. Kenneth Hutchinson and others (including Chair Speck, Ms. Mary Brown representing the Staff Association, and Dr. David Garin representing the Retirees Association) are taking it very seriously. Vice President Hutchinson is convening a meeting of the University-wide Benefits Committee, on which the UM-St. Louis campus is represented by Drs. Thomas Eyssell and Susan Feigenbaum and by Ms. Gloria Leonard. The Committee will be hearing about the advantages and disadvantages of our current plan, which the Vice President believes is well-run and cost-effective. Chair Speck reported that he had called together Dr. Garin and Ms. Brown to keep them in the loop on this issue.
Concerned individuals were encouraged by the Chair to attend the Board of Curators meeting in St. Louis in May.
Report from the Chancellor -- Chancellor Thomas George
The Chancellor opened his report by noting the heavy press coverage devoted
to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) and observing
that our campus is probably the highest user of MOHELA in the state. So
far, he said, Governor Blunt has done good things for higher education.
The Governor now proposes to sell MOHELA in order to fund capital construction,
with an emphasis on life sciences, at the various colleges and universities
across Missouri. This would include the Benton-Stadler renovation, the
Center for Emerging Technologies, and start-up funds for CORTEX.
In addition to the approximately $3 million we have set aside for Benton-Stadler,
we will need another $28 million for this project alone. The House is
debating the MOHELA issue now, and the Chancellor expressed hope that
we will receive full funding for Benton-Stadler.
The next-highest priority for us, our master plan, costs $20 million. We didn’t get that out of this initiative. KWMU will have a new building, but it will raise the money independently.
During the brief discussion that followed, it was noted that MOHELA is offered in other states in addition to Missouri, that some of the money raised by the sale could go to private institutions as well as the community colleges, and that Governor Blunt wishes to keep the loan rates for students as low as possible. In the beginning, Financial Aid Director Tony Georges was very upset about the loss of MOHELA funds, but he has come to terms with the proposal. Chair Speck suggested, and Provost Cope concurred, that Mr. Georges make himself available to meet with students about the issue.
Report from the Student Government Association -- Mr. D’Andre Braddix
Mr. Braddix reported that the Student Government Association (SGA) met last Friday and passed a resolution that Benton-Stadler be fully funded. They also voted to give the student representative to the Board of Curators a vote.
SGA elections will be April 19-20, 2006, and the new officers will take office in July.
We have to come back to the campus to find another student representative to the Board of Curators. The process will begin in July, after the new SGA officers are officially in place.
Report from the Administrator Evaluation Committee -- read by Chair Speck in Dr. Helene Sherman’s absence
The report generated a great deal of discussion. Dr. William Long recalled the Faculty Council’s process of evaluating administrators, where every faculty member had the opportunity to participate, and the evaluations were shared widely. He questioned the notion that a randomly-selected group was as accurate as the group as a whole. Dr. Long’s position was supported by Dr. Joseph Martinich, who noted that a poll of the full population was technologically possible, and by Dr. E. Terrence Jones, who moved that the report be returned to the Committee with instructions that all full-time faculty and full-time staff members (at Ms. Mary Brown’s suggestion) who report to the administrator in question be asked to respond.
Chair Speck offered the information that the Intercampus Faculty Council is about to take up this issue. The President and Vice President wish to create a framework that is standardized across the campuses. The Chairperson reported that he expects a committee to be appointed to deal with this issue at the IFC’s forthcoming meeting. Dr. Barton commented that this exercise was undertaken several years ago, when Dr. Martinich chaired the IFC. If we don’t get going, he said, nothing will be done this year. Dean Judith Walker de Felix, referring to the Jones motion, suggested that faculty should be invited to participate, and Dr. Jones agreed.
Dr. Jones’ motion was then passed without dissent.
Report from the Committee on Bylaws and Rules -- Dr. Timothy Farmer
On behalf of the Committee, Dr. Farmer proposed a change in membership to the Committee on Student Affairs, adding one faculty member and one student member. He explained that the Student Affairs Committee had initiated this proposal, and Bylaws and Rules endorsed it. Dr. Long commented that he has previously served on Committee on Committees and that not many people are lining up to serve on committees of the Senate and Assembly. A student member of the Assembly defended the proposal as increasing student involvement, which he saw as beneficial. Dr. Joseph Martinich observed that in past years, student participation was poor, but the new student leadership has improved that. Ms. Mary Brown pointed out that in past years there was a staff representative, elected by the Staff Association, on the Student Affairs Committee. She offered this as a formal amendment, which was opposed by a student member of the Assembly, who noted that this would put students in the minority. In the end, the Brown amendment was approved, and the original proposal as amended also was approved.
Dr. Farmer reported that committee chairs were surveyed to determine if there were too many members on committees, but this did not appear to be the case.
Dr. Long suggested that Chair Speck speak to Assembly members about the Curtis Resolution passed by the Faculty Senate. The Chair complied. A student inquired if there is any objection to having the student representative to the Board of Curators be a voting member. Chair Speck reported that the Assembly has not taken a position to date on this issue.
There was a two-minute break, after which the Faculty Senate portion of the meeting was called to order at 4:25 p.m. Chair Speck reported that the minutes of the previous meeting were not yet available for consideration.
The Chairperson introduced a draft resolution that was similar to one approved several days before by the Student Government Association. Dr. Lawrence Barton moved to adopt the Resolution; it was seconded by Dr. Louis Gerteis. Dr. E. Terrence Jones proposed amendments that removed references to the Governor, and a slightly modified version that clearly specified the total funding of Benton-Stadler was adopted. As amended, the Resolution (see attached) was approved with some dissent.
Report from the Chancellor -- Chancellor Thomas George
The Chancellor reminded senators that they had previously asked for an accounting of the number of administrative positions that have been created in recent years, as compared to the number of new faculty positions. Provost Cope promised to send this electronically to the Senate Office.
It was confirmed for Dr. Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi that the 10 percent reduction in administrators will be done. It is not merely an exercise. The topic will be discussed at the next meeting of the Budget and Planning Committee, which has yet to be scheduled.
Dr. Harold Harris noted that he heard that the University had provided e-mails to a student grievant unintentionally. He questioned the extent to which the University will protect things that are in a faculty member’s computer. What, he asked, is the boundary between faculty privilege and University action? Chancellor George and Ms. Mary Fowler reported that if the University is directed by a court to disclose certain things, then they will be disclosed. Ms. Fowler stated that occasionally things are released at the order of the Director of Personnel or a unit head. Chair Speck reported that the Intercampus Faculty Council felt that someone was looking at their e-mail. Every piece of e-mail you create, he said, belongs to the University. Ms. Fowler remarked that “it depends on where you save it.” A back-up is kept for a period of about six months.
Dean Walker de Felix commented on the need to select the right people on grievance committees. If the Committee requests it, we must also provide the information to the student, she said.
Ms. Van Uum reported that the list of telephone numbers you call is also available.
Report from the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction -- Dr. Fred Willman
Several years ago, Dr. Willman reported, in an attempt to standardize the academic calendars from the various campuses, the Administration adopted a policy whereby fall classes would start “the first Monday after August 18.” In 2008, however, August 18 is a Monday. Dr. Willman brought forward a recommendation from the Committee that we begin on Monday, August 25, 2008. This recommendation was approved by the Senate with some dissent. Provost Cope explained that each of the campuses was proposing its preferred date to the IFC, and that one date would be chosen for all.
Report from the Committee on the Assessment of Educational Outcomes -- Dr. Donald Gouwens
Before action could be taken on the recommendations in the report, a quorum was called.
Lacking a quorum the meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Peck
Secretary
University Assembly and Faculty Senate
(minutes written by
Ms. Joan M. Arban,
Executive Assistant to the Senate/Assembly Chairperson)