Faculty Senate Minutes October 16, 2007

Faculty Senate Chairman Timothy Farmer called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. and immediately launched into his

Report from the Chairperson

(see attached)

Report from the Chancellor - Chancellor Thomas George

The Chancellor announced the formation of the "Missouri One Hundred," which is a group of 100 prominent people who can bring the University of Missouri's message to the state. Cindy Brinkley, head of AT&T in St. Louis, was identified as one of the members. This represents a spirit of togetherness, which is at odds with the proposed name change for UMC. Chancellor George noted in passing that the name change issue didn't come up, even in the halls during breaks in the Board meeting. The name change is "important to those who proposed it," said one expert from Mizzou who attended a seminar here last Friday.

The Chancellor referred to Interim President Lamb's statement on academic freedom and noted that stem cell research is an issue yet to be decided, even within academic circles.

Provost Cope attended a recent COPHE meeting in Chillicothe, the Chancellor reported. Nikki Krawitz has been pushing a weighted formula for the allocation of funding. We look bad across the board, and it is important that the $2.6 million equity adjustment remains.

Molly Tallarico requested information and examples of how the equity adjustment has affected our students directly. She thanked all who helped petition the Legislature for renovations to Benton and Stadler halls.

Sam Darandari, Director of Facilities Planning, was introduced and offered to take questions from senators. There were none.

Report from the Intercampus Faculty Council - Dr. Timothy Farmer for Drs. Richard Wright and Carole Murphy

(see attached)

Report from the Committee on Bylaws and Rules - Dr. Matthew Keefer

Dr. Keefer reported that he and Ms. Arban are busily extracting references to committee memberships from the bylaws and preparing them for inclusion in the Operating Rules. In this way, it will be unnecessary to go through the long and arduous task of amending the bylaws each time a title is changed on the campus.

In addition to this streamlining, the Committee will be looking at other questions posed during the Senate's five-year review, including the question of whether faculty terms on Senate and Assembly committees should be increased to three years from the present two.

Faculty Senate Chairman Farmer invited senators who have other suggestions to send them directly to Dr. Keefer.

Report from the Committee on Committees - Dr. Donna Taliaferro

Nominations and volunteers were sought for the committee vacancies listed on the ballot appended to the agenda. Lacking same, it was moved by Dr. Martinich and seconded that the Committee on Committee's nominees be elected by acclamation. This motion was approved. Elected were: Dr. Ralph Garzia (Optometry) to Assessment Committee through 2008 - Dr. Mark Tubbs (Psychology) replacing Dr. Robert Harris on the Administrator Evaluation Committee through 2008 - Dr. Barbara Kachur (English) replacing Dr. Eamonn Wall on the Fall Panel of the Committee on Research through 2008 - Dr. Anne-Sophie Blank (Anthropology/Foreign Languages) to the Student Publications Committee through 2009 - Dr. Valerian D'Souza (Chemistry) to the Committee on Faculty Teaching and Service Awards through 2009.

At the close of elections, Dr. Taliaferro moved that "an Ad Hoc Committee on University Relations, reporting to the Faculty Senate, should be created to provide a liaison between the Faculty and the external relations staff of the University, including Advancement, Marketing, Communication, and Special Events. The Committee would also provide recommendations and advice to the Vice Chancellor responsible for these activities.

Membership on the Committee shall include five or more faculty broadly representative of the Faculty, two students, one non-academic employee selected by the Staff Association, and the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement.

The term of the Committee will end on July 31, 2008, unless reconstituted by the Faculty Senate."

It was moved by Dr. Speck that the ad hoc committee should communicate with Bylaws and Rules as to whether this should be changed at year's end to a standing committee. He withdrew the motion upon assurance by Dr. Keefer that Bylaws will keep this in mind.

Report from the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction - Dr. Michael Allison

All action items brought forward by Dr. Allison for the Committee were approved. Dr. Zarucchi noted that perhaps the curriculum forms should be amended so as not to elevate programs (specifically Biochemistry and Biotechnology) to the status of departments. Dr. McPhail noted that the degree requirements for Physics and Astronomy list Rolla's name unchanged (as is correct at this time but will need to be changed later). Dr. Allison asked senators to cross out course #3360 on page 2 of the Minor in Media Studies.

The Senate's attention was called to course actions effected by the Committee.

Other Business

Dr. Joseph Martinich introduced the new Athletics Director, Mr. John Garvilla, who spoke for five minutes on his philosophy and took questions from the floor.

Although the Libraries Committee submitted a written report after the agenda was mailed, in the absence of the Committee's chairperson, the report was not presented.
It is appended hereto.

Completing the business at hand, the Faculty Senate adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Fred Willman
Faculty Senate Secretary

(minutes written by
Ms. Joan M. Arban,
Executive Assistant to
the Faculty Senate Chairman)