AUBURN UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE & PROFESSIONAL ASSEMBLY

March 5, 2001 – 10:00 A.M. (approved Ap. 30, 2001)

Dixon Conference Center – Ballroom A

Ellyn Hix, Chair, called the meeting to order.  Assembly members present were:  John Asmuth, Stacey Bozeman, Amy Douglas, Ralph Foster, Kathy Harmon, Ellyn Hix, Harriette Huggins, Greg Lund, Larry Moore, Ed People, Miriam Brown Pepinsky, Kevin Robinson, Linda Sayers, Janine Slick, Mary Lou Smith, Anne Smyth Stewart, Martha Taylor, Kim Trupp, and Teresa Vest.

Review and Approval of Prior Minutes.   The minutes from the October 24, 2000, Assembly meeting were reviewed.  Ralph Foster moved that the minutes be approved.  Janine Slick seconded the motion. 

Speaker:  Ellyn Hix introduced Dr. William Walker, Interim President of Auburn University.  Dr. Walker spoke of the challenges that the University is currently facing as a result of the 6.2% shortfall in the Educational Trust Fund and Governor Siegelman’s proposal of unequal proration between K-12 and higher education.  He told how he was working to create an awareness of how the University will be affected and to improve communication for addressing these issues.  The floor was then opened for questions from the audience.

Question:  Any sense of what is going to come out with proration?  Where will it be?

Walker:     From 6.2% to 9%.

Question:  I have been hearing from some alumni that have received a letter from you                that attacked K-12.   Can you explain the nature of that letter?

Walker:     I have not sent such a letter.   But  I am sick that for political reasons that K-12 and higher education are being pitted against one another.

Harmon:   The letter was from Samford of the Trustees.

Question:  Admissions has been receiving calls from parents of students who will be coming in the fall or whose program is threatened of being done away with.  We have been telling them that we do not know anything definite nor will know until the legislators meet.  Is there anything else we should be or could be telling them?

Walker:    When we know what the financial situation is, then we can hone in on what we will recommend to the Board of Trustees.  Just looking at the history of the University, neither the Administration nor the Board is going to be interested in paying for all this in just one phase. 

I don’t think enrollment will be closed.  But sure tuition will go up.  Will it go up 40%? No. 

We have still got to put together a packet.  But we need to be very careful, because everything is just speculation.  As soon as we know, we will let the students and their parents know.

Question:  In follow up to the previous question, what is the strategy behind this doom and gloom forecast, worse case scenario?  I have some employees who have been in my department less than two years, who are coming to me and asking if they will have a job next year.  I know that there is a lot of speculation, but I am curious from a PR standpoint what we were thinking.

Walker:    PR is right.  It is my feeling that in the past this University has been too quick to roll over and take these financial hits.  When we got wind that they were thinking about 18% to 19% budget cut, which is almost thirty-five million dollars out of our budget that is very serious business.  That is when I held that press conference.  And it did serve its purpose.  First of all it energized the other presidents around the state.  What we said was that if it (the budget cut) was absorbed by the students, it could be a thirty, forty, or fifty percent tuition increase, if it was an 18% budget cut.  When students, parents and employees got concerned it went back to Montgomery, and caused them to finally say enough is enough.

Question:  Can you comment on the proposal made by post-secondary in the shift of money to protect them from certain terms of the proration for the junior colleges and state colleges?

Walker:    This is the deal two-year colleges got.  The Governor’s people thought that they could divide higher education.  And they did.  Those guys got their few million dollars and they went home.

Question:  I appreciate the information you have sent us since miss information is worse than no information.  But tell us what we can do when memos come out that say we should contact our legislators.  How can we help?

Walker:    Encourage students and their parents to call their legislator.  Mike Hubbard, Ted Little, and Lloyd Barron have stood firm on this.  There is no need to call them.  What we need is to get the word out to the state.  Our problems is that Auburn University is located right here.  We have only a limited number of legislators who can only vote one time.  We have to impact the vote of other legislators across the state.  We do that by contacting students, families, and businesses that are impacted by what is happening in Lee County.  We need to encourage other people to contact their representatives.

Ellyn Hix thanked Dr. Walker for coming.

 

Committee Reports:  The committee reports were moved to the end of the meeting, time permitting.

Resolution:  Appreciation of President William V. Muse

Ellyn Hix presented on overhead and read the resolution on appreciation of President William V. Muse (attached).  Teresa Vest moved that the assembly pass this resolution as presented.  Kim Trupp seconded the motion.  The motion was approved. 

Resolution: Auburn University Presidential Search

Ellyn Hix presented on overhead and read the resolution on Auburn University Presidential Search (attached).  Following discussion, John Asmuth moved that we accept this resolution.  Harriette Huggins added an advisory amendment that copies of the resolutions are sent to all members of the Board.  John Asmuth accepted the advisory amendment.  Janine Slick seconded the motion.

The question was asked as to how the resolutions were to be publicized.  Ellyn Hix stated that it depends on the focus of the resolution.  It is sent to the appropriate persons involved.  Also, the Assembly is an advisory group to the President and we would be sending a copy in that direction.  We would also be sending a copy to the Chairs of the Staff Council and Faculty Senate.  It was suggested that it could be posted on the web and sent out to the entire employee group.  Ellyn Hix stated that she could have this done.

Also, questioned was how the AP member would be selected to serve on this committee.  Ellyn Hix explained that in the past the Chair of the Assembly was asked to serve or to appoint someone to serve.

The motion was voted on and approved.

Resolution:  Vote of No Confidence

Ellyn Hix read a letter from the Chairperson of the Faculty Senate, and their Resolution of No Confidence in the Board of Trustees of Auburn University (attached).  The Staff Council had also passed a similar resolution.

Hix presented and read three proposed resolutions.  Following extensive discussion and a show of hands from the audience for a vote of no confidence, Harriette Huggins moved that the following resolution be accepted:

Administrative and Professional Assembly

Resolution of No Confidence

March 5, 2001

WHEREAS the University Senate and Staff Council have recently voted no confidence in the Auburn University Board of Trustees, and

WHEREAS actions taken by the Board of Trustees have resulted in heightened emotions on campus and Auburn University has been subjected to negative publicity both in Alabama and throughout the nation, and

WHEREAS the current climate on campus is filled with turmoil and decreased employee morale and the Administrative and Professional Assembly is charged by its constitution to address matters of employee welfare, and

WHEREAS Auburn University faces perhaps the most severe financial crisis in its modern history and these conflicts must be resolved for Auburn University to confront this crisis;

THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Administrative and Professional Assembly expresses its lack of trust and confidence in the voting members of the Auburn University Board of Trustees and calls for a summit to seek solutions to the leadership difficulties and conflicts at Auburn University; representatives of the following constituency groups should be included in this meeting: the Board of Trustees; University Senate; Staff Council; Student Government Association; Graduate Student Council; Auburn Alumni Association; the Interim President; and the Administrative and Professional Assembly.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of this meeting shall be to seek common ground, a resolution of the problems, whether real or perceived, and ways that relationships can be reestablished among all the constituency groups, so that Auburn University can cope with the current financial crisis and move on towards making Auburn University a better place for students, faculty, administrators, professionals, staff, alumni and the citizens of Alabama.

Also, copies of this resolution should be recorded in the minutes of this A&P assembly, disseminated to the constituency groups named within, posted on the A&P web site, and electronically distributed to all members of A&P.   Mary Lou Smith seconded the motion.  The motion passed by a vote of twelve to five.

Committee Reports:  Ellyn Hix stated that the committee reports would be held to the spring meeting due to the lack of time.

Adjournment.  The motion to adjourn was made by Larry Moore and seconded by Kevin Robinson.

Respectively submitted

Kathy Harmon