Minutes of the Auburn University Senate Meeting
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
238 Broun Hall
3:30pm
A full transcript is available for this meeting.
Attendance Record
Senate Officers:
Michael Baginski, Chair; Nedret Billor, Chair-elect; Adrienne Wilson, Secretary-elect; Daniel Svyantek, Immediate-Past Chair
Administration Attending: Kelli Shomaker, VP Business and Finance and CFO; Gregg Newschwander, Dean School of Nursing; Richard Hansen, Dean Harrison School of Pharmacy Gretchen Van Valkenburg, VP Alumni Affairs
Administration absent, not sending substitute: Taffye Clayton, VP and Associate Provost Inclusion and Diversity; Royrickers Cook, Associate Provost/VP Outreach; Paul Patterson, Dean College of Agriculture; George Flowers, Dean Graduate School; Calvin Johnson, Dean College of Veterinary Medicine
Ex-Officio attending: Bill Hardgrave, Provost; Jordan Kramer substituting for Mary Margaret Turton, SGA President; Elizabeth Devore, GSC President; Mark Bransby for Robert Kulick, A&P Assembly Chair; Jung Won Hur, Steering Committee; Jared Russell, Steering Committee; Robert Norton, Steering Committee
Ex-Officio absent, not sending substitute: Nancy Noe, Interim Dean of Libraries; Tammy Williams, Staff Council Chair; Michael Tillson, Steering Committee
Senators, by Department
Attending or Represented by a Substitute
Lisa Miller, Accountancy; Valentina Hatarska, Agricultural Economics&Rural Sociology; Tony Cook for Molly Gregg, ACES; Jacek Hower, Animal Sciences; Chad Foradori, Anaotmy, Physiology&Pharmacology; Rebecca O’Neal-Dagg, Architecture; Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences; Yi Wang, Biosystems Engineering; Tom Leathem for Mark Tatum, Building Sciences; Bryan Bechingham, Chemical Engineering; Doug Goodwin, Chemistry; Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering; Ed Youngblood, Communication and Journalism; Mary Sandage, Communication Disorders; Kai Chang, Computer Software and Software Engineering; Young A Lee, Consumer& Design Sciences; Charles Chen, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences; Jamie Harrison, Curriculum and Teaching; Forrest Smith, Drug Discovery and Development; Gilad Sorek, Economics; Ellen Reames, Educational Foundations&Leadership; James E. Ryan, English; Kevin Yost for Lee Colquitt, Finance; Wayde Morse, Forestry and Wildlife; Haibo Sou, Geology and Geography; Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy; Ralph Kingston for Monique Laney, History; Daniel Wells, Horticulture; Carlton Lay, Industrial Design; Mark Schall, Industrial and Systems Engineering; Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology; Greg Schmidt, Library; Alan Walker, Management; Dora Block, Marketing; Thi Thao Lhuong Hoang for Dmitri Glotov, Mathematics and Statistics; Matthew Hoch, Music; Ralph Foster for David Mixson, Outreach; Vicky van Santen for Peter Christoperson, Pathobiology; Spencer Durham, Pharmacy Practice; Stacey Hunt, Political Science; Ken Macklin, Poultry Science; Tracy Witte, Psychology; Malti Tuttle, Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling;; Kenneth McDonald, ROTC Air Force; Eddie Christ for Calina M. Creech, ROTC Army; Kristina Shuler for Arianne Gaetano, Socio/Anthro/Social Work; Robin Jaffe, Theatre; Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Absent, not sending substitute: Anwar Ahmed, Aerospace Engineering; Kathryn Floyd, Art; Lloyd Riggs, Electrical&Computer Engineering; David Held, Entomology&Plant Pathology; Ash Bullard, Fisheries&Allied Aquaculture; Zachary Zuwiyya, Foreign Lang&Literature; Scott Kettring, Human Development&Family Studies; Daniel Mackowski, Mechanical Engineering; David Crumbley, Nursing; Michael Greene, Nutrition, Dietetics&Hospitality Mgmt; Eric Marcus, Philosophy; Michael Fogle, Physics; Shashank Rao, Systems and Technology; Willie Billingslea, ROTC Naval
Remarks and Announcements
Comments by University Senate Chair, Michael Baginski
Chair Michael Baginski called the meeting to order at 3:34pm. He reminded the members of the senate or substitute for the senator to sign in at the back of the room and to take a clicker.
Minutes
A quorum, requiring 44 senators, with 53 recorded as present was established. The Chair called for the approval of the February 5, 2019 minutes. The minutes of the Feb. 5, 2019 were approved by unanimous consent.
Chair Baginski delivered remarks about the tornado and disaster responses, previewing President Leath’s remarks. Also noted, the absence of FAR and Secretary Beverly Marshall due to surgery related to a fall.
Officer candidate’s statements and bios are posted on the Senate Web site for review. It is listed under NEWS in the left side bar [news page].
Overview of Disaster: President Leath, assisted by Steve Pelham, Chief of Staff & VP of Economic Development spoke about the recent disaster and the effect on the University employees and students, their families and loved ones, who have been impacted.
The University is partnering with the state, raising money and resources, with a promise to help in any way possible. The most immediate actions include:
Question: from Herb Rotfeld, Parliamentarian, asking if there would be more than one day offered as administrative leave to help out families.
Answer: 3 days available immediately for employees severely impacted with consideration for additional time. And one day (8) hours available for employees wanting to help.
Action Items
Amendment to the Faculty Handbook: Revision to Senate Meeting Calendar re-presented by Ralph Kingston, to review change(s) before the vote. A quorum was reestablished: 58. The amendment concerning Enrollment and Rules Committee pulled for further consideration. Amendment to be voted on: to reduce the number of Senate meetings by 2. The August meeting will be replaced by an orientation session for new Senators, and the June meeting always struggles to achieve a quorum.
Vote: 53 (yes)-5 (no). Amendment failed to pass due to lack of two-thirds vote of the Senate.
The next vote on the Amendment will be moved to the General Faculty Meeting, March 26 [This has since been changed by the Senate Executive Committee to be presented at the April 9, 2019 Senate Meeting].
2019 Rules Committee Nominees, presented by Michael Baginski
Slate of nominees to the Rules Committee presented for a vote: Mary Sandage (Communication Disorders), Matthew Hoch (Music), Anthony Moss (Biological Sciences).
Vote: 57 (yes)-0 (no). Nominees approved.
Calendar and Schedules Committee, presenter Robin Jaffe. After reaching unanimous vote within the committee, the proposed 2021-2022 Academic Calendar was presented for a Senate vote. (The entire calendar can be found online attached to the agenda for today).
Vote: 58 (yes)-0 (not). Approved.
Pending Action Item
Professor of Practice presented by Emmett Winn and Christian Dagg. The presentation outlined the purpose and benefits of this title, including a list of Professional Practice in the U.S. A list of the AU programs that are supportive and names of Universities with this title were also included. The document is online with specific information. Dr. Winn has set a March 29 deadline for questions and comments concerning this title. However, people can still make comments, move for changes or amendments, and have a vote. There will be a vote at the Senate Meeting in April. If approved, this will be reviewed by the Faculty Handbook Committee.
Question: Brian Anderson, senator, civil engineering: Our department supports this but I do have a question. One thing we struggle with a lot is finding adjuncts in our department because the SACS requirements, especially if a graduate class is required for a terminal degree, so we are going to hold, it may even cripple us in being able to get professors of practice to come and do more than just undergraduate education.
Answer: Emmett Winn, Assoc. Professor and Assoc. Provost: the SACSCOC credentialing requirements do not necessarily prohibit teaching at the graduate level if you do not have the terminal degree. More than likely the thing that will get in your way is your own graduate faculty requirements in your own department.
Michael Baginski, Senate Chair
Unfinished Business: None
New Business: None
Michael Baginski, Senate Chair
Declared meeting adjourned at 4:14pm.