Minutes
Senate Meeting: April 14, 2020
3:30 p.m. via Zoom meeting

Panopto recorded meeting with captioning.

A full transcript of this meeting is available.
Please refer to transcript for details not included in the minutes.

Presentations are available from the agenda for the meeting.

Attendance Record at the end of the minutes.

A quorum was established, with 71 out of 87 Senators in attendance.
Nedret Billor, Senate Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:32pm.

Approval of the minutes from the Senate Meeting of February 18, 2020 approved by consent.

Remarks and Announcements:

Nedret Billor, Senate Chair
Chair Billor spoke on the mechanics of conducting a Senate meeting via Zoom during the period of social distancing and instructed Senators on voting and the use of the polling function. The chair then discussed how attendees could speak and ask questions through the Zoom interface.
Chair Billor closed by introducing the officers of the Senate, our parliamentarian, and our executive assistant.
The then invited Chief Operating Officer Ron Burgess to give an update on parking plans at Auburn. Gen. Burgess announced that AU has suspended any plans to raise parking fees in the upcoming academic year. He also noted that Parking Services is currently not ticketing on campus except for handicap, fire, and loading zone infractions.

President Jay Gogue remarks
President Gogue spoke first on Auburn University operations in the time of COVID-19, commending the hard work and efforts of faculty to adapt to the situation. He then congratulated Todd Steury and Ralph Kingston on their election to the positions of chair-elect and secretary-elect.
President Gogue reminded attendees that Auburn’s three guiding principles for the COVID-19 period are ensuring the health and safety of the Auburn family, continuing the mission of the University, and maintaining a commitment to shared governance.
The President then turned to the topic of Auburn’s finances. While the financial year began well, the State will be meeting to revisit the budget in May. Funded research at Auburn remains robust and Summer enrollment numbers give cause for cautious optimism. Regarding Fall enrollment, the President reported that campus housing has no vacancies and Auburn anticipates approximately 4800 incoming freshmen.
There have been no discussions of hiring freezes or dismissals.

Provost Bill Hardgrave remarks
Provost Hardgrave spoke on Summer and Fall enrollment.
Auburn will begin the summer semester with all classes operating in the remote-teaching format. A decision will be made around June 1 regarding the second mini-mester.
The Provost urged Auburn to be aggressive in offering summer courses in hopes of bolstering enrollment and offering idled students an opportunity to earn credits. Student services fees are waived for the summer and the Auburn First program has been extended to students in need of core courses.
Fall enrollment is difficult to predict but housing is a positive indicator. Camp War Eagle registration begins on April 29, and that is another indicator to watch for enrollment numbers.

Action Item – Vote on Nominees Rules Committee
Presenter: Nedret Billor, Chair

Chair Billor called for a Senate vote on nominees for new terms on the Senate Rules Committee. The nominees from the February meeting were Valentina Hartarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Senator, J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering Senator, and George Stachokas, Libraries Senator.
The Item passed with a vote of 78 in favor, 2 opposed, and 3 abstaining. Nominees approved.

Action Item – Vote on Committee Members for Senate Committees
Presenter: Greg Schmidt, Secretary Elect

Secretary-elect Schmidt presented the nominees for new terms beginning July 1 on Senate Committees. The slate of candidates was considered as a whole by the senate for a vote.
The item passed with a vote of 73 in favor, 1 opposed, and 1 abstaining. Nominees approved.

Action Item 2022/23 Academic Calendar
Presenter: Robin Jaffe, Chair, Calendar and Schedules Committee

Robin Jaffe first presented the approved 2021/22 calendar, and then presented the proposed 2022/23 calendar submitted by the Calendar and Schedules Committee.

Question: Tony Moss, Biological Sciences Senator: If calendars need to be shortened to process grades, what is the minimum time needed by the registrar to accomplish this?
Answer: We need between 7 and 10 days for the registrar. We try to stay around 71 days per semester.
Question: Does the Spring Break Schedule match with the Auburn City Schools? Answer: Yes. Public schools are all notified of our calendar and can set their breaks accordingly.
Question: Could we start earlier than August 16th? Answer: Yes, but the main issue would be starting Summer earlier to accommodate this, which could in turn push the starting date for Spring Semester very early in January.

Vote on the Calendar:  69 in favor, 2 opposed, 3 abstaining. The 2022/23 calendar passes.

Pending Action Item - Proposal to change the librarian/archivist ranks to professorial ranks
Presenters: Claudine Jenda, Agriculture Librarian and Jaena Alabi, English & Psychology Librarian.

This is a proposal to change Librarian I, II, III, IV titles to align better with Auburn University faculty titles of Instructor, Assistant, Associate, full Professor titles, respectively. Nationally, there is no standard for librarian ranks. The ranks at Auburn are already equivalent in the Faculty Handbook, but the Roman numeral title series has been a source of confusion. Changing the titles from the Roman numeral style to the assistant, associate, and full titles has the potential to foster university service, bolster recruiting, and relate duties across Auburns faculty.

Question: Joe Molnar, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology: Do you envision participation in a curriculum in library science, information science, or something else? Answer: This move could enable library faculty participation in potential information literacy credit courses, but we are not planning on any library graduate program. Currently, some librarians already teach for credit courses, both at Auburn and at nearby Library Science programs.


Information Item - Wellness Initiatives and the Healthy Tiger Program at Auburn.
Presenters: Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, Harrison School of Pharmacy and Ann Shore, Office of Human Resources.

This presentation discussed the genesis and growth of health initiatives at Auburn and gave data through 2018 on Healthy Tigers. Healthy tigers began as a response to high medical claims associated with obesity and related disease states. The presentation discussed screening and improvements in various health measurements from the inception of the program through 2018.

Question: Why no referrals for BMI above 35? Answer: We do referrals to consultations and dieticians (internal to Auburn University). Insurance coverage is problematic for BMI referrals.
Question: How many glucose measurements went in the wrong direction over time? Answer: There is an overall improvement, but we don’t have that data at hand.
Comment: Richard Sesek, Industrial Engineering Senator: Recommended mental health measurement as part of Healthy Tigers screening.
Question: Richard Sesek, Industrial Engineering Senator:  How many BMIs went in the wrong direction over time? Answer: We can provide that over email.
Questions: Tracy Witte, Psychology Senator: Can cost savings be attributed to other factors? How much does it cost to run the Healthy Tigers Program? Is the cost greater than the savings? Is there statistical evidence of positive trends over time? Answers: Due to time, a full answer to these questions is not possible. We have received positive reports from consultants measuring our impact versus other programs.
Question: Tony Moss, Biological Sciences Senator: Are there any specific changed proposed for the near-term? Answer: Nothing specifically.

Information Item - Plan for AU Research Funding
Presenter : James Weyhenmeyer, Vice president for Research

Presentation deferred to the next senate meeting.

Unfinished Business: None
New Business: None

Adjourned: 5:00pm, Chair Billor
Respectfully Submitted,
Greg Schmidt
Secretary-Elect, University Senate

Attendance Record April 14, 2020

Present:
Senate Officers:
Nedret Billor, Chair
Don Mulvaney, Chair-Elect
Greg Schmidt, Secretary-Elect
Michael Baginski, Immediate Past-Chair
Absent
Adrienne Wilson, Secretary

Present:
Administration:
Joe Aistrup, Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Annette, Ranft, Dean, Harbert College of Business
Chris Roberts, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Nick Giordano, Dean, Science and Mathematics
Jim Weyhenmeyer, VP of Research-Martha Taylor, substitute
Vini Nathan, Dean, College of Architecture, Design, and Construction
Gregg Newschwander, Dean of Nursing
Absent:
Jane Parker, VP Development
Susan Hubbard, Dean, College of Human Sciences

Ex-Officio Members:
Present
Bill Hardgrave, Provost
Shali Zhang, Dean of Libraries
Ada Ruth Huntley, SGA President-Carlos Smith, substitute
Nima Aliadeh, GSC President
Mark Bransby, A&P Assembly Chair
Jung Won Hur, Steering Committee
Jared Russell, Steering Committee
Robert Norton, Steering Committee
Michael Tillson, Steering Committee
Absent
Kim Brumbeloe, Staff Council Chair

Senators:
Present
Lisa Miller, Accountancy
Anwar Ahmed, Aerospace Engineering
Valentina Hartarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
Jacek Wower, Animal Sciences
Chad Foradori, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology
Rebecca O’Neal-Dagg, Architecture
Kathryn Floyd, Art
Yi Wang, Biosystems Engineering
Bryan Beckingham, Chemical Engineering – Elizabeth Lipke, substitute
Doug Goodwin, Chemistry
J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering – Justin Marshall, substitute
Mary Sandage, Communication Disorders
Kai Chang, Computer Science and Software Engineering
David Han, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Jamie Harrison, Curriculum & Teaching, Sara Demoing, substitute
Feng Li, Drug Discovery and Development
Gilad Sorek, Economics
Susan Youngblood, English
David Held, Entomology & Plant Pathology
Lee Colquitt, Finance
Zachary Zuwiyya, Foreign Language & Literatures
Wayde Morse, Forestry & Wildlife Science
Haibo Zou, Geology & Geography
Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Monique Laney, History, David Lucsko, substitute
Daniel Wells, Horticulture
Scott Ketring, Human Development & Family Studies
Rich Sesek, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology
George Stachokas, Library
Alan Walker, Management
Yanzhao Cao, Mathematics and Statistics
Virginia Kunzer, Music
David Crumbley, Nursing
Baker Ayoun, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Mgmt
David Mixson, Outreach
Peter Christopherson, Pathobiology
Spencer Durham, Pharmacy Practice
Michael Fogle, Physics
Stacey Hunt, Political Science
Ken Macklin, Poultry Science
Tracy Witte, Psychology
Malti Tuttle, Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psychology
Shashank Rao, Systems and Technology- Tyler Morgan, substitute
Kenneth McDonald, Lieutenant, ROTC, Air Force - Mary Doiron, substitute
Calina Creech, LTC, ROTC, Army-Eddie Christ, substitute
Arianne Gaetano, Socio/Anthro/Social Work
Robin Jaffe, Theatre
Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences
Mark Tatum, Building Sciences
Robert Agne, Communication and Journalism
Melanie Duffey, Consumer & Design Sciences
Ellen Reames, Educational Foundations, Leadership & Tech
Carlton Lay, Industrial Design
Jeremy Wolter, Marketing
Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Absent
Molly Gregg, ACES
Lloyd Riggs, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Ash Bullard, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture
Daniel Mackowski, Mechanical Engineering
Eric Marcus, Philosophy
Willie Billingslea, Captain, ROTC, Naval