Attendance Record at the end of the minutes.
A quorum was established, with 52 out of 87 Senators in attendance.
Nedret Billor, Senate Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:31pm.
Approval of the minutes from the Senate Meeting, September 17, 2019 approved by consent
Chair Billor spoke to the topic of shared governance and developing an effective working relations ship with the Board of Trustees (BOT). A letter has been sent to Wayne Smith, President Pro Tempore of the BOT requesting 2 recommendations; 1) that a member of the Executive Committee of the Senate to be included in the Presidential search committee and candidate finalists present in an open forum allowing for Q&A at the end, 2) regarding the evaluation of a new President.
Specifically: asked that the President’s 5th year comprehensive review conducted by the BOT include feedback from a faculty survey, the SGA representatives, staff and A&P representatives. Furthermore, we have asked that the Senate Executive Committee supply yearly evaluation of the President’s performance to the BOT to be used in their annual evaluation of the President.
We appreciate that President Pro Tempore, Wayne Smith positively responded to the recommendations outlined above. Additionally, Trustee Smith added that the Presidential selection process will also include the following:
Additonally, there are plans to upgrade the Senate Website and an ad hoc committee has been formed to do such. Any suggestions are welcome to be shared with ways to improve the functioning of the Senate Web site.
Beginning October 25 through December 2, the Provost’s Office will accept Professional Improvement Leave proposals for the 2020–21 academic year.
Chair Billor closed with a reminder that as elected leaders they count on the faculty to provide their voices to the mix. Please contact any on the Senate Officers with concerns or ideas for improvements.
Number one, Drew (Clark) is here today and he’s provided some 15th day enrollment data The actual head count enrollment was 30,460 students, FTE numbers 27, 513, new freshmen 4,808. other data of interest; retention rate, first year retention rate is 91%, remarkably better than it was 10 years ago. Graduation rate 79%, ACT is 27.7, SAT 1235. In the enrollment the applications are nearly double what they were last year at the same date.
Second was the leadership of the House and Senate has called for a meeting on the 29th of October, which is the day we are scheduled for a General Faculty Meeting. They have invited, and told us to show up, this includes the President, the Provost, Kelly, and Drew and our colleagues from all schools in the state. The purpose of the meeting is to focus on outcomes-based funding or performance-based funding. We will keep you apprised as we go forward.
Third item. I visited with about 40% of the academic departments at this point and share with you some of the general things that I’ve seen. The plan is to get through the list of things and see which ones make sense that we could possibly try to address.
Some things of interest: The new budget model gets lots of comments, particularly the graduate student component; interdisciplinary related issues; and decreased cooperation. Re-award as far as grants and contracts, slowness with the IRB came up a number of times. Of particularly interest, we have something called e-cover on the forms that are submitted, one poor faculty member had to have 39 signatures before it would work for collaborative work. Animal care approval is still pencil and paper at Auburn but most schools are online. Post-award: actually had a case in which, I am told, faculty were asked on an industry grant that the industry did not pay and they needed to go out and collect the money and become a collection agency. I am told that a particular department had purchased sandwich bags and to get that approved they had to take pictures of the insects in the bag to show that they were buying sandwich bags (for departmental use).
Heard about some work that was done for us at Yale University in which probably the unique analysis was 150 or so thousand dollars, they agreed to do it for supplies only, but Yale then refused to fill out the vendor form because they wanted to know all of the contracts they had with every state organization in the country and they (Yale) said that is more trouble than it’s worth, so we just didn’t pay them.
Some small mention so far, the Global students and English skills has come up several times. In-state travel came up and I thought I might could do something about that, but I found out that is a state law. But I did find out some creative things that people are doing. I had a faculty member tell me they had to go to Huntsville routinely and they really could not stay up there on $85 a night for a hotel and food and had to go several times a month, so they stay in Tennessee where you get direct receipts and come back. I mentioned to another group and they say every time I go to Tuscaloosa I have to stay in Mississippi. And I understand that when you go to Mobile you stay in Florida and come back. So, you are a creative lot out there.
Lot of discussion on differential ways that distance related courses are provided. Some units consider part a load some do not consider part a load, so some strong differences there.
Study abroad related programs came up several times about can you use scholarships for short term study abroad? According to them, we could not.
The most interesting one was, I stood up at one meeting, and I won’t tell you who it is, but they actually had ropes, and I said what is this all about? Apparently, there is no fire escape from their building, so General Burgess has got a charge to figure out how to get a fire escape in a building.
I will report back to you when I finish, but it’s been interesting. and I’ve learned a lot. Michael, I appreciate you suggesting it, it was a good idea.
Q&A:
Mike Stern, not a senator, Economics: Thanks for the great remarks and thanks for doing those visits Mr. President. I’ve wondered about something for a long time, actually more than a decade, we have a very involved and scripted process in which a professor goes from assistant professor to associate professor. So, if a faculty member wants an upgraded title it is a long process and in fact ends with the Office of the President, right? So, you actually have to approve the promotions ultimately, if it comes to you?
Dr. Jay Gogue, Interim President: I think so.
Mike Stern, not a senator, Economics: So, I was wondering if the same is true for administrators? That is, can you be in an assistant position and be upgraded to an associate or something else without any process or procedure or so forth? Can it just be done by decree?
If I am an assistant dean, can I be reclassified to an associate dean?
General Burgess, Exec. Vice President: (not at the microphone) No, I don’t’ think so. On the administrative side of the house there is a process for anybody on the administrator side. Ultimately all those come to me for a decision. On the Dean’s side of the house, your side, all that is handled on the Provost’s side of the house. [18:03]
Dr. Jay Gogue, Interim President: Bill, do you want to comment? I guess the question is can an assistant dean be promoted to an associate dean without a process, is that basically what you are asking?
Bill Hardgrave, Provost: (off microphone) I guess so.
Presenter: Adrienne Wilson, Secretary
Revisions to Senate Committees: Amendments to Faculty Handbook (ppt)
Note: Both the College of Liberal Arts and the Faculty Handbook Review Committee have approved this change.
Note that the Faculty Handbook Review Committee has approved this revision.
A vote to approve these revisions will take place at the next Senate Meeting, November 12, 2019.
Information Items
There was disappointment in the response rate of the survey. The survey issues sited were: salaries, student evaluations, parental/family leave, gender equity and diversity, lack of participation in service work of faculty, P&T, betrayal of shared governance, perceptions regarding the Senate, and parking.
Another survey is being developed that will go out to all faculty, not just senators.
*An Ad Hoc Committee is focusing on the issue of parental/family leave.*
Q&A: Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) asked questions related to promotion raises. Answer: It’s 10% from assistant to associate, it’s 12% from associate to full.
Roger Rice (not a senator, Architecture) suggested having people get together and talk about ideas about how to get a better response rate is a very worthwhile thing to do.
Power Point describing the guidelines as a simple resource for faculty concerning safety and risk management issues
Presenters: Patrick White, Cathy Cooper, Jessica Covington-Risk Management and Safety
Highlights include what is and is not a field trip, resources for field trip planning and execution, and a website walk-through (checklists, accommodations, emergency situations, transportation, insurance, student handout form, hazard assessment form).
There was much concern about the time requirement for filling out forms for field trips with a general opinion by faculty that this extra burden would then result in field trips being cut from their syllabi.
Answers were along the line of good practice guidelines and when necessary for insurance purposes a must to be filed.
For details see the Transcript of Q&A [link at top of page]
Presenter: Patricia Hartman, Science Librarian
What: SSN for researchers
Why: is becoming a requirement (for journals, publishers, grant funding); helps avoid name ambiguity issues, credits all different types of work; increases discoverability of work; integrated to many funding agencies
Benefits: institutional impact; saves time with paperwork and administration; accurate affiliations; connection through identity management
For assistance: the library is starting a program to help in getting started.
Power Point available on the Senate Agenda.
Q&A: Monique Laney, senator, History: asked if perhaps there may be redundancy within the university. Perhaps better communication across all areas of faculty and administration is needed to prevent redundancy.
Tony Moss, senator, Biological Sciences: asked What is API. Answer: Application Programing Interface, where ORCID (Open Researcher Contributor ID) can connect with Auburn’s systems and exchange information.
Unfinished Business: None
New Business: None
Adjourned: 4:49pm, Chair Billor
Respectfully submitted,
Adrienne Wilson
Secretary, University Senate
Attendance Record October 15, 2019
Present:
Senate Officers:
Nedret Billor, Chair
Don Mulvaney, Chair-Elect
Adrienne Wilson, Secretary
Greg Schmidt, Secretary-Elect
Michael Baginski, Immediate Past-Chair
Present:
Administration:
Joe Aistrup, Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Jim Weyhenmeyer, VP of Research-Martha Taylor, substitute
Vini Nathan, Dean, College of Architecture, Design, and Construction
Gregg Newschwander, Dean of Nursing
Absent:
Annette, Ranft, Dean, Harbert College of Business
Chris Roberts, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Nick Giordano, Dean, Science and Mathematics
Jane Parker, VP Development
Susan Hubbard, Dean, College of Human Sciences
Ex-Officio Members:
Present
Bill Hardgrave, Provost
Shali Zhang, Dean of Libraries
Mary Margaret Turton, SGA President-Carlos Smith, substitute
Kim Brumbeloe, Staff Council Chair-Penny Houston, substitute
Mark Bransby, A&P Assembly Chair
Jung Won Hur, Steering Committee
Jared Russell, Steering Committee
Robert Norton, Steering Committee
Absent
Nima Aliadeh, GSC President
Michael Tillson, Steering Committee
Senators:
Present
Lisa Miller, Accountancy
Anwar Ahmed, Aerospace Engineering
Jacek Wower, Animal Sciences
Chad Foradori, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology
Rebecca O’Neal-Dagg, Architecture
Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences
Yi Wang, Biosystems Engineering
Mark Tatum, Building Sciences
Bryan Beckingham, Chemical Engineering
Doug Goodwin, Chemistry
J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering
Robert Agne, Communication and Journalism
Mary Sandage, Communication Disorders
Kai Chang, Computer Science and Software Engineering
Melanie Duffey, Consumer & Design Sciences
Feng Li, Drug Discovery and Development
Gilad Sorek, Economics
Ellen Reames, Educational Foundations, Leadership &-Ellen Hahn, substitute
Susan Youngblood, English
David Held, Entomology & Plant Pathology
Lee Colquitt, Finance
Ash Bullard, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture
Zachary Zuwiyya, Foreign Language & Literatures
Wayde Morse, Forestry & Wildlife Science
Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Monique Laney, History
Scott Ketring, Human Development & Family Studies
Carlton Lay, Industrial Design
Rich Sesek, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology
George Stachokas, Library
Jeremy Wolter, Marketing
Yanzhao Cao, Mathematics and Statistics-Hans-Werner van Wyk, substitute
Daniel Mackowski, Mechanical Engineering
David Crumbley, Nursing
Baker Ayoun, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Mgmt
David Mixson, Outreach
Peter Christopherson, Pathobiology
Spencer Durham, Pharmacy Practice
Michael Fogle, Physics
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 Doinen, substitute
Calina Creech, LTC, ROTC, Army-Eddie Christ, substitute
Willie Billingslea, Captain, ROTC, Naval-Kinley McCall-substitute
Arianne Gaetano, Socio/Anthro/Social Work
Robin Jaffe, Theatre-Herb Rotfeld, substitute
Absent
Valentina Hatarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
Molly Gregg, ACES
Kathryn Floyd, Art
David Han, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Jamie Harrison, Curriculum & Teaching
Lloyd Riggs, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Haibo Zou, Geology & Geography
Daniel Wells, Horticulture
Alan Walker, Management
Virginia Kunzer, Music
Eric Marcus, Philosophy
Stacey Hunt, Political Science
Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences