General Faculty Meeting: Minutes
October 29, 2019
3:30pm
Broun Hall
A full transcript of this meeting is available.
Please refer to transcript for details not included in the minutes.
Presentation slide information is available from the Agenda for the meeting.
Chair Nedret Billor called the meeting to order at 3:30pm.
Approval of the minutes from the General Faculty Meeting from March 26, 2019: Chair Billor called for a motion to approve. A motion was called and seconded. The minutes were approved by voice vote.
For details, see transcript.
Questions: Mike Stern asked how many faculty are currently at Auburn.
Answer: about two-thousand. And then he asked “where are they?” Answer: not here. And he continued with his opinion:
Right. So, what does that tell us? Well, I bring this up, we have to re-survey because they don’t respond. There’s low participation in voting. They don’t attend meetings and so forth, right? So, I wonder if because of that it can actually be said that either the Senate or leadership actually represents the faculty or not? I bring this up in relation to the letter that you wrote to the Board, where you say that Senate and its leadership and so forth should be involved in the search for the president. Well, they were involved in the last search for the president, and I am of the opinion that they did not represent us very well in the last one. Just as I am of the opinion that the Board didn’t do a good job in the last one. And in order to do better in the future we have to hold people and institutions accountable. I have not seen that the Senate Leadership over the past number of years has held the leadership and the Board of Trustees accountable. And because they are not doing so again I do not believe they will properly represent us in the future.
To which the chair thanked him for his comments and stated that we will do our best to change your views.
Presenter: Bobby Woodward (bwoodward@auburn.edu)
The power point presentation from the September 1 meeting was reviewed. No formal recommendations have been made at this time. A report is due to Samford Hall on December 1. Any suggestions, questions can be sent to the email above.
Q&A: For details please refer to the transcript (link at the top of page)
Mike Fogle, senator, physics also chair of the Faculty Research Committee: From the Provost’s comments about research growth, a lot of that is going to be interdisciplinary in our department. We have cases where research faculty need to go out to the Research Park, they need to go across campus; having one place to park is difficult in that scenario. How do we overcome that?
Bobby Woodard, chair of the Parking Work Group commented that many options are being considered.
Tony Moss, senator, Biological Sciences considered focusing on reduction of Auburn’s carbon footprint with attention to more bicycle use and alternative public transport.
Bobby Woodard responded with several considerations being looked into by both Auburn University and the City of Auburn.
Chris Kieslich, not a senator, Chemical Engineering asked about electrical vehicle charging stations and possibly installing lower voltage stations so that the 4-hour limit at current stations would be less problematic.
Bobby Woodard responded that he would take this back for consideration.
Presenter: Dan King, Facilities Management
This presentation was geared towards what is under consideration for the future needs of the campus. $210.7 million of projects have been completed since Summer 2019, such as GPAC and the new parking garage.
Key planning areas:
In progress:
5 Year Capital Project Plan-the university is moving to a more planned process using budget constraint to prevent over spending
Questions & Answers: For details please refer to the transcript (link at the top of page)
Tony Moss, senator, Biological Sciences: Asked about plans for Funchess Hall and cost.
Dan King, Assoc. VP Facilities Mgmt. answered with reasoning behind how AU can aquire the dollars needed for the replacement of the needed buildings and that much of this is under the office of the CFO, yet did reiterate that it is still in line for priority, but not at the top of the list.
Presenter: Mitchell Brown, AAUP President
An invitation to all to attend meetings and to join was extended.
The AAUP is not a union in Alabama. It exists as advocacy. The AU Chapter has been around for over 50 years and is the last remaining chapter in Alabama. The major issues that the organization deals with are shared governance, over reach of Board of Trustees, faculty input, presidential and administrative searches, academic due process, unclear rules or application of rules in departments, and academic freedom.
Current membership has declined since dues are no longer taken out of paychecks. The demographics: primarily white, almost equal numbers of men and women, associate and full professors and contingent faculty. The ruling of Janus vs AFSCME says that non-members who share under collective bargaining do not have to pay dues which has resulted in significant loss of members. The number of members in the AU chapter are in the low 40’s. The size of the chapter impacts the ‘voice’ of the region.
Restructuring is taking place with creation of new regions and new rules about voting. There is a move to biennial meetings with delegates who go to national meetings.
The Chapter functions include Committee A, general meeting once a semester, meetings with university leadership, and advocacy.
Contact information: auburn.edu/aaup
brown11@auburn.edu
Unfinished Business: None
New Business: None
Adjourned, by Chair Billor: 4:55pm
Respectfully submitted,
Adrienne Wilson
Senate Secretary