Minutes
Senate Meeting: April 20, 2021
3:30 p.m. via Zoom meeting
A full transcript of this meeting will be 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 58 out of 87 Senators in attendance. 49 Senators responded to the quorum poll, plus 9 among panelists who could not use the polling tool.
Don Mulvaney, Senate Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:34pm. Chair Mulvaney gave attendees an overview of the basic procedures for the Zoom meeting format, and then began the meeting.
Approval of the minutes from the Senate Meeting of March 16, 2021
No objections or corrections were raised to the March minutes. Minutes were approved.
Remarks and Announcements:
Donald Mulvaney, Senate Chair Remarks
The Chair introduced the elected officers of the Senate, the Senate Parliamentarian Al Gage and the Senate Administrative Assistant, Laura Kloberg.
The Chair then spoke briefly on the involvement and activities of elected officials in university governance over the past month. He encouraged communication and input from faculty and committed to sharing faculty concerns through a productive and constructive relationship with University administration. The chair introduced and thanked the Senate Steering Committee members and the COVID Ops faculty representatives, Bob Norton and Danilea Werner, for their service.
Chair Mulvaney then moved to identify and recognize resilience and innovation at Auburn University during the COVID era. The Chair recognized Danilea Werner and Kimberly Braxton-Lloyd for their efforts during the COVIC Pandemic.
The Chair then invited AU Administrators to make remarks.
Jay Gogue, Auburn University President Remarks
The President’s remarks centered on news from the Board of Trustees and across campus.
The President closed his remarks by thanking faculty at the end of an unusual semester.
Question: Roy Hartfield. The link to the document discussed last month in the Senate is still live. Dr. Hartfield inquired if it is still in force. VP Burgess responded that he would look into why the policy is still posted. He reiterated that the policy has reverted to what it was prior to the revisions that were discussed in the Senate.
Bill Hardgrave, Auburn University Provost Remarks
The Provost recognized the end of the semester approaching and thanked faculty for their work in helping the university be successful in a difficult time.
Question, Mary Sandage, Senator Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Sandage inquired on University efforts on retention of a diverse faculty and gave the example of a junior faculty in her department that was poached away by another University. She asked for a stronger effort at retention. The Provost responded by encouraging departments to contact the Provost’s Office when faculty are at risk of being recruited away so that the Provost can consider a response.
John Beckmann, Entomology and Plant Pathology. Beckmann asked if administration has considered lifting faculty salary freezes. The Provost responded that there is no salary freeze in effect. Faculty had no merit raises last year, but no decision has been made on the merit pool for the current year.
Action Items
Action Item – Voting on Nominees to serve on Senate Committees
Greg Schmidt, Senate Secretary
Schmidt presented names of faculty selected by the Rules Committee to serve terms on Senate Committees. Schmidt explained that the terms, unless otherwise noted, are for 3 years. He introduced Rules Committee members and thanked them for their services. He then called for a vote on the presented slate as a whole. No comments were made from attendees.
VOTE RESULTS: 56 total in favor, 2 opposed.
The slate of nominees was approved.
Action Item – Establishment of a Senate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Ralph Kingston, Secretary-elect
Kingston presented the proposed revision to the Senate Constitution which would create a Senate Diversity Committee. He noted details on the proposed membership of the committee, the committee roles in organizing and communicating, and reporting DEI initiatives on campus along with serving to monitor and receive information from faculty and units across campus. He explained the reasoning behind the committee creation, the role and scope of the committee, and his expectations for the committee and its voluntary members. He closed by noting this proposal is a constitutional change and will require a 2/3 vote at this meeting to pass.
Question, Michael Stern, Economics: Stern asked if the committee has representation from Athletics. Kingston responded that for not the committee does not have an Athletics representative, but that as it moves forward, it could be changed to add additional representatives. Stern suggested that the committee be expanded to add an athletics representative or the Faculty Athletics Representative.
VOTE RESULTS (requiring a 2/3 vote of the senate, 58 senators)
Total in Favor: 58
Total Opposed: 3
The action item passes.
Action Item – Proposal for 2023-2024 Academic Calendar
Robin Jaffe, Chair, Calendar and Schedules Committee
Jaffe introduced the 2023-2024 calendar as a consensus product of the Calendar and Schedules Committee. He noted selected guidelines that the committee considered when crafting the proposed calendar and compared it to the 2022/23 calendar. The presentation gave information on the total number of teaching days for each semester along with ending and starting dates, holidays, break dates, study days, finals periods, and graduation dates. As a product of a standing committee, this action item does not require a second.
VOTE RESULTS
Total in Favor: 59 in favor
Total Opposed: 0 opposed
The action item passes.
Informational Items
Informational Item – SACSCOC Reaffirmation
Dr. Megan Good, Director, Academic Quality & Improvement
Good discussed what is involved in reaffirmation and what is meant by a snapshot year in the institutional accreditation process. The presentation covered the work AU goes through to document compliance, the timeline for reaccreditation, and SACSCOC expectations. Regarding the snapshot, Good noted that SACSCOC requires the institution to document and justify two standards; faculty qualifications and program assessment. She presented information on what will be required of AU and AU Faculty in providing snapshot evidence to SACSCOC. Good closed her presentation by giving contact information for Assessment at AU.
Question Duha Tore Altindag, Economics: Altindag asked if faculty could have access to information submitted in 2012. Good aid that she would work with the Chair to see about granting access. Her office will use 2012 data where it can.
Questions: Michael Stern, Economics: Stern asked about the 18 academic hours in teaching condition and its applicability to graduate teaching rather than faculty. Good responded that SACSCOC does not differentiate between faculty and GTAs in this respect. Stern reiterated that the 18 hours of academic should have been earned over the course of a maters program.
Stern then moved to a document on the AU website entitled A Policy on Minimum Teaching Qualifications for Instructors of Record, effective May 2020. He noted a line in the policy that seems to allow for credentialing of instructors without meeting SACSCOC guidelines. Good responded that the guidelines allow for institutions to document professional experience as an alternative to academic coursework. Stern urged Good and her office to examine what appear to be contradictions in the policy. Good acknowledged the lack of clarity in the guidelines and noted that there are also detailed instructions that accompany the guidelines she presented and that together, the two documents provide a clearer picture on compliance.
Stern closed by asking Good to whom she reports. Good responded that she reports to Associate Provost Norman Godwin. Stern noted that SACSCOC strongly recommends that those in her liaison position respond directly to the President.
Information Item - Report on Student Placement and Policy Updates.
Presenter: Dr. Norman Godwin, Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness
Godwin gave a short presentation with an overview on placement outcomes for the 2020 graduating classes (Summer 2019, Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 classes). He discussed the effort to collect data on graduating classes, the scope of data collection, and the findings of the collection. For 2020 graduates, Godwin gave placement data (where a graduate has received a job or acceptance into grad program) at the time of graduation and placement data 6 months after graduation. He also gave geographical and salary data. He noted the likely COVID effect on employment figures between the 2019 and 2020 graduates. Godwin closed his presentation by noting the QEP focus on placement over the next 10 years.
Informational Item – COVID Resource Center Update
Bob Norton, COVID Resource Center Faculty Representative
Chris O’Gwynn, Director, CRC
O’Gwynn discussed the nature of calls to the CRC and noted that there is a decrease in volume over previous months. Auburn is continuing to administer Moderna and Pfizer vaccines while the State continues to lag nationally in vaccine rates. O’Gwynn discussed hospitalizations and projections for the summer. Norton added campus clinic numbers for COVID testing, COVID-related calls, and total vaccinations delivered. Auburn is entering phase 3 of the vaccination program.
Informational Item – SGA “Did You Know Corner”
Stephen Sadie, SGA Treasurer
The Executive team is in goal setting mode and is focusing on Diversity and Inclusion. The SGA has arranged for late-evening food trucks to be available in downtown Auburn. SGA is conducting the Ring Ceremony for Spring semester, and is looking forward to in-person Camp War Eagle sessions in the Summer.
New Business –
Unfinished Business -
Adjournment
Chair Mulvaney adjourned the meeting at 4:57pm
Respectfully Submitted,
Greg Schmidt
Secretary, University Senate
Attendance Record – April 20, 2021
Senate Officers
Present:
Don Mulvaney, Chair;
Todd Steury, Chair-Elect;
Greg Schmidt, Secretary;
Ralph Kingston, Secretary-Elect;
Nedret Billor, Immediate Past-Chair
Administration
Present:
Amy Wright, substitute for Paul Patterson, Dean College of Agriculture
Richard Hansen, Dean School of Pharmacy;
Gretchen Van Valkenburg, VP Alumni Affairs;
Janaki Alavalapati, Dean, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences;
Calvin Johnson, Dean College of Veterinary Medicine
Absent:
George Flowers, Dean, Graduate School
Kelli Shomaker, VP Business and Finance;
Taffye Clayton, VP & Associate Provost, Inclusion and Diversity;
Susan Hubbard, Dean College of Human Sciences;
Ex-Officio Members:
Present
Bill Hardgrave, Provost;
Shali Zhang, Dean of Libraries;
Sharariar Mohammed Fahim, GSC President;
Stephen Sadie, substitute for Rett Waggoner, SGA President;
Penny Houston, Staff Council Chair;
Paige Patterson, A&P Assembly Chair;
Michael Tillson, Steering Committee;
Robert Norton, Steering Committee;
Absent:
Cheryl Seals, Steering Committee;
Robert Cochran, Steering Committee;
Senators:
Present:
Lisa Miller, Accountancy;
Anwar Ahmed, Aerospace Engineering;
Valentina Hartarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology;
Jacek Wower, Animal Sciences;
Vinicia Biancardi, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology;
Kevin Moore, Architecture;
Chuck Hemard, substitute for Kathryn Floyd, Art;
David Blersch, Biosystems Engineering;
Mark Tatum, Building Sciences;
Bryan Beckingham, Chemical Engineering;
Wei Zhan, Chemistry;
J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering;
Robert Agne, Communication and Journalism;
Mary Sandage, Communication Disorders;
Kai Chang, Computer Science and Software Engineering;
Lindsey Tan, Consumer & Design Sciences;
David Han, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences;
Jamie Harrison, Curriculum & Teaching;
Raj Amin, substitute for Feng Li, Drug Discovery and Development;
Gilad Sorek, Economics;
Susan Youngblood, English;
John Beckmann, Entomology & Plant Pathology;
Damion McIntosh, Finance;
Nathan Whelan, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture;
Zachary Zuwiyya, Foreign Language & Literatures;
Haibo Zou, Geology & Geography;
Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy;
Monique Laney, History;
Scott Ketring, Human Development & Family Studies;
Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology;
Kasia Leousis, Library;
Alan Walker, Management;
Sabit Adanur, Mechanical Engineering;
Virginia Kunzer, Music;
David Crumbley, Nursing;
Baker Ayoun, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Mgmt;
Jeremy Arthur, substitute for David Mixson, Outreach;
Peter Christopherson, Pathobiology;
Spencer Durham, Pharmacy Practice;
Thomas Lockhart, substitute for Jennifer Lockhart, Philosophy
Luca Guazzotto, Physics;
Megan Heim LaFrambois, Political Science
Ken Macklin, Poultry Science;
Tracy Witte, Psychology;
Malti Tuttle, Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psychology;
Shashank Rao, Supply chain Management;
Amit Mitra, Systems and Technology;
LTC Nate Conkey, ROTC Army;
Janice Clifford, Socio/Anthro/Social Work;
Robin Jaffe, Theatre;
Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences;
Absent:
Molly Gregg, ACES;
Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences;
Ellen Reames, Educational Foundations, Leadership & Tech;
Michael Baginski, Electrical & Computer Engineering;
Wayde Morse, Forestry & Wildlife Science;
Daniel Wells, Horticulture;
Ben Bush, Industrial Design;
Rich Sesek, Industrial and Systems Engineering;
Jeremy Wolter, Marketing;
Yanzhao Cao, Mathematics and Statistics;
Charles McMullen, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC, Air Force;
Matthew Roberts, Captain, ROTC, Naval