Minutes
Senate Meeting: January 25, 2022
3:30 PM via Zoom
A video recording of this meeting is available.
Please refer to the recording for details not included in the minutes.
Presentations are available from the agenda for the meeting.
Attendance Record is at the end of the minutes.
Todd Steury, Senate Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm. The Chair noted the rules that would be used during the meeting. He introduced the officers of the Senate and the members of the Senate Steering committee who approved the meeting’s agenda.
A quorum was established when 49 senators responded to the quorum poll via canvas. In all, 83 senators attended the meeting.
Approval of the minutes from the Senate Meeting of November 16, 2021
Hearing no objections, the minutes were approved by unanimous consent.
Remarks and Announcements on University Matters
University Senate Chair Todd Steury remarks
Chair Steury spoke first on the issue of transparency in the search for University president and detailed how the search had operated. While be believed that, ideally, more information should have been relayed to faculty during the process, he noted the practical constraints limiting how open the search process could be, including the need to guarantee the anonymity of candidates and ensure as large an application pool as possible. In the fall, the search committee reviewed 60 applicants and identified possible individuals of interest. Alabama Open Meetings meant that it was impossible for the search committee to deliberate together, so the individuals on the committee submitted their reviews separately instead. The search firm collated those reviews and identified 15 individuals who members of the search committee met with at Atlanta airport. Again, the members of the search committee submitted their ratings of those individuals separately. The search firm then identified the top 5 candidates based on those reviews and submitted their names to the executive committee of the Board of Trustees. The members of the executive committee then met with each of those 5 candidates and submitted their own individual reviews. One of the 5 candidates then withdrew. After the individual rankings of candidates were collated, Dr. Roberts was the top-ranked candidate both for members of the search committee and the members of the Board of Trustee’s executive committee. Three candidates were then invited to on-campus interviews, but only one candidate, Dr. Roberts, was willing to interview for the job on campus. Having offered this account of the process, Steury called for questions from the floor.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) noted that that all candidates should have been made aware of the need to interview on campus early in the process and that it was therefore unusual that this became an issue late on. He also wondered if any candidates which might have brought more diversity to the university’s administration had made it into the top 5.
Hartfield then made the senate aware of his concerns he has about the only remaining candidate for President related to a past academic freedom case on campus. He noted that former President Leath had been appointed without discussion of his involvement in first-amendment violations, and that, under Leath’s tenure, there had been three first-amendment violation cases on campus that Hartfield is aware of.
Chair Steury responded that he could not speak to the issues Hartfield had identified due to lack of knowledge. In terms of diversity, the 15 candidates met at the airport were a very diverse group. While Steury does not know who the 5 candidates interviewed by the executive committee were, he has been told that this was also a diverse group.
Hans-Werner van Wyk (senator, Mathematics and Statistics) asked if the search committee went into the process knowing and fully understanding how to work within the constraints on openness in operation. Steury noted that the Open Meetings act had been discussed by the search committee, but he thought that the constraints on transparency could have been better explained both to the search committee and to the university community via the search website.
Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) noted that a previous President had been hired without a campus interview. Steury noted that he had said that the Trustees had decided they could not hire someone without a campus visit on this occasion.
Steury returned to his comments, informing the committee that the Rules committee had formed an ad hoc committee to explore creating new ranks above full professor. The committee would examine what exists at other universities and come up with a plan for how new ranks might be created at Auburn. The members of ad hoc committee are Byron Blagburn (chair), Mike Kozuh, Anton Schindler, Jada Kohlmeier, Nannan Liu, Hal Schenck, and James Barth. Steury asked faculty to share any relevant information they have on practices in other universities with the committee chair.
Luca Guazzotto (senator, Physics) asked why Auburn needs a rank above full professor. Steury noted a number of benefits, including incentivizing research productivity and tackling pay compaction. He added that creating an ad hoc committee was no guarantee that new ranks would transpire.
Steury turned last of all to comment on the bills currently pre-filed in the Alabama legislature on Critical Race Theory. He noted that the senate leadership was currently watching and waiting and did not want to get involved in the political theater of an election year until it was clear what was being proposed. He has made it clear to the administration that the Senate supports academic freedom, opposes any effort to stymy academic freedom, and would act quickly and decisively if academic freedom is threatened.
Chris Schnittka (senator, Curriculum and Teaching) noted that the University of Alabama faculty senate had already passed a resolution on free-speech rights. She asked the senate leadership to write a resolution denouncing political interference in university teaching as a dangerous precedent. Steury responded that the senate DEI committee in conjunction with the AAUP were already currently working together on a resolution should one become necessary.
Michael Watkins (not a senator, Philosophy) suggested that the senate could simply endorse the University of Alabama resolution. Steury noted that a senator could make such a motion from the floor.
Melody Russell (not a senator, Curriculum and Teaching, Chair of the senate DEI committee) noted that the committee had not already started but it would be meeting soon with representatives of the AAUP to draft a resolution.
Karley Riffe (senator, Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology) asked what plans are in place to challenge legislation if and when it is finalized. Steury again assured senate that if a bill comes out of committee that directly challenges academic freedom, senate leadership would get involved. He added that the university administration was already engaged on the issue, interacting with legislators, and seeking to steer a possible bill in a direction that does not compromise academic freedom.
President Jay Gogue remarks
President Gogue began by noting that the trustee selection committee had met to review applications to join the Board. They identified Zeke Smith, Caroline Aderholt, and Tim McCartney to fill three vacancies. Those names will be submitted to the Alabama Senate for confirmation.
He reminded senators that the Board of Trustees will meet in Montgomery on 4 February. It would look at the designation of the Schools of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, as Colleges. The Department of Aviation in the College of Liberal Arts will become the School of Aviation. He also noted that the board agenda includes approval for renovation of the Hood-MacPherson building in Birmingham to house the Urban Studio. Space in the building will also be used by the College of Business.
He noted that the search for an interim provost is running and nominations are still open.
Finally, he reported that the governor has submitted her budget and has proposed an increase to the budget allocation for the university, for the experiment station, co-operate extension, and AUM.
Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) asked about the interim provost search. He noted that the last time that Auburn had searched for an interim provost, the call had stated that the interim provost could not become the permanent provost but the interim, Tim Boosinger, had ended up becoming permanent provost, nevertheless. He worried that a similar restriction placed on the current search might dissuade some from applying for interim provost because they were interested in the permanent position.
President Gogue responded that Tim Boosinger had not been eligible to run when the university had first searched for a permanent provost on that occasion. It was only after a first search for a new permanent provost failed that the university established a second search in which Boosinger was a candidate and was selected. President Goguelooked forward to an open national search for the university’s new permanent provost.
Stern expressed concern that President Gogue had not ruled out the interim being eligible to become permanent provost if a first search failed. Gogue confirmed that an interim provost might become a candidate if a first search for a permanent provost failed.
Duha Altindag (not a senator, Economics) asked about the timing of the search for a new Provost. Provost Hardgrave accepted the job in the University of Memphis in November and has been attending events in Memphis since accepting his new role. Altindag asked why the search for an interim Provost has been delayed.
Gogue answered that the Provost had agreed to start his new position on April 1 and that they had seen no need to replace him earlier than this. It is hoped to have the interim provost in place by the middle of February and Provost Hardgrave will leave his position in March.
Provost Bill Hardgrave remarks
Provost Hardgrave drew attention to new guidelines on classroom visitors link on the meeting agenda and published on the Provost’s website.
He offered updates on the searches for deans in COSAM and the CLA. Both colleges are currently running on campus interviews, and it is hoped that both searches can be brought to a conclusion in the next few weeks.
Finally, he noted that the academic calendar for summer had been updated to include the Juneteenth holiday. No class days were lost in the update.
Chief Medical Officer Fred Kam remarks
Dr. Kam noted that the pandemic is continuing nationally. Locally, positivity rates declined about 5% in the last week, but state-wide numbers continue to rise. He looked forward to a combination of vaccination and natural infection allowing the virus to become endemic, causing fewer infections and disruptions. Vaccinations and boosters hasten the timeline on this, with fewer unnecessary deaths. Yet only about 38% of those eligible have received boosters.
More broadly, Kam explained to senators that we do not know what the future holds in terms of new variants, whether they will be more transmissible, and how effective vaccination and natural immunity will be in protecting against them. At this point, it is accepted that the virus will not be eradicated, and the focus is on developing treatments while promoting mitigation strategies to lessen spread and impact.
In terms of the present, however, there are currently 92 in-patients with covid in the East Alabama Medical Center, 18 in the ICU, 9 of them on ventilators. Positive rate in tests operated by the AU Medical Clinic is between 35 and 40%. Ideally it would be below 5%. Dr. Kam believes however that the omicron variant will no longer be as major a concern by spring break. Currently there are 4 students in isolation, but these will be all released by tomorrow.
Duha Altindag (not a senator, Economics) asked about updated CDC guidelines on social distancing and N95 masks and why the university had not adopted these. In contrast, the university had moved quickly to adopt the CDC’s recent reduction of isolation periods.
Fred Kam noted that the guidelines were designed for the population at large and are not targeted at the specific context of universities and practical issues of implementation. The university adapts the CDC’s guidelines in a way that is appropriate and makes sense on the university campus.
Michael Watkins (not a senator, Philosophy) noted the psychological tension between requiring masks in classroom buildings and watching people attend sports events unmasked.
Kam noted that attending a basketball game is a choice individuals make.
Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) recalled that the CDC had issued guidelines specific to third-level education institutions, particularly in terms of minimal social distance. He asked Dr. Kam to revisit his statement about how the university approached following CDC guidelines, especially because other universities had put six-feet social distancing regulations in place.
Kam replied that he and the university would continue to do what works best on Auburn’s campus.
Luca Guazotto (senator, Physics) asked when a second booster (a fourth shot) might be recommended by the CDC.
Dr. Kam noted that the CDC had recommended a fourth dose for those seriously immuno-compromised but for no other groups yet. Data will continue to come in, however, which may lead to recommendations being changed.
Liliana Stern (senator, Economics) asked how decisions were made on which CDC guidelines should be followed and what data is used.
Kam noted that data on infections on campus is problematic, especially because of the availability of self-test options. Data is available from the Auburn University Medical Clinic, the EAMC, the county and state. Stern noted that, at one point, about 20% of her class was infected. Kam agreed that the rate of infection is high right now.
Duha Altindag (not a senator, Economics) suggested that the CDC guidelines adopted were perhaps those which were least costly to the university.
Kam replied that he did not agree this characterization and that he has not been involved in any discussions of cost.
Action Items
Voting to continue holding Senate meetings via Zoom
Presenter: Todd Steury, Chair
Chair Steury noted that this item comes as the result of an amendment to a motion in the August 2021 senate meeting requiring that the use of zoom for Senate meetings be reviewed in January.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) asked if the decision would be reviewed again.
Steury noted that the text of the motion being voted on specified that Senate would continue holding Senate meetings via Zoom until after the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. The August 2022 meeting will also be on Zoom, but, in that meeting, a new vote on whether to continue on Zoom will be conducted. Steury added that, in addition, any senator at any time can motion to reassess and to move back to in-person meetings.
VOTE RESULTS: 53 total in favor, 2 opposed, 2 abstaining. The nomination passed.
Voting on motion to request that Board review Faculty Handbook changes during its regular meetings
Presenter: Todd Steury, Chair
Chair Steury noted that this motion was made by Roy Hartfield in the last meeting.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) noted that the reason for the motion was made was to move away from a once-a-year schedule for reviewing handbook changes in Board of Trustees meetings. He noted that of course this would not be binding on the Board, but that it was a request that the process of review handbook changes should be more efficient.
VOTE RESULTS: 52 total in favor, 1 opposed, 4 abstaining. The motion carried.
Voting on motion on graduate student fees
Presenter: Todd Steury, Chair
Chair Steury noted that this motion was made by Tony Moss in the last meeting. It is a call for the administration to decrease student fees, especially during the summer semester.
There was no further discussion.
VOTE RESULTS: 49 total in favor, 2 opposed, 8 abstaining. The motion carried.
Voting on the nominees to Senate Committee
Presenter: Ralph Kingston, Secretary
Ralph Kingston (Senate Secretary) presented the name of a nomination reviewed by the Rules Committee to complete a term on the Faculty Grievance Committee. The nominee was elected by the faculty of the School of Nursing.
Kingston noted that faculty could volunteer for 2022-2023 committee appointments using the volunteer portal linked from the Senate website. He added that it would be very useful to the Rules committee if volunteers used the comment function in the portal to explain their motivations for volunteering or to note if they have experience or expertise relevant to the committee’s work.
VOTE RESULTS: 59 total in favor, 0 opposed, 2 abstaining. The nomination was approved.
Voting on motion to adopt a Research Data Policy
Presenters: Linda Gibson-Young, Chair, Faculty Research Committee; Ali Krzton, Libraries (Data Management Librarian)
Steury noted that this policy was developed by the Faculty Research Committee in collaboration with the Libraries. It was a policy which certain grant-awarding bodies expect the university to have in place.
Karley Riffe (senator, EFLT) noted concerns faculty in her department have about the impact of the policy on intellectual property and, in particular, the university’s ownership of faculty members’ intellectual property. She suggested that the policy contradicts the university’s copyright policy.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) spoke to share Karley Riffe’s concerns, noting in addition that some contracts specify that agencies, government and non-government, regularly claim ownerships the intellectual property arising out of contracts. He argued that the policy was unclear on this.
Linda Gibson-Young (Chair, Faculty Research Committee) addressed these issues, noting that this policy has been being discussed for the past year and a half. Recognizing the clear need for a standard university wide approach to data management for faculty writing grant proposals, it was proposed initially by the administration and the university’s research data management librarian. The committee modeled the policy on those already in place in other universities. It then sought feedback, through the members of the Research Committee, who were asked to bring the policy to their units, and from the Associate Deans for Research, the Deans’ council, and the VP for Research. She noted some concerns have been addressed in the FAQ linked from the meeting’s agenda and that the policy on data ownership primarily follows the data management guidelines identified by the DoD and NIH.
Kamden Strunk (not a senator, EFLT) argued that the definition of data in the policy was very broad, and included the conclusions drawn from data and not just the data collected itself. He suggested the policy reclassifies the products of research work – intellectual property – as research data.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) motioned to postpone the vote on the policy for at least a couple of meetings, allowing time for revisions as needed. This motion was seconded by Tony Moss (senator, Biological Sciences).
Tony Moss requested that voting on the policy be postponed at least one more senate cycle (i.e. until the March meeting), so that senators have time to review it.
Ali Krzton (not a senator, Libraries; Data Management Librarian; member, Research Committee) spoke to address some of the concerns expressed. She argued that copyright was not implicated in the policy, and that scholarly work produced by faculty was not included in the definition of data. A broad definition of data was necessary, however, due to the range of different sorts of research being conducted in the university. The definition does not, however, include things like the discussion section of a research paper, or the text of a book on a topic of research. The existing university policy on copyright of those materials was not affected.
Finally, she noted that the policy did make specific provision for contractual obligations related to the ownership of data under sponsor agreements.
Kamden Strunk returned to his point on the too-broad definition of data in the policy, noting that the policy specifies that data includes intangible data such as statistics, findings, and conclusions. (in the zoom chat, it was argued that, as the policy is written, this list applies only “under sponsored agreements.”)
Aaron Trehub (not a senator, Libraries) spoke on the origins of the impetus for the policy, noting that the question of developing a research data policy at Auburn was first raised by Ed Thomas, COSAM dean, at a January 2020 meeting. Linda Gibson-Young clarified, however, that the Faculty Research Committee was already discussing the need for a policy before that.
Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) took up the issue of what is and is not data under the policy, and whether a formula or equation developed by a researcher, and the computer program developed to run it, should be regarded as “data.” He argued that, if these were now to be the property of the university, this would be a significant departure from what currently holds.
Linda Gibson-Young asked for a member of the Senate to liaise with the committee to help it work through the issues identified during the meeting. Chair Steury said that this should be possible.
Roy Hartfield spoke to amend his motion to postpone to specify that the policy should be sent back to committee so that concerns could be addressed. This was seconded by Anthony Moss.
This amendment of the motion was agreed by unanimous consent.
Ali Krzton spoke to the urgency of the need to have a policy. The majority of R1 peers have a policy similar this in place, and not having one might hamper our research competitiveness going forward given in terms of meeting the data management expectations of the NSF, NIH, etc.
Luca Guazzotto (senator, Physics) agreed the need for a policy.
John Beckmann (senator, Entomology and Plant Pathology) noted that he wrote his own data management plan on the last USDA grant he wrote. He expressed concern about a policy that might complicate the management of his data, when he is the expert on it. He also wondered about the impact of the policy on data he produces for teaching, and the possibility of the university taking control of that.
Motion to postpone the vote and return the issue to committee
VOTE RESULTS: 46 total in favor, 7 opposed, 0 abstaining. The motion to postpone was passed.
Chair Steury encouraged senators and anyone who has concerns about the policy to communicate them to the Linda Gibson-Young and Ali Krzton of the Faculty Research Committee.
Information Items
None
New Business
No new business
Old business.
None
Adjournment
Hearing no objections, the meeting was adjourned at 4:58 by unanimous consent.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ralph Kingston
Secretary, University Senate
Attendance Record – January 25, 2022
Senate Officers
Present:
Todd Steury, Chair;
Mark Carpenter, Chair-Elect;
Ralph Kingston, Secretary;
Don Mulvaney, Immediate Past-Chair;
L. Octavia Tripp, Secretary-Elect.
Administration
Present:
Janaji Alavalapati, Dean, Forestry and Wildlife Sciences;
Ana Franco-Watkins, Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts;
Annette Ranft, Dean, Harbert College of Business;
Jeffrey Fairbrother, Dean, College of Education;
Vini Nathan, Dean, College of Architecture, Design and Construction;
Royrickers Cook, Associate Provost and VP, University Outreach;
Gretchen Van Valkenburg, Vice President, Alumni Affairs;
James Weyhenmeyer, Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
Absent:
Chris Roberts, Dean, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.
Ex-Officio Members:
Present
Bill Hardgrave, Provost;
Shali Zhang, Dean of Libraries;
Rett Waggoner, SGA President;
Robert Norton, Steering Committee;
Cheryl Seals, Steering Committee;
Danilea Werner, Steering Committee;
Robert Cochran, Steering Committee.
Oluchi Oyekwe, GSC President;
Clint Lovelace, A&P Assembly Chair;
Ashley Reid, Staff Council Chair.
Absent:
None.
Senators:
Present:
Lisa Miller, Accountancy;
Roy Hartfield, Aerospace Engineering;
Valentina Hartarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology;
Molly Gregg, ACES;
Vinicia Biancardi, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology;
Jacek Wower, Animal Sciences;
Kevin Moore, Architecture;
Kathryn Floyd, Art and Art History;
James Birdsong, Aviation;
Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences;
David Blersch, Biosystems Engineering;
Mark Tatum, Building Sciences;
Bryan Beckingham, Chemical Engineering;
Wei Zhan, Chemistry;
Mark Barnett, substitute for J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering;
Kevin Smith, substitute for Robert Agne, Communication and Journalism;
Nancy Haak, Communication Disorders;
Shenenaz Shaik, Computer Science and Software Engineering;
Peter Weber, Consumer & Design Sciences;
David Han, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences;
Chris Schnittka, Curriculum & Teaching;
Feng Li, Drug Discovery and Development;
Liliana Stern, Economics;
Karley Riffe, Educational Foundations, Leadership & Tech;
Michael Baginski, Electrical & Computer Engineering;
Sunny Stalter-Pace, English;
John Beckmann, Entomology & Plant Pathology;
Nathan Whelan, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture;
David King, Geology & Geography;
Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy;
Zachary Schulz, History;
Daniel Wells, Horticulture;
Scott Ketring, Human Development & Family Studies;
Richard Sesek, Industrial and Systems Engineering;
Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology;
Kasia Leousis, Libraries;
Jeremy Wolter, Marketing;
Alan Walker, Management;
Hans-Werner van Wyk, Mathematics and Statistics;
Sabit Adanur, Mechanical Engineering;
Virginia Broffitt Kunzer, Music;
Chris Martin, Nursing
David Mixson, Outreach;
Peter Christopherson, Pathobiology;
Spencer Durham, substitute for Sarah Cogle, Pharmacy Practice;
Jennifer Lockhart, Philosophy
Luca Guazzotto, Physics;
Peter White, Political Science
Ken Macklin, Poultry Science;
Joe Bardeen, Psychological Sciences;
Janice Clifford, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work;
Rebecca Curtis, Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psychology;
David Strickland, Supply Chain Management;
Amit Mitra, Systems and Technology;
Charles McMullen, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC, Air Force;
Nate Conkey, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC Army;
Matthew Roberts, Captain, ROTC, Naval;
Adrienne Wilson, Theatre;
Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences;
Zachary Zuwiyya, World Language, Literatures, and Cultures;
Absent:
Damion McIntosh, Finance;
Zhaofei (Joseph) Fan, Forestry & Wildlife Science;
Ben Bush, Industrial Design;
Baker Ayoun, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Management.