min_08-31-21

Minutes
Senate Meeting: August 31, 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.

Todd Steury, Senate Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm. The Chair gave attendees an overview of the basic procedures for participating in the meeting in Zoom format. The Chair noted that the meeting would be using a new voting system, with Qualtrics polls being sent to Senators by email.

He then introduced the elected officers of the Senate, and the Senate Steering Committee.

A quorum was established when 48 Senators responded to the quorum poll via qualtrics. In all, 85 senators attended the meeting.

No objections or corrections were raised to the June minutes. Minutes were approved.

The Chair began by establishing that his intention is to give a run-down of what the Senate leadership does between meetings, including making nominations to a variety of administrative review committees, Dean search committees, and working with the university on COVID protocols.

This included establishing a nominating committee for the election of Senate officers to begin serving in 2022-2023: Nedret Billor (Science and Mathematics), Mitchell Brown (Liberal Arts), Mahmoud Mansour (Veterinary Medicine), Greg Schmidt (Libraries), Jared Russell (Education), and Jitendra Tugnait (Engineering). Nominating committee chair Nedret Billor will be emailing faculty with a request for nominations in the near future.

He noted that a decision had been made to maintain only one version of the faculty handbook. The Senate website now links to a pdf version hosted by the Provost’s office. Also, the Senate leadership would no longer automatically be sending changes to the faculty handbook to the General Counsel for review prior to their presentation to Senate. This is a reversion to previous practice.

Steury responded to questions raised in the last meeting on the operation of the Office of Research Security Compliance and its role in hiring at the university. Steury noted that the office looks at all potential employees and graduate students of international origin, and follows federal guidelines and risk-management protocols in making its recommendations to the administration. In the past year, the office recommended that employment offers not be extended in only 1% of the cases reviewed. In response to concerns expressed, the Office of Research Security Compliance will in future assess potential international hires at the interview state as opposed to when a particular candidate has already been selected for a job offer.

Provost Hardgrave confirmed that this new process has not yet been put in place, but that he believed it would be as soon as the office secured the software needed to substantially increase the number of files under review.

Finally, Steury noted again that the Senate Executive committee has been engaged on the question of COVID protocols. He noted the volume of emails the Senate executive has received on COVID issues and stressed that the Senate executive takes campus safety seriously. He noted that the Senate executive has made requests that the administration has not agreed to.

President Gogue began by discussing enrollment. Auburn had 27,000 completed applications for admission this year, and admitted 5100-5200 new students, keeping total enrollment around 30,000. The average ACT score of those admitted was 28.2; the average high school GPA of new admissions was a little over 4.0. He added that Auburn is seeing more diversity among students than they have seen in years and there has been an increase in numbers in most graduate programs.

The President then turned to the financial health of the university. The administration will present the budget for the year beginning October 1, 2021, to the Board of Trustees in September. It includes be a 3% merit pool for salaries. State tax revenue is strong this year and the President stated his optimism about the university’s FY22-23 budget prospects. The University has already exceeded its FY2020-2021 fundraising goals with still a month to go.

The President made special mention of federally supplied need-based student aid (to mitigate COVID-impact on students.) Around 20 million dollars will be disbursed to students based on FAFTAs. The second round will also be open to graduate and international students as well as domestic students. The lowest amount students who apply will receive will be about 1700 dollars; the highest will be about 3000 dollars.

The AU Foundation has also started a new initiative for need-based students. A 30,000 gift from the foundation, matched by the university, will provide 2000 a year for five years for individuals.

Other issues coming before the Board of Trustees in September are final approval of the Lowder Hall renovations, the closure of the Bachelor of Science in Food science program, and a proposed new doctoral degree in Physical Therapy in the School of Kinesiology.

Dr. Gogue then invited Dr. Fred Kam to provide a update on medical issues on campus.

Dr. Fred Kam (Medical Director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic) reminded us that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, with rising numbers of COVID cases in Lee County, in the state, and in the nation, and part of a resurgence of delta variant across the world.

A year ago, we had high hopes for the impact of vaccinations. We need to continue to get people vaccinated.

The clinic is conducting monoclonal antibody infusions for eligible individuals.

Provost Hardgrave returned to the top of the 3% pool for merit raises. Merit raises will be calculated based on the highest evaluation a faculty member received in the past two years. Numbers have already been finalized by the schools and colleges.

He then asked Kelli Shomaker to talk on the disbursement of the federal funds to mitigate the impact of COVID on students.

Kelli Shomaker (Vice President for Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer) noted that emails began going out today (August 31) to students with the lowest family contributions as defined by the information on their FAFSA. The email outlines the application process. They will advertise the application process more generally to undergraduates, graduates, professional students, international students, starting next week. 13-15,000 students should be eligible to receive some of this funding. She foresees a large number of applications and funds will be disbursed first come, first served.

Provost Hardgrave then called on Bobby Woodard to speak on the vaccination incentive program for students.

Bobby Woodard (Senior Vice President for Student Affairs) informed Senate that there were 5800 students enrolled in the incentive program. Students can enter the competition regardless of whether they received their vaccination on campus or off campus. Draws are held each week. Both individuals and student organizations can win. Winners must proof of vaccination once they win the prize. There were 28 winners last week in the first drawing. Students can only win once a semester. Benefit eligible employees who are also students are not eligible.

Provost Hardgrave then turned to COVID issues. He reported that he met with department chairs and deans last Friday, and that his office and the CRC is tackling three issues as a result. The first is the impact of time lags caused by the availability of testing. His office is discussing with the CRC whether documentation can be backdated to onset of symptoms rather than test results. The second is the issue of compliance with mask-wearing rules indoors on campus. Compliance in classrooms has been very good but not so good in other parts of buildings. The Provost told faculty that there were people who walk around campus reminding people to wear masks. The Provost’s office has, over the last week, been sending these “mask reminders” into the busier buildings. The office will be increasing the number of mask reminders. Some colleges are also adding their own. The third issue was testing. He has talked to Dr. Kam and Pharmacy about reducing wait times and they are working on a solution.

He noted that faculty should provide feedback to unit leaders. The Provost will be meeting regularly through the semester with department chairs and deans.

Question: Liliana Stern (senator, Economics) asked President Gogue if faculty members should have primary control of the modalities of the classes they are teaching. President Gogue replied that the faculty member and department chair should decide.

Question: Liliana Stern (senator, Economics) then asked if the President believed that faculty members should have been consulted on decisions on modalities, because faculty in her department were not. President Gogue replied that if department chairs are unresponsive, faculty should meet with deans.

Question: Luca Guazzotto (senator, Physics) asked how many people submitted an application to the vaccination incentive program? Bobby Woodard (VP for Student Affairs) replied that there were 5830 students in the pool. He added that there are double-digit number of students per day getting vaccinated on campus.

Question: Luca Guazzotto (senator, Physics) then noted that the Physics department is seeing issues with compliance with the mask mandate. Faculty are concerned that they are being put at risk by student non-compliance and they have no means to ensure compliance, both in corridors and in the classrooms. Bobby Woodard (VP for Student Affairs) replied that the Provost’s office has hired people to go around to check on mask wearing. Some of the colleges are also hiring people to help with that. Faculty also have a role to play. He is not asking instructors to come down with a heavy hand but just to remind students of the rule on masks. It is going to be the norm that there will be students who aren’t wearing masks and need constant reminders.

Provost Hardgrave seconded Bobby Woodard’s remarks and promised he would talk to the Luca Guazzotto’s Dean in order to tackle specific issues.

Question: Scott Ketring (senator, HDFS) asked for more information about testing on campus. He noted that students have not been able to get through to the testing line. He also had tried personally with no success. Fred Kam (AUMC medical director) replied that the clinic received 3284 phone calls last week, that the volume of calls has been huge. There have been improvements.

Scott Ketring (senator, HDFS)followed up by asking if there has been any consideration of allowing walk-up testing. Kam replied that this was difficult to do, given the need for proper registration, quality control, privacy, and security.

Ron Burgess (Chief Operating Officer) spoke up to ask that Kelli Shoemaker give more information on how the university has been working to expand testing capacity. Kelli Shomaker (VP for Business and Finance / CFO) informed Senate that the administration had been looking to extend testing hours in partnership with the School of Pharmacy. This will be advertised in the Auburn News when it is in place.

Question: Tony Moss (senator, Biological Sciences) asked about when booster shots might become available. Fred Kam (AUMC medical director) replied they had already offered third shots to immuno-compromised people. They will be offering booster shots following the process outlined nationally. He expects boosters will become available in the next two to three weeks.

Question: Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics)questioned President Gogue about raises and the process for deciding them. He asked whether, when he looks at the data after the raise, if he will find that there are individuals who received raises well above the pool. President Gogue replied that the variation of merit raises should be from zero to four or five percent.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics)returned that when last merit raises were awarded to faculty, there were also raises ordered without respect to merit. He asked if, in this round, there will also be special market adjustments or other raises awarded outside of the published guidelines on merit raises? In reply, Provost Hardgrave confirmed that his office would be trying to do some market adjustments this year. It has already received recommendations from the colleges and schools.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics)asked if there were any guidelines governing those market adjustment raises. Provost Hardgrave replied that he believed they are on the provost’s website.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) asked if these guidelines were separate to the documentation on merit raises presented to the Board of Trustees. Provost Hardgrave replied that they were.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) inquired if there is there a process through which a faculty member can audit what raises are given out, or object if he or she does not receive a market-adjustment raise. Provost Hardgrave responded that recommendations come from the colleges or schools and so faculty members can take it up at that level.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) noted that there was no way for a faculty member to know what had or had not been received. Market-adjustment raises are aggregated with merit raises and awarded in one sum. Specific information about the amount of raises for individual faculty members is not published. Provost Hardgrave replied that who received a raise and who did not is public information.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) instructed the Provost that, while salaries are public information, the amount awarded in specific raises is not published. There is no transparency. He has not ever received guidelines governing market adjustments in any previous raise cycle up to and including the present.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics)began to address a new question to Ronald Burgess (Chief Operating Officer) but was informed by Chair Steury that he had passed the standard time limit for questions.

Question: Peter Christopherson (senator, Pathobiology) asked Dr. Kam for his recommendation on COVID vaccine boosters. Kam replied that, with the exception of Johnson and Johnson, present data suggests it is better to stick with the vaccine type you originally got. Those who received J&J vaccines are recommended to get a mRNA vaccine as booster.

Question: Liliana Stern (senator, Economics) returned to the issue of the issue of raises and perceived inequities in her department back in 2020. She noted the need for specific guidelines as to the operation of these raises. Two years ago, she reported, Provost Hardgrave said that she should ask her dean, but no one had gotten back to her.

President Gogue asked Provost Hardgrave how much money is usually in the market adjustment pool. Provost Hardgrave said it varied by year. Those selected to receive these raises is determined by the departments and colleges. Guidelines are on the website. These raises are an attempt to bring salaries up to SREB average.

Liliana Stern noted that, to her, the decision making on market adjustments and ranking of candidates seems entirely arbitrary. Provost Hardgrave again suggested she should talk to her Dean and department chair.

Action Item – Voting on Nominees to serve on Senate Committees
Presenter: Ralph Kingston, Senate Secretary

Ralph Kingston presented the names of nominees selected by the Rules Committee to serve on open positions on the NTTF committee, the Core Curriculum and General Education committee, the Teaching Effectiveness Committee, and the Faculty Handbook Review Committee. The Rules Committee will continue to work through positions which have opened up over the next month or two.

Kingston urged faculty to volunteer for committees. They are currently open slots on the Student Conduct committee, for example.

Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) asked what other committees needed volunteers. Kingston replied they need also need people for Academic Standards and the Graduation Committee. A list would be sent out to Senators after the meeting.

VOTE RESULTS: 71 total in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstaining. The nominees were approved.

Action Item – Voting on nominees to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Presenter: Ralph Kingston, Senate Secretary

Ralph Kingston reminded Senators that this was a new committee, created by Senate last year. He added that the Rules committee received a lot of volunteers for this position and there were a lot of strong candidates they wanted to include but that they, unfortunately, could not.

Action Item: Voting on use of Zoom for Senate meetings
Presenter: Todd Steury, Chair
Todd Steury noted that the reasons for the motion in July to provide for an ongoing use of zoom for Senate meetings related to participation. It was easier for people to make it to meetings on zoom. The motion was not to do with COVID, though of course that is once again now a critical issue on campus.
Question: Roy Hartfield (senator, Aerospace Engineering) asked if the move to zoom could be time limited.
Steury replied that all it would take to move back to in-person meetings would be a motion passed in senate to do so.
Roy Hartfield made a motion to amend the existing motion, so that the move to zoom meetings would be reviewed next semester. It was seconded by Cheryl Seals (Senate Steering Committee).
Discussion of amendment
Sunny Stalter-Pace (senator, English) noted that zoom meetings were more accessible and spoke in favor of not time-limiting the use of zoom. Roy Hartfield (Senator, Aerospace Engineering), in reply, noted the value of personal contact in Senate meetings. Human communication in general is primarily non-verbal and zoom limits this.
Dave Han (senator, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences) noted that he did not see the need for an amendment to make a review automatic. The amendment was not necessary because senate can decide to return to in-person meetings at any time.
Luca Guazzotto (senator, Physics) asked for clarity on what senators would vote on – the amendment or the amended motion. Todd Steury confirmed that the amendment would be voted on first.
Peter Christopherson (senator, Pathobiology) supported the amendment, noting the importance of in-person communication.
Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) also spoke in favor of the amendment but against the overall motion, advocating a more immediate return to in-person meetings or meetings using hybrid technologies. He argued that it was strange that Senate could not meet in person when faculty are back in classrooms with no social distancing.
Susan Youngblood (not a senator, English) noted that the current zoom format (now that we’re no longer using webinar) potentially gives more face-to-face contact. Tony Moss (Senator, Biological sciences) agreed, praising the flexibility of zoom, and noting that he can actually hear and see people and gauge their responses better on zoom better than in Broun Hall.
David Blersch (senator, Biosystems Engineering) then brought the discussion back more specifically to the amendment. He was in favor of regular review because of the value of in-person communication. He asked for clarity on the specific language of the amendment. Roy Hartfield (Senator, Aerospace Engineering) said that the purpose of the amendment was that Senators would reconsider the decision to go to zoom again at a later date. Todd Steury (Senate Chair) framed the amendment in the following terms: the amendment was “to continue with zoom until the spring semester at which point there will be a vote as to whether to continue with zoom meetings.”
The discussion then turned to some practical issues. Laura Kloberg (Senate administrative assistant) noted that leaving spring an open question meant that Broun Hall would need to be reserved even if Senate ended up not using it. Don Mulvaney (Immediate past chair) noted that the main motion was important as it confirmed for the first time that zoom was a legitimate mode of conducting meetings. Previous zoom meetings were conducted on an emergency basis. Chair Steury replied to this point noting that the Senate executive committee spent a lot of time discussing how zoom meetings could meet the standards of Robert’s Rules of Order. Robert’s Rules requires that everyone can be heard, and it would be difficult to assure this in hybrid meetings.
Steury called the vote on the amendment. David Blersch (senator, Biosystems Engineering) asked that the written text of the amendment on the voting survey match exactly the wording the amendment as expressed verbally in the meeting.
The Senators then voted on the following motion to amend the motion on the use of zoom: “so that a vote on a continued use of zoom will occur at the beginning of the spring semester.”
AMENDMENT VOTE RESULTS: 50 total in favor, 21 opposed, 0 abstained. Amendment passed.
Discussion of main motion
No further discussion of the main motion followed. Steury moved to a vote on the motion to adopt zoom as amended: “to continue the use of Zoom for senate meetings with another vote on whether or not to continue to occur at the beginning of spring semester.”
VOTE RESULTS: 58 total in favor, 2 opposed, 0 abstained. Motion with the amemendment passed.

Senate will continue to use zoom for meetings until at least the start of the spring semester.

Action Item: Voting on Zoom Rules for Senate meetings
Presenter: Todd Steury, Chair
Chair Steury then introduced new rules for meetings, which were adapted from guidance issued by the National Association of Parliamentarians. These rules are necessary to ensure electronic meetings meet the standards of Robert’s Rules of Orders.
Ralph Kingston (Senate Secretary) noted we may need to amend the voting system in the future as Qualtrics may not be the best voting system.

David Blersch (senator, Biosystems Engineering) asked whether or not there are recommendations or requirements on camera use included. Chair Steury said there were not. Susan Youngblood (not a senator, English) noted that participants might have connectivity problems and requiring cameras to be on in order to speak might limit participation. Blersch accepted this point but noted the problem of people who might not be logged in to the meeting, but not actively present, and how this might impact quorum. Steury noted that there is provision for senators to make a quorum call at any point.

Michael Stern (not a senator, Economics) asked if this was a constitutional change. He pointed out that rules for how the Senate conducts its affairs were normally incorporated into its constitution. Steury replied that this did not require a change to the constitution as the rules Senate was voting on did not contradict current constitutional provisions. More specific rules of operation, he added, can be established and changed by simple majority vote, as long as they conform to the requirements established in the constitution.

David Blersch (senator, Biosystems Engineering) asked how the rules might be amended if they are not working. Steury replied that any senator can make a motion at any time to modify the rules, and it would be voted on by Senate.

Senators voted on the “Rules for Electronic Zoom Meetings of the University Senate.”

VOTE RESULTS: 57 total in favor, 3 opposed, 0 abstained. The rules were adopted.

Information Item: Faculty Handbook addition on classroom Policy
Presenter: Kamden Strunk, Chair – Faculty Handbook Review Committee
Kamden Strunk shared a proposed addition to the faculty handbook (chapter 4, section 2) codifying the long-standing understanding that faculty control who, besides registered students, is allowed to attend their classes, lectures, and other instructional sessions. The text makes limited exception for visits related to institutional mission where a chair/head, dean, or provost might need to authorize someone to attend the class, for example during an accreditation site visit. This can be done with advance notice given to instructors.

Steury noted that this handbook amendment will be voted on in the next senate meeting.

Information Item: DEI Training Module Rollout
Presenter: Taffye Clayton, Associate Provost and Vice President for Inclusion and Diversity
Taffye Clayton presented an update on the progress of the rollout of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training modules in the University. Faculty and employees have already been notified of the requirement to complete the Title IX module, which is required by federal regulations. In addition, DEI/EEO, with the Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), has developed a synchronous custom learning module, a foundational learning opportunity using AU-developed content, which AU students, employees, and faculty, will take in Year one (2021-2022) before moving on in year two (2022-2023) to the EVERFI DEI-focused modules purchased by the university. The foundational DEI/EEO module is expected to pilot by the end of September and be rolled out to faculty and employees in October. OID is looking to develop a micro-credentialling strategy when it rolls out the EVERFI-produced DEI training modules, and will engage with the Senate DEI committee on this.
Clayton noted that there are also several existing face-to-face DEI learning opportunities provided through OID on the topics of workplace diversity and inclusion and others.

Question: Tony Moss (senator, Biological Sciences) asked Dr. Clayton to expand on what was involved with micro-credentialing. Clayton responded that micro-credentials prove skill and competency in a particular areas, in this case DEI. Her office wants to engage more people in the process of determining what micro-credentialing might look like at Auburn.

Information Item: Covid Resource Center Update
Presenters: Chris O’Gwynn, Executive Director, Risk Management and Safety, and Dr. Robert Norton, Professor in Poultry Sciences and Faculty Rep. to the Covid Resource Center.

Chris O’Gwynn reminded people of the resources available on the Covid Resource Center website. Many questions people call the CRC are answered by the website and checking the website can save time. The CRC updates the site regularly and is looking into a way to make new notifications more prominent. If an answer is not available on the website, O’Gwynn stressed that the CRC call center is up and running, and ready to respond. Those with concerns or feedback can also get them heard through the Senate leadership and other shared governance groups.

O’Gwynn noted recent guidelines issues to faculty discouraging faculty making announcements when they become aware of a positive case in their classroom. They should instead engage with university contact tracing team.

He finished his remarks by listing some new data. Self-reported positive cases have increased. In the first week of classes, 424 cases were self-reported. Last week, this dipped down to 360. Testing in the AU medical clinic identified 123 positive cases in the first week, and 122 in the second week of classes. As of August 31, 16,426 doses of vaccine have been administered on campus. They are going to work out a process for administering booster shots.

University employees should not reveal or distribute any personal identifying information about students affected by covid-19, including anonymized announcements to classes. The CRC will conduct tracing.

A student may receive multiple excuses. Faculty should follow instructions in the official notification sent to faculty by the CRC.

The university will not supply n95 masks to employees as these are reserved for front-line medical staff. These are not recommended by the CRC or ADPH for use in settings like classrooms.

The CRC is not responsible for academic decisions, such as those on teaching assignments, classrooms, and instructional modalities. Faculty should talk to their academic unit leaders.

Question: Liliana Stern (senator, economics) asked what percentage of students are actually self-reporting? He voiced her suspicion that many students are not self-reporting.

Robert Norton replied they follow all the data coming of the AU medical clinic and the EAMC, and compare this to the numbers self-reporting. There have been delays in students filling out their self-reports. Faculty should encourage them to get them in early because it helps tracking.

Liliana Stern noted in reply that she has received medical excuses from students who have not self-reported. She cannot force them to self-report. Norton replied that the CRC is strongly advising faculty to require the self report form when excusing class absences. O’Gwynn added that the forms also are vital in terms of issuing return-to-campus dates, which are communicated to instructors. Danilea Werner (faculty representative to Covid Resource Center, Senate Steering Committee) noted that faculty notifications only started in the past week so faculty would not have been notified that students self-reported at the start of semester. Liliana Stern asked if faculty can send the names of students who have declared they are covid positive to the CRC? Werner said that faculty can notify the CRC, though only where students have tested positive within the past week.

Question: Rich Sesek (senator, Industrial and Systems Engineering) asked about university tracing and how effective it can be tracking transmission in the classroom. He added that the delays in notification were problematic. Norton reiterated the importance of protecting student privacy. Faculty can communicate a student’s identity to the CRC. Faculty and students can waive their rights and choose to disclose their situation themselves to their classes. Faculty announcing that there has been a COVID-positive student in the class, however, is a potential FERPA violation.

Sesek noted that the CRC tracers had no good way to identify particular students in the classroom who might have been exposed and who needed to be contacted. Norton noted that some instructors have seating charts and can communicate this information to the CRC. Danilea Werner added that there is a form on the CRC website where instructors can report the names of students who were in close contact in a classroom, and the CRC would notify those students they were in close contact with someone who was covid-positive without divulging what classroom they were in. Sesek noted that instructors did not always have this information.

Ralph Kingston (Senate Secretary) noted the difficulty of filling out faculty contact notification forms when classes have a lot of exposures. It is prohibitively time consuming. He has a seating chart, but has no good means to tell if students were actually actively infectious when they attended. The form did not allow him to name the student who was potentially infectious allowing the center to doublecheck his determination. Norton replied that the traceback team is also struggling with the numbers of students involved.

Kingston asked if he could send his seating charts to the CRC. Norton replied that is a decision that Kingston could make and the CRC would look at any information sent to it.

Chris O’Gwynn (Executive Director, Risk Management and Safety) noted again that faculty cannot make any sorts of announcements to class that might lead students to be able to identify a student who has tested positive for COVID. Norton added that he is required to notify the faculty members department’s chair/head and dean whenever this occurs.

Question: Susan Youngblood (not a senator, English) asked if this means she cannot let people with documented excuses join by zoom, if having a documented excuse is the criteria used to define who can join on zoom?

Norton replied that he would have to go back to university counsel on this. His thought is that if it is just for COVID-related excuses, it would be problematic, but not if it the provision to attend on zoom was open to students with any form of university approved excuse. O’Gwynn agreed.

Rich Sesek (senator, Industrial and Systems Engineering) noted that he allows all students to attend on zoom. He understood that other instructors may have particular reasons to require in-person participation.

He moved on to encourage faculty to do as much as possible to promote mask wearing. He sees large percentages of people in buildings not wearing masks. He then queried how student conduct violations can be pursued when students are not wearing masks in corridors. In that context, they are effectively anonymous.

Norton acknowledged the problems and reiterated that the Provost would be putting more people into hallways to police mask wearing. He stressed the importance of educating students, starting in the classroom. A number of students have already been dealt with in terms of student conduct violations.

Question: Rich Sesek (senator, Industrial and Systems Engineering) asked what happens if a faculty member is not conforming to the rules. Bob Norton replied that, if Sesek has observed a case like this, he should report it to the CRC and it will take up the issue with the individual’s dean and department head/chair.

Question: Shehenaz Shaik (senator, Computer Science and Software Engineering) noted that she is allowing students to attend by zoom but asked about how we are going to run exams in the current situation? Norton suggested she work with her head /chair and/or dean on the issue.

Adjournment
Hearing no objections, Chair Steury declared the meeting adjourned at 6:16pm

Attendance Record – August 31, 2021

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:
Ana Franco-Watkins, Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts;
Annette-Ranft, Dean, Harbert College of Business;
Vini Nathan, Dean, College of Architecture, Design and Construction;
Jeffrey Fairbrother, Dean, College of Education;
Janaji Alavalapati, Dean, Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
Cris Roberts, Dean, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering;
James Weyhenmeyer, Vice President for Research and Economic Development;
Gretchen Van Valkenburg, Vice President, Alumni Affairs;
Royrickers Cook, Associate Provost and VP, University Outreach.
Absent:

Ex-Officio Members:
Present
Bill Hardgrave, Provost;
Shali Zhang, Dean of Libraries;
Oluchi Oyekwe, GSC President;
Rett Waggoner, SGA President;
Clint Lovelace, A&P Assembly Chair;
Ashley Reid, Staff Council Chair;
Cheryl Seals, Steering Committee;
Danilea Werner, Steering Committee;
Robert Norton, Steering Committee;
Robert Cochran, Steering Committee.
Absent:

Senators:
Present:
Lisa Miller, Accountancy;
Roy Hartfield, Aerospace Engineering;
Valentina Hartarska, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology;
Molly Gregg, ACES;
Jacek Wower, Animal Sciences;
Vinicia Biancardi, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology;
Kevin Moore, Architecture;
Kathryn Floyd, Art and Art History;
James Birdsong, Aviation;
Anthony Moss, Biological Sciences;
David Blersch, Biosystems Engineering;
Mark Tatum, Building Sciences;
Brian Beckingham, Chemical Engineering;
Wei Zhan, Chemistry;
J. Brian Anderson, Civil Engineering;
Ed Youngblood, 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;
Rajesh Amin, substitute for 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;
Damion McIntosh, Finance;
Zhaofei (Joseph) Fan, Forestry & Wildlife Science;
David King, Geology & Geography;
Kimberly Garza, Health Outcomes Research and Policy;
Zachary Schulz, History;
Daniel Wells, Horticulture;
Scott Ketring, Human Development & Family Studies;
Ben Bush, Industrial Design;
Rich Sesek, Industrial and Systems Engineering;
Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology;
Kasia Leousis, Library;
Alan Walker, Management;
Jeremy Wolter, Marketing;
Hans-Werner van Wyk, Mathematics and Statistics;
Sabit Adanur, Mechanical Engineering;
Virginia Kunzer, Music;
Chris Martin, Nursing
Baker Ayoun, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Management;
David Mixson, Outreach;
Peter Christopherson, Pathobiology;
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;
David Strickland, Supply Chain Management;
Amit Mitra, Systems and Technology;
Charles McMullen, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC, Air Force;
Nate Conkey, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC Army;
Adrienne Wilson, Theatre;
Robert Cole, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Zachary Zuwiyya, World Language, Literatures, and Cultures;
Absent:
Nathan Whelan, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture;
Rebecca Curtis, Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psychology;
Matthew Roberts, Captain, ROTC, Naval

For informational purposes, though the actual link was not provided during the meeting, these guidelines are available at https://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/retention-initiatives/index.php (scroll down to “retention adjustments.”)