AU Senate
August 29, 2023
Via Zoom
Minutes
Meeting called to order at 3:30 pm.
All senators in attendance reminded that they must participate in the canvas quorum poll (this is equivalent to the sign-in sheet during in-person meetings).
A quorum was established with 71 respondents voting.
Approval of minutes from June 13, 2023.
Minutes approved with no corrections.
AU Senate Chair: Lisa Kensler
Introduction to Senate 2023-2024 Meetings
AU President: Christopher Roberts offered remarks at the start of the Fall semester and looks forward to the year ahead. Announcements on Board of Trustees outcomes: approved budget, STEM-Ag Building complex approved with full proposal ($224M), and Cambridge housing issues (new housing project reactivated [$80M]). Called on Bobby Woodard to highlight incident. Addressed Strategic Planning in preparation for Fall 2023. Called on Kelvin King for Security presentation re: recent shootings. Highlighted priorities of AU. Plan is to address emergency plans and safety in future meeting.
AU Provost: Vini Nathan offered announcements with Academic Affairs. New 12-credit Congratulations to Department of Nutrition Sciences with 7-year accreditation. Three open Dean positions (Architecture Design and Construction, Nursing, and Business).
Information Items
Lisa Kensler, Senate Chair
Kensler made two announcements:
She asked Senators to complete the Senator Orientation Survey by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7th.
She noted that the Senate meeting would adjourn prior to the start of the Open Enrollment Presentation, all within the same Zoom meeting.
Action Items
The vote for Senate Nominees passed 67 yes, 4 no.
Linda Gibson-Young addressed the replacement nominations for open Senate Committees
Senate Committees replacement of vacancies (pdf)
The vote for Senate Nominees passed 62 yes, 2 no, 1 abstain
No New Business
Lisa Kensler, Senate Chair, adjourned the meeting at 4:15pm.
Senate Meeting Attendance – Aug. 29, 2023
Senate Officers
Lisa Kensler Chair
Lori Eckhardt Chair-elect
Linda Gibson-Young Secretary
Jaena Alabi Secretary-elect
Mark Carpenter Immediate Past-Chair
Administration
Kelli Shomaker VP for Bus & Fin & CFO
Paul Patterson Dean, College of Agriculture
George Flowers Dean, Graduate School
Bobby Woodard SVP for Student Affairs
Jason Hicks Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Alan David sub for Mario Eden Dean, College of Engineering
Ed Thomas Dean, COSAM
Joffrey Gaymon VP Enrollment Mgmt.
Calvin Johnson Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
Ex-Officio Members
Vini Nathan Provost
Shali Zhang Dean of Libraries
Julianne Lozano sub for John David Jones, SGA President
PritamMitra sub for Soolim Jeong, GSC President
Josh Henderson A&P Assembly Chair
Evelyn Hunter Steering Committee
Robert Cochran Steering Committee
J Brian Anderson Steering Committee
Senators by Departments
Xu (Joyce) Cheng Accountancy
Anwar Ahmed sub for Roy Hartfield Aerospace Engineering
Valentina Hartarska Ag Economics & Rural Sociology
Mary (Molly) Gregg ACES
Jacek Wower Animal Sciences
Vinicia Biancardi Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology
Gorham Bird sub for Kevin Moore, Architecture
Lauren Woods Art
James Birdsong Aviation
Rebecca Riggs Biological Sciences
Mark Dougherty sub for David Blersch , Biosystems Engineering
Jeff Kim Building Sciences
Regina Gramling Business Analytics and Information Systems
Elizabeth Lipke Chemical Engineering
Wei Zhan Chemistry
Joel Hayworth Civil Engineering
Kevin Smith Communication and Journalism
Sanjeev Baskyar Computer Science & Software Engineering
David Han Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Christine (Chris) Schnittka Curriculum & Teaching
Murali Dhanasekaran Drug Discovery and Development
Liliana Stern Economics
Andrew Pendola Educational Foundations, Leadership & Technology
Michael Baginski Electrical & Computer Engineering
Sunny Stalter-Pace English
John Beckmann Entomology & Plant Pathology
David Cicero Finance
David King Geosciences
Jan Kavookjian Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Zachary Schulz History
Clark Danderson Hospitality Mgmt.
Diana Samek Human Development & Family Studies
David Smith Industrial Design
Rich Sesek Industrial and Systems Engineering
Christopher (Brooks) Mobley Kinesiology
Kasia Leousis Library
Liesl Wesson Management and Entrepreneurship
Jeremy Wolter Marketing
Hans Werner van Wyk Mathematics and Statistics
Sabit Adanur Mechanical Engineering
Lee Johnson Music
Chris Martin Nursing
Kevin Huggins Nutritional Sciences
David Mixson Outreach
Pricilla Barger sub for Peter Christopherson Pathobiology
Lena McDowell Pharmacy Practice
David Miller Philosophy
Luca Guazzotto Physics
Jonathan (Jon) Fisk Political Science
Amit Morey Poultry Science
Alejandro A. Lazarte Psychology
Gregory Spray Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
David Strickland Supply Chain Management
LTC, Michael Quinn ROTC Air Force
LTC, Laura Fryar ROTC Army
Danilea Werner Socio/Anthro/Social Work
Adrienne Wilson Theatre and Dance
Kerri Munoz World Lang & Literatures
Absent without substitute:
Octavia Tripp Steering (excused)
Kimberly McCadden Staff Council Chair
Ann Presley Consumer & Design Sciences
Nathan Whelan Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture
Zhaofei (Joseph) Fan Forestry, Wildlife, and the Environment
Elina Coneva Horticulture
Rebecca Curtis (ret 9/1) Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psych
Captain, Michael Witherspoon ROTC Naval
Robert Cole Veterinary Clinical Sciences