AU Senate
November 14, 2023
Minutes

Meeting called to order at 3:30 p.m.
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).

Vote1 to identify quorum. A quorum was established with 59 respondents.

AU Senate Chair: Lisa Kensler
Opening remarks regarding expectations of meeting.  

Approval of minutes from October 17, 2023. Requested body to identify any changes. None noted.
Minutes approved with no corrections and unanimous consent.

Action Items

Chair shared procedures for all to hear. Stated Senate Rules, Steering, and Executive Committees are working to ensure all Senators and attendees receive AU Senate expectations.

1. Action item brought forward from Senate to Faculty Handbook Committee.

Presenter: Mitchell Brown, Faculty Handbook Committee. Senate previously passed changes to handbook, but there was not consensus in Faculty Handbook committee to move forward to administration with current changes. History: In June, this proposal change was approved and sent to Faculty Handbook Committee.

Today, a motion to recommit the Teaching Track Series back to the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee. Motion seconded. Motion highlighted Teaching Professor Line and seeks to define non-tenure role. A goal when recommitted to Non-Tenure Tracy Faculty Committee would allow more discussion at the implementation.

Debate opened.
Point of order identified to keep conversations focused on whether or not to send
forward to Non-Tenure Track Committee.
Question made re: what will happen if this goes back to committee. If motion approved, Provost Nathan addressed the plan if moved to administration to address implementation as a future goal to implement this motion.

Vote2: Motion to suspend rules of debate allowing non-Senator to contribute for debate of motions in November, 2023 meeting.
Vote for Motion passed 51 yes, 16 no, 4 abstain.
PASSES- Rules Suspended

Vote3 to Recommit Teaching Track Faculty Proposal back to Non-Tenure Track Committee.
Vote for Motion passed  36 yes, 32 no, 5 abstain.
PASSES- Returned to Non-Tenure Track Committee

2. Action item - Liliana Stern, Senator Economics Department- Addressed concerns related to disparities between faculty and non-faculty raises and compensations. Motion: There shall be an [Friendly amendment 1-23-24 remove administrative item with information item] information item and robust debate concerning raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty. Motion seconded.

Information requested of Dr. Roberts. President Roberts vocalized conversation of raises based on merit, roles, market adjustments, promotions, and endowments. Stressed the significance of people within Auburn university and leadership responsibilities.  

Amended Motion and Seconded.

Vote4a deleted since no discussion allowed.

Vote4b to amend Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee further investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty and present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Amendment to Motion passed  44 yes,  16 no, 0 abstain.

Vote5 to amend Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee broadly investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty compensation overall and present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Amendment passed  49 yes, 17 no, 2 abstain.
PASSES- Amendment Accepted.

Vote6 on Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee further broadly investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty and faculty compensation overall and then present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Motion passed 42 yes, 15 no, 3 abstain.
PASSES- Will move to Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee.

Information Items Tabled until January 2024
Lisa Kensler, Senate Chair, adjourned the meeting at 5:21 p.m.


Senate Meeting Attendance – November 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
Herbert Jack Rotfeld sub for George Flowers          Dean, Graduate School
Bobby Woodard                     SVP for Student Affairs
Jason Hicks                            Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Allan David sub for Mario Eden      Dean, College of Engineering
Allen Landers sub for Ed Thomas    Dean, COSAM
Joffrey Gaymon                     VP Enrollment Mgmt.
Calvin Johnson                       Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine

Ex-Officio Members
Vini Nathan                            Interim Provost
Shali Zhang                            Dean of Libraries
Evelyn Hunter                        Steering Committee
Daniela Werner sub for Octavia Tripp         Steering Committee
Robert Cochran                      Steering Committee
J Brian Anderson                    Steering Committee

Senators by Departments
Xu (Joyce) Cheng                  Accountancy
Roy Hartfield                         Aerospace Engineering
Valentina Hartarsk                 Ag Economics & Rural Sociology
Mary (Molly) Gregg              ACES
Jacek Wower                          Animal Sciences
Vinicia Biancardi                   Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology
Kevin Moore                          Architecture
Lauren Woods                        Art
James Birdsong                      Aviation
Rebecca Riggs                        Biological Sciences
David Blersch                        Biosystems Engineering
Jeff Kim                                 Building Sciences
Elizabeth Lipke                      Chemical Engineering
Wei Zhan                                Chemistry
Kevin Smith                           Communication and Journalism
Sanjeev Baskiyar                    Computer Science & Software Engineering
David Han                              Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Christine (Chris) Schnittka    Curriculum & Teaching
Amit Mitra sub for 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
Robert Gitzen                         Forestry, Wildlife, and the Environment
David King                             Geosciences
Jan Kavookjian                      Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Zachary Schulz                       History
Elina Coneva                          Horticulture
Clark Danderson                    Hospitality Mgmt.
Cynthia Frosch sub for 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
Peter Christopherson              Pathobiology
Lena McDowell                     Pharmacy Practice
David Miller                           Philosophy
Luca Guazzotto                      Physics
Jonathan (Jon) Fisk                 Political Science
Amit Morey                              Poultry Science
Dan Svyantek sub for Alejandro A. Lazarte     Psychology
Latifat Cabirou                       Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psych
Allison Plumb sub for Gregory Spray          Speech Language and Hearing Sciences    
David Strickland                    Supply Chain Management (new)
LTC, Laura Fryar                   ROTC Army
Captain, Michael Witherspoon                ROTC Naval
Julie Wells sub for Danilea Werner   Socio/Anthro/Social Work
Robert Cole                            Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Kerri Munoz                           World Lang & Literatures

Absent without substitute:
Lucy Alford sub for John David Jones         SGA President
Soolim Jeong                          GSC President
Kimberly McCadden              Staff Council Chair
Josh Henderson                      A&P Assembly Chair
Regina Gramling                    Business Analytics and Information Systems
Joel Hayworth                        Civil Engineering
Ann Presley                            Consumer & Design Sciences
Nathan Whelan                       Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture
LTC, Michael Quinn              ROTC Air Force
Adrienne Wilson                    Theatre and Dance