Auburn University Steering Committee
Minutes
Thursday, May 7, 2015, 3:30 p.m.
206 Samford Hall

Present: Patricia Duffy (Chair), Larry Teeter (Chair-Elect), Larry Crowley (Immediate-Past Chair), Gisela Buschle-Diller (Secretary),  Laura Plexico (Secretary-elect), Sara Wolf, Mike Baginski, Emily Myers, Keven Yost, Steven Brown, Michael Kozuh, Michael Stern, James Goldstein,  Constance Relihan, Drew Clark, Tim Dodge, Overtoun Jenda, Tim Boosinger

The minutes of the Steering Committee meeting from April 23, 2015, were approved without modifications.

Mike Kozuh, Chair of the Faculty Salaries and Welfare Committee, presented a draft report regarding the privileges of Emeritus status. The report will be posted and he will present the main points to the Senate on May 19. He will also discuss the survey on 9-month salary pay preferences.

Secondly, Overtoun Jenda and Tim Dodge of the Multicultural Diversity Commission briefly summarized the need for diversity training for search committee members.  Patricia Duffy and Emily Myers volunteered to work with the Multicultural Diversity Commission this summer to develop recommendations.

Patricia Duffy reported that a survey is currently being conducted to investigate if there is interest among Auburn faculty in having the option to have their 9-month pay spread over 12 months. AUM faculty brought the issue up and showed support for it. If the option was made available, hiring extra-staff for payroll processing would probably be necessary. Don Large or Marcie Smith will likely discuss the issue with the Senate in early fall.

Patricia Duffy reported that she had sent forward the request from Steering to Parking Services that faculty and staff have some reserved parking spots on weekday nights and on weekends for those that need to come back to their offices to work.

Michael Stern requested from Steering that he be added as an agenda item to address the Senate on May 19th on the issue of clustering of athletes in certain academic majors and related concerns.  Michael Stern's request to address the Senate as an agenda item was turned down by Steering through a vote of none in favor, 8 opposed, and 2 abstaining.  Any senator may use the call for “New Business” at a Senate meeting to bring forward a request to add something to an upcoming Senate agenda, and this option was presented to Michael Stern.  The issue of majors of athletes is currently being reviewed by a special sub-committee of the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, with the addition of Larry Teeter, Chair-Elect. 

The last item of discussion was to reach agreement on the Agenda for the May 19 Senate meeting. The only Action Items will be voting to confirm Rules Committee nominees for Senate Committees.  As a Pending Action item the revised policy on Military Credits will be brought forward by the Academic Standards Committee.  Information Items include the report of Faculty Salaries and Welfare Committee, an update of the Biggio Center activities and an overview of SENCER.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:25 PM.