Minutes
Steering Committee Meeting
May 5, 2020 3:30pm
Zoom Meeting

Present: Nedret Billor (Chair), Don Mulvaney (Chair-Elect), Greg Schmidt (Secretary-Elect), Mike Baginski (Immediate Past Chair), Bob Norton, Jared Russell, Jong Won Hur, Emmett Winn, Michael Tillson
Absent: Adrienne Wilson (Secretary), Bill Hardgrave

Chair Billor called the meeting to order at 3:30pm

Approval of Steering Committee Minutes, 4/07/2020: Approved by voice vote

Action Item: Approval of Senate Committee Volunteers for 3-year terms beginning July 2020.
Presenter, Greg Schmidt, Secretary-elect and Chair of the Rules Committee
Schmidt presented the names of candidates approved by the Rules Committee for terms beginning in July 2020. Most vacancies were approved at the April Senate meeting. The names presented today represent the remainder of vacancies minus the Steering Committee appointment.

Action Item: Resolution on Proposal to change librarian/archivist ranks to professorial ranks.
Presenters: Claudine Jenda, Agriculture Librarian and Jaena Alabi, English & Psychology
Alabi and Jenda presented the text of the resolution to be voted upon at the May Senate meeting regarding professorial ranks for librarians.  Steering Committee questions and discussion centered upon the career paths of librarians and archivists that may be at the instructor rank. Currently, the Libraries have no faculty at the instructor level, though it has had them in the past. Jenda clarified that were such positions to be opened, Librarians/Archivists at the instructor level would not be on the tenure track.

Information Item: Plan for AU Research Funding
Presenter: James Weyhenmeyer, Vice president for Research 
This presentation was deferred from the April Senate Meeting due to a lack of time.

Approval of Agenda for Senate Meeting, 5/19/2020: Approved by voice vote.

Other business:
Michael Baginski suggested that Dr. Fred Kam be invited by the President to give remarks on Coronavirus and the Governor Kay Ivey’s intentions to ease restriction in a move to re-open the State of Alabama.

Chair Billor adjourned the meeting at 3:50pm

Respectfully Submitted,
Greg Schmidt
Secretary-Elect, University Senate