Minutes
Steering Committee Meeting
March 2, 2021 3:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting

Present: Don Mulvaney (Chair), Greg Schmidt (Secretary), Nedret Billor (Immediate Past Chair), Todd Steury (Chair elect), Ralph Kingston (Secretary elect) Bob Norton, Emmett Winn, Michael Tillson, Bill Hardgrave, Bob Cochran
Absent: none

Chair Mulvaney called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

Approval of Steering Committee Minutes, 1/05/2021 & 2/9/2021: Approved by unanimous consent

Chair Opening Remarks: Don Mulvaney introduced the Steering Agenda and the proposed senate agenda for 3/16/2021. On the agenda for discussion at Steering is a proposed senate agenda containing two action items, one pending action item, and four brief informational items.

Comment: Greg Schmidt, Senate Secretary.  Schmidt noted that he has received communication from a faculty member who is considering bringing up the topic of Spring Semester Wellness Days at the senate meeting. He indicated that there is frustration among faculty that departmental meetings are being scheduled on wellness days and that some faculty earmark these days for academic “catch up” work.

Steering Discussion of Proposed Action Items
Vote on Rules Committee Members:
Presenter: Greg Schmidt, Secretary
Schmidt noted that in accordance with the faculty handbook Rules Committee nominations were made from the floor at the February Senate meeting. The three candidates are Ken Macklin (Poultry Science), Jamie Harrison (Curriculum and Teaching, and Jennifer Lockhart (Philosophy). The vote will be conducted via poll at the March Senate Meeting.

Motion that the Senate adopt the resolution regarding HR
Presenter: Roy Hartfield, Aerospace Engineering
Roy Hartfield made the following motion at the February Senate meeting. It was seconded by John Beckmann (Entomology and Plant Pathology).
The Senate States as Follows:
Whereas the Faculty Handbook, approved by the Board of Trustees contains the governing policy language over faculty dismissal,
Whereas, the University HR department has circulated a document purporting to usurp dismissal authority over faculty,
Whereas, the University HR document is highly expansive, arbitrary, and in direct conflict with the Faculty Handbook,
Whereas, the University HR document was not considered by any known Shared Governance Process as required under the terms of the Faculty Handbook.

WHEREFORE, THE PREMISES CONSIDERED, The Senate resolves as follows:

1. The Senate does not recognize that the University HR document has been developed through legitimate processes and does not recognize its applicability to Faculty.
2. As such, the University HR document as applicable to Faculty should be immediately withdrawn and discarded by the administration.
3. Should the administration seek to modify the terms of employment for Faculty, the administration is admonished to do so under the well-established processes of shared governance
4. All policies governing the discipline or dismissal of Faculty members should be contained within the Faculty Handbook where they are modified through the agreed upon processes of shared governance.

Steering discussed when to give AU Legal Counsel the floor to speak on the HR policy; invited remarks or during the discussion of the motion. Hammer does not intend to argue for or against the motion, but instead intends to clarify legal points relating to the policy.
The committee recommended putting the full text of the motion on the zoom screen during discussion and providing a link to the full text of the HR Policy via the agenda and via announcement emails. Michael Tillson predicted opposition to policy may center the meaning of “immediate dismissal” in relation to faculty handbook protections and around assessment of “obscenity.”

Steering Discussion on Additional Town Hall meetings
The most recent University-wide townhall was discussed, and the Steering Committee was in favor of allowing further meetings to be scheduled in coordination with A&P and Staff leadership. Senate executives can continue to manage the Zoom technology and logistics, but the Provost will no longer be the central host of the meeting. Instead, a panel of campus representatives best able to answer expected COVID-related questions should again be constituted.

Steering Discussion of Pending Action Item
Establishment of a Senate Diversity Committee
Presenter: Dr. Ralph Kingston, Secretary-Elect

Kingston presented the proposed text for the creation of a Senate Diversity Committee and discussed the rationale behind the proposed membership of the committee. Faculty members will be appointed through the Rules Committee, whereas administrative, graduate student, and student members will be appointed by their organizations or positions.

Steering Committee discussion centered around the need for a 2/3 vote in the senate to amend the constitution. This will require a strong quorum, and Steering felt that the best chance for the Diversity Committee to pass senate approval will be a pending action item in March and a Vote of the senate in April.

Covid Resource Center (CRC) Update
Presenters: Chris O’Gwynn and Dr. Robert Norton 

No presentation was made to steering. The intention for this informational item is to follow previous CRC informational items with updates on COVID statistics and answering questions from meeting attendees.

Report on the SACS Reaffirmation process.
Presenter: Dr. Megan Good, Director, Academic Quality and Improvement

Dr. Good was unavailable for the steering meeting and did not provide a presentation. Steering members have provisionally accepted inclusion of the information item but request that a presentation be provided to steering members prior to the senate meeting.

Did You Know Corner?:
Presenter: Rett Waggoner – incoming President, AU SGA, share an update on student perspectives and activities
Rett Waggoner was not available for the Steering Meeting.

New Business - none
Approval of Agenda for 3/16/2021 Senate Meeting
A motion was made to approve the agenda as amended and the motion was seconded. The Steering Committee unanimously approved the senate agenda.

Adjournment
Following Steering Committee approval of the senate meeting agenda, a motion was made to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and approved. Chair Mulvaney adjourned the meeting at 4:45 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Greg Schmidt
Secretary, University Senate