Minutes
Steering Committee
February 13, 2024
  3:30 p.m.
107 Samford

Steering Committee Present: Lisa Kensler (Chair), Linda Gibson-Young (Secretary), Jaena Alabi (Secretary-elect), Laura Kloberg (Admin Asst), Lori Eckhardt (Chair elect), Robert Cochran, J Brian Anderson, Evelyn Hunter; Mark Carpenter (Past Chair)
Guests: Dan Svyantek (Nominating Committee); Hollie Cost (ad hoc committee on Sustainability); Eve Brantley (ad hoc committee on Sustainability); Kerry Inger (Strategic Planning Co-Chair); Hari Narayanan (Strategic Plan Co-Chair)
Absent: Vini Nathan (Provost); L. Octavia Tripp; Allison Batts (Parliamentarian)

Mission:  The Steering Committee acts on behalf of the AU Senate on matters requiring attention between meetings of that body and assists the chair of the Senate in setting the agenda for Senate meetings. In addition, it is concerned with the academic affairs of the University, with particular attention given to the need for developing and recommending policies under which these affairs are conducted. It works closely with other Senate committees to aid them in their assignments.
Call to order at 3:30 p.m.
Welcome to guests/introductions.
Steering Minutes from January 16, 2024. Approved by unanimous consent as posted.

Reviewing Draft Senate Agenda for February 20, 2024.

Committee Reports

1. Nominating Committee Chair Report: Dan Svyantek,

Candidates: Chair-elect: Luke Oeding (College of Science and Mathematics); Virginia Davis (Samuel Ginn College of Engineering) Secretary-elect: David Lucsko, (College of Liberal Arts);  Rachel Prado, (College of Science and Mathematics)

1. Sustainability Presentation from ad hoc committee (presented by ad hoc committee co-chairs: Hollie Cost, Eve Brantley). Senate Chair identified ad hoc committee with 13 members in August 2023. Handouts accompanying presentation: White paper (also submitted to the Strategic Planning process, and Proposed Senate Committee. Will present committee report with motion to accept report and create a new Senate Committee for Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability and Engagement (AU RISE).

Information Item
Update on Strategic Plan (presented by Strategic Planning Committee co-chairs Kerry Inger, Hari Narayanan). Team has completed Strategic Planning Listening Sessions (60+ hours), White Paper Submissions (n = 33), and Survey responses (n = 1100+, closes March 1, 2024). Will place last on the agenda, so time remaining may allow for questions/answers.

New Business
Senate Steering practiced voting process for University Faculty elections (chair-elect/secretary-elect) scheduled for March, with results announced at the Faculty Meeting on March 26. Few areas to tweak prior to release in March.

Senate Agenda Approved.
Adjourned at 4:45 PM.