Minutes
Senate Steering Meeting
April 9, 2024
  3:30 p.m.
107 Samford

Present: Lisa Kensler, Linda Gibson-Young, Lori Eckhardt, Jaena Alabi, Mark Carpenter, , Robert Cochran, J Brian Anderson, L. Octavia Tripp, Vini Nathan, Laura Kloberg
Guests: Ann Shore (HR); Mitchell Brown (Chair, Faculty Handbook); Matthew Hoch (Chair, Faculty Salary & Welfare); John Beckmann; Rachel Prado, Virginia Davis

Absent: Norman Godwin, Evelyn Hunter

Steering Committee Review of Agenda

3:30 Welcome to guests/introductions

Call to order.

Discussion/approval of Steering Minutes from March 12, 2024 Meeting – approved by unanimous consent

3:45 Discussion, edit, and approval of Senate Agenda for University Senate Meeting on April 16, 2024 at 3:30PM (aub.ie/senatezoom)

Remarks/Announcements

President Roberts and Provost Nathan

3:50 Information Item
Employee Mental Health Resources– Ann Shore, Executive Director, Payroll and Employee Benefits. Presented PPT presentation in 10-minute timeframe. Will revise slides and will email AU Senate Chair.


4:05 Committee Reports

a) Faculty Handbook Update on motion – Mitchell Brown, Presented two changes to Steering Committee

1. Change to College P&T Committee Guidelines 3.6.5.E. Addressing this applies to only Colleges with P&T Committees.  Proposed changes highlighted and discussed.

2. Change to Administrator Hiring Guidelines.  2.3.3. Faculty Handbook Chair states new information has been received since this was presented in March 2024. General Council states a policy change was made in 2021 that impacts this policy in Faculty Handbook. General Council states this change would be in violation of the Board of Trustees policies . Will present three options for managing this change on the Senate Floor.  

b) Faculty Salaries and Welfare, Tuition Benefits –John Beckmann & Matthew Hoch. Presented PPT within 10-minutes time on a motion to request full tuition for dependent children of faculty and staff. Presented results of recent survey of near 1500 AU faculty and staff. Ended with Motion to Request Full Tuition Undergraduate Benefits for Dependent Children of Faculty and Staff. Will revise PPT and email AU Senate Chair.

c) NTTF Proposal for Teaching Professor Series (replacing Lecture Series) –Rachel Prado presented PPT on Teaching Professor Title Series as new title for Lecturer Series. Shared surveys recently submitted via listserv and emailed from AU Senate Secretary: 1) Survey to faculty (TTF and NTTF) and 2) Lecturers and Senior Lecturers. Based on the outcomes, requesting a motion for April 2024 Senate Meeting to replace the Lecturer and Senior Lecturer titles with Assistant Teaching Professor and Associate Teaching Professor titles, respectively. There will also be an option to promote to Teachign Professor.

4:20 Action Items

      1. VOTE: Faculty Handbook changes (presented in March, see files)
      2. VOTE: Motion by Roy Hartfield (Whereas salary disparities are compounded when not corrected, the Senate hereby requests that the administration and Board of Trustees reconsider the 2-year calendar proposed by the president to conduct a study before correcting the salary imbalances of especially the past two raise cycles.)
      3. VOTE: Status of Rules approved Senate Committee nominees– Linda Gibson-Young
        Senate Committee Members (pdf)

4:30 New Business

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.