Meeting:
 Faculty Senate Meeting, 12 September 2007, Wooten Hall, Room 322
 
Present:
 Atkinson, Babcock, Catalano, Chen, Clower, Cole, Conover, Cox, Cushman, Doherty, Figa, Harrell, Harris, Hayes, Heidlberger, Hill, Holt, Johnston, McPherson, Mikler, Mueller, Nagaoka, Packard, Pavur, Perez, Plummer, Pohlen, Reidy, Sahliyeh, Seligmann, Swan, Thomsett-Scott, Todd, Wallace, Weiller, Wells, Windsor
 
Absent:
 Baker, Benet, Bratton, Chandler, Donahue-Wallace, Eddy, Elleven, Emmanuel, Jagaddeswaren, Peters, Turner
 
Guests:
 Wendy Wilkins, Celia Williamson, Margaret Vestal, Shana Gooch, Brian Weinberg, Kelley Reese, Doina Farkas, Linda Holloway, Hillary Talatzko
 
Opening:
 Michael McPherson, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm
 
 

 

I. Welcome
Senator McPherson thanked Senator Plumber for his gavel, and noted that the music was from Mark Ford’s Polaris album. New Senators were asked to stand and be acknowledged. Senate Officers were also introduced. Senate McPherson emphasized the importance of communicating with our constituents, through brief updates from Senate meetings or encouragements to review the web site.

II. Group Caucuses

Group I - Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance - Unfilled
Group II - Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance - Elizabeth Figa
Group IV - Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance - John Todd
Group V - Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance -John Windsor - Committee on Committees - Robert Pavur
Group VI – Executive Committee - Cynthia Chandler
Group VII - Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance - Sam Atkinson

III. Approval of Minutes from June 13, 2007 It was noted that the agenda had the incorrect date for the minutes. Senators Sahliyeh and Packard motioned and seconded approval of the minutes. Senator Johnston noted a grammatical correction. No discussion. Approved with one abstention.

IV. Committee Reports
  • Committee on Committees - Senator Thomsett-Scott, Chair of Committee on Committees presented the report and noted that, there were 3 write in candidates: Mary Lynn Babcock Group I serving an A-L position on the Faculty Salary Study Committee,
  • Noreen Goggin serving an A-L position on the Information Resources Council, and Dee Knight serving and A-L position on the International Education Committee. The report was seconded by Senator Packard and approved unanimously.

    Curriculum Committee. Dr. Celia Williamson presented the report. The University Curriculum Committee has ruled that there cannot be two core curriculums available at the same time. The Coordinating Board has approved the change listed as #2 in the box in the report – essentially combining the current core and having students select two courses (6 hours) from the “Understanding the Human Community” which is comprised of courses in the three current content areas (diversity, wellness, and communications). During this 2 year period, the two 3-hour categories of new/revised courses, currently titled “discovery” and “the human experience” will be developed. Beginning in Fall 2010, the core will consist of the 36-hour state mandated courses plus the new two 3-hour content areas. The report was accepted by Senator Sahliyeh and seconded by Senator Mikler. Discussions clarified that students will now need to take 2 courses from the “clump” of courses labeled as “Understanding Human Community”. Senator Seligmann raised the issue that this process dilutes the effect of having a core. Dr. Williamson noted that this is a temporary measure designed to give UNT the opportunity to discuss what the core should be, then a year to develop the objectives for the core, and a year for faculty to develop/revise the courses that will be part of the core curriculum and have the core in place for 2010. Senator Nagaoka asked if the departments affected by the changes have been informed. Williamson replied that all departments have been informed and provided the opportunity for input. Senator Wells verified the timeline. Dr. Williamson noted that faculty affected by the changes to the core have been invited to discussions with the person handling the core at the Coordinating Board. The meeting will be on Friday, September 14 from 9-4 with administrative issues being discussed first and the faculty discussions from 1-4. The Community College Consortium will co-host discussions during October and November. Senator Atkinson asked how many courses fell into the core now. Dr. Williamson did not have the exact number but noted that it was less than one page long. Dr. Williamson clarified that the proposal allows UNT to get to the 120 hour core curriculum by Fall 2008. Senator Conover requested clarification on how students would be affected. Dr. Williamson replied that this would apply to all new students and current students could transfer into the new core if fairly new in their degree plan. Senator Weiller questioned if UNT is working with the community colleges. Dr. Williamson responded that the community colleges are not under pressure to adjust their core but transfer students could potentially satisfy the core requirements through community college credits. The report was accepted with one nay and one abstention.

    V. Dr. Wendy Wilkins, Provost
    The Provost indicated her commitment to getting to know the Schools and Colleges, and hopes to visit individual departments as well. She noted that she has found the opportunity to work with Faculty Senate valuable and wants to continue the interactive tone set by Dr. Krahenbuhl. Her goal is not only to keep the faculty informed but also to have to open discussions with the faculty during her report time in the Senate. She envisions and hopes for high quality communication.
      1. Faculty Salaries. Provost Wilkins noted that there has been some misinformation about faculty salaries in local newspapers which has hurt faculty morale. She emphasized that the merit pool was 4.5% which was distributed based on accomplishments. Another pool was used to reduce inequities based on equity issues within departments, department
      2. comparisons with peers, and salary structure issues such as salary compression. The paper misrepresented the pools and indicated that the average salary raise was 7.5% instead of the true 4.5%. The Provost encouraged faculty to share the correct information. Senator Wells noted that the information had not been clearly presented to faculty. Dr. Wilkins noted that sometimes the information is understood at the time of presentation but gets unclear as time passes.
    1. Criminal Background Checks. Provost Wilkins reported that the e-mails about the criminal background checks was incorrect. The policy is still in development. Her goal is to make the checks unobtrusive. They are important to perform on new hires but she would prefer that a record be kept that the check was performed but that the background report be destroyed to ensure privacy. She addressed the concern between criminal background checks and Promotion & Tenure issues. Her preference would be to have the check performed only for new hires. If there are issues with current faculty, they should already be known. The policy will continue to be developed with opportunity for faculty input. Senator Atkinson questioned whether current faculty would need to have checks or whether they would be grandfathered in. Dr. Wilkins noted that there are still a number of issues to be solved. Senator Cushman asked about the process for the checks and noted that she is concerned about misinformation being given with an opportunity to respond to it. Dr. Wilkins replied that an experience vendor will be contracted to perform the background checks, and the other concerns will be addressed by the policy.
    2. Dean Searches. Provost Wilkins will be working to develop guidelines for the searches to ensure that they are all performed in a similar manner.
    3. Charter and Bylaws/Policies. Dr. Wilkins noted that she is familiar with the organization having a Charter and the schools, departments, units etc. having bylaws. Hanover Consulting has been contracted to provide best practices for charters and bylaws, and to provide examples of each. She is aware the some sections of school and department charters may need changing as they conflict with other processes. She noted that the College of Engineering does not have a faculty-approved charter or bylaws. Dr. Wilkins would like to meet with the faculty and develop some mutually agreed upon guidelines and processes. Given the number of University policies that need revision or developing, she does not believe it is worth the time at this point to develop a full fledged charter. Dr. Wilkins added that schools, colleges, unit, etc. cannot have a charter or bylaws that impede the administration of the organization. Senator Mikler asked how she envisioned meeting with the College of Engineering Faculty. Provost Wilkins replied that she was thinking of meeting with the faculty as a group, with an agenda, but primarily a discussion-based meeting. She added that she would like the opportunity to discuss the issues before having them broadly spread across campus. Senator Wells asked how long the paperwork concerning the issues had been sitting on the Provost’s desk. Dr. Wilkins replied that she would not be surprised if it had been on the desk for a long time, and added that there are many things that need to move faster than they have. She credited Dr. Krahenbuhl for working on some issues and reiterated her commitment to solving other issues. Provost Wilkins requested that the charter concerns for the College of Engineering be expressed in terms of issues rather than allegations (referring to the discussion point under Committee of the Whole). Senator Seligmann noted that the Senate needs to serve as an advocate for faculty and that issues should have the opportunity to be brought out into the open. Dr. Wilkins responded that she is aware of lingering issues and sees many problems but noted that good things are happening and she wants to continue this momentum.
      1. Outside work for pay issues. Faculty should be aware of the policies regarding outside employment. Although policies are being revised or developed to clarify issues, Dr.
      2. Wilkins emphasized that the guiding principle is 100% pay for 100% work, with the assumption that work assignments are appropriately distributed. Faculty activities should be discussed with the department chair. Dr. Wilkins emphasized that a best practice would be to disclose all outside employment. She noted that these issues related to post-tenure review and to the wise use of State resources. Senator Clower requested information about who was crafting the policies. The Provost indicated that the consultant hired in the summer was being unresponsive. Other people were reviewing the policies and listing those most in need of revision. Dr. Wilkins noted that she is looking at the drafts of the policies revised by Dr. Krahenbuhl, including the extend the clock policy. She also indicated that one of her guiding principles is to involve the faculty in the process and help to determine which policies need revision. Senator Mikler noted that faculty work loads are very heavy and wondered what constituted 100% work. Provost Wilkins replied that there need to be discussions about workload issues, perhaps in the form of a workshop, and that there should be guidelines but with enough flexibility to allow for the varied disciplines at UNT. Senator Peters noted that it is best for the faculty to develop their own productivity guidelines before the Legislature decides to set the policies. Provost Wilkins noted that the correct amount of faculty time needs to be spent on this issue. She noted that the best administration is “invisible” meaning that the work of the University moves smoothly without continued need of the Administration to intervene. In response to a question from Senator Seligmann, Provost Wilkins indicated that policies are being selected for updating by need from the State or Federal government, being out of compliance, not anticipating faculty life, and those relating to both faculty and staff that restrict faculty work. Senator Peters questioned what would be the effect if a department had an unreasonable policy but the University had no policy in that area. Dr. Wilkins noted that if the governing body is silent on an issue, the corporately (department) policies should be in effect, but if the policy is at issue, the higher up body could be asked to speak to the issue.
    4. One Book, One Community. Provost Wilkins is hoping to initiate a one book, one community project which involves the entire campus reading one specific book and then having campus activities relating to the theme of the book. There could be art displays, theatre, special speakers etc. A project of this magnitude will require campus wide initiative and a large faculty input. She is currently exploring interest for this project at the Deans’ level, and will be seeking input on how to do the project and developing partners, such as the UNT Libraries.
    VI. SECC Discussion. Dr. Linda Holloway

    The State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) begins October 1. There will be a kick off picnic on October 2nd. President Bataille has set a goal of 50% participation. There are 400 organizations to choose from, including the UNT Feral Cat Society and the UNT Foundation. Celebrity Waiter Day will be held again with Senate Chair Mike McPherson participating. During the October Senate meeting, the 2nd annual Change War will be held – last year the Faculty Senate won the contest against the Staff Council. Dr. Holloway noted that the custodians have had 100% participation for the last 5 years. She encouraged Senators to spread the word and support the SECC.

    VII. Vice Chair Report
    Senator Wells presented his report. Senators who had won awards at the convocation and who received sponsored project funding were recognized. The budget process is hoped to be even more transparent this year and there is agreement that the faculty representatives will be able to communicate the information to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. The budget will be presented to the Board of Regents by May or June. Gilda Garcia is the new Vice President for Equity and Diversity and will begin October 1. She is interested in meeting with the Faculty Senate. The decision process for the VP for Research is still continuing. Two candidates are being interviewed for the VP for Finance and Administration position. The review of UNT policies is still set for completion in December. The Hanover Group will be assisting with the process. The space management committee will be chaired by the Provost. It had been emphasized to the Provost that the University Planning Council had been efficient when it was active. The Provost emphasized that all outside work should be reported to the department chair during the discussion of outside employment. There were 62 applicants for the position of Ombudsman and six will have video interviews over the next few weeks. There were no internal candidates. Several Senators were concerned that an outside person would not be as effective as someone familiar with UNT. Senator McPherson, who serves on the search committee, noted that the issue had been discussed in search committee meetings, and there was concern that one person may be overwhelmed and there were informal discussions of hiring a ½ time faculty member. Provost Wilkins noted that the search was performed on a national level and internal people had an equal opportunity to apply. Barbara Mawhiney will be serving as an EEO consultant 3 days a week until an Ombudsman is hired.

    VIII. Report from the Chair
    Senator McPherson recommended that his report be presented in written format only as it was getting late. The Senate agreed. Senator McPherson encouraged anyone with questions about the report to contact him.

    IX. Unfinished Business

    None.

    X. New Business

    None.

    XI. Committee of the Whole
      1. Farhad Shahrokhi, College of Engineering Charter. Dr. Shahrokhi expressed his concern that the College of Engineering does not have a faculty-approved charter and the consequences of this. Provost Wilkins had addressed the need for agreed upon guidelines for the College. Dr. Shahrokhi noted that the lack of charter has lead to questions about the interpretation of research within the college, as well as to promotion and tenure concerns. He noted that without a charter there is no process to grieve situations and prevent issues from growing.
      2. The College needs to develop best practices for research and to have discussions on the interpretation of research, especially the quality and quantity of research. He emphasized that there needs to be accountability in following policies and procedures. Dr. Shahrokhi is hoping that the Provost will look into these administrative issues and provide accountability in following functional policies, such as those in the Faculty Handbook. Senator Atkinson noted that general concern among the faculty that existing policies need to be followed even if they need updating, revision, or are currently being revised. He added that it is vital that faculty be involved in deciding which policies are revised.
    1. Bryan Weinberg, The Chiapas Project. Mr. Weinberg thanked the Senate for the opportunity to speak about the project. The Chiapas Project collects cell phones and toner cartridges for recycling. Some items are resold and the profits are used for microfinance loans for economically disadvantaged regions. They have a 97% repayment rate on the loans. The project has raised approximately $2600 since March and they have a goal of $10,000 by December. A number of other organizations will be taking part in the project, including FedEx locations in the DFW region, University of Texas, TWU, the City of Denton and others. Mr. Weinberg encouraged Senators to share the purpose of the project with their constituents and encourage participation.
    XII. Adjournment

    The meeting adjourned at 5:00 pm.