Faculty Senate holds final meeting of 2004

The Faculty Senate heard a report from Howard Johnson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, regarding faculty market adjustments during the senate's Dec. 8 meeting.

Johnson referred to a study indicating that, according to market standards, UNT faculty were underpaid by more than $4 million. The university has earmarked more than $1.4 million to begin addressing the problem. On Oct. 13, 2004, criteria were finalized by the deans for awarding market adjustments to faculty. Johnson, working with the deans of the UNT schools and colleges, adopted a model to allocate the money, which states the funds are to be used to "recognize, reward and retain productive core faculty."

Johnson said market adjustment funds will be provided for tenured and tenure-track faculty members with no ceiling on the possible amount of adjustment. Neither administrative responsibilities nor length of employment are factors for consideration, and a justification is required for each faculty member submitted by the dean.

Senators also heard a report from Grant Miles, vice chair, regarding the Faculty Senate's Executive Committee Dec. 1 meeting with administrators. He provided updates on several topics including the tenure cases under appeal and the UNT faculty and staff scholarship. Miles said the executive committee was concerned by rumors that the faculty and staff scholarship could be discontinued. He said the committee was told that administrators are concerned about, and are monitoring, the cost of the scholarships, but no decisions to change them have been made. For many years, UNT has made educational scholarships available for faculty and staff members and their dependents, which cover certain fees. Miles reported that the university spends almost $1 million on the faculty and staff scholarship.

Frances van Tassell, senate chair, presented a report on several issues including Responsibility-Centered Management, the Faculty Handbook committee, Committee on the Status of Women and the Budget Committee. She said the RCM committee met for the first time in early December and has laid out a timeline to develop an RCM design for UNT and to study whether such a design is something on which UNT should embark. Van Tassell reported that a study is underway to compare the Faculty Handbook with the UNT Policy Manual to ensure that there are no discrepancies.

In other business, the senate:

• heard a report from Samantha Hastings, interim dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences, about the status of the school.
  
• heard a report presented by Cherish Pipkins, Eagle Camp director, who spoke on the success of the 2004 camp and encouraged faculty to participate in the 2005 event.
  
• passed a motion to cancel the January senate meeting.

The Faculty Senate will meet again Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. in Wooten Hall, Room 322. For more senate information, visit www.unt.edu/facsenate.

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

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• Coretta Scott King to speak at UNT conference
• Library Mall renovation work continues
• New UNT degrees approved by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
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• University Union's Corner Store gets a face-lift
• Leadership Texas chooses three from UNT
• Hispanic higher education magazine names UNT to its Publisher's Picks List
• UNT gifts made holidays bright for residents in need
• UNT staff survey indicates employees feel like they are part of the UNT community

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