Meeting Minutes
FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
September 24, 2003
Present:
Jim
Acheson, Peggy Agouris, Michele Alexander, Dean Astumian, Eisso
Atzema, Darlene Bay, Robert Bayer, Mary Brakey, Mahmoud El-Begearmi,
Todd Gabe, Alla Gamarnik, Gail Garthwait, Stephen Gilson, Alexander
Grab, Michael Greenwood, Michael Grillo, Paul Grosswiler, Vince
Guiseppe, Robert Gundersen, Nancy Hall, Ludlow Hallman, Marie Hayes,
Dianne Hoff, Peter Hoff, James Horan, Mike Howard, Mel Johnson,
Joseph Kelley, Robert Kennedy, Dennis King, David Lambert, John
Maddaus, Chuck Maguire, Kathleen March, Stephen Marks, Jim McClymer,
Charles Moody, Tina Passman (for E. Del Vecchio), Howard Patterson,
Bryan Pearce, Matthew Rodrigue, Thomas Sandford, Dan Sandweiss,
Gregory Sinnett, Janet Spector, Stellos Tavantzis, Michael Vayda,
Jim Warhola, Gregory White.
Absent:
Douglas Bousfield, Thomas Brann, Martha Broderick, Robert Cashon,
Thomas Christensen, Laura Cowan, Richard Eason, Sandy Gardner, Dana
Humphrey, Scott Johnson, Roger King, Irv Kornfield, Kim McKeage,
Martha McNamara, Linda Rottmann, Douglas Ruthven, Christa Schwintzer,
Bruce Segee, Andrew Thomas, Ken Tudor, Roy Turner, Bob Whelan, Dave
Yarborough.
I. Welcome
and Introduction of Members
The meeting
was called to order at 3:17 P.M. All members of the senate
who were
present introduced themselves
II.
Memorial
A memorial
statement for Rose Weller was read to the Senate by John Maddaus.
Rosaline
(Rose) Weller, the Faculty Senate’s administrative assistant for
almost five years, died suddenly of complications of a viral
infection on July 9, 2003. Her passing occurred on the 26th
wedding anniversary of Rose and her husband, Herman Weller, an
associate professor of science education at the University of Maine,
Born on
February 14, 1945 in Webbo, Liberia, Rose received her high school
diploma from Our Lady of Fatima High School in Cape Palmas, Liberia,
and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of
Liberia in Monrovia. She worked as a teacher’s aide and later as a
bookkeeper at the American Cooperative School in Monrovia from 1970
to 1985. It was at the American Cooperative School that she met her
future husband. They were married on July 9, 1977, in Monrovia. Rose
and Herman moved to Caracas, Venezuela in 1985, to Blacksburg,
Virginia in 1986, to Lubbock, Texas in 1990, and finally to Orono,
Maine in 1993. Wherever Rose and Herman moved, Rose found employment
in the field of education.
Rose will be
greatly missed by all those who worked with her in the Faculty
Senate. With her cheerful disposition, she was a pleasure to work
with. Rose had the distinction of being the only support person on
campus who, by the nature of her position, could look forward to
reporting to a different person every academic year. Hired during
the Faculty Senate presidency of Mary Ellen Symanski, she also
served under Presidents Gloria Vollmers, Michael Grillo, John
Maddaus, and Robert Rice. She was transitioning to President Bryan
Pearce at the time of her death. Each of these faculty members had
her or his own unique style of leading the Faculty Senate and of
working with an administrative assistant, and Rose adjusted to the
changes from one to the next with sensitivity and tact. Once she
understood what each president expected of her, she carried out her
responsibilities with care and thoroughness. For example, when a
major renovation of Aubert Hall made it necessary for the Faculty
Senate to vacate its office space in that building, Rose handled all
the details of the move to the office in East Annex. She was a
master of detail, handling everything from ordering the food for the
Senate meetings to contacting the college deans about vacant Senate
seats.
Rose’s biggest
accomplishment as administrative assistant was bringing the Faculty
Senate into the computer age. When Rose was first hired, the Faculty
Senate had only recently acquired a computer capable of tasks beyond
basic word processing. It was Rose who computerized the Faculty
Senate’s records, and created the Faculty Senate’s web page and
FirstClass conference.
Outside the
Senate’s office, Rose was a devoted wife of Herman Weller, and a
devoted mother of their adopted daughter, Lourine. She was an
accomplished cook and gardener, and a trusted neighbor and friend.
She was also the person who maintained communication with a
far-flung network of 11 siblings and their families, as well as
numerous cousins and other relatives. Due to two decades of civil
war in their homeland, Liberia, Rose’s extended family was scattered
across three continents. When a family member in Liberia
disappeared, it was Rose who found a way to track that person down,
sometimes in a refugee camp.
Rose had a
love of education, and took advantage of every opportunity to pursue
her own education and subsequent professional development,
particularly in the areas of accounting and technology. Finding out
how to handle the bookkeeping at the American Cooperative School, or
the technology at the University of Maine, was a challenge she
welcomed.
Since leaving
Liberia in 1985, Rose maintained an interest in events in her native
land, and she was distressed by the more than decade-long civil war
there. In her memory, Herman has asked that donations by made to the
medical relief agency Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without
Borders, which has been the primary provider of medical care in
Monrovia and surrounding areas during the latest period of civil
war.
All those who
had the opportunity to work with Rose during her employment with the
Faculty Senate deeply regret the loss of a dedicated colleague and a
wonderful human being.
III.
Introductory Comments
Faculty Senate President
Bryan Pearce stated that faculty and administration share the goal
of helping the University The best way to achieve it is by working
together and communicating effectively. He said that he will seek
transparency in the University’s financial affairs. Pearce announced
that Ellen Woodhead will be the new secretary of the Faculty Senate.
He then asked Jim McClymer to give an update of the negotiating
efforts of the AFUM team.
IV.
Introduction of Committee Chairs and Committee Assignments
A.
University Environment (Michael Grillo, chair; Gregory White, Mary
Brakey, Sandy Caron, Chuck Maguire; Matt Rodrigue, President,
Undergraduate Student Government)
Issues
to be considered: Effect of CED course policies on departments and
their curricula; effects of the library debacle on departments and
their curricula; workload and incentivized budgeting; the parking
debacle.
B.
Research and Public Service (Peggy Agouris, chair; Dave Yarborough,
Stephen Gilson, Gail Garthwait, Jim McClymer,
Andy Thomas, Mike Eckardt)
Issues to be considered:
evaluation of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, both
internally and in comparison to similar offices in other
institutions; administrative support to
researchers (budget assistance, efficient grant management); green
sheet automation; stable fringe and indirect rates for the duration
of a project; examination of reasons for which faculty who would
like to do research cannot do so effectively; guidance of new
faculty towards funding sources and mechanisms (internal and
external).
C. Finance
and Institutional Planning (Darlene Bay, chair; Bob Bayer, Bruce
Segee, Janet Spector, Bob Whelan)
Issues to be
considered: Strategic Plan and its implied effects on campus
building; other aspects of campus building; look at 5-10 year plan,
if one exists, or encourage development of such a plan; financial
analyses, including one of the budget and actual results.
D. Academic
Affairs (Marie Hayes, chair; Darlene Bay, Tom Christensen, John
Maddaus Michael Vayda).
At large Committee: Michelle
Alexander, Laura Cowen, Alla Gamarnick, Nancy Hall, Michael Howard,
Kathlene March, Hemant Pendse, Gail Werrbach
Agenda:
1. Charge of the Committee to be defined
2. Continuity with last year's achievements: addressing retention
and graduation statistics
3. Curricula issues
a. Gen Ed requirements, NEASC accreditation; Role of the CTE
b. Role of CED in meeting course shortfalls/changing roles of
departments
c. Library resources in teaching/mentorship
E. Committee on Committees (Jim
Acheson, chair; Thomas Christensen, Gail Garthwait, Jim Horan, Mike
Greenwood, Vincent Guiseppe, President, Graduate Student
Association)
F.
Constitution and By-laws (Howard Patterson, chair; Martha Broderick,
Jim Horan, Dennis King, Jim McClymer)
Issues to be
considered: Modification of Faculty Handbook.
G. Board of
Trustee Representative, Dana Humphrey
Dana Humphrey
was not available. President Hoff thought that the Board of Trustees
meeting at the Darling Center was very successful. The trustees and
members of the press were impressed by the extent and level of
research taking place at the Center. The trustees approved the
Sports and Fitness Center to be built on the University of Maine
campus. The University of Southern Maine was awarded a new doctoral
program in psychology.
I.
Library Advisory (Dianne Hoff, chair; Kathleen March, Bob Cashon,
Donald Hayes, Todd Gabe, Joyce Rumery, Mary Brakey, Robert Rice,
Michael Grillo, Anastasia Kalea)
Issues to be
considered include:
a) Reinstate
certain critical journals that were cut last summer should have a
higher priority over acquisition of new journals.
-Determine the
process for journal reinstatement.
b) Develop a
process on how to prioritize journal subscriptions.
c) Elaine
Albright’s replacement will be downgraded, so the Chief Librarian
will have no input on budget issues. Committee has requested
reinstatement of Chief Librarian to dean status.
d) Increase
the library’s overall funding; additional funds should go to the
journal collection portion of the library’s budget. These funds
should be added to the University budget and come from the State.
e) Approach
the Development Office to create an endowment for the library (this
is the only way one-time funds can be channeled to the library
budget).
f) Find out
what journals are reasonable with their subscription fee and support
them (by retaining subscription) over journals that are
“unreasonable”.
g) Join other
universities in searching all available options for facing the issue
of tremendous increases in journal subscription costs.
Also:
The library
should know and report the dates for journal subscription renewal to
avoid any future journal cuts during the summer when faculty are
away.
Faculty should
have a voice in the upcoming discussions on renovation of the
library and journal collection.
J.
Interdisciplinary Programs (Jim Warhola, Dan Sandweiss, co-chairs;
Michele Alexander)
Issues to be
considered: define with greater precision the meaning of
"interdisciplinary" for academic programs or research centers;
draw up catalog listings of all interdisciplinary activity on campus
for the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs; seek ways to foster
interdisciplinary activity at the University of Maine, particularly
as it may pertain to the attraction of outside funding.
K. Workload
Analysis Committee (Tom Sandford, chair; Alex Grab,
Bruce Nicholson, Mary Ellen Symanski)
Issues to be considered: Further examination of faculty workload
must include research and public service; proposed administration
teaching formula does not capture many teaching commitments required
of land-grant mission; workload assessments should reflect output
quality rather than just input quantity (only input quantity is used
by the administration teaching formula); discipline specifics must
be reflected in the workload. At the individual level, workload can
equitably only be addressed by the department chair/unit heads in
consultation with the peer committee.
Marie Hayes,
chair of last year’s Work Load Analysis Committee referred to some
of the highlights of the report composed and distributed by the
committee last spring. Upon surveying the literature on workload
analysis, it became evident that the methods depended on who the
audience is and if the purpose is allocation of resources, teaching
assignments, promotion, etc. Research, graduate student education
(seminars, one-on-one contact), field work, public service, and
writing-intensive courses are not weighted appropriately.
V.
Questions to administrators
A. Campus
planning
Janet Waldron,
Vice President for Administration, reported that the campus has a
master plan that was developed over ten years ago. Significant
changes have been made in the last few years, and parking issues
have been exacerbated by the choices being made in the context of
the master plan. Three firms with national expertise on campus
planning have been asked to update the current plan by reflecting on
the current activity and configuration. They will be asking the
Campus Planning Committee and the campus community: Where do we want
to go from here; how do we want to handle the transportation
(parking) issue; location of future buildings; architectural design
elements on campus; working with the Arboretum Committee on
landscaping; accessibility issues. They will compile and crystallize
all the different documents in one document. The campus plan will
support and complement the Strategic Plan of the University. They
will provide interim information for the community to react to and
commend on.
Michael Grillo
said that we had a two-day warning on the construction of the new
engineering building and asked for better communication in the
future.
President Hoff
responded that all necessary consultation steps were taken,
including asking for the recommendation of the Campus Planning
Committee, but perhaps more should have been done from the viewpoint
of public information.
Janet Waldron
said that in the future people will be informed as to what the
choices are and will be given the opportunity to offer their input.
Larryl
Matthews, Dean of the College of Engineering, said that he
personally gave over thirty presentations to various groups
(including faculty) on the license of the new engineering building
and the reasons for it. He would be happy to discuss the details
(and the reasons) of this particular plan to any group or
individual.
Alex Grab
asked as to whether or not parking spaces will eventually become
available to faculty located in neighboring buildings and how the
decision, regarding the site and configuration of the building, was
made. Dean Matthews responded that several parking spaces will be
available but will be used for the handicapped and visitors because
of their proximity to the library and the Memorial Union. He then
discussed the different configurations that were examined before the
final decision was made.
Howard
Patterson pointed that the Parking Committee report was ignored.
Janet Waldron indicated that the committee’s report was taken very
seriously by President Hoff and that action is being taken on
several fronts to alleviate the situation including construction of
a new parking lot (Orchard Parking Lot).
B. Journal
Cancellations
President
Peter Hoff stated that library issues, including an intelligent
expansion of the library and adequate funding for journals, are
extremely important to his administration.
Provost Robert
Kennedy talked about the astronomic increases in journal
subscription costs. An increase of $600,000 was reallocated to the
base acquisition budget for the library. Over the past ten or
fifteen years no new journals have been acquired. During this time
new disciplines have emerged and have had to continue without the
support of important journals.
Associate
Provost Doug Gelinas pointed out that the journal collection has
been undergoing cuts over the last three years. Faculty were asked
to rate journals in three categories: “nice to have”, “need to have”
and “really important”. Increases (up to 15%) in journal
subscription rates caused a deficit of $400,000 part of which was
covered by a $300,000 reallocation by the Provost. Some journals
have been continued as electronic subscriptions, but since
subscription costs for packages of journals are lower than those for
individual journals, sometimes choices are limited. There has been a
25% increase in the journal acquisition budget but even that will
not be enough.
Michael Grillo
commented that in regards to journal cuts, decisions are being made
in a manner disconnected from the curriculum. Faculty cannot teach
responsibly within their fields. He suggested that we need to have a
decision making process that takes curriculum into consideration.
Provost Kennedy invited input for making the process more inclusive.
Dianne Hoff added that will be one of the top priorities of her
committee.
Alex Grab
reported that the most important journals in history were cut over
the summer without any consultation from his department. Associate
Vice President Doug Gelinas admitted the process was flawed in part
due to budget and journal renewal cycles. President Hoff suggested
that the Associate Provost and the Library Committee work together
to improve the process of journal selection. Mike Howard pointed out
that in the humanities and social sciences online journals are not
sufficient for the type of research being conducted in these fields,
and questioned budget priorities, e. g., new sports complex vs.
academic journals.
Mahmoud El-Begearmi
suggested that it is appropriate that some indirect cost funds go to
the journal collection, and Provost Kennedy responded that the
Administration has already been addressing this issue.
C. Continuing
Education (CED)
Doug Gelinas
reported that, due to the budget situation, he asked Bob White,
Director of CED, to spend less money in terms of offering CED
courses, so that the savings could be used to avoid layoffs. Bob
White added that the CED budget ($350,000) was reduced by 25%, so
CED offerings went down from 255 courses to 177 courses. CED
consulted with associate deans and department chairs to establish a
process for cutting courses. There was only a 5% decrease in student
enrollment as a result of the 25% budget reduction.
Kathleen March
asked about the criteria for cancellation of a course. Bob White
responded that the criteria include: whether or not a course is a)
an overload for a faculty, b) a degree, program, minor or
certificate requirement or c) a sequence course (fall & spring).
Mike Grillo
asked as to how the hiring of adjuncts fits together with needs of
departments for new faculty members. He observed that curriculum
related decisions increasingly fall out of faculty hands. Provost
Kennedy admitted that we lack a comprehensive systematic process
addressing these issues in relation to the strategic plan and
incentivised budget.
The meeting
was adjourned at 4:49 P. M.
Respectfully
submitted,
Stellos Tavantzis,
Secretary
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