University of Louisville
Faculty Senate Meeting
November 3, 2010
The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was held on November 3, 2010 at 3:00 P.M. in the Chao auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus, Robert Staat presiding.
Senators Registering Attendance
A&S – Annette Allen, Beth Bradley, Jasmine Farrier, Elizabeth Grossi, Dennis Hall, Martin Klotz, Mary Makris, Joseph Steffen, Elaine Wise, Tamara Yohannes CoB – Robert Barker, Carrie Donald, Bruce Kemelgor, Robert Myers DENTISTRY – Ricardo Caicedo, Don DeMuth, Robert Staat, Dave Willis EDUCATION – Peter Alter, Rod Githens, Kathleen Rudasil, Tom Simmons LAW – David Ensign, Kurt Metzmeier LIBRARIES – Gail Gilbert, Terri Holtze, Margo Smith MEDICINE – Forest Arnold, Richard Downs, Moataz El-Ghamry, Pamela Feldhoff, Lawrence Hunt, Saeed Jortani, John Nyland MUSIC – Seow-Chin Ong, Krista Wallace-Boaz, Daniel Weeks NURSING – Diane Chlebowy, Sandra Holmes PART-TIME – Charlie Baker, Judith Heitzman, Susan Peacock, Dana Seay PUBLIC HEALTH – Raymond Austin SPEED – Suraj Alexander, Nageshwar Bhaskar, Roger Bradshaw
Also Attending -
Ex Officio: Shirley Willihnganz, Diane Nichols
Others: Melissa Laning, Robert Stenger, Tony Belak, Karen Porter, Gretchen Henry, recording secretary
Press: Janene Zaccone (Inside U of L)
Senators Not Registering Attendance -
A&S – Cynthia Negrey KENT –Sharon Bowland, Seana Golder, Wanda Lott Collins LAW – Enid Trucios-Haynes MEDICINE – David Cunningham, Nobuyuki Kuwabara, Steven Myers, Steven Nakajima, Jeannie Roberts PART-TIME – Brian Barnes, Rose Mills PUBLIC HEALTH – Ruth Carrico SPEED –Hollace Cox
ACTION: Consideration of the Minutes
The minutes of the October 6, 2010 meeting were approved as amended (revise to include Joe Steffen’s presentation).
REPORT: Student Government Association – Kurtis Frizzell
Mr. Frizzell reported that the A+ Initiative is now out of the students’ hands and is going through the administrative channels to implementation in the fall 2011 semester. The SGA is now working on a book awareness program to alert students on the places offering the best prices on textbooks.
REPORT: Staff Senate – Virginia Brown
This report was available online.
ACTION ITEM: Election of Executive Committee member – Barnes
A motion was made to remove last month’s election from the table. The motion passed unanimously. Nominations from the floor were closed and the ballots were distributed, votes were made, ballots collected and tallied. The result will be made in the CCC Report later in this meeting.
ACTION ITEM: Readings of revised unit personnel documents – Willis
The reason for the personnel documents’ revisions is to bring unit documents in line with THE REDBOOK.
- First Readings - All documents had been posted to the Senate’s Share point web page. As these are both first readings, no discussion is held.
- Speed School
- Kent School
- Second Readings - All documents had been posted to the Senate’s Share Point web page. Both personnel documents come approved by Senate’s THE REDBOOK Committee and require no second.
- School of Music - These revised documents passed unanimously.
- Libraries - These revised documents passed unanimously.
REPORT: Introduction of new Ombudsman – Staat/Belak
Mr. Belak introduced Ms. Karen Porter, Staff Senate secretary, who will be assisting him in his new duties as Ombudsman. He gave a brief description of his background as an attorney, mediator and teacher. He said that conflict, itself, is not the problem but how it is handled. He is interested in implementing a mediation skills training program. In order to coordinate mediation efforts, he will work with other groups on campus; i.e., Dr. Mordean Taylor-Archer, the Employees Assistance Program, staff and faculty grievance officers, and Human Resources. His email address is tony.belak@louisville.edu.
REPORT: Student Care Team – Mardis/Karam
Dean of Students, Michael Mardis, thanked the Senate for providing a representative to the Student Care Team committee. He then introduced the faculty representative, Dr. Eli Karam, a Kent School faculty member. He said the Student Care Team uses all available resources to help a student in crisis; academic advisors, the police, counseling, etc.. Dean Mardis then distributed a hand out geared toward faculty and coping with a student in crisis.
REPORT: Faculty Athletics Representative – Wise
This is Senator Wise’s annual report as the Faculty Athletics Representative. It was available online and is attached below.
REPORT: University President – Dr. Shirley Willihnganz
President Ramsey was not able to make today’s Senate meeting so, Provost Willihnganz gave his report. The recent elections resulted in the Republicans gaining power in the State Senate , while the Democrats retain the House. Also, UofL lost some friendly legislators out in the state, but it is still too soon to know how the results will affect us. As the University’s budget-setting process begins, we start with built-in information and certain assumptions, i.e., tuition increase, raises for faculty and staff, and health care changes, to name a few. The assumptions are changeable, which makes it difficult to budget accurately. Changes to the budget also affect the Strategic Plan and the initiatives we have decided to act upon. The CPE is also a concern. It is interested in approving new programs based on diversity achievements at the state’s schools. It is also looking at having state university presidents sign a memorandum of understanding, which lists institutional goals. This would change the relationships between the presidents and their Boards of Trustees and make the president answer to the CPE instead of the university boards. This would also allow the CPE to dispense funding based on performance. The change in health care benefits management to United Health Care will save the university approximately $4M, with no premium increases for participants. VPHR Sam Connelly has been asked to consult with the HRAC committee on changes for next year.
REPORT: University Provost – Dr. Shirley Willihnganz
The Provost began her report with an update on administrative searches. For Libraries- the candidates will be on campus next week; for Education, the search committee is up and running; the search committee for Speed School is also up and beginning its search. The searches for Vice President of Health Affairs has its search committee populated and the search for Vice President of Research and Innovation has nominations and the committee is ready to begin. The University –Wide Budget Committee is meeting every two weeks and generating cost saving ideas. The Provost announced that she is giving all faculty and staff a half day off before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. She also asked Sam Connelly to study the idea of adding additional vacation days as another employee benefit. She is forming a new committee, the Space Committee, to study classroom spaces needs and availability of usable space, both on campus and around town. She said the need is great and the University can no longer rely on or wait for the state to act. She is seeking volunteers for this committee.
Committee Reports
Academic Programs Committee (APC)- Thisreport was online, Don DeMuth is the new chair.
Committee on Committees and Credentials (CCC)-Held the election. Enid Trucios-Hayes was elected to the Executive Committee.
Libraries Committee (FSCOL)- This report was available online.
Part-time Faculty Committee (PTFC)-This report was available online.
Planning & Budget Committee (P&B)- This report was available online.
Redbook & Bylaws Committee (RB)- First and second readings of unit documents above.
Executive Committee (XC)- This report was available online.
Other Reports
Academic Technology Committee (ATC) – No report was made.
Alumni Association – Senator Feldhoff encouraged senators to join the association.
Bookstore Advisory Committee – This report was available online.
Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) – This report was available online.
Coalition of Staff & Faculty Leadership (COSFL) – Did not meet.
Dining Services Committee – Did not meet.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Did not meet.
Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) – As above
Human Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC) – Open enrollment for health care benefits runs from November 1 through the 15th.
Parking Advisory Committee (PAC) – No report was made.
Student Care Team – As above.
University Librarian Report – No report was made.
Chair’s Report – Robert Staat
This report was available online.
Old Business
None
New Business
None
Announcements
None
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 4:37 P.M.
Gretchen Stein Henry
Faculty Senate Secretary