University of Louisville
Faculty Senate Meeting
March 2, 2011
The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was held on March 2, 2011 at 3:00 P.M. in the Chao Auditorium in the Ekstrom Library, on Belknap Campus, Robert Staat presiding.
Senators Registering Attendance
A&S –Jasmine Farrier, Elizabeth Grossi, Dennis Hall, Mary Makris, Joseph Steffen, Elaine Wise, Tamara Yohannes CoB –Rob Barker, Carrie Donald, Robert Myers DENTISTRY – Ricardo Caicedo, Robert Staat, Dave Willis EDUCATION – Tom Simmons KENT – Seana Golder LAW – David Ensign, Kurt Metzmeier, Enid Trucios-Haynes LIBRARIES – Gail Gilbert, Terri Holtze, Margo Smith MEDICINE –Richard Downs, Moataz El-Ghamry, Pamela Feldhoff, Lawrence Hunt, Sham Kakar, Nobuyuki Kuwabara, Steven Myers, Seven Nakajima, Jeannie Roberts MUSIC – Daniel Weeks, Seow-Chin Ong, Krista Wallace-Boaz NURSING – Sandra Holmes PART-TIME – Judy Heitzman, Rose Mills PUBLIC HEALTH – Ray Austin, Ruth Carrico SPEED – Nageshwar Bhaskar, Roger Bradshaw, Hollace Cox
Also Attending -
Ex Officio: James Ramsey, Shirley Willihnganz, Virginia Brown
Others: Beth Boehm, Melissa Laning, Robert Fox, Susan Duncan, Bob Stenger, Dwayne Butler , Gretchen Henry, recording secretary
Press: Janene Zaccone (U of L Today)
Senators Not Registering Attendance -
A&S – Annette Allen, Beth Bradley, Martin Klotz, Cynthia Negrey CoB – Bruce Kemelgor DENTISTRY – Donald DeMuth EDUCATION –Peter Alter, Rod Githens, Kathleen Rudasil KENT – Sharon Bowland, Wanda Lott Collins MEDICINE – Forest Arnold, David Cunningham, Saeed Jortani, John Nyland NURSING – Diane Chlebowy PART-TIME – Charlie baker, Brian Barnes, Susan Peacock, Dana Seay SPEED – Suraj Alexander
ACTION: Consideration of the Minutes
The minutes of the February 2, 2011 meeting were unanimously approved as distributed.
REPORT: Student Government Association – Kurtis Frizzell
Mr. Frizzell was not in attendance and no report was made.
REPORT: Staff Senate – Virginia Brown
This report was available online.
INFORMATION ITEM: First reading of CEHD documents – Willis
The documents are posted on the Senate’s web site. Discussion and voting on the documents will be held next month.
REPORT: University Provost – Dr. Shirley Willihnganz
The agenda was changed to permit the Provost to give her report. She was happy to have Robert Fox, the new Dean of the University Libraries at the meeting to introduce. Reporting on other administrative searches, Dr. Willihnganz said that the search committee will make recommendations for four candidates for the Speed School position; candidates for the College of Education position are coming to campus; a recommendation for the Vice President of Research and Innovation will be made in April; and, the search committee for the Vice President of Health Affairs is proceeding, and will have candidates by mid-April. She said she is very encouraged by the quality of the candidates. The budget has been the focus, and she will make the rounds to various groups for input. There are many trade-off decisions to be made in order to make salary increases. The budget will go to the Board of trustees at its meeting in April. Asked if there is an interim VPHA, the Provost replied that Dr. Larry Cook will remain until July 1 or until a replacement has been hired. Senator Wise commented on the A&S faculty vote to not endorse the students’ proposal to change the A+ grading system. The Provost stated that faculty control grades and that she would not overrule that decision and is going to let that issue rest for awhile. Senator Yohannes reported that the morale of the part-time faculty was boosted by the health insurance increase they recently received.
INFORMATION ITEM: IT Status Update – Hancock
Vice President for Information Technology Hancock gave a Power point presentation to illustrate the coming upgrades to campus technology. The student email system has started the changeover and should be completed by May. The move for faculty and staff from Novell to Microsoft will be done by the fall. The migration to M+Archive will keep emails in a central location and Tier 1s will assist with this. The change will be automatic, and no action will be necessary from students, faculty or staff. VPIT Hancock was pleased to announce that pervasive wireless is about 61% completed and the dorms will be wired this summer. A grant was secured for the research computing upgrade that has been in place since 2009. The program was chosen by faculty and will be available to all faculty members this year.
REPORT: University President – Dr. James Ramsey
President Ramsey began his report with a Frankfort and legislative update. The General Assembly is currently on its 25th day out of 30 day session. President Ramsey said most of the action will be in the last five days. There is no way to know exactly what will come out of this session. If the House and Senate cannot agree, there is already a budget in place. Dr. Ramsey thanked the Executive Committee for its feedback on the budget. He said that tuition forums will be coming on both campuses, as well as discussions on how the salary increase will be implemented.
INFORMATION ITEM: Current HR Issues Briefing – Connally
Vice President for Human Resources Sam Connally began his report with a Power Point presentation outlining several cost-saving possibilities. The recommendations for cost-saving strategies will include setting a limit of 140 hours to the tuition remission benefit, exclusion of course fees and the distance learning surcharge, capping the age for dependents to participate in tuition remission to 26, implementing a one year waiting period before the tuition remission and death benefits are available. The suggested changes to the tuition remission benefit will be for all employees, current and new hires.
Committee Reports
Academic Programs Committee (APC) - This committee did not meet since the last Faculty Senate meeting.
Committee on Committees and Credentials (CCC) - There was no report.
Libraries Committee (FSCOL) - The committee welcomed Robert Fox, the new dean of the University Libraries.
Part-time Faculty Committee (PTFC)-This report was available online.
Planning & Budget Committee (P&B) - This report was available online.
Redbook & Bylaws Committee (RB) - This report was available online.
Executive Committee (XC) - This report was available online.
Other Reports
Academic Technology Committee (ATC) – This report was available online.
Bookstore Advisory Committee – This report was available online. There is now a compliance connection to the timely ordering f textbooks. Information packets are being sent out to department chairs.
Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) – This report was available online.
Coalition of Staff & Faculty Leadership (COSFL) – This group did not meet.
Dining Services Committee – This report was available online.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) –This committee did not meet.
Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) – This report was available online.
Human Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC) – There was no report.
Parking Advisory Committee (PAC) – This report was available online.
Student Care Team – There was no report.
University Librarian Report – Robert Fox, the new Dean of the University Libraries, was introduced.
Chair’s Report – Robert Staat
This report was available online.
Old Business
None
New Business
Announcements
Senate elections will be held at the May meeting. If your term as a faculty senator ends this year, contact your department if you’d like to seek reelection.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 P.M.
Gretchen Stein Henry
Faculty Senate Secretary