EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

Present: Bender, Bryant, Humes, Latta, Miller, Prochaska Cue, Scheideler, Zorn

Absent: Aguilar, Mayo, Siekman

Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2000

Location: 420 University Terrace, Ste. 203

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1.0 Call to Order (Latta)

Latta called the meeting to order at 3:10 PM.

2.0 Chancellor Moeser

2.1 Othmer Department Chairs (Scheideler)

Scheideler stated that there are still some concerns about the Othmer endowed professorship funds being used for department chairs. Chancellor Moeser stated that both the Chemistry department and the Computer Science department reported that the major researchers in these departments have typically been the chairs and that the faculty in these department are in support of this decision. Scheideler asked if there are any other Othmer endowed professorships in IANR other than the Raikes chair? Chancellor Moeser stated that at the present time, the Raikes professorship is the only one but that this could change.

2.2 Budget Process 2000-01

Latta asked how the distribution of the budget was determined? Chancellor Moeser stated that the intent was not to do anymore across the board cuts. He decided that the Chancellor's office would take the biggest hit, which is 2%. He pointed out that they exempted research because of its already small budget and because of the emphasis being placed on research. He noted that the business and finance sector will have a 1.05% cut, students affairs will have an .85% cut, and the academic sector, .66% cut. He stated that after reviewing student credit hour production per faculty FTE, it was determined that two colleges, the College of Business Administration and the College of Arts & Sciences, were involved in heavy teaching loads and therefore, should receive a special dispensation. The College of Fine Arts will not have any cuts due to their already small budget. He pointed out that the Academic Planning Committee will be reviewing the proposed reductions. Scheideler asked how programs will be identified for reductions? Chancellor Moeser stated that this will be the Dean's decision based upon input from the faculty.

2.3 NU Strategic Framework

Chancellor Moeser stated that the NU Strategic Framework will be on the upcoming Board of Regents' agenda. He stated that Vice President for External Affairs Kim Robak seems to have incorporated most of the changes suggested by his office and President Latta. Latta pointed out that there are still concerns on the time lines indicated in the document. She noted that this does not seem to reflect a community consensus about when some of these goals will be accomplished. She stated that there is concern about the budget implications of these time lines.

2.4 Burns Commission Report

Chancellor Moeser stated that there are some useful recommendations in the report but that there are concerns that the report can be misread and misused. He pointed out that the commission is a composite of a group of subcommittees who made their own independent recommendations. As a result, he stated that it is an uneven document. He noted that it is a mixture of proposed efficiencies which could produce savings but there are other items called cost avoidances. He pointed that these cost avoidances will not free up any funds but that they could eventually lower some costs that could occur in the future. Latta stated that she has concerns with the section on distance education. She pointed out that they need to have some connection with the faculty who actually teach these classes. Chancellor Moeser pointed out that the President's Council on Distance Education has not yet been formed. Bryant noted that he finds it disturbing that the report, together with the Strategic Agenda, puts the Chancellor in a middle management position. He stated that the decision making process seems to be shifting away from the campus. He noted that he has concerns that the kinds of distance education courses will be dictated down to the faculty, rather than the faculty being involved in the creation of these courses. Zorn pointed out that people overestimate cost savings by not realizing the transitional costs involved in making some of the recommended changes.

3.0 Announcements

3.1 Student Information Systems (SIS) Meeting

Latta reported that she has been asked to attend a meeting on the SIS. She pointed out that this system is a front door to the university for students and therefore, has implications well beyond maintaining student records. She noted that, since the Board of Regents have mandated that this system be centralized within the University, this will have an impact on the campus. Since Latta will be out of town, Scheideler will attend the meeting.

3.2 Construction Project Schedule

Latta distributed a time table of on-going and upcoming construction projects that are taking place on campus. Bryant stated that he would like to discuss at a future meeting the standard size for faculty offices as determined by Facilities Management. Miller asked about the status of the addition to the Library. Latta reported that it is in the planning stage although the projection for the groundbreaking has been moved back due to a delay in the availability of funds.

3.3 Fetal Tissue Research

Latta asked the committee if we should coordinate with Professor David Moshman and the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska in writing a letter to the legislature regarding the issue of the use of fetal tissue in research at UNMC. Miller moved that the executive committee send a letter endorsing our previous stand in the Senate and writing a strong statement in support of continuing this research. Motion seconded by Bender. Motion approved.

4.0 Approval of 1/26/00 Minutes

Miller moved and Prochaska Cue seconded approval of the minutes as amended.

5.0 Senate Meeting Follow-up

Item postponed.

6.0 Unfinished Business

6.1 ARRC Response to OCR (Crump)

Issue postponed.

6.2 NU Strategic Framework

Issue discussed in 2.3.

6.3 Missed Class Policy Revised Proposal

Latta distributed the latest draft of the missed class policy. She noted that the chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, Alan Christensen, drafted a very different policy after meeting with the Executive Committee. She stated this latest version would require the student to submit a form to the professor in the beginning of the semester for any known sanctioned University event that they may be participating in. She noted that the goal was to put more of the responsibility on the student and give faculty more flexibility. Whitt questioned who be responsible for keeping a record of these forms? Latta was unsure. Humes stated that the language of the form does not correspond with current practices with the Athletic Department. Latta asked whose policy does this become in terms of implementation? She also pointed out that any sanctioned university event still has not been defined. Miller stated that the form creates a signed contract. He stated that he does not think we should create another bureaucratic policy. Bryant suggested that the language on the form needs to be rewritten from a faculty perspective. He suggested that a few members of the Executive Committee should work with Alan Christensen to revise the form. Bryant and Humes agreed to work on the revisions.

7.0 New Business

7.1 Proposal for a Faculty Roles Initiative

Latta indicated that she would like to discuss with the committee a proposal to invite the Senate to become a partner in a campus project to provide campus leadership for fostering discussions within departments/units about the various activities and initiatives that are impacting the roles of faculty. She pointed out that this would allow the departments to examine the nature of the work that faculty are doing and whether there needs to be changes to accommodate these various roles. The committee agreed to discuss the proposal further at the next meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 5:07 pm. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 9^th at 3:00 pm in the Academic Senate Office, 420 University Terrace, Ste. 203. Respectfully submitted, Miles Bryant.