EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

Present: Aguilar, Bender, Bryant, Latta, Mayo, Miller, Prochaska Cue, Scheideler, Siekman, Whitt

Absent: Humes, Zorn

Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2000

Location: 420 University Terrace, Ste. 203

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1.0 Call to Order (Latta)

Latta called the meeting to order at 3:07 PM.

2.0 Announcements

No announcements were made.

3.0 University Travel Contract - Jim Main, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Business & Finance

Assistant Vice Chancellor Main stated that the university will be changing to an exclusive contract with the Travel and Transport Travel Agency for two reasons. The first reason is that the airline industry will no longer be sharing their profits with travel agencies which will result in a processing fee being charged to the University for the purchase of airline tickets. He noted that this additional charge will cost the UNL campus alone another $375,000 per year. The second reason is that the Burns Commission has recommended that the University should work as a unified institution in the area of travel arrangements.

Main pointed out that a faculty member will be able to call Travel & Transport and charge their tickets to a university "ghost card" rather than to their won American Express corporate card. At the same time, the university employee will need to give the agency a cost/object number for the university account from which the ticket will be paid. The cost of the ticket will then be paid directly by the University rather than the individual faculty member carrying the charge on a credit card. This will result in the elimination of the airline ticket being processed on the employee expense voucher. Scheideler asked if faculty will still be able to make their own reservations without the use of Travel & Transport. Main reported that they will not be reimbursed by the University if they use another agency since we will have an exclusive contract. He noted that Travel & Transport is suppose to set up an internet site where faculty can search and purchase tickets on line.

Mayo asked if the contract is written so that it can be terminated if there is unsatisfactory service? Main reported that they will be evaluating the service every six months and that we will have a clause that allows either party to terminate the contract with 30 days notice. He noted that this process will probably go into effect beginning July 1, 2000. Prochaska Cue suggested that they inform people in advance that the process will be changed since some faculty purchase tickets well in advance. Bryant stated that there should be a grandfather clause for a period of time to cover these people. Main noted that a variety of means will be used to inform employees prior to the change, and that there will be a "grace period" to allow people to get used to the new system. Latta asked if faculty can continue to search the internet for the best flights for them and if they can then tell Travel & Transport to purchase that particular flight schedule? Main stated that this can be done and that Travel & Transport should match any other prices presented to them. Latta noted that this system would require the individuals making reservations to know the cost/object numbers to be charged, and asked if the people who are responsible for managing these accounts have agreed to this system? Main stated that he will raise that question when he meets with the administrators.

Miller asked if faculty will still be able to receive mileage plus credit? Main stated that they will. He reported that they hope to eventually replace the American Express Corporate Card with a MasterCard charge card but this will not take place for at least a year. Latta asked Main to come back and give the committee an assessment of this process after it has been in place for awhile.

4.0 Intellectual Property Policy Draft

Latta reported that she summarized the comments made at the two forums on the Intellectual Property Policy Draft into a report. The primary purpose of the report was to insure that the Senior Vice Chancellor's Office have a complete record of the feedback provided by faculty to inform the input they provide to central administration on the draft policy. Latta distributed copies of the report and recommended that it be distributed to the Senate on Tuesday. She indicated that it would not be appropriate to ask the Senate to "approve" the document, but they could receive it as a report of the Executive Committee, and that would make it a public document. Latta summarized the main points of the report then invited Executive members to provide input.

These main points were:

1) contradictory language that confuses copyright and patent laws and fails to identify what faculty products will be owned by the faculty member or the university;

2) contains ambiguous language relative to such terms as "substantial university resources," "instructional materials," and "mutual control;"

3) provides no protections for academic freedom and provides insufficient incentives for faculty to produce creative and scholarly and technological products.

Mayo pointed out that the concept of the document is wrong in that it makes the faculty feel that they need protections from the University rather than the University protecting the faculty member. Bender asked if anyone asked whether it was wise to include patents and copyrighted materials in the same policy? He suggested that two separate documents should be created since they each protect a different kind of creation. The committee agreed to take the report to the Senate. Bryant stated that he would draft a resolution.

5.0 Approval of 1/19/00 Minutes

Mayo moved and Aguilar seconded approval of the minutes as amended.

6.0 Unfinished Business

6.1 Office of Civil Rights Compliance (ARRC Procedures)

Latta reported that she met with Linda Crump, Assistant to the Chancellor for Equity, Access & Diversity Programs, to discuss the insertion of a phrase in the procedures of the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee to clarify the term of known incidents in the reporting of illegal discrimination. The phrase recommended by ARRC would read, "including but not limited to substantial rumors and credible allegations." She stated that Crump had no objection to the insertion of the phrase because the concern is that any knowledge of illegal discrimination must be reported, regardless of the source of the information. Latta suggested a modification that would read, "including knowledge obtained through rumor or allegation." She reported that the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee wanted to keep the phrase in the procedures. The committee discussed the difference between the terms alleged incidents and rumors. Bender suggested that the word report replace the word rumor in the phrase. The committee agreed that this was acceptable. Bender stated that he would make the suggestion with the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee. The committee stated that they would like to meet with Crump to discuss the issue further.

6.2 Bylaw 4.3

Latta reported that she has met individually with the Chancellor, the Senior Vice Chancellor, and the Vice Chancellor for IANR to solicit their input on the 10/26/99 draft of the proposed changes to Bylaw 4.3. This is the draft prepared by Latta in consultation with the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee, Jim McShane, Lee Jones and Dick Wood. She stated that the Vice Chancellor had expressed some reservations about the composition of the collegiate-level committee responsible for deciding in cases when mutual agreement cannot be reached by the faculty member and his or her chair. One suggested alternative was to add language instructing the elected committee to consult with the Dean, in addition to the chair and faculty member, in reaching a judgement. Latta also noted that the latest version removes ambiguity from some of the language in the document, to clarify that it is "responsibilities" which as "apportioned", and "duties" which are "assigned". Bryant moved that the 10/26/99 document be presented to the Academic Senate for approval. Miller seconded the motion. Motion approved. Latta indicated that she would report this action to UNL administration. She indicated that the chief academic officers and faculty senate executive committees on each of the other campuses are also currently reviewing this draft, and that we would need to await whether any additional changes would be recommended from that review before taking this to the full senate for debate.

7.0 New Business

7.1 Black Graduate Student Association Winter Ball

Latta announced that she received a letter from the Black Graduate Student Association seeking donations for their first annual ball. Bender moved that we make a $50 donation to the Association. Mayo seconded the motion. Motion approved.

7.2 NU Strategic Framework

Latta noted that this item needs to be discussed before the February Board of Regents meeting and asked that the committee review the document for an upcoming discussion.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 2^nd at 3:00 p.m. in 201 Canfield Administration Building. Respectfully submitted, Miles Bryant, Secretary.