EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES
Present: Beck,
Buck, Carlo, Fuller, Logan-Peters, Peterson, Spann, Whitt, and Wunder
Absent: Alexander, Fech,
Miller, Shea
Date:
Location: 201 Canfield
Administration Building
1.0 Call to Order
Wunder
called the meeting to order at
2.0 Announcements
No announcements were made.
3.0 Approval of
Peterson moved, and Whitt seconded
approval of the minutes as amended.
Motion approved.
4.0 Unfinished Business
4.1 Motion on President’s Salary
The Committee reviewed a draft resolution urging the Board of Regents to keep the President’s salary comparable to our peer institutions. Revisions were made to the motion. Peterson moved that the revised motion be presented to the Senate at the December meeting. Beck seconded the motion. Motion approved.
4.2 Resolution
to Support UAAD and UNOPA
Wunder reported that in meetings with UAAD and UNOPA, they voiced concern that they did not have any representation on the Academic Planning Committee when budget cuts were being discussed. He pointed out that in the pre-1992 procedures to deal with budget cuts, both groups had representation. He stated that this was eliminated when the procedures were changed in 1992.
Wunder reported that both UAAD and UNOPA passed a resolution calling for representation on the APC. He stated that both groups sent a letter to the Chancellor stating their resolution. Wunder reported that the Chancellor’s response was that the responsibilities of the APC are beyond the scope of the managerial/professional and office/service staff. Wunder noted that the APC has faculty, student, and administrative representatives but no representatives from the staff.
Logan-Peters wondered how many managerial/professional and office/service people have lost their jobs as a result of the budget cuts. She stated that these groups have lost more jobs than faculty members. Spann pointed out that 136 office/service staff members have lost jobs, of these 51 have been rehired into other positions.
Wunder noted that the resolutions suggest that there are fundamental problems with representation and the changes to the previous procedures, including the lack of a real definition of an academic program. He stated that he would like to reactivate last year’s committee to review the procedures that are used in dealing with budget cuts. He noted that the committee had worked on identifying the major changes that were made to the procedures. He pointed out that to change the procedures will require both Senate and ASUN approval. He stated that he would like to give UNOPA and UAAD representation in budget cutting procedures and he would like to see a better definition of an academic program developed.
Carlo noted that the university is likely to sustain further budget cuts. He suggested that the faculty need to be proactive and that the committee to review the procedures should be reactivated soon.
Fuller stated that the Committee should make some kind of public statement supporting UNOPA and UAAD. She pointed out that she and Wunder and Peterson encouraged UNOPA and UAAD to make a resolution during their discussions since these two groups voiced concern over not having representation.
Spann asked if the committee to review the procedures wanted to bring back the pre-1992 procedures. Wunder stated that this is not the intent but changes need to be made to the current procedures to allow representation of all employees.
Carlo asked if the Senate would approve a resolution that called for a UAAD and UNOPA member to be on the APC. Fuller stated that they should be on the APC when reduction of forces is being considered. Spann stated that they do not need to be included in the academic work of the APC. Wunder pointed out that there are a number of administrators on the APC who are not involved in teaching. Peterson noted that the support staff members in his department were involved with the Academic Program Review process. Wunder stated that the previous procedures called for a much larger group, outside of the APC, to review budget cuts. He stated that this group included both faculty, managerial, and office personnel.
Peterson stated that he would draft
a motion to support UNOPA and UAAD. He
stated that he would present it to the Committee at the next meeting.
4.3 Faculty
Representative to
Wunder
reported that he received an email message from Professor Roch
Gaussoin stating that the Intercollegiate Athletics
Committee wanted Professor Jo Potuto to represent UNL
at the
Logan-Peters pointed out that the
NCAA has many rules and policies and that it would be helpful to have someone
with this knowledge. Fuller noted that
Professor Potuto is the Chancellor’s representative
to the NCAA. She stated that appointing Potuto to the
Peterson asked if UNL can only have one representative. Wunder stated that there would be one representative but as a Chancellor’s representative to the NCAA, he believed Professor Potuto could attend the meetings as well. Peterson noted that it is important to get other people involved so the knowledge and information does not rest with just one person.
Carlo stated that the appointee
should meet regularly with the Executive Committee so that he or she keeps the
faculty perspective. The appointee would
also keep the Committee apprised of what the
5.0
Unfinished
Business
5.1 Committee on Committees
Motion to Revise Campus-Wide Syllabus
The Committee felt that departments
that could fit under a different discipline should be contacted to see if they
wish to remain where they are currently classified or if they want to be moved
to another discipline.
6.0 Chancellor Perlman/SVCAA
Edwards/VC Owens
6.1 Climate
for Women, Students, and Faculty in Computer Science Department
Wunder stated that he has had phone calls from faculty members who are concerned with the climate for women students in the Computer Science Department and the hiring of temporary faculty members. He noted that when an incident occurred in the Political Science Department a number of years ago, a committee was formed to investigate it. He asked if anything similar was being done with the Computer Science Department. Chancellor Perlman stated that the recent incident with the visiting professor does not show evidence of a systematic problem within the department. He stated that he has alerted all deans and chairs that they must be diligent in reviewing references for visiting professors as well as in hiring new professors. He stated that the administration is working on fixing this problem. SVCAA Edwards noted that there has not been any further allegations or suggestions of a more wide spread problem. He noted that the incident appears to be related to one individual.
Wunder pointed out that a recent article in the newspaper indicated that a different female student had been assaulted by another instructor. Chancellor Perlman asked if it was a separate offender. Wunder stated that it was. Chancellor Perlman stated that the Computer Science Department has been put on notice to be more diligent when hiring new or visiting professors. SVCAA Edwards noted that the administration is relying on the departments to conduct more thorough reference checks although more work might need to be done at other levels as well.
Peterson suggested that new visiting professors should be invited to new faculty orientation. Chancellor Perlman pointed out that there is a problem of training individuals. He noted that so much information is given out at the new faculty orientation that it becomes overwhelming for the faculty member. He stated that clearly established policies must be in place that allows women to come forward if they have been assaulted. He stated that university policies should be known by all members of the campus community. He noted that he is having discussions on creating a web based program that can monitor when individuals have reviewed the university policies.
SVCAA Edwards stated that it can be
difficult to get personal reference checks on people, particularly for international
candidates.
6.2 Chancellor’s
Nominations to Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women and the
Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of People of Color
The Committee reviewed the list of faculty members suggested by the Chancellor for the Commissions. Carlo had a concern that one of the selected junior faculty members could be over burdened. Buck pointed out that the person is an intelligent person who could make their own decision.
Peterson noted that the Commissions
are an advisory group to the Chancellor.
He suggested that the Senate might want to consider supporting
committees that are advocacy groups.
The Committee agreed to ratify the
Chancellor’s selections for both Commissions.
6.3 Clarification of
Administrative Lines in Academic Affairs Office
Wunder asked for clarification concerning the Associate Vice Chancellor positions in the Academic Affairs Office. He noted that the 2002-03 budget books indicated that there were four lines but one of them did not have any FTE. SVCAA Edwards reported that there have been Associate Vice Chancellor positions in his office. He stated that one has been shifted for the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. He stated that Associate Vice Chancellor Jacobson is in one of the remaining lines and Professor Gail Latta is an Interim Associate Vice Chancellor in the other line. He stated that the Director of Financial Affairs position was created by combining a vacant administrative assistant position with the remaining funds from the Associate Vice Chancellor lines. The net result is that there were four positions in the office previously, and in the future there will be three positions plus the Dean’s position.
6.4 Athletic
Wunder
stated that he was called the Wednesday night before the announcement of the academic
and athletic expansion by the Omaha World Herald who wanted to get his opinion
on the subject and assumed that the Academic Sneate
President was informed. He declined to
comment but he pointed out that it is difficult for the President of the Senate
to respond when the press gets the information before he does. Chancellor Perlman
apologized for not keeping Wunder more informed. Chancellor Perlman
stated that he was unsure how the information was leaked but he noted that
President Smith had alluded to some of the expansion in his State of the
University address.
6.4.a Role of APC in Approval of Campus Planning
Wunder asked if the APC has been briefed on the plans to build a virology center and expand the athletics facilities. Chancellor Perlman stated that traditionally APC is not presented with the plans until the money has been raised to construct the buildings.
6.4.b Political Issues Within and Without the
University
Chancellor Perlman stated that the virology center applied for a $4 million grant from NIH several years ago but was unsuccessful in getting the funding. He noted that faculty members have continued to work on the grant to get funding. He reported that the publicity for the virology center has been better than he expected.
Wunder reported that VC Paul stated that a portion of the indirect costs, 10% over a period of years, might be used to help subsidize the building. Chancellor Perlman stated that this has been a proposal made by VC Paul and he has accepted it pending consultation with various groups on campus. He noted that 10% of the indirect costs would be used for facilities and purchase of major laboratory equipment. He pointed out that the 10% would not necessarily be directed towards virology. He reported that Varner Hall does have some concerns over the bonding capacity of the university and whether or not bonds could be used to help build the virology center. He pointed out that they are hoping to get private funds to build the facility. He noted that his office and the Research Office would take the largest decrease in available funds from indirect costs because of this proposal.
SVCAA Edwards noted that the
Peterson asked if there has been any repercussions from the announcements because of the budget crisis that is affecting the state. Chancellor Perlman stated that there have been some negative responses both from inside and outside of the university. He stated that the university needs to take risks and needs to move on. He pointed out that the athletics expansion was going to happen at some point.
6.5 Salary Increases
Chancellor Perlman stated that he has not forgotten about a possible mid-year salary increase. He stated that he is still taking a hard look at it to see if it would be possible to at least provide a small, across-the board, increase for everyone. He noted that the cash flow situation is creating uncertainty as to whether the increases can be given out. He pointed out that he is concerned with the people who will be getting a significant increase in health care costs in January. He stated that the increase would be permanent and part of the 3.5% increase for the biennium mandated by the Board of Regents.
Peterson asked if money needed for promotions would be coming out of the 3.5% increase. Chancellor Perlman stated that it is too early to tell. He noted that in past years most of the promotions were covered by retirements. Peterson asked if the possible mid-year salary adjustment would be considered an increase or a bonus payment. Chancellor Perlman stated that it would be a permanent salary increase.
Spann asked how much of an increase would be given. Chancellor Perlman stated that he is unsure but he would like to accommodate the increase in health care costs.
6.6 Issues on the Horizon
VC Owens noted that 122,000
students in
Spann reported that the Chancellor
met with the
Fuller asked if tenure would shift from being in the department to a college or university. SVCAA Edwards stated that this would be one of the many issues that would need to be discussed. Chancellor Perlman stated that some universities, such as Rice and Carnegie Mellon, have moved to a more centralized budgeting system and that they are moving the tenure clock up to nine and 10 years. He noted that with the current structure, interdisciplinary research is more difficult to do. Peterson pointed out that nothing restricts someone from collaborating with someone else from another department on research. SVCAA Edwards stated that is correct as long as grants are not involved. He noted that this is when things can become difficult. He pointed out that universities of the future would still need to have some kind of local community that faculty members can identify with.
Wunder asked if they foresee the creation of different colleges with these restructuring changes. SVCAA Edwards stated that in the past there have been suggestions such as having a Division of Social Sciences, which could provide a more open structure. He stated that departments could be merged. Chancellor Perlman pointed out that the university needs to think about the different levels of structure that currently exist. He stated that there needs to be discussion on how to administer the different structure, how do you separate administration from teaching and research.
Carlo stated that the type of restructuring being discussed would have implications on the training of graduate and undergraduate students. Chancellor Perlman noted that Carnegie Mellon’s Ph.D. program is based on fields, not disciplines. Spann pointed out that there may be advantages to streamlining but it needs to be looked at carefully because what may seem like a good theory may not work well in reality. SVCAA Edwards noted that no proposals are on the table to restructure the entire university.
Carlo stated that he was pleased to hear of a joint initiative between academics and athletics. He thought it ironic that concern would be raised over $500,000 going to an academic program, in this case the JD Edwards Program, while little concern was raised over the announcement of $40 million being needed for the student athletes to have better facilities.
Wunder stated that he did not understand why the professors of CBA and Computer Science were just not assigned to teach courses in the JD Edwards Program. SVCAA Edwards stated that CBA and Computer Science are the most highly demanded programs by students. He noted that assigning professors from these departments to teach courses in the JD Edwards program without corresponding payments to the departments to replace the teaching capacity would make it worse for the remaining faculty in those departments who would have to teach additional courses. He stated that hiring people for the JD Edwards Program keeps the faculty positions in the departments so they can hire other people to teach. He pointed out that one of the questions being discussed is how to reallocate funds to areas that have seen chronic growth over a period of years.
Chancellor Perlman
encouraged the Senate to participate in the
Chancellor Perlman stated that while he understands the concern of UAAD and UNOPA, he does not feel that they should be members of the APC because the majority of the work the committee does is with academic issues. He felt that adding additional members could weaken the faculty voice on the committee.
The meeting was adjourned at