EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

 

Present:          Alexander, Alloway, Beck, Fech, Flowers, Hoffman, Moeller, Peterson, Scholz, Shea, Stock

 

Absent:           Bolin, Rapkin

           

Date:               Wednesday, September 21, 2005

 

Location:        201 Canfield Administration Building

 

Note:   These are not verbatim minutes.  They are a summary of the discussions at the Executive Committee meeting as corrected by those participating.

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1.0       Call to Order

            Beck called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

 

2.0              Chancellor Perlman/SVCAA Couture/VC Owens

2.1              Difficulty of Getting New Faculty Members on Email

Beck reported that this issue was raised to VC Owens in a letter from the President of the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association.  The letter expressed frustration with the delay of getting new faculty members on email.  She pointed out that this is not just a problem in IANR.

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that he is aware of the problem and there is a small committee that is currently working on this issue.  He noted that the committee will determine how this problem can be fixed and he has been assured that it will be taken care of before the next hiring season begins.

 

2.2              Draft Policy for Senate Surveying Faculty Members

Beck stated that the draft policy would allow the Senate to send surveys to the faculty on issues of faculty governance.  She noted that the surveys would need the approval of the Academic Senate President and the Executive Committee.  Any other surveys from elsewhere in the University would still need to go through Associate to the Chancellor Herb Howe for approval.  She reported that she is charging the Computational Services and Facilities Committee to look at developing a policy for the campus. 

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that he felt the policy for the Senate to survey the faculty is fine.  He suggested that in one of the first surveys the faculty should be asked about what they think about getting surveys from people within the university.  He noted that he recently turned down the request of a graduate student to survey the faculty.  He stated that his first instinct is to turn down requests to conduct surveys because he does not want faculty members to feel overloaded.  Beck agreed.

           

            2.3       Tuition Remissions Relative to Budget Issues

Beck noted that the Chancellor raised the issue that some of the tuition remission programs were being reviewed.  She asked for an update regarding the remission programs.

 

Chancellor Perlman reported that he has two groups reviewing remissions policies.  One group is looking at undergraduate remissions and the other at graduate remissions.  He noted that the report on the undergraduate remissions is due on September 26th.  He pointed out that the review will look to see if some things can be done differently with these programs for this next year but more fundamental changes would not take place until next year.  He noted that some of the remission programs were originally developed to attract students to new academic programs but this is not needed now.  He stated that more fundamental restructuring of the remissions will be looked at another time.

 

Chancellor Perlman reported that Executive Associate Dean Weissinger, along with some other people, is looking at graduate school remissions and the Senior Administrative Team has had conversations with her about graduate remissions.  He noted that some of the possible changes could produce some controversy.  He pointed out that one of the things that needs to be considered are those graduate students being paid by grants.  He stated that the grants should cover the remission in their tuition as well.  He noted that some of the changes could affect the graduate program which raises concerns. 

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that Vice Chancellor Jackson provided him with some figures regarding the budget.  He noted that the budget this year was based on the assumption that we would capture $55 million in tuition revenue.  He reported that the figures indicate that we are ahead of the tuition revenue.  He noted that undergraduate tuition came in higher than anticipated but graduate tuition was slightly lower than the anticipated amount.  Overall there was a total increase of 3% over the assumed amount of tuition.  Chancellor Perlman pointed out that when the remission figures were included the campus came out $45,000 above the netted budget. 

 

Fech asked if the crux of looking at the remissions is to see how much the university is providing in remissions.  Chancellor Perlman stated that this is correct.  He noted that there are some peculiar things with some of the remission programs.  For instance, he stated that when graduate students take summer school they are granted tuition remission.  Moeller pointed out that they can receive six credit hours of tuition remission.  Chancellor Perlman noted that very few institutions provide this tuition remission. 

 

Peterson asked what the cost is of these tuition remission programs.  Chancellor Perlman stated that he wants to focus on the net gain.  He noted that we want to be competitive with other institutions but some things at the margins need to be adjusted.  He stated that he is more willing to experiment with some of the programs than others here at the university but he is not confident in fully understanding how the remission programs all work.  He noted that this is the reason for the review and the conversations.

 

Fech asked at what level of scrutiny the tuition remission program for dependents of employees is being looked at.  Chancellor Perlman stated that this tuition remission is not being looked at.  He pointed out that this tuition program was mandated by the Board of Regents and individual campuses cannot tamper with it.  He noted that he does not know of any plans on removing the tuition remission for dependents.

 

2.4       Revising Faculty Compensation Advisory Committee

Beck pointed out that this is a very difficult committee to get together.  She noted that it appears that people who are not actual members on the committee are routinely invited in order to provide information. 

 

Beck stated that another issue is that the current syllabus calls for the President-Elect of the Senate to serve as chair.  She pointed out that the President-Elect is new to the committee and does not fully understand its function and responsibilities.  She stated that it does not work well to have a new member on the Committee serve as chair.  She noted that the Committee would like to propose that the Past President, President, and President-Elect serve on the Committee with the Past President serving as chair.  She pointed out that this would give the Past President the experience of being on the Committee for two years before assuming the role of chair.  She noted that the President and President Elect could serve as ex-officio members.

 

Peterson stated that the Committee discussed the changes last spring and the members present agreed with the changes.  He noted that one issue that occurred was the uncertainty of whose committee it is, whether it is a Senate committee or an advisory committee to the Chancellor.  Griffin reported that in the past there were two separate committees that looked at faculty salaries.  She noted that former Chancellor Spanier combined these two committees into one.  This was done in consultation with the Academic Senate but the committee is an advisory committee to the Chancellor. 

 

Chancellor Perlman agreed and stated that the committee does serve as an advisory committee to him.  He noted that there are two issues of confidence regarding this committee.  As the recipient of their advice he has to have the confidence in the committee and the faculty also needs to have confidence that the committee is giving advice that reflects the views of the faculty.  Chancellor Perlman pointed out that he has no objection to getting continuity of issues by allowing the President and Past President to continue serving on the committee but he does not want to upset the balance of the voting members.  He noted that ex-officio does not mean that a member does not get a voice in voting.  Peterson suggested that the President and President Elect could serve as non-voting members.  He noted that his own personal experience led him to encourage the changes because it was difficult to come on to a committee and chair it when you are a new member. 

 

Peterson noted that there are a few other things that need to be cleaned up in the syllabus as well.  He pointed out that the Associate to the Chancellor was asked to be included in the meetings but in what capacity is unknown.  Chancellor Perlman stated it doesn’t make a difference if the Associate to the Chancellor is a non-voting member.  The important thing is that the Associate to the Chancellor provides information to the committee. 

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that the committee creates a forum for there to be discussions between administrators and faculty members.  He noted that the people on this committee need to be as informed and as engaged as they can be.  He pointed out that the administrators on the committee can provide information and past history but it is important to have balance on the committee. 

 

Peterson asked SVCAA Couture and VC Owens if they designate anyone to attend the meeting for them if they are unable to attend.  Both indicated that they do not designate anyone. 

 

Peterson pointed out that it is nearly impossible to get the entire committee together to meet face to face.  He noted that the work of the committee may need to be done electronically.  He noted that there are only about two meetings a year which need to occur face to face.  He stated that otherwise business might be able to be conducted by email or on Blackboard.

 

2.5       Update on Accreditation Process

SVCAA Couture stated that there will be another steering meeting tomorrow.  She noted that the process is in good shape and following the traditional pattern of conducting these types of accreditation processes.  She stated that all task forces have been formed. 

 

SVCAA Couture stated that the steering committee is working on developing a theme based on who we are and what our mission is.  She stated that there will also be discussions on academic themes that cross several UNL units and what kind of information needs to be gathered in order for cross-disciplinary academic programs to be part of the strategic planning process. 

 

SVCAA Couture reported that there will be a meeting of a subgroup who will work on how the virtual resource room will be set up.  She noted that the virtual resource room will be used by the accreditation team to review various data sets.  She stated that the room will be used afterwards for people who regularly need to get information about what UNL is doing. 

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that rather than trying to create a new mission statement the campus will use the one crafted by the Board of Regents but with some slight editing changes.  Beck asked if the team will look at various things such as process and effectiveness of programs.  SVCAA Couture stated that she can distribute a copy of the contract between UNL and the NCA Accreditation Team.  She noted that the team will concentrate on the questions in the contract but they are free to ask any questions that they want. 

 

Chancellor Perlman reported that he was involved in a teleconferencing call this morning on the NCAA accreditation.  He noted that the NCAA accreditation is moving forward.  He pointed out that this is an open process and Athletics is hoping that people across the campus will participate.  He stated that he believes that Athletics genuinely wants to know what people are thinking.  He reported that the NCAA accreditation will happen about the same time as the NCA accreditation process. 

 

2.6       Update on Searches

Chancellor Perlman stated that there are no further updates on the search for a Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.  He noted that announcements are out and the campus is waiting to receive applications. 

 

Vice Chancellor Owens reported he just completed an interview with a candidate for the chair of Food Science and Technology.  He noted that there are five candidates for the position.  He stated that three finalists are being interviewed for the Dean of Agricultural Research position. 

 

Vice Chancellor Owens stated that he recently took a brief tour of Hardin Hall which is being renovated to hold the School of Natural Resources.  He noted that the renovations are not moving quickly and he is unsure when the building will be ready for use. 

 

2.7       Executive Committee of Big 12 Presidents

Chancellor Perlman reported that the Executive Committee of Big 12 Presidents recently approved a six month plan for economic development.  He noted that two consultants from Austin, Texas will be working with the group to see if they can generate funding.  He noted that the Executive Committee is looking for collaborative research activities and a collaborative bank of intellectual property.  He stated that this is an effort to make the Big 12 more than an athletic conference. 

 

2.8              Semester at Sea

Chancellor Perlman reported that there will soon be a meeting of the Semester at Sea program.  He stated that most, or nearly all, of the chairs have been briefed on the Semester at Sea program.  He noted that he explained the possibilities and the opportunities of the program and he suggested that the chairs discuss it with the faculty.  He pointed out that decisions on courses to offer will need to be made quickly if UNL is selected to participate in the program. 

 

Hoffman asked what the timetable will be to get things ready.  Chancellor Perlman stated that next month a decision will be made.  He noted that the first semester at sea with UNL would be fall of 2006 if UNL is selected. 

 

Hoffman asked what kinds of courses are typically taught during the Semester at Sea.  Chancellor Perlman stated that it is usually humanities and general education courses although there has been more specific courses taught as well. 

 

Fech asked if the Chancellor will be going on the maiden voyage if UNL participates.  Chancellor Perlman stated that he would only consider going for a short period of time, not the full 100 days.  He suggested that interested faculty members should look at the Semester at Sea website.  He noted that the website tells where they have gone in the past, where they are currently, and where they will be next semester. 

 

2.9              Utilities Budget

Chancellor Perlman reported that the bad news is that the administration is predicting a significant shortfall in the utilities budget this year.  He noted that everyone is assuming that the cost of utilities is to go up significantly and for this campus it could create multiple millions of dollars in shortfall.  He stated that he will be working with Vice Chancellor Jackson to see what dramatic steps can be taken to reduce the costs.  He noted that some of these dramatic steps could include shutting the air conditioning off after 6:00 p.m. in some buildings. 

 

Chancellor Perlman reported that 82% of the buildings on campus will be metered.  He stated that if the campus has the ability to control utility uses in some of these buildings it could result in a considerable savings.  He pointed out that if 30-35 buildings on campus could have the air and/or heat shut down in the off hours it could result in a $1.4 million savings for the campus. 

 

Beck noted that the Animal Science building is freezing in the summer to the point where people use space heaters to adjust the temperatures.  She suggested raising the temperature for air conditioning in buildings.  Chancellor Perlman stated that another idea is to turn people into monitors where each college is responsible for the utility costs for their buildings.  He pointed out that another issue that will need to be confronted is the cost of construction which is also rising. 

 

Chancellor Perlman stated that IANR and Athletics are getting hit hard with the cost of gasoline prices.  He stated that Business and Finance will be taking a look at whether it will be more economical for people to take a state car versus using their personal car.  He noted that it may be cheaper to take a state car if a trip is over 55 miles. 

 

Peterson reported that when he goes to his office on Sunday morning he finds lights on all over the building yet hardly anyone is there.  He suggested that automatic light switches be installed to help solve this problem.  Chancellor Perlman stated that they are changing out light switches to automatic switches as quickly as possible.  He noted that the campus is working with the Lincoln Electric System to get savings pushed back into energy saving devices on campus.  

 

Fech stated that he has noticed the new signage on campus and stated that they really stand out and make the campus look good.  Chancellor Perlman stated that the campus is looking nicer.  He reported that banners have been ordered for the street lights on R street like the ones on Holdrege street on east campus. 

 

Hoffman asked how far down the line do the publications need to adhere to the university guidelines.  He stated that a student organization he is working with is holding a regional conference and will be publishing a brochure.  Chancellor Perlman stated that he would like to see even the student publications done according to standards because it represents the university.  He appreciates the fact that some groups cannot afford to bring a designer in to help with the publication but they should at least try to get the N logo in the right place.  He noted that for $25 a designer can help out with the publication. 

 

SVCAA Couture stated that she had two announcements.  The first is that the general education program review is getting kicked off.  She stated that she hopes the faculty will stay involved and participate in the activity.  She noted that there is a website up and running and students and faculty members are participating in a running conversation regarding revising the program.  She pointed out that it is interesting to hear the students’ views.

 

SVCAA Couture stated that there will be two guest speakers coming to campus.  The first is Charlie Nutt who is a member of the National Association of Student Advisors.  He will be coming on September 30th to discuss best practices in student advising.  She pointed out that he will also be available to talk with faculty and staff who are writing grants to obtain funds to improve student advising.  She noted that this will be helpful for anyone interested in applying for the Teaching Initiative funds. 

 

SVCAA Couture stated on October 6th Carol Schneider, President of the AACU will come to campus to speak about new and continuing trends in liberal education across the country. 

 

3.0       Announcements

            3.1       Board of Regents Meeting

Beck stated that the Board of Regents approved the revisions to the Academic Rights & Responsibilities procedures and the Senate Rules and Bylaws. 

 

Beck noted that the main issue was about Regent Hergert and the statements that were made calling for his resignation. 

 

4.0              Approval of 9/14/05 Minutes

Moeller moved and Flowers seconded approval of the minutes as amended.  Motion approved.

           

5.0       Unfinished Business

            5.1       Student Absence Policy

Beck reported that she received an email message from a faculty member who was upset because the chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee wrote a letter urging the faculty member to allow the student to miss classes because of participation in athletic events.  The professor noted that the student would miss 17% of the classes. 

 

The Committee reviewed the history of the Student Absence policy.  It was noted that the current Student Absence policy approved by the Senate in December 2000 encourages students and instructors to work out an arrangement but no specific cumulative number of days are excused for university sanctioned events.  Griffin noted that conversations held at the Senate meetings regarding the policy were about the instructor having the final decision to allow absences.  In particular, Senators stated that they highly encouraged students to take a course in the off season because the nature of the coursework would not allow many absences.   Stock pointed out that a lot of professors would resent a policy that would interfere with their courses. 

 

Beck noted that the policy clearly states that the student needs to “request permission for the absence (preferably in writing) from that instructor and to discuss how the absence would affect her/his ability to meet the course requirements.”

 

Moeller asked if the professor felt that he was being vetoed by the letter received from the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee.  Beck stated that this was correct. 

 

Peterson questioned whether instructors are still under the delusion that there is a policy that exists where students can miss a specific number of classes.  Moeller stated that she puts it in her syllabus that student attendance is required.  Griffin pointed out that the Academic Services Handbook states that it is the student’s responsibility to adhere to the attendance policy set by the instructor. 

 

Alloway stated that he is not sure how well some people in the Athletics department understand this policy.  He noted that student video photographers are asked to miss class to photograph athletic events which would require the student missing a number of classes.  He suggested that the Committee might want to meet with the Athletic Director. 

 

Beck stated that she will speak with the Chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee.

 

Alexander noted that another problem is with tutors who work with student athletes.  He pointed out that oftentimes the tutor teaches the information to the student differently than how he, the instructor, teaches the course.  He stated that it is important for the students to come to the class or they will be confused between the way the instructor teaches the class and the way the tutor is helping the student. 

           

5.2              Amendments to Statement on Regent Elections

Beck reported that she received an amendment to the statement from Professor Bender.  The Committee felt that the amended statement was good.  Beck noted that additional amendments could come from the floor. 

 

Moeller suggested that Beck have an ad hoc committee of about three senators look at the amended statement to get feedback on it.  The Committee agreed to do this and discuss it at next week’s meeting. 

 

5.3              List of Responsibilities of Senators

Beck stated that Senators should be encouraged to discuss the energy issues in their departments.  Hoffman and Flowers stated that computers should be shut down at night if they are not needed as servers.  Hoffman noted that a huge amount of spam communications comes out of the university in the middle of the night because computers are left on. 

 

Flowers suggested using the word expectations instead of responsibilities. 

 

Beck suggested that Senators should ask the departmental staff to automatically include a report of the Senate meeting on department meeting agendas. 

 

Hoffman suggested taking language from the Bylaws that specifically discusses the duties of a senator. 

 

5.4              Draft of Survey on Quality Indicators

Flowers stated that the most important principle of the survey, wanting to know if the faculty member “has been subjected to an individual performance evaluation in which publication or failure to publish in journals/titles on a designated list was used as a criterion.”  He stated that he believes the main question needs to be addressed first. 

 

The Committee discussed the questions on the draft survey.

 

Alexander stated that he believes that it would be a difficult survey for some people to answer because their departments have no journal list.  Shea asked how departments who conduct research were allowed not to have a list of journals.  He pointed out that in IANR they were told that they had to develop a list.  Alexander stated that his department and others in the College of Engineering and Technology do not have a list of journals. 

 

Scholz asked if it is possible to separate doing faculty evaluations from the quality indicators list of journals.  He asked if there shouldn’t be references to the list.  Beck pointed out that the indicators list is meant to be a measure of how the department is doing, not the individual.  Moeller pointed out that the real issue is whether the quality indicators are being used as an evaluation tool which would be a misuse of the list.  Hoffman pointed out that the master list of journals in the quality indicators evaluates the departments but people within the department could publish in other journals because of the specific kind of research that they do.  Beck pointed out that it infringes on academic freedom if people are being told where they must publish and that there is documented abuse of this in certain departments.

 

The Committee agreed to continues working on the survey.

 

5.5              Draft Email Message to Faculty Members on Senate Conducting Surveys

Agenda item postponed due to lack of time.  The item will be discussed at the next meeting.

 

6.0       New Business

No new business was discussed.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:03 p.m.  The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be on Wednesday, September 28th at 3:00 pm.  The meeting will be held in the Academic Senate Office, 420 University Terrace.  The minutes are respectfully submitted by Karen Griffin, Coordinator and Pat Shea, Secretary.