UNL ACADEMIC SENATE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

PRESENT: Albrecht, Past-President Bleed, President Ford, President-Elect Kennedy, Baum Kuska, Japp, Latta, Sartori, Shoemaker, Williams

ABSENT: Mayo, Scheideler

DATE: January 21, 1998

PLACE: 201 Canfield Administration Building

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1.0 Call to Order

Ford called the meeting to order at 3:05PM.

2.0 Announcements

2.1 Introduction of ACE Fellow Rita Kean

Ford introduced Professor Rita Kean, ACE Fellow.

2.2 System-Wide Post Tenure Review Document

The UNL document was recommended with an outside peer review added.

2.3 Board of Regents Meeting

Ford reported that President Smith made a significant change in his proposed University budget by changing the wording of "requests" to University "needs". Ford stated that President Smith asked for a 6% salary increase for faculty and a .5% increase in benefits to raise the benefits to 8% limit. Chancellor Moeser stated that he was pleased with President Smith's strong statement.

3.0 Chancellor Moeser

3.1 The Florida Bank, Reallocation, Reorganization: What is the Time Line and Process and Faculty Involvement

Chancellor Moeser reported that Provost Elizabeth Capaldi and two associates from the University of Florida gave a presentation to members of the Senate Executive Committee, personnel from UNL Administration, Central Administration and East Campus. Chancellor Moeser stated that faculty were intricately involved in determining the process of how colleges were assessed in the Florida Bank system. He stated that an advantage of the Florida Bank system is that it provides qualitative data and allows colleges to compete with colleges of peer groups rather than compete with other colleges in their own university system. Chancellor Moeser stated that we needed to build quality assessment into this program. He stated that the Florida Bank, Reallocation and Reorganization could not take place at the same time and that we needed to prioritize what needed to be done first and that significant faculty involvement will be required in making this determination. Chancellor Moeser stated no committees have been organized for these organizational changes. Sartori voiced concern of quality being compared to quantity. Ford stated that the strength of the Florida Bank was that an absolute gulf between productivity and quality existed and that it was essential that this division be maintained. Ford stated that the reallocation would not work with the bank system. Chancellor Moeser stated that it could work for new funds. Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards stated that they are considering the implementation of the Florida Bank concept rather than the exact same system. Bleed stated that the system as described is primarily an administrative activity that would operate well above the level of individual faculty members.

3.2 Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW) and Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color (CCSPC) - Report to Board of Regents

President-Elect Kennedy stated that a system-wide gender committee was reporting to the Board of Regents and asked whether they were reporting in place of the CCSW and CCSPC. Chancellor Moeser stated that the gender committee was formed to sum up the four commissions reports and to give an annual report to the Board of Regents on the Regents' goal. Ford stated that there was a problem in trying to sum up 4 commissions into one system. He then asked about the different sets of numbers being used in comparing UNL's faculty composition with its peers and asked what the actual status of people were who were counted. Sartori asked whether librarians were being counted in the peer groups' census. Latta responded that they were being counted. Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards stated that there needs to be some kind of consistent accounting measure which includes all tenure leading lines. Sartori stated that the problem is the belief that we have changed the accounting method in mid-stream. Chancellor Moeser stated that we have always used IPEDS, Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System, and that the difference between IPEDS and the AAUP data is only 1.5% and that a problem with the AAUP data is that it did not break down into racial diversity. Chancellor Moeser stated that if the diversity plan is followed it would put us far ahead of the AAUP data.

3.3 Issues on the Horizon

CBA Dean Search

Chancellor Moeser reported that the search committee has a list of candidates and may possibly receive a few more but that they were not ready to produce their first cut list.

Law School Dean Search

Chancellor Moeser reported that the search committee was down to the first cut list.

4.0 Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards

4.1 Issues on the Horizon

Faculty Forums

Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards reported that he and members of his office will be meeting with each of the colleges and that there will be three open faculty forums, co-sponsored with the Academic Senate, to discuss the discussion papers generated by his office. He stated that the date and times of the open faculty forums will be published in the Scarlet. Ford stated that he and Kennedy met with Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards to discuss setting up groups to discuss faculty governance and he asked for the Executive Committee members to submit names of faculty, within the next few days, who would be interested in being involved in these meetings. Kennedy reported that recurrent themes from the small group discussions on faculty governance were a trend towards top down decision making; that the university is not a business and should not be treated as such; and that faculty are being spread too thin.

Maternity Leave

Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards reported that Central Administration was reviewing the maternity leave policy, with some revisions recommended by the Senate, and that it would be proposed in the near future. He stated that there was widespread support for the program which included 8 weeks of paid maternity leave for the mother and possibly 2 weeks leave for the significant other involved. Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards stated that a separate maternity leave may include adoptions. Ford asked if the transfer of tuition remission to dependents was still being considered. Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards suggested that it be made as a formal proposal from the Senate.

5.0 Approval of 1/14/98 minutes (Albrecht)

Bleed moved and Shoemaker seconded approval of the minutes as amended.

6.0 MLK Committee (Kennedy)

Kennedy reported that the activities for the observance of Martin Luther King's birthday went well and asked if the Senate wanted to be involved next year. She suggested that if the Senate was to be involved that they start planning much earlier.

7.0 New Business

7.1 Academic Rights and Responsibilities Cases

The Committee discussed the confidentiality of Academic Rights and Responsibilities cases.

8.0 Unfinished Business

8.1 Nominating Committee to Replace Roysircar Sodowsky

Bleed reported that a ballot replacing Roysircar Sodowsky on the Executive Committee is in place and ready for the February Academic Senate meeting.

8.2 TKE House

The Executive Committee met with Chancellor Moeser, Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards and Associate Vice Chancellor Brinkerhoff and discussed the TKE House. Ford stated that in a previous meeting with Chancellor Moeser and Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards that they agreed to the Senate having a larger conference room, approximately the same space for the Coordinator's work area, and a secure space for ARRC meetings and files, however, the next iteration of floor plans did not indicate the need to revise the third space. Ford stated that when he discussed the matter with Brinkerhoff, that Brinkerhoff agreed to the third space. Brinkerhoff stated that was not his intent and that a misunderstanding had occurred. Ford stated that he may need to bring the issue back to the Academic Planning Committee and the Senate since the plans have changed considerably from those originally approved. Chancellor Moeser stated that the Senate had the option of waiting for a year or two to see if other space would be available on campus. Sartori suggested that the Committee meet among themselves to decide on what course of action they should take.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:14 PM. The next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 1227 R Street. Respectfully submitted, Julie Albrecht, Secretary.