UNL ACADEMIC SENATE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

PRESENT: Bender, Bryant, President Kennedy, Baum Kuska, Latta, Mayo, Prochaska-Cue, and Zorn

ABSENT: Past President Ford, Baum Kuska, Scheideler, Shoemaker and Williams

DATE: June 10, 1998

PLACE: 1227 R Street, Academic Senate Office

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1.0 Call to Order

President Kennedy called the meeting to order at 2:37 PM.

2.0 Associate Vice Chancellor Evelyn Jacobson

2.1 Post Tenure Review Grant

Associate Vice Chancellor Jacobson reported that the American Association of Higher Education has established a post-tenure review mini-grant program entitled "New Pathways II: Academic Careers in the New Century from Inquiry to Action." The mini grants, ranging from $5000 - $10,000 are seeking "institutions who are willing to take the lead in developing practical and/or innovative approaches for how post-tenure review can be introduced, designed, implemented and evaluated." Jacobson stated that the office of Academic Affairs would provide campus commitment if a grant is undertaken. She pointed out that the deadline date for the application is July 30. Kennedy and Latta volunteered to work on the grant. Mayo suggested that Dan Wheeler, Coordinator, Office of Professional & Organizational Development in IANR, may be a good person to work on the grant. Mayo indicated that he would contact Professor Wheeler. Bryant suggested Al Seagren, Professor of Educational Administration, as another excellent candidate for working on the grant.

3.0 Announcements

3.1 Resignation of Paul Shoemaker

President Kennedy announced that she received a letter from Paul Shoemaker resigning from the Executive Committee. She stated that an election for a new executive committee member will take place at the Academic Senate meeting on September 1.

3.2 NN21 Workshop "Roles and Rewards of Faculty"

President Kennedy reported that she, Gail Latta, Sheila Scheideler and John Bender attended the NN21 workshop. Latta stated that it was a positive experience and that the major accomplishment in the session she attended was the discussion of the importance of enlisting the Senate's assistance in problem solving issues such as roles and rewards structures for faculty. Kennedy reported that her session dealt with faculty evaluation on teaching and service. She stated that discussion focused on the fact that the current evaluation system does not reward teaching and service.

3.3 Meeting with President Smith

President Kennedy announced that she and the other Academic Senate Presidents will meet with President Smith on July 7^th. She stated that she will ask about the proposed restructuring of UNL and the strategy for attaining the faculty salary resolution passed by the Academic Senate. She asked that anyone with specific concerns should contact her as quickly as possible.

3.4 Faculty/Administration Ratio

President Kennedy reported that the Senate received an email message from a Senator regarding the discussion of the faculty/administration ratio at the May 20^th meeting with Vice Chancellor Jones and Associate Vice Chancellor Kim Phelps. The Senator claimed that a recently conducted external review of the University stated that the University had too many layers of administration. The committee will check into the external review for its comments on this issue.

3.5 Comments on Diversity Workshop

President Kennedy announced that Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards had distributed information on the comments made on the diversity workshops held in April. Copies of these comments will be distributed to the Executive Committee.

3.6 Parking Hang Tags

President Kennedy reported that she received an email message from a Senator requesting that the committee review a proposal that in cases where a hang tag is not displayed by an employee with a valid parking permit, the Parking & Transit Services Office will allow for variation from the normal purchasing of a $2.00 daily parking hang tag or the $25.00/$5.00 fine. The Executive Committee will refer the matter to the Parking Advisory Committee for further discussion.

4.0 Approval of 5/27/98 minutes (Bryant)

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

5.0 Unfinished Business

5.1 Pass/No Pass Charge to Grading & Examination Committee (Latta)

Latta reported that she was working on a charge for the Grading and Examination Committee to examine the pass/no pass policy. She stated that another issue which needed to be included in the charge was the issue of late withdrawals. Mayo asked if there were any gains to be made by not allowing students to withdraw. Bryant pointed out that the student body is much more complex and that some of the restrictions on late withdrawal and pass/no pass do not adequately address the needs of the students. He stated that the decisions should be made between the faculty member and the student. Mayo pointed out that the undergraduate bulletin does not specifically state that required courses can not be taken on a pass/no pass basis. He suggested that this should be specifically stated for each major. Mayo stated that the 24 hour limit on pass/no pass courses should be reviewed. The committee agreed for Latta to rewrite the charge to include late withdrawals and that a deadline date of November be set for the Grading & Examination committee to have a response back to the Academic Senate.

6.0 New Business

There was no New Business.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 PM. The next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for June 24, 1998 in the Academic Senate Office, 1227 R Street. Respectfully submitted, Miles Bryant, Secretary.