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UNL ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES

City Campus Union, Centennial Ballroom

December 1, 1998

Presidents Patricia Kennedy, Gail Latta, and James Ford Presiding

1.0 Call to Order

President Kennedy called the meeting to order at 2:39 p.m.

2.0 Announcements

2.1 Transfer of Tuition Remission Benefit

In response to the question posed by Senator Brian Benham at the November meeting regarding eligibility for tuition remission, President Kennedy reported that an employee must be a full-time regular employee to receive this benefit. She pointed out that the request to transfer these benefits to spouse/dependents is not creating a new benefit, but a transfer of an existing benefit.

2.2 Changes to Post Tenure Review Document (Latta)

Latta reported that the Board of Regents made some minor changes to the Post Tenure Review Document approved by the Academic Senate. She stated that specifically they changed the language that refers to substantial and chronic to substantial and continuous. In addition, their policy calls for outside peer reviews of faculty whenever research productivity was in question. Latta reported that we need to make some changes to bring our policy into compliance with the University-wide policy. She stated that Senior Vice Chancellor Edwards proposed language change that would compliment the changes made by the Board of Regents. Latta stated these changes can be found on the web (http://www.unl.edu/svcaa/Policies/PostTenureReview.html ). She noted that, in particular, they have added a sentence to 5.B which refers to conducting a review, "Evaluation by peers external to the campus is required when research productivity is an issue: evaluation by peers external to the campus may be used when teaching and/or service/extension productivity is in question. If the Review Committee determines that evaluation by external peers is required or would be useful, the Committee shall notify the unit administrator and the faculty member. Thereafter, such outside reviews shall be obtained in accordance with the same procedure utilized by the unit to obtain outside reviews for purposes of making tenure decisions." Latta reported that the proposed language was sent to the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee and that the committee has accepted the changes. Jensen asked if the Academic Senate will vote on these changes? Latta responded that it would not vote because the language change is to bring the policy into compliance with the University-wide policy.

2.3 American Association of Higher Education Grant

Latta reported that the AAHE grant will help to facilitate the adoption of the post tenure review policy. She stated that the grant allows us to identify what the campus needs are and what issues are being brought out in the process of implementing the policy. Latta noted that the grant will bring people to campus who will help in the implementation of the policy. She stated that the committee formed to work on this grant include herself, ZB Mayo, Miles Bryant, Evelyn Jacobson, Al Seagren, and Dan Wheeler, and that they have decided to send out a survey via email to assess what are the needs of the campus. Latta asked the Senators to respond back to the committee. She stated the feedback will enable them to design a survey instrument to send out to the faculty.

3.0 Kim Robak, Lt. Governor

Kennedy introduced Kim Robak, present Lt. Governor who will be joining the University on January 7^th as Vice President for External Affairs & Corporation Secretary. She noted that Robak received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Nebraska and that she has taught in the Lincoln Public Schools. Robak reported that she will be taking over J. B. Milliken's position and that her job will entail dealing with external constituencies which includes the legislature. She stated she will be involved with public and media relations. Robak noted that she will also be involved with information technology. She reported that the legislative environment does not differ much from this past year but that there are several additional factors, one of which is Measure 413. She noted that it has not gone away and that there are many Senators who believe that it was the right problem but the wrong solution. Robak pointed out that there will be an effort to put into legislation the 413 type of initiative which is to put a lid on state spending. She noted that there will be opposition by the coalition against Measure 413. Robak stated that there was a ½ cents sales tax cut for last year which may be extended for another two year period of time. She stated this will result in a loss of $70 - 110 million in the state budget. Robak pointed out that we will have a new governor who campaigned to cut taxes and cut state spending. Robak noted that roughly 60% of the state budget goes towards state aid to individuals and state aid to communities. She indicated that the funding picture looks as difficult as ever. As a result, she stated that External Affairs is going to be more important to the University. Robak reported that her office will be coordinating information technology and she encouraged faculty to talk to people in Central Administration, particularly if they want to get information out to the public. Robak stated that she wants to work closely with faculty and that she is excited to start her job in January. Mientka, Mathematics & Statistics, thanked Robak for informing the Senate of her role with the University and stated that he was unsure of what the roles are of many of the other people who work in Central Administration. Robak thanked Mientka for his comments and pointed out that misinformation occurs when people are uninformed. She stated that she will provide the Senate with a list of the people and their functions at Central Administration and she encouraged faculty to call her if they have any questions.

4.0 Approval of 11/3/98 Minutes (Secretary Bryant)

Bender moved and Robertson seconded approval of the minutes.

5.0 Committee Reports

5.1 Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color (Cantarero)

Professor Cantarero was unable to attend the meeting. President Kennedy asked for any questions on the report provided in the packets to be directed by email to Professor Cantarero.

5.2 University Appeals and University Judicial Board (Greene)

Greene asked the Senate for questions regarding the report distributed to Senators in their packet. Whitt, Sociology, asked what the greatest frustration is for the Appeals and Judicial Boards and what faculty can do to help? Greene stated that academic dishonesty was the biggest problem followed by alcohol violations by students and minors. He noted that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant should help deal with the alcohol violations. Greene pointed out that many of the students do not seem to know that the legal drinking age in Nebraska is 21. Prochaska-Cue stated that she had concerns regarding the statement "drinking on campus in the residence halls, fraternities, sororities, or anywhere else on campus or at a University-affiliated event without prior authorization is against the Student Code of Conduct". She asked if this was a University policy? Greene stated that any functions at the Wick Alumni Center or the fraternities must have prior approval to provide alcohol according to the Student Code of Conduct. Prochaska-Cue stated that it seems almost diabolical to state that there is a serious alcohol problem on campus but yet there is a loophole in the Student Code of Conduct which allows the use of alcohol. Greene stated that he would like to discuss the issue further with her. He noted that the University is providing a handout to students to help crack down on drinking and to inform students that there are alternatives to having fun without drinking.

6.0 Honorary Degrees Election

Kennedy asked the Senate to vote on each of the people nominated to receive an honorary degree. Diffendal, Conservation and Survey, asked if all of the nominees are approved, do they all receive their honorary degree at one ceremony? Howe, Associate to the Chancellor, stated that no more than two honorary degrees are awarded at any one graduation ceremony.

7.0 Salute to Teaching

Kennedy announced that the Academic Senate is presenting awards to recognize faculty and groups who have been working on improving teaching at UNL. She presented awards to:

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, recipient of the University-wide Department Teaching Award and winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring; the Teaching Council; Daniel Bernstein, Coordinator of the Peer Review Project; The Academy of Distinguished Teachers; Teacher's College; The Teaching and Learning Center; The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable; Ann Mari May, recipient of the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1998 Nebraska Professor the Year Award; R. L. Ted Pardy, recipient of the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award; and Ron Lee, Coordinator of Preparing Future Faculty Project.

8.0 Senate Priority Goals

Kennedy announced that a list of the Senate Priority Goals were provided in the packets sent to Senators. She stated that the Executive Committee is looking for feedback on these goals and asked Senators to email back any responses they may have.

9.0 Unfinished Business

9.1 Committee on Committees Motion for Changes to the Convocations Committee Syllabus and the Human Rights Committee Syllabus

Kirk, Chair of the Committee on Committees, asked for a vote on the changes to the syllabus for the Human Rights Committee and Convocations Committee presented at the November meeting. He noted that there was a correction to the Human Rights Committee syllabus in that there will now be eight, not seven members. Motion approved.

9.2 Railroad Crossing on Campus

Mientka, Mathematics and Statistics, reported that he received phone calls the very next day after reporting the railroad crossing incident at the November Senate meeting. He stated that he had spoken with Associate to the Chancellor Herb Howe about the situation. He also received a phone call from the Daily Nebraskan and an article was written on the incident. He noted that they are having difficulty obtaining information as to how long trains can be stopped on railroad tracks.

9.3 Friends of the Faculty Senate

Haller, English, asked if the Friends of the Faculty Senate was still an active group? Kennedy reported that it is an on-going group and that they are continuing to work with the opposition group to Measure 413 which is now known as the Tax Discussion Group.

11.0 New Business

11.1 Confidentiality of Email

Kulik, Computer and Electronics Engineering, asked for a clarification on the confidentiality of email. He stated that his department has been told that email is not at all confidential. Kennedy responded that Executive Memoranda Number 16 (http://www.uneb.edu/administration/exec16.htm) states that while the University does not review email, the University does not guarantee user privacy. Kulik asked why it shouldn't be confidential and suggested that confidentiality be made part of the policy. Kennedy stated that the Executive committee will discuss the matter with Chancellor Moeser.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. The next Senate meeting will be January 12, 1999 in the East Campus Union (check calendar of events at the Union for verification of room). Respectfully submitted, Miles Bryant, Secretary.