UNL ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center, East Campus
March 4, 1997
President Peter Bleed Presiding
1.0 Call to Order
*President Bleed called the meeting to order at 2:38 pm.2.0 Announcements
2.1 Bleed announced that senate elections for district representatives are being conducted. A nomination committee is selecting nominations for president-elect and secretary; nominations are open until April 8. Nominations for Committee on Committee membership should be made to the Executive Committee.2.2 Bleed asked if there is interest in a Listserv for senators to communicate.
2.3 Bleed announced that Knight, Law College, and chair of the Campus Police Committee will not be present for this committee's report. However, she will submit a supplemental report in September 1997, as a follow-up to planned open forums they have scheduled.
3.0 Chancellor Moeser
3.1 Chancellor Moeser reported that the College of Business Administration dean search is underway.3.2 The budget reallocation process is on schedule. A preliminary report will be sent to the Academic Planning Committee.
3.3 Periodic review of tenured faculty - President Smith asked for an update by the end of this academic year.
3.4 NCAA Review - The team will be on campus April 14-14. Faculty are encouraged to be involved.
3.5 Chancellor Moeser report that, in accordance with the NCAA certification recommendations, the NU Booster Club will come under the control of the University system.
3.6 Chancellor Moeser announced that Dr. Ledbetter will return to the UNL campus on April 3 and 4, 1997, to present the final report of the external review of the Athletic Department.
4.0 Committee Reports
4.1 Campus Police. Written report distributed. No report presented by Chair Knight.4.2 Parking Advisory. Chair Swenseth, Management, presented the highlights of the Parking Advisory Committee's written report distributed earlier. Important issues include planning for the future needs of the downtown campus as well as the Antelope Creek project.
Discussion: Chouinard, Mathematics and Statistics, inquired about additional costs for an underground parking structure. Swenseth answered that he was unaware of any additional costs. Pederson, Conservation and Survey Division, asked about the Block 35 development. Swenseth stated that the university has not been involved with any developer's proposal at this time.
5.0 Motions - Committee on Committees
* Chair Leonard, Southeast Research and Extension Center, introduced four motions as follows:1. The Committee on Committees shall make the necessary changes in the Syllabus of Senate Committees to reflect: 1) the name change of the College of Home Economics to the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences, and 2) the number of colleges from "eight" to "nine" to include the College of Fine and Performing Arts.
2. To permit a member of the Employee Benefits Committee to be reappointed for a second consecutive term.
3. To increase the number of alternate members serving on the Dismissal Appeals Committee Membership from three to six.
4. The Faculty Salary Advisory Committee shall be renamed the Faculty Compensation Advisory Committee.
Discussion: Whitt, Sociology, questioned how this change might affect the relationship between the Faculty Salary Advisory (FSA) Committee and the Employee Benefits (EB) Committee. President-Elect Ford answered that the FSA Committee is a policy-setting body and the actual work of arranging and presenting ideas was the responsibility of the EB Committee. Mayo, Entomology, spoke in favor of the motion as a member of the EB Committee, with the stipulation that an EB member also serve as an ex-officio member on the FSA Committee for better coordination between the two groups. Chouinard is concerned with taking the word "salary" out of the title as it may diminish the role of the FSA. He may introduce a substitute motion during the next Senate meeting which would change the title to "The Faculty Salary and Compensation Committee."
6.0 Approval of 2/4/97 Minutes
* Sartori, Physics and Astronomy, moved for approval of the minutes as amended. Seconded by Kennedy, Marketing. Minutes of 2/4/97 approved as amended.7.0 Pending Motion: Endorsement in Principal for the Chancellor's Periodic Review of Fully Promoted Faculty Policy and Procedures Document
7.1 Sartori moved for a seconded substitute motion to Jose's original motion as follows: The Senate endorses the concept of a professional review of fully promoted faculty, to be carried out if either of the following conditions is met: i) review is requested by the faculty member in question, or ii) serious deficiencies in the faculty member's performance have been identified in a number of consecutive annual reviews.The Senate requests that the Chancellor appoint a broadly representative committee, including nontenured faculty, to draft a specific plan based on this concept. If possible, the committee should present the plan for the Senate's approval at the April meeting.
7.2 Ford introduced a friendly amendment to Sartori's substitute motion as follows:
The Senate calls upon the Administration to ensure that annual reviews are conducted in all departments in a uniformly rigorous manner. Sartori accepted the friendly amendment.
7.3 Jensen, Psychology, suggested taking out the word "professional" from Sartori's motion. Sartori agreed to the suggestion.
After some discussion, Harbison, Chemistry, suggested the vote be taken for the substitute motion. Zorn, Finance, called for the question. Motion passed. The substitute motion of Sartori will replace the pending motion introduced during the February 4 Senate meeting by Jose.
7.4 Latta, Libraries, called for a motion to append the second-to-the-last sentence of Sartori's motion as follows: ...taking into consideration the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee's response to the post-tenure review policy. Motion passed.
7.5 Robertson, Mechanical Engineering, suggested that the words "existing required" qualify the term "annual review" in Ford's friendly amendment. Seconded by Winter, Classics. Motion passed.
7.6 Revised substitute motion passed by Senate:
1. The Senate endorses the concept of a review of fully promoted faculty, to be carried out if either of the following conditions is met:
i) review is requested by the faculty member in question, or
ii) serious deficiencies in the faculty member's performance have been identified in a number of consecutive annual reviews.
2. The Senate calls upon the Administration to ensure that existing annual reviews are conducted in all departments in a uniformly rigorous manner.
3. The Senate requests that the Chancellor appoint a broadly representative committee, including nontenured faculty, to draft a specific plan based on this concept, taking into consideration the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee response to the post-tenure review policy. If possible, the committee should present the plan for the Senate's approval at the April meeting.
8.0 Unfinished Business
* No unfinished business.9.0 New Business
9.1 Kennedy, Marketing, moved for a resolution for Senate endorsement as follows:The Academic Senate of the University strongly supports the Chancellor's "Statement to the Lincoln and University Community" of January 28, 1997, calling for a "real celebration" of diversity, and "condemn[ing] racism in all its forms." The Academic Senate calls on all members of the Lincoln and University communities to take care not to perpetuate the degrading and humiliating effects of the history of racism intentionally or unintentionally through racist symbols or prejudiced behavior. Seconded by Weiss, Agricultural Meteorology. Bleed declared the motion an emergency in order to act upon it during this meeting. After some debate over the inclusion of the term "intentionally or unintentionally" the motion passed.
9.2 Chouinard voiced his concern about the apparent lack of faculty input with the new Lotus Notes E-mail system. At the February Board of Regents meeting, two faculty members spoke against the proposal and the issue was tabled. Then, after these faculty members left, the issue was again brought to the floor for a vote and passed. Bleed explained that it was his understanding that the Computational Services and Facilities Committee had reviewed the proposal. Chouinard stated he hoped that the Senate would take some action to ensure faculty input in future decision which have the potential to greatly impact the university's three areas of emphasis; teaching, research and service.
The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m. The next Senate meeting will be April 8, 1997 in Room 127, Architecture Hall, City Campus. Respectfully submitted, Julie Albrecht, Secretary.
