EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES
Present: Bryant, Jackson, Miller, Scheideler, Seikman, Whitt, Zorn
Absent: Bender, Fuller, Humes, Latta, Prochaska Cue
Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Location: 201 Canfield Administration Building
1.0 Call to Order
Scheideler called the meeting to order at 2:34 PM.
2.0 Announcements
2.1 Horticulture/Agronomy Review
Scheideler reported the that the merger between Horticulture and the Agronomy departments went forth as recommended to the Board of Regents. She noted that the Board of Regents called for an internal review of the merger to be conducted in two years. She suggested that a member of the Senate or a representative of the Academic Planning Committee should be on this review committee.
2.2 Antelope Valley Project
Scheideler announced that a copy of the Antelope Valley Project Environmental Study is now in the Academic Senate Office. She stated that anyone interested in the study may go to the Senate office to review it.
3.0 Chancellor Moeser/Interim Chancellor Designate Perlman/Acting Senior Vice Chancellor Brinkerhoff
3.1 Update on Campus Searches
Chancellor Moeser reported that the positions of Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and the Director of the Sheldon Art Gallery have both been filled. Acting SVCAA Brinkerhoff reported that they are getting ready for airport interviews for the positions of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the College of Fine Arts. He noted that they hope to be conducting on campus interviews during the fall semester. He reported that the search committee for the Dean of the Law College has been formed and will be meeting soon.
Interim VC McBreen reported that the search committee for the position of the Dean of Cooperative Extension will be meeting to review the status of the search. She stated that a letter has been sent out calling for nominations for the position of Interim Assistant Dean of CASNR. She noted that no search committee has been formed yet for the position of Dean of CASNR. Scheideler reminded Interim VC McBreen that faculty members of search committees need to be reviewed by the Senate. Scheideler asked if the Dean of Cooperative Extension search is on hold? Interim VC McBreen pointed out that it is difficult to continue a search for this position when the Vice Chancellor of IANR position still needs to be filled since the Dean of Cooperative Extension reports to the Vice Chancellor of IANR.
3.2 Implementation Plans for Future Nebraska Task Force Report
Scheideler stated that the Senate would like to hold joint forums with administration to discuss the recommendations of the report. Acting SVCAA Brinkerhoff noted that the Deans are working within their colleges to solicit information from faculty regarding the report and its recommendations but that they would like to gather as much faculty input as possible. He stated that the help of the Academic Senate to obtain this feedback would be appreciated. Chancellor Moeser pointed out that the report is a hard-hitting but visionary analysis. He stated that before it is taken to the Board of Regents it is essential to get wide campus input on it. He suggested that faculty who were on the task force be invited to speak at the campus-wide forums to discuss the report.
3.3 Implementation Plans for Life Sciences Task Force Report
Scheideler noted that the Senate would like to hold joint forums for the Life Sciences Task Force Report as well, with particular emphasis on curriculum. Interim VC McBreen stated that curriculum is one of the top concerns and that faculty from IANR have already been in discussions with Biological Sciences on this topic. She noted that it is important that administrators do no tell faculty how to develop the curriculum, but it is important that we move forward on this issue. Chancellor Moeser stated that the long-range vision of the report is to get UNL to a level of excellence in the Life Sciences. He noted that the two task force reports compliment each other. He pointed out that it is important to determine the implication of the reports on each area. Acting SVCAA Brinkerhoff stated that it is critical that people understand the 19 year vision of the reports. He pointed out that important questions that need to be addressed are whether this is the right vision for our campus and whether some things may have been overlooked. Miller stated that producing another long-term visionary goal without indicating the resources used to support this leads to further faculty cynicism. Acting SVCAA Brinkerhoff stated that it is critical to engage faculty in conversations. He pointed out that many positive things are occurring on campus. Interim Chancellor Designate Perlman noted that one of the refreshing points of the report is that how good we want to be depends upon us, not some external force. He pointed out that some of the exciting things happening in research are being generated by using internal resources wisely and by leveraging. Chancellor Moeser noted that an example of leveraging is the renovation of the heating/air conditioning of Hamilton Hall. As a result of this, the Chemistry department was able to write and obtain a federal grant to upgrade the laboratories in Hamilton Hall. Scheideler pointed out that this kind of information needs to be communicated with the campus. She stated that these reports will be kept on the Senates agenda.
3.4 Biennium Budget
Bryant stated that the Executive Committee wants to continue to be able to provide input into the budgeting process as it evolves. Scheideler noted that the committee is disappointed that the Board of Regents decided to drop the half percent increase in benefits because we lag so far behind our peers in benefits. Chancellor Moeser agreed but stated that the faculty should be heartened by the proposed increase in salaries. IC-D Perlman stated that it is encouraging to see the steps that are being taken by Central Administration and the Board or Regents in regards to the budget. Chancellor Moeser noted that discussion needs to be raised in the public as to whether they want a university with a low tuition rate or do they want a higher tuition rate in order to deal with the under funding of the university.
3.5 Intellectual Property Policy Update
IC-D Perlman stated that the Intellectual Property Policy has been withdrawn from the Board of Regents agenda and is currently being revised.
3.6 Time Line for Bylaw 4.3
Chancellor Moeser reported that Bylaw 4.3 will be voted upon at the next Board of Regents meeting.
3.7 Issues on the Horizon
Bryant reported that faculty are very concerned about the increase in their health insurance coverage. IC-D Perlman stated that at the next Presidents Advisory Council he is going to suggest that more information be provided to the employees concerning the increase in their cost for health insurance.
4.0 Interim Vice Chancellor McBreen
4.1 Update on Deans Searches
See section 3.1.
4.2 Follow Up With Extension Task Force Report
Interim VC McBreen stated that the status of the report is that it has been widely distributed and they are awaiting feedback. She pointed out that report makes note that an engaged institution that reaches out to the state involves more than just extension. She noted that this is a time to review whether extension is going to be linked to all of the university and whether extension personnel will work for all of the university, not just for IANR. She stated that she would like to see the report shared with all of the Deans and for them to provide input back to her on it. Siekman pointed out that when the counties helped pay for the extension personnel, the counties felt that the extension people worked for them and not the university. He stated that the extension personnel felt caught between the county and the university. Interim VC McBreen noted that one of the NN21 reports addresses this issue. The committee discussed the need for service to be recognized and rewarded within the university system under a new paradigm.
5.0 Approval of 6/21/00 Minutes
Whitt moved and Bryant seconded approval of the minutes. Motion approved.
6.0 Academic Planning Committee Report (Bryant)
Bryant reported that at the last meeting of the APC the relocation of the new School of Natural Resource Sciences was discussed. He noted that the SNRS supports the relocation. He stated that the committee approved the creation of a static free room in the College of Engineering. He noted that the $500,000 which will be needed to create this room will be obtained through external funding.
7.0 Unfinished Business
7.1 Nominee for University ID Program Committee
The committee asked Coordinator Griffin to obtain further information on this committee.
8.0 New Business
8.1 Meeting with Michelle Waite, Assistant to the Chancellor for Community Relations
The committee agreed to meet with Assistant to the Chancellor Michelle Waite to discuss the information packets that are sent to the State Legislators concerning the campus and university.
8.2 Statements for Interim Chancellor Designate Perlmans State of the University Address
The committee suggested that IC-D Perlman address the following issues: raising optimism for the campus, discuss the Senates input in formulating policies, the need for the campus to work together to build a community and to establish trust, point out the economic contributions that the university makes to the state, and the willingness of the Senate and faculty to work together with administration to improve the campus.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:26 PM. The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, July 19, 2000 at the Academic Senate Office, 420 University Terrace. Respectfully submitted, David S. Jackson, Secretary.
