Faculty Senate Steering Committee
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Attendance:
Robert Aiken (Pres.), Karen Turner (Vice-Pres.), Paul LaFollette (Secretary), Jane Evans (Past-Pres.), Bonnie Averbach (FSBM), David Baron (Medicine), Ann Barr (CHP), Z. Joan Delalic (ENGR), Terry Dolan (TYL) Judith Goode (CLA), Pauline Hurley-Kurtz (Ambler), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), Diane Maleson (Law),
Bernie Newman (SSA), Joan Shapiro (EDU), Joel Sheffield (CST),
Roberta Sloan (SCT), Roy Stevens (Dent.), Cheryl Mack (Coord.)
1. Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM
2. Approval of Minutes:
The minutes from the October 2 meeting were approved.
3. Guest Presentation:
Tim O'Rourke and Barbara Dolhansky. Our guests presented Temple's plans for upgrading Temple's non-academic computer systems. Our current systems are ancient and have been highly modified to the point that they are can no longer be maintained or upgraded.
A plan for replacing our current systems with a new, integrated system has been in development for the past several years. It has recently been approved by the Board. It is a roughly 38 million dollar project which will consist of:
1) A new portal (to replace TUportal)
2) A financial product
3) A student system which will manage all aspects
related to students including financial aid.
4) A development system which will provide lifelong
tracking of our graduates.
5) Operational Reporting
6) A Data Warehouse
7) Workflow and Document Imaging modules
A decision has been made to use available software and not to try to modify it to conform to the way we currently do things. This will allow our systems to remain supportable and upgradable. We will change our way of doing things rather than make custom changes to the software.
There followed a discussion about how this new system would affect teaching, registration, scheduling, and student advising.
4. President's Report:
Aiken reported that:
There will be no FSSC meeting next week because of the Senate meeting.
We will be visited by
Representatives from the Honors program on October 23
Teresa Powell on October 30
Representatives from Security on November 6
Representatives from the Teaching and Learning Center on November 13
President Hart on November 20
Provost Lisa on November 27
Aiken thanked us for our nominations for the Academic Planning committees and reminds us that we need more nominations for the President's receptions.
There was much discussion of the draft recommendations from the GEEC about a budget for GenEd. There was some consensus that item 2 could hinder the development of interdisciplinary excellence, that item 3 was unfair to adjuncts, and that item 4 was too detailed. We suggested that the GEEC revisit the document and consider whether there should be more on goals and objectives while leaving the implementation details to the expertise of the University budgetary process.
The agenda for the upcoming Representative Senate was developed.
Art Hochner visited us to endorse an upcoming forum on academic freedom which will be chaired by Jane Evans, past president of the Faculty Senate.
LaFollette moved that the FSSC endorse this forum with enthusiasm and help to publicize it at the upcoming Senate meeting. The motion was seconded.
After some discussion as to the purpose of the forum, the motion passed unanimously.
At 2:30, Aiken turned the meeting over to Vice-President Turner.
5. Vice-President's Report:
EPPC has concluded that they need a member for a one-year term and another for a three-year term.
6. Old Business:
It was proposed that in Aiken's announcement of the upcoming Senate meeting he make it clear that Provost Lisa will be available to respond to faculty questions and concerns. We agreed that the agenda item should be listed as Provost Lisa Listens, and should be a standing agenda item whenever she is available to attend.
7. New Business:
Evans made the following motion:
That the Faculty Senate Steering Committee ask Provost Lisa Staiano-Coico and President Ann Weaver Hart to reconsider the title of Lecturer and Instructor for non-tenure-track faculty in TAUP 04-08 contract, Article 15. Since the Medical School already has an exception to this rule, and since NTT faculty in TAUP schools feel as if the title denigrates what they do, and since standard practice at other aspirant schools is to call such faculty "Professors," we would strongly urge that Article 15 A.1 be set aside for negotiations for faculty for the 08-09 academic year. We also ask that you eliminate the "lecturer" title and return to the title "Professor," which was in use at Temple before the 04-08 contract.
The motion was seconded.
After some discussion the motion was amended by the proposer so that the second sentence began “Since the Medical and Dental Schools already have an exception… .” The amended motion passed unanimously.
8. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Paul S. LaFollette, Jr.
Secretary
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