Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Attendance: Jane Evans (Chair), Lois Millner (Vice Chair), Bob Aiken (CST), Bonnie Averbach (FSBM), David Baron (MED), Judy Goode (CLA),
Sally Harrison (Tyler), Joyce A. Joyce (Herald), Baldev Lambe (Ambler), Diane Maleson (Law), Ira Shapiro (STHM), Jeff Solow (BCMD), Alan Stark (SCT), Karen Turner (SCT).
1. Call to Order:
Chair Evans opened the meeting at 12:50 p.m.
2. Items:
Request by Bill Cutler to FSSC for money to support speakers for a Temple teach-in. Other proposals for funds have been made. Stark recommended a formal proposal be submitted. Joyce said she would make a request for $2K for another event.
3. Vice President's Report :
Millner reported on Senate committees:
Wm. Aaronson has volunteered for CATA. Discussed ongoing recruitment strategies. Discussed important need for Secretary for the Senate. Evans discussed putting referendum discussing on-line voting for Senate elections.
4. President David Adamany arrived at 1:15 p.m.
Welcomed by Evans
Adamany Reported very good freshman class, with an average ASAT score of 1098, and a larger number of SATs over 1200. Heavy enrollment in the Honors Program. More geographic concentration in PA, but outside of Phila. He suggested that tuition is too high for out of state ($9,200), as compared to $4,500 for other state schools. He was happy to report that the number of minority enrollments was up this year, partly due to Admissions Director Timm Reinhart attending minority recruitment fairs.
At the New Faculty dinner on 9/19/05, faculty commented on positive participation of students. There are 86 openings for new faculty this year — but realistically he expects to hire 50-55. He is also recruiting to new Deans for CLA & CST. The new student center is half open, and expects the rest to open in January 2006, along with the Tech Center. All new teaching software must include license for Tech Center.
Adamany noted that we were making progress on general education, and that the call for courses would be out soon. Some funding will be available to faculty through the Gen Ed Exec Committee to develop courses. He also discussed the issue of grade inflation, including discrepancies in course rigor across the University.
Promotion & Tenure Committee membership importance emphasized by Adamany.
Provost Ira Schwartz arrived.
Turner asked about the new vice-presidential position for Multicultural Affairs. Adamany discussed the problem of poor representation of minorities in certain fields, i.e., chemistry, and the need for the University to do more business with minority-owned businesses. He pointed out the need for upper-class student mentors for freshman students, and discussed the need to have focused recruitment for graduate students to have them apply to Temple.
Millner asked about recruiting faculty to Promotion and Tenure Committee given that there is little credit for serving. Adamany responded that the “pay off” is learning from colleagues with whom they serve. Schwartz stated that good people have served and enjoyed it. Evans reported problem is lack of perceived worthiness by administration, including the problem of Deans giving no credit for service; the Provost disagreed. Aiken offered a spirited request to get support from the President and Provost to state the value of service to the University.
Shapiro asked the President about the 7-yearr rule on tenure. Adamany stated he wanted 8-year period (7 years with last year terminal year), but in negotiations with TAUP reverted to the 7-year rule. All faculty must come up in their 6 year; if they are not given tenure, the 7 year is the terminal year, but the faculty may reapply in that year for tenure. If the appeal fails, they do not have an 8 year.
Joyce asked the President about the level of corruption stretching from Deans to Administration, and how such cases are handled by Administration. Adamany outlined the process of evaluating the assertion of misbehavior. Maleson presented an alternate solution, an informal handling of these issues, as she had done when she was Vice-Provost for Faculty.
Lamba asked about timetable for the search for a new Dean for the Ambler campus. Adamany said that the Acting Dean would shortly be announced and Search Committee is being appointed.
Solow asked about length of contracts for the new faculty. Adamany replied could be 1, 2, or 3 years, with the length of time up to the Dean.
5. Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 3:10, since the room was needed for another group.
Respectfully submitted, David A. Baron, MSEd, D.O.
