Faculty Senate Steering Committee Minutes

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Present: 
Karen M. Turner (Pres.), Paul S. LaFollette (V. Pres.), Joan P. Shapiro (Secy.), Robert M. Aiken (Past-Pres.), Joan Delalic (Engr.), Michael W. Jackson (STHM), Charles Jungreis (Med.), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), Stephanie Knopp (Tyl.), Laurie MacPhail (Dent.), Mark C. Rahdert (Law), Jay Sinha (FSBM), Roberta Sloan (SCT), David Waldstreicher (Fac. Herald), Cheryl Mack (Coord.)

Absent: 
Adam Davey (CHPSW), Margaret Devinney (CLA), Tricia S. Jones, (Educ.), Charles Ruchalski (Pharm.)

Call to Order:  The meeting began at 1:07 p.m.

Guests: 

President Ann Weaver Hart with Vicki Lewis McGarvey, Associate Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Executive Office of the President  

President Hart began by saying that she wants to return to the Faculty Senate in November when Pennsylvania will hopefully have a budget.  She also wants to return when she has developed a power point presentation for the Board of Trustees and for us that will discuss the complexity of the information regarding Temple Hospital and its relationship to the health professions and to the university.

However, Luke Kahlich did ask a probing question about the specific reasons for the problems with Temple Hospital.  President Hart answered that there were a number of reasons that included:

• Temple’s physical location;
• Loss of some big practices, such as a transplant group, who took early retirement and then went to other hospitals and competed with Temple;
• The Conwellian Mission that made Temple more of a community hospital, although it is not officially one; in fact, there is no community hospital in Philadelphia at the present time.

Kahlich probed a bit more, asking if this situation could be changed.  President Hart said it could, but that there was a major problem with the Pennsylvania legislators who had an anti-Philadelphia bias.

A discussion then followed in which a number of ideas and comments were made by Steering Committee members about Temple Hospital.  They included:

• The consideration of a model like the Cleveland Clinic that used a concierge type of patient care;
• A discussion of the strengths of Temple Hospital, such as, an excellent trauma department, a good service for mammograms and eye care, development of a positive partnership with Fox Chase, fine Sports Medicine facility in Ft. Washington, first class clinicians, outstanding Center for Obesity, and a fine Lung Center;
• A discussion of the weaknesses of Temple Hospital, such as, a poor support system, challenging financial problems, duplication of equipment, underutilization of space, empty beds, hard to get appointments, poor pharmacy service, and inadequate advertising;
• President Hart mentioned a new idea to make certain employees received good treatment by providing a Friends and Family Referral Service.  In the discussion, it was apparent that not everyone realized there is no co-pay for employees when they receive treatment at Temple Hospital. 
• Michael Jackson focused on a number of “isms” that made it difficult for Temple Hospital, such as, classism, racism, ageism, lack of English, and “fearism.” 
• President Hart spoke of her determination to protect the tuition of undergraduates.  She felt it should not subsidize healthcare.  However, she also said she would work hard to protect the Medical School.
• President Hart also talked of the national debate on health care and was deeply concerned about how Medicaid would be affected.
•  Karen Turner brought up health care’s relationship to the community.  President Hart felt that on the whole Temple had worked well with the community in the past.  The current problem with the neighborhood, she felt, was made up of a small number of community members who had not been part of the previous positive process.  She also felt that it might be good to have some activism on the part of the community to keep Temple Hospital.

Turning to other issues related to Temple beyond the hospital, President Hart spoke of the wonderful student body officers and the superb students who seem to love Temple even in uncertain times.

Bob Aiken spoke of the Susan Snyder’s article about Temple focusing on the North Broad Street Initiative in the Inquirer.  President Hart indicated how hard it was to get positive press for Temple.  She mentioned that she spent a great deal of time working with the African American Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, and other Philadelphia organizations and groups to develop positive public relations for Temple’s plans for the future.  She felt a need to be visible. 

President Hart also felt it was important to focus on quality and our ratings in US News & World Report. 

Additionally, President Hart explained how she worked hard to bring the Jewish Archives to Temple.

Bob Aiken stressed the importance of the opening of the Baptist Temple, bringing students, community and the arts together.  President Hart spoke of some of the plans for the Baptist Temple opening and how millions would be raised for a Lew Klein Auditorium.  Apparently, Bob Saget is willing to host the opening and bring in free entertainment.

President Hart also spoke of the work she was doing with Marjorie Rendell to create better access between Center City and North Broad Street.

There were brief discussions of the need for an up-scale restaurant and tentative plans that are being considered to revive the neighborhood.

There was also some discussion of the problems of homelessness as well as some of the dangers in the area and on campus.

President Hart especially stressed the 2020 Framework, which is meant to provide a vision, and not a master plan, for the future of Temple.  She intends to focus on what we do best as well as a need for a public conscience.   

Approval of the Minutes:

The Minutes from September 22, 2009, were approved with two amendments.

President’s Report:  Karen M. Turner

Karen Turner mentioned the appointment of Lois Millner (CHPSW) to the CARE Team.

She spoke of the monthly guests.  President Hart will join us in November.  Eleanor Myers (Law) and the coaches will be with us in the Spring.

She mentioned that Paul LaFollette, Joan Shapiro and she would be meeting with the Provost each month. 

Karen Turner also spoke of the Dysfunctional Rules Taskforce.  Three faculty candidates are required.  Names need to be sent forward by Friday.  It was decided that members of the Group 9 Working Group that focused on enhancing the bureaucracy for the academic mission would be approached and hopefully members of that group might be willing to serve on this taskforce.

The Provost emailed Karen Turner to say that she has found more monies for seed grants and has increased support from a pool of $50,000 to $75,000. 

Deputy Provost Dick Englert followed up on Marina Angel’s (Law) concern expressed at the Representative Faculty Senate Meeting that the Research Programs and Policies Committee (RPPC) needs some staff support.  Dr. Englert offered some administrative support to the committee from his office. 

Regarding the Search Committee for the Vice Provost for Research Administration and Graduate Education, Luke Kahlich (BCMD) and Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon (SCT) are willing to serve and have been appointed. 

There was some discussion of the need for more faculty of color at Temple and that all too frequently the few who are with us are asked to serve on too many committees. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Vice President’s Report: Paul LaFollette

Paul LaFollette mentioned the following:

A number of faculty volunteers have come forth to serve on the President’s Advisory Intercollegiate Athletics Committee;

Jane Evans (Tyl) is willing to run for the Personnel Committee;

More faculty volunteers are still required for the Study Leave and Personnel committees and names are needed by next Tuesday.  It was mentioned that the Study Leave Committee member should be tenured;

An adjunct faculty member is interested in the Faculty Life Committee.  It was decided that this individual could join the committee as a non-voting member.

Old Business: None.

New Business: None.

Adjournment:  The meeting ended at 3:00 p.m.

Joan P. Shapiro
Secretary