Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Present: Karen M. Turner (Pres.), Paul S. LaFollette (V. Pres.), Joan P. Shapiro (Secy.), Robert M. Aiken (Past-Pres.), Joan Delalic (Engr.), Adam Davey (CHPSW), Margaret Devinney (CLA), Michael W. Jackson (STHM), Tricia S. Jones, (Educ.), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), James Korsh (CST), Stephanie Knopp (Tyl.), Laurie MacPhail (Dent.), Jay Sinha (FSBM), Roberta Sloan (SCT), David Waldstreicher (Fac. Herald), Cheryl Mack (Coord.)
Absent: Charles Jungreis (Med.), Mark C. Rahdert (Law), Charles Ruchalski (Pharm.)
Call to Order: The meeting began at 1:05 p.m.
Approval of the Minutes: No Minutes were reviewed today. Two sets will be reviewed next week.
President’s Report: Karen M. Turner
Karen Turner reminded us that the FSSC will meet next week on December 8th in the Diamond Club in the Rhoades Room. The food will be ready at noon. The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. The Provost plans to join us.
Turner also reminded the FSSC about the Retreat which is this Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on the Center City Campus. Provost Lisa, Deputy Provost Dick Englert and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, Diane Maleson, will be with us. There is some question whether Provost Lisa will want to meet with us twice in a relatively short period of time. Karen Turner, Paul LaFollette and Joan Shapiro will ask the Provost about this when they join her tomorrow for their monthly meeting.
Currently, Cheryl Mack is trying to contact all collegial chairs to pull together an accurate list of the 150 Faculty Senate Representatives. There is special concern about the Medical School that has twenty-nine vacancies. Mack says she has now 102 out of the 150 representatives. The information about the other representatives is needed as soon as possible.
A discussion followed focusing on topics to discuss at the Retreat. They included:
- Making work more interesting and relevant for the Faculty Senate;
- Including service as important in giving out merit points as well as creating a positive culture of service in the university;
- Discussing the quorum issue in the context of faculty empowerment, involvement and dialogue;
- Focusing on the electronic voting and the need for a commitment by the university to make the process accessible and swift;
- Strengthening faculty voice;
- Developing monthly representative meetings around key topics such as academic freedom vs. the modern corporate university;
- Motivating faculty to speak out on issues of importance to them;
- Making certain faculty are not an afterthought on committees not only in the Provost’s Office but in the President’s Office as well (e.g., sharing the Provost’s checklist concept with the President’s Office)
- Speaking about the reorganization of the Graduate School for the future;
- Strengthening the hands of the Provost’s Office and the Faculty Senate by discussing together issues such as the 20/20 Report.
- Using the Temple Portal’s suggestion box to find out from the faculty their areas and/ or issues of interest;
- Inviting faculty to participate in a review of Deans;
- Discussing the pay and equity report that was carried out by Debbie Hartnett’s, Vice President for Human Resources, Office;
- Finding out why a number of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs’ web pages are still under construction;
- Determining why there continues to be problems with details related to the packaging of merit (e.g. binders no bigger than 1 and ½ inches);
- Discussing the very different cultures within the colleges and schools regarding the collegial assemblies and how some of these cultures can stifle faculty voices (e.g., some collegial assemblies are run by the administration);
- Focusing on the lack of cohesion among the faculty due to the messages they received when they were hired or to the differences between senior and junior faculty;
- Remembering while there is a desire for some cohesion, it is also important to keep in mind that one size does not fit all;
- Identifying ways to improve faculty and administration relationships;
- Organizing joint meetings of the FSSC and the Council of Deans at least once a year;
- Focusing on “best practices” as a way to determine how to give all faculty voices;
- Creating a culture of fairness in the colleges and schools;
- Making certain that diversity continues to be of importance in the hiring of faculty and administrators;
Briefly, the University Faculty Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, December 10th, was mentioned. It was stated that a Representative Faculty Meeting will follow to discuss the quorum issue.
Vice President’s Report: Paul S. LaFollette
LaFollette said there was no report today.
Old Business:
There was none.
New Business:
There was none.
Adjournment:
The meeting ended at 2:55 p.m.
Joan P. Shapiro
Secretary
