Wednesday, March 23, 2005
1. Call to Order:
J. Evans called the meeting to order at 1:53 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes:
The minutes of the February 22, 2005 Representative Senate Meeting were approved as amended.
3. President’s Report:
a) General Education: The FSSC, after sustained deliberation of the applications, prepared a list of nominees for the Gen Ed Executive Committee for submission to Provost Schwartz. Evans noted that not more than two faculty from the same school could serve on the Committee; only tenured faculty were considered; considerations was given to those who were active researchers, had strong teaching records and who had experience with the CORE or General Education Process. We hope that the committee will be announced within the week. Since the terms are to be staggered, four of the accepted nominees will be chosen at random to serve one year terms. Faculty may not serve for more than two consecutive terms, and additional nominees will be sought next year.
b) Meetings with Collegial Assemblies: J. Evans has met with the CST Collegial Assembly and will soon be meeting with the CLA Collegial Assembly to discuss the Gen Ed Program, especially governance issues and to hear what the various faculty members would like the Senate to address. Evans noted her willingness to meet with other collegial assemblies.
c) University Committees: The TAUP has requested that the Research and Study Leaves Committee be reconfigured to conform with the new contract that was approved by the faculty. This senate committee currently has 17 members and advises the Provost on study leaves, summer research fellowships and grants in aid. Under the new contract, this committee will have five faculty elected by the Senate and will advise the Provost only on study leaves. In order to start the process of granting study leaves, it was decided to use the 17 member roster as the elective slate. The term of this committee will end in May. For next year, the elections will be held from a slate of volunteers, and statements of interest/brief biographies will be sought from the nominees.
Other committee openings will also be posted, and volunteers/nominees are being sought to complete these committees. Senators who know of committee reports that would of general interest to the Senate are encouraged to speak to Evans or a member of the FSSC so the report can be put on the Senate agenda.
d) Faculty Senate Web Site: B. Aiken has been helping to develop this website. The prototype was shown to the Senate, and Evans called for comments from the senators on the basic set-up of the page. The page will contain the faculty by-laws, officers and faculty committees, minutes for the Faculty Senate Steering Committee and Faculty Senate, and we hope the Faculty Herald. When security problems can be worked out, we hope to be able to hold the elections on-line. This site will be accessible soon via temple.edu/senate.
4. Vice-President’s Report:
L. Millner enjoined the faculty to review the list of vacancies on senate committees and to consider offering names of volunteers or nominees for filling the membership on several of the faculty senate committees.
5. Old Business:
None was presented for discussion.
6. New Business:
The guest speakers and their presentation topics were introduced.
a) Stuart Sullivan – Vice President for Development: Sullivan gave an update on Temple’s fund raising and the anticipated role that faculty will play by outlining the sources of gifts and stressing the importance of the faculty and staff in these efforts. He noted the organization of a Faculty/Staff Committee that will consist of about 80 members (2-4 per college) who will be recommended by the Deans and other faculty members. The Committee is expected to meet with Sullivan four times during the academic year beginning in April 2005. Sullivan also noted collegial and school events will be planned by the Development Office.
b) Bill Cutler - President of TAUP: The contract, as approved by the union membership on March 3, 2005 and by President Adamany on behalf of the Board of Trustees on March 4, 2005, is on the www.taup.org web-site. Cutler pointed out areas of Senate interest: new Senate elections of the members of the University Promotion & Tenure Advisory Committee and the Study Leaves Advisory Committee. Cutler also noted the changes to the Appeals procedure and the process for the termination of faculty; both appeals and termination proceedings will begin in the Personnel Committee; these are outlined in Articles 11 and 12 of the TAUP contract. Retrenchment proceedings will begin in the EPPC, as noted in Article 13 of the TAUP contract.
c) Jackie Leonard – author of the report submitted by the Committee on the Status of Women to the Provost: The report was distributed to the Senate. Leonard noted that major differences in salaries between men and women exist in several colleges. Yet as compared to other Carnegie I Public Institutions, Temple was performing better than the average when considering numbers in various ranks and salaries. She suggested that the current merit system warrants review for equity by not just considering years of service but also productivity and generation of research funds. B. Nathan (CST) inquired whether the gap in salaries was a carry over from initial contracts awarded, and Leonard responded that she was not privileged to individuals’ contract histories but observed that female faculty may not have had their base salaries increased through merit as often as the male faculty have. A. Hochner (FSB) reported that the new TAUP contract provides for equity funds of about $100,000 that could be used for salary adjustments at the associate professorial rank. R. Winakur (Tyler) inquired whether the provost would award study leaves upon the recommendation of the Deans in lieu of the new Faculty Study Leaves Committee. A. Hochner replied that this protocol would only be applied when a faculty member requests an expedited review due to deadlines by external agencies or organizations. It was also noted that protection of tenure would not be in effect in cases of disciplinary action and budgetary or program considerations/downsizing.
d) Steve Newman – Tobacco Policy Committee: A draft of the new policy (04.62.11) which will become effective July 1, 2005 was distributed. Newman highlighted the changes at the Ambler, Main and Tyler Campuses which would restrict smoking to certain designated areas and parking lots, rather than the current policy of just 25 feet from a building. There will also be a restriction on the sale of tobacco products at retail outlets and at university-sponsored events. Enforcement will be monitored by the Temple Security Force with appropriate provisions for inclimate weather as well as ambulatory traffic. To L. Dubeck’s observation of the City Of Philadelphia Council’s pro-posed ban on smoking in public places, it would not impact on this policy.
e) Novella Keith – Call to Action: Keith asked that the faculty respond to the University of Colorado Board of Regents regarding that university’s efforts to dismiss one of its faculty members.
8. Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 PM
