Friday, May 12, 2006
1. Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1:50 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes:
Minutes from the Representative Faculty Senate meeting on April 19, 2006 were distributed and approved.
3. President’s Report:
President Evans summarized the activities of the Senate and Steering Committee during the 2005-2006 academic year. These activities included:
a) Study of the process and results of the various program reviews which have been undertaken in the past two years.
b) The attempts to achieve faculty representation on the Provost’s Workload Committee.
c) Development of position papers addressing Curriculum Development, The University President’s Revised P&T Proposal, Importance of and Recognition for Service, and Faculty Workload.
Evans’ discussion of these activities was more elegant than can be captured by a brief summary in these minutes, and, if it be available, it should be added as Attachment I.
Robert Aiken from CST extended thanks to this year’s officers and to the Steering Committee for their hard work.
Evans also reported on Ann Weaver Hart’s town meetings with the faculty, her election by the board, and the status of the impending transfer of authority to her on July 1, 2006. This was followed by an enthusiastic and nearly unanimous exchange of comments to the effect that it would be refreshing if administrators of the genus anas clauda would refrain from making mischief with which their successors may not agree.
Finally, Evans suggested that next year the Steering Committee and Senate should look at the question of whether our Non-Tenure Track Faculty should have some sort of voice within the Faculty Senate. This seems an appropriate question to consider, given the change in the nature of their status in the recent contract.
4. Vice-President’s Report:
Vice-President Millner reported that the new online election process worked well and efficiently. She introduced the re-elected President, Jane Evans, the newly elected Vice-President, Karen Turner, and the newly elected Secretary, Paul LaFollette. New members of elected committees were also announced, see Attachment II.
Millner also reported that the Faculty Senate Steering Committee had agreed to wait until the beginning of the Fall Semester before making committee assignments to non-elected committees, in the hope that a newly energized faculty might provide a larger pool of volunteers.
5. Committee Reports:
Terry Halbert reported that the General Education Executive Committee (GEEC) is actively working with the area coordinators to evaluate proposed courses. This will continue throughout the summer. Some discussion ensued with faculty expressing concern about various impending difficulties which have not yet been addressed and about the possibility of making changes in the plan itself or in the schedule for its deployment.
Dan Tompkins submitted a comprehensive report from EPPC (Attachment III, q.v.) which discussed the increasing use and reliance upon adjunct faculty at Temple. There were some comments that, in certain disciplines such as the performing arts or journalism, the use of adjunct faculty can expose our students to non-academic practitioners of the highest quality. In general, however, there was agreement that an increasing use of part-time instructors will erode the quality of our programs, or at least make it highly difficult to maintain their current quality.
6. Old Business:
There was no old business.
7. New Business:
Evans presented the cover letter agreed upon by the Steering Committee and the position papers on Curriculum Development, Revised P&T Guidelines, Service, and Workload which we will be forwarding to the administration.
8. Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 2:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Paul S. LaFollette, Jr.
Secretary Elect
