Extraordinary Meeting of the Faculty Senate Agenda – March 24, 2015
This extraordinary meeting of the University of Mississippi Faculty Senate was called together at 7:00 PM on March 24, 2015.
Senators in attendance: Rachna Prakash; Chuck Ross; Philip Jackson; Patrick Curtis; Brice Noonan; Randy Wadkins; Brad Cook; Tossi Ikuta; Feng Wang; Tom Garrett; Elliott Hutchcraft; Adetayo Alabi; Ben McClelland; Chris Offutt; Andre Liebenberg; Robert Holt; Oliver Dinius; Joshua Howard; Vanessa Gregory; Antonia Eliason; Dennis Bunch; Lorri Williamson; Susan Ivey; Jessica Leming; Jing Jing Wu; Dwight Frink; Milam Aiken; Christopher Newman; Sasha Kocic; Heather Allen; Valentina Iepuri; Adam Estes; Michael Gardiner; Laurel Lambert; Erin Holmes; Allison Bell; Breese Quinn; Ben Jones; Greg Love; Marilyn Mendolia; David Rutherford; Desiree Stepteau-Watson; Marcos Mendaoza; Minjoo Oh; Allan Bellman; Mark Ortwein; Joe Sumrall; Rory Ledbetter; Robert Doerksen
Senators excused: Darren Grem
Senators absent: Yang-Chieh Fu, Tajas Pandya, Jos Milton, Mary Thurlkill
The following departments’ seats were unfilled as of this date: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Law, Pharmaceutics
Guests: Nick Keeling, President of the Graduate Student Council; Senator Austin Powell, Committee on External Affairs, Associated Student Body; Carl Hill, President of the Staff Council
•Call Meeting to Order
Welcome to everyone, including the media and guests, as we discuss this very importanttopic. The Executive Committee is seated to my left. I want to thank them for their hardwork over the last few days to organize this information and to make tonight possible.
•Introduction of the Topic
As you know last Thursday, the IHL decided to not renew Dan Jones. For the past sixyears, the University of Mississippi has enjoyed unrivaled success under the leadership ofChancellor Jones. We’ve experienced record enrollment, a dramatic rise in donations andoutstanding student achievement in the classroom and on the athletic field.
The university provides an invaluable service to the state of Mississippi, and it is criticalthat we have the best leader at its helm. The faculty believes that leader is Dan Jones.
• Summary of Initiatives in Support of Chancellor Dan Jones
I would like to begin by summarizing the many initiatives taking place in support of Chancellor Dan Jones [reading from slide on screen].
Grassroots Organizing
• Students for Chancellor Jones, Petition to the IHL to reinstate
• Change.org Petition to extend the contract for Chancellor Dan Jones
• “Reinstate Chancellor Dan Jones” Facebook page, coordinating the rally in Support of Chancellor Jones on Wednesday, March 25 @ 12noon
Campus Organizations
• Faculty Senate – Extraordinary Session to Consider Resolution on March 24
• Medical School – Letter from Executive Faculty
• Staff Council – Resolution passed on March 24
• Graduate Student Council – Resolution passed on March 23
• ASB – Letter by PRESIDENT Davis Rogers, March 21
• Public Statement by UM Foundation, March 23
• Open Letter from Ole Miss Alumni Organization, March 23
Clarification of Facts on the Situation at the Medical School
• Statement in a Campus Notification by Dr. LouAnn Woodward, VC of UMMC, regarding specifically the management of contracts (VC Notes of Monday, March 23, 2015)
• Statements by Dr. James Keeton in an article in the Clarion ledger, disputing the claims of a lack of transparency
Public Statements
• Editorial (Clarion Ledger) by Former Chancellor Robert Khayat
• Open Letter by Archie Manning
• Statements to the press by Jim Barksdale
• Statements to the press by John Grisham
• Statements to the press by Charles Overby
• Statements to the press by Gertrude C. Ford Foundation
Barnett: In case you didn’t read this, the Gertrude Ford Foundation announced yesterday that it will rescind the $20 million grant for the science building if the decision is not overturned.
• Governor Musgrove opinion (Huffington Post)
Political Initiatives
• State Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville is circulating a Petition for Reinstatement in the State House that has (according to media reports) garnered 70 signatures (bi-partisan)
• State Sen. Gray Tollison (R-Oxford) and State Rep. Brad Mayo (R-Oxford) have introduced legislation that would “require each university to have its own board of trustees and turn the current state College Board into a “board of governors” still responsible for statewide oversight but no longer in control of individual university decisions.” (Quote form Clarion Ledger article)
Barnett: As you can see, there is a great deal of support for Dan Jones. Tonight, I hope that we, the faculty senate of the University of Mississippi, will be adding our voice of support of this.
• Introduction of Guests
Barnett: I, with the members of the Executive Committee, have been in communication with each of these organization to coordinate efforts. I have asked them here this evening to share with you there support for Dan Jones.
o Nick Keeling, President of the Graduate Student Council
[Reading from slide on screen]:
The Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees has come to the decision to not renew Chancellor Dan Jones’ contract. In my years here at the University of Mississippi, much of that time overlapping with Dr. Jones tenure as chancellor, I have been witness to numerous decisions and progressive strides that I believe have greatly benefited this institution. Quite simply, I do not understand the IHL’s decision, as I have always seen Chancellor Jones as a brave, compassionate, and competent leader. My personal experience with Chancellor Jones has been limited but my observational experience has not. The following is only a partial list of some of the successes seen under the leadership of Chancellor Jones and noted by various others:
 The University of Mississippi is at all-time high enrollment, with more than 23,000 students.
 The freshman class of last year was nearly 50% larger than that of 2010 and the average ACT score and GPA is the highest in UM history.
 The University of Mississippi Athletics Programs have been propelled into the national spotlight with appearances in a New Year’s Six bowl and the College World Series, as well as an invitation to the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
 Total endowment for the University of Mississippi has grown from approximately $400 million to $600 million since 2010.
 Compared to 2010, private gifts to the University of Mississippi have doubled in 2014 from just over $50 million to over $100 million.
 The Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement was created to deepen students’ understanding of their own and others’ identity and promote the UM core value of inclusivity.
Furthermore, while serving as GSC President I have had the privilege to sit on many administrative councils and interact with the leadership of the University. From my perspective, these administrators not only served at the pleasure of our chancellor, as they are required, but truly believed in his vision and considered it an honor to work with him.
Chancellor Jones has been a strong proponent of research and graduate education. He clearly understands the value that strong graduate and professional programs can add to our state and to our region. His vision includes the University rising to a Carnegie Very High Research University (the highest classification), increasing research expenditures, and increasing institutional support for graduate assistantships.
I encourage our graduate and professional students to voice their opinions, as it is our right to do so, but while maintaining a courteous and respectful attitude. Speak with your faculty members, advisors, and other administrators to become more informed of this situation and these types of processes, as many of us will be future educators ourselves.
o Senator Austin Powell, Committee on External Affairs, Associated Student Body
Powell: Good evening. I’m Austin Powell, Chairman for External Affairs of the Student Body. In terms of some past work we’ve done, last year, we worked on the green fund with the IHL.
Our committee on rules has been working on this resolution in support of Dr. Jones since last Sunday. This is a resolution expressing concern over the IHL’s decision to not renew Dr. Jones contract.
[Reading from slide on screen]:
Resolution 15-5
A RESOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY SENATE EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE INSTIUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING DECISION NOT TO RENEW THE CONTRACT OF CHANCELLOR, DR. DANIEL W. JONES.
WHEREAS, since his inception as the 16th Chancellor of The University of Mississippi, the university has seen great successes;
WHEREAS, under Dr. Jones’ leadership, ACT test scores and GPA for incoming students have substantially increased every year since 2010;
WHERAS, over the past three years fundraising for The University of Mississippi has increased by over $100 million from private donors;
WHEREAS, The University of Mississippi has experienced an increase in enrollment from 14,159 to 17,360 during Dr. Jones’ time serving as Chancellor;
WHEREAS, as Chancellor, Dr. Jones has dedicated himself to improving and bettering The University of Mississippi on issues of race and the university’s national image;
WHEREAS, students have concerns with the lack of student input in the decision to not renew Dr. Dan Jones’s contract; AND
WHEREAS, the Associated Student Body provides its full support to Dr. Dan Jones and all efforts to increase student input in the decision making process of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning.
EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE INSTIUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND ITS DECISION NOT TO RENEW THE CONTRACT OF CHANCELLOR, DR. DANIEL W. JONES.
Powell: What we want to do is present this before you asking for a joint resolution as a united front, and we may need another whereas statement. That’s what we have been talking about if you all are happy with that. We have tried to work together and it hasn’t happened.
Q: What’s the practicality for a joint resolution?
Barnett: I didn’t realize that you all would be asking about a joint resolution this evening. Austin [Powell], it would probably be best for you to work on something, and I’ll take a look at it and talk with the senate. We will talk after this meeting about that.
o Carl Hill, President of the Staff Council
[Reading from slide on screen]:
Thanks for having me. On Monday, the Executive Committee drafted a resolution that was presented at a meeting today at 2:30PM.
The Staff Council of The University of Mississippi is dismayed and disheartened to learn that The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees has chosen not to renew the contract of our extraordinary chancellor, Dr. Dan Jones. We call upon the IHL Board to immediately reverse its decision and renew the contract of Dr. Jones as Chancellor of The University of Mississippi.
The Members of The University of Mississippi Staff Council express their steadfast confidence in Chancellor Jones and his leadership as head of the state’s flagship university. Under the leadership of Chancellor Jones, The University of Mississippi has seen tremendous growth and continues to strive in an effort to achieve a campus environment that is open and inclusive to all of the Ole Miss family.
The merits of Chancellor Jones’ work as the head of The University of Mississippi are indisputable. During his tenure as chancellor, Dr. Jones has overseen:
 An increase in enrollment totaling over 23,000 students, giving The University of Mississippi the highest number of enrolled students out of all eight institutions of higher learning in Mississippi.
 A record-breaking freshman class enrollment for the past four years.
 An athletics program that has seen significant improvement and unprecedented success.
 Fundraising efforts that have increased our endowment by $200 million in six years.
 Initiatives to strengthen diversity on campus and to create a culture of inclusivity and respect for all members of The University of Mississippi family.
In addition to these accomplishments, Chancellor Jones has offered unwavering support to the Staff Council and its mission to support The University of Mississippi staff members. Chancellor Jones has met regularly with members of our Executive Committee and has always shown his resolute support of our staff members through the expansion of educational benefits offered to staff and by ensuring that employees of The University of Mississippi are fairly compensated for their hard work.
During his tenure as chancellor, The University of Mississippi has continually grown its enrollment, endowment, and campus infrastructures. At a time when institutions of higher education are continually seeing a decrease in state appropriated funds, The University of Mississippi has continued to thrive, expand, and cultivate a climate of inclusivity and openness while ensuring that our
students are afforded the best possible education in our state. This is due in no small part to the leadership of Chancellor Jones and his vision to see The University of Mississippi as a global educational leader.
We, the staff members of The University of Mississippi, our regional campuses, and The University of Mississippi Medical Center stand together and offer our unwavering support of Dr. Jones and his continuation as the Chancellor of our great institution. The Staff Council of The University of Mississippi calls on the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees to show their support of our students, faculty, and staff by renewing the contract of Chancellor Jones and allowing The University of Mississippi to continue moving forward.
• The Executive Faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Statement
Barnett: The Executive Committee has also been in communication with the Executive Committee at the Medical Center. They have released a statement that I would like to share with you at this time.
[Reading from slide on screen]:
The Executive Faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is disappointed by the recent decision of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning to not renew the contract of our Chancellor Dan Jones. Dr. Jones is an exceptional leader who has faithfully served the citizens of the state of Mississippi throughout his career including his service as the Vice Chancellor of the medical center prior to his appointment as Chancellor at Ole Miss.
We are particularly concerned about misrepresentations of Dr. Jones’s leadership made in the IHL statement:
 The IHL noted financial concerns at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The medical center is in very strong financial shape and reinvests all of its excess revenue in improving the health of the citizens of Mississippi. This very strong financial performance has occurred under Chancellor Jones’s very effective and efficient leadership.
 The IHL noted conflicts with Chancellor Jones over the search process for a new Vice Chancellor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The search was performed with the highest degree of integrity and diligence with a very qualified applicant pool of internationally recognized leaders. Two IHL members participated on the search committee in all aspects of the search, which led to the appointment of Dr. LouAnn Woodward, also an exceptional leader as Vice Chancellor.
 The University of Mississippi Medical Center is nationally recognized as an exceptional institution by the American Association of Medical Colleges
(AAMC) and has set the standard for accreditation of similar institutions by receiving a perfect score on its recent national accreditation. This significant success and national recognition of UMMC has occurred under Dr. Jones’s leadership.
In summary, the Executive Faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center expresses its utmost support for and confidence in our exceptional Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones. The IHL should reverse its decision and immediately renew his contract.
Barnett: And you can see it has several names attached.
• Statement of Concern Regarding SACS Accreditation
I have also been contacted by a member of our administrative team expressing concern about how it may impact our standing with SACS Accreditation Comprehensive Standard 3.2.6, which states, “There is a clear and appropriate distinction, in writing and practice, between the policymaking functions of the governing board and the responsibility of the administration and faculty to administer and implement policy.”
That administrator is currently exploring this to the best of their ability and is in contact with a liaison from SACS as they do so.
• Resolution Calling for the Immediate Renewal of the Contract of Chancellor Dan Jones
Barnett: Over the past 4 days, I have received an excess of 400 different forms of communication expressing concern and anger over these actions. It is clear to me that there is a great deal of interest, and it is clear to me that the faculty is disappointed and wants us to act appropriately. Since Friday, I, with the Executive Committee, have been working on a draft resolution centered on this, which you all received via email.
Those of you know that I don’t typically read information that is projected to you, but I’m going to read this tonight, in order to make sure that all of the guests here have seen it.
[Reading from slide on screen]:
The Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi is shocked and extremely disappointed to learn that the Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning decided not to renew the contract of our exceptional leader, Chancellor Dan Jones.
The Senate expresses its utmost confidence in Chancellor Jones and calls upon the Board to immediately reverse its decision and renew his contract.
Since 2009, under the leadership of Dan Jones as the 16th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, the state’s flagship university has experienced extraordinary success that greatly enhances its national reputation:
 The enrollment at the University of Mississippi has increased by 26% to more than 23,000 students.
 The freshman class in 2014 is 48% larger than in 2010, and entering students are academically stronger.
 Intercollegiate athletics at the University of Mississippi have seen unprecedented success in recent years, including several appearances in national tournaments and bowl games.
 Fundraising for the academic and athletic programs at the University of Mississippi has increased by over 70% since 2010, totaling $381 million in gifts.
 Initiatives to strengthen diversity on campus have made the University of Mississippi a more inclusive place. Among universities in the SEC, we are a leader in African-American enrollment, and graduation rates of African-American students have improved by 21 percent since 2010.
 The university’s strongest programs have thrived. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College has grown by 42% since Fall 2009 and the average ACT of the honors freshmen continues to rise.
Remarkably, the University of Mississippi under Chancellor Jones’ leadership has realized this success during economically challenging times that have forced many universities around the country to cut back rather than grow. Chancellor Jones has positioned the University of Mississippi for sustained success at the national and global level.
Chancellor Jones maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Faculty Senate and is committed to shared governance, openness, and transparency. The result is a campus community characterized by academic freedom and a deep dedication to learning.
Chancellor Jones is an exceptional leader for this university in every respect and deserves to continue his truly outstanding work for the University of Mississippi beyond the end of his current contract on September 14, 2015.
We teach our students that hard work and demonstrable success will be rewarded. The Faculty Senate of the University of Mississippi calls on the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning to act by those values and affirm its commitment to the future of our students, institution, and state by renewing the contract of Chancellor Dan Jones.
THE SENATE OF THE FACULTY
Barnett: At this time, this requires a motion for approval.
Motion. Second.
Barnett: This is now open for discussion.
Executive Committee member Oliver Dinius: I want to briefly say something about how this resolution came about, which was through the work of many hours over the weekend. We tried to embody the communications that Michael received in a uniform voice in support of Chancellor Jones. Our goal was to highlight points of success in the broadest common denominator and prove his success to a very large, broad audience. We could have put many more bullet points of success, but we tried to elect those of broadest scope and most relevant to the majority. That is why it is of the length, or the brevity, that it is. The audience is not only us, but also the IHL board and the press.
C: Would you consider listing the faculty names at the bottom of this letter?
Barnett: Yes. Would you like to propose an amendment to do so?
C: Yes.
Motion. Seconded.
In favor: 42. Opposed 0. Abstentions: 2.
Executive Committee member Greg Love: I just want to say that as a faculty member, I can be inherently suspicious of administration, except when it comes to Chancellor Dan Jones. I have been impressed with his openness and his humility. Jones will come to the senate meeting and he entertains our arguments in a way that is impressive to me. I hope that this evening, we can show unanimous support of him by passing this resolution.
C: I propose we strike 3 words, based on the resolution passed by the Staff Council. I may be being critical, but I would like to change the phrase “Chancellor Jones is an exceptional leader in every respect.” I would like to strike “in every respect”, because I think that you are saying that he does everything perfectly, and I think that is an exaggeration. Otherwise, I support this.
Motion to amend. Second.
New language has removed “in every respect”.
Discussion: None
36 in favor. 5 opposed. 3 abstentions.
Passes.
C: When I first read this, I felt the athletics bullet point could be important if we include some statement in effect to the academic success. Is Derek Cowherd here? Yes, I see him. We have record high GPAs and I think we should include something along the lines of “in the classroom and on the field.” Just something pointing towards athletics. Can we just talk about it first without me proposing an amendment?
Barnett: Should I read what I was sent?
C: Yes.
Barnett: Breese didn’t think he would be here, so he reached out to Cowherd for this, and he supplied us with the following statement: READ FROM COWHERD: Intercollegiate athletics at the University of Mississippi have experienced unprecedented success in the classroom and in competition. Rebel student-athletes achieved the highest semester GPA on record for the fall of 2014 at 2.96, and over the last 10 months, Ole Miss is the only program in the nation to compete in the College World Series, a New Year’s Six Bowl game and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Fan and donor support has never been stronger with 9,750 donors to the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation and record-setting attendance for all home athletic events.
Barnett: I will tell you all that the Executive Committee met before this meeting, and what we agreed in the meeting was to include this language in the press release. We don’t mean we can’t include it here, but the length is a bit longer than what is here, and we thought the press release would have a wide audience that would be interested in athletics. We also think that it is important to be as inclusive about Athletics’ voice as possible. I don’t know that they can speak out in a way in which we can. We, as faculty, have a bit of protection when we speak out, and not everyone in athletics will share that security. So, I do think it’s important for us to include this in some fashion, either here or in the press release. Please consider that as we discuss this.
C: I propose that we modify this to say ‘unprecedented success in the classroom and on the field” and strike everything else. I say that there is no need to be specific about the bowl games if we’re not specific about academics.
Motion. Seconded.
C: I think “in recent years” needs to stay in. [Both senators that approved the motion accept this].
C: Well, if we’re going to delete “in recent years,” maybe we can replace it with “under Chancellor Jones”?
C: That’s the lead paragraph into the bullets. It indicates that this all falls under Chancellor Jones.
C: Oh, ok, I see.
C: Well, a note about grammar. “Athletics” can’t have success in the classroom, so we need to change “athletics” to something like “student athletes”.
C: I have an issue with “on the field,” because it doesn’t include sports that aren’t played on a field.
C: How was the beginning of the statement that you got from athletics worded?
Barnett: Intercollegiate athletics at the University of Mississippi have experienced unprecedented success in the classroom and in competition.
C: I would like to use that language.
C: Changed to “in the classroom and in competition”. [Both senators that approved the motion accept this].
C: So can we remove “in recent years” since it’s included above? [Both senators that approved the motion accept this].
C: Yes, it seems like the last phrase that starts with “including” seems useful. I think highlighting the classrooms is important, but I think the last part is important, too. I would like to see that included.
C: I feel like that gives more weight to the success in competition.
C: I would be in favor of including the rest of the phrase beginning with “including” because it’s bringing national attention.
C: Can we add ‘intercollegiate” before “competition”? [Both senators that approved the motion accept this].
Any additional discussion? None.
In favor: 43 Favor. 0 opposed. 4 abstentions.
C: The last paragraph states “global”, but no bullet points are on the global level. Do we have anything that we can add to that list to speak to this?
Barnett: I’ll do my best to answer this for the Executive Committee. We were trying to be forward thinking with the new Office of Global Engagement, and we were trying to speak to those areas without adding too many bullets and being too specific.
C: Is the establishment of the office be included then?
Dinius: That goes back to my point about being not too specific. This is a way to emphasize it without referencing the specific example.
Barnett: There are a great deal of things we could say on this campus about success under Chancellor Jones. We have generated long lists of success and we chose these specific points because of audience, but to answer your question as to why, that’s why. If you want to propose an amendment, you can.
C: NO, that’s OK.
C: I’m curious about the intent? What’s the purpose exactly?
Barnett: We hope to get the IHL to renew his contract.
C: Is there much likelihood?
Barnett: I can’t speak to that. But as we saw today, we are seeing more and more support and more statements like this. I would think that the Ford Foundation saying that they will take $20 million away may have an impact. Including our voice in this and speaking to why we find Chancellor Jones so important to the university, we aren’t losing anything. I do understand where your question is coming from. All I can really say is that we hope adding our voice will strengthen the support.
C: I have the utmost respect for Dan Jones, however in this situation, there are a few concerns that I have. We don’t really know what happened behind closed doors, so we’re asking to review things based on things we don’t know. As a sidebar, I have utmost respect for your job and what you do, but I’m not really comfortable with how this has been done. It was first posted in the paper before we saw it, and I’m not exactly excited that everyone saw it before me.
Barnet: I can assure you I didn’t have anything to do with that.
Comment: Again, I respect your work, but that did get on the wrong side of me. I’m not sure the strength of the language is what I want to include. E.g.: the term “shocked” is a bit strong. Again, I’m not sure why they did it, and therefore saying ‘you are wrong for doing this’– I’m not comfortable with that.
Dinius: I would like to speak to why this was released– I explicitly asked that the language from the resolution would not be printed. I spoke to the reporter in the spirit of the resolution, but we asked for this not to be printed, and I have voiced my strong protest to the DM over doing this. That’s all I can say about that.
Barnett: I do understand why you have a negative reaction to this. I think it’s to be expected that if we send this to all faculty, it will probably go further. In terms of the other concerns, I understand your perspective. I would suggest in this resolution that we speak to the positive things, and not to the intentions of the IHL. That was the approach we tried to take.
C: The term “shocked”—my thought was the same initially, but when I thought about it, I realized that I was actually shocked. And that was the response of my colleagues as well. So for me, it makes sense.
C: A follow-up to that- the biology department met to talk about this, and in feedback from that and via email, “shocked” was used several times.
C: As to what we expect to get from this, I think we can only act or speak to what we know from the information that has been released, which is not a lot. What we really know is that he’s done an awesome job. As to what we can expect, we know that there is precedent about decisions that have been overturned at other universities, so it could happen here.
Barnett: That’s why I’ve invited others here, and those to read from other bodies, to show we are not alone in this. That was my intent. I want it to be unified, at a university of our size.
C: I would not be in favor of a joint resolution, because the more voices that speak independently, the louder we sound. I think we should keep faculty and students separate so there are multiple voices.
Barnett: Thanks for that comment, but tonight, I want to keep focused on this proposed resolution.
Any further discussion? None.
Vote:
In favor: 45. Opposed: 0. Abstentions: 2.
• New Business
There has been a suggestion that the Executive Committee submit a Freedom of Information Release Act to IHL regarding everything to do with Dan Jones, back to at least July 1, 2014. We would be acting on behalf of this body as a whole. How does everyone feel? Any discussion?
None.
Motion. Second.
Barnett: So you all know, I have been in contact with Law school to make sure that the drafting of that request is tight and says what it needs to say.
All in favor.
The other thing that I want to tell you is that the Executive Committee considers this a crisis situation for our university. Therefore, we will be meeting regularly and indefinitely. With that in mind, we have approved an extraordinary meeting next Tuesday at 7pm, where we will continue to discuss this and possibly have separate resolutions for you about the transparency with the IHL based some on what Dr. Khayat has talked about.
C: We should also mention that all meetings are open.
Barnett: Yes, according to the constitution, all meetings are open to guests.
C: Related to the IHL point, has the Executive Committee considered making it a broader thing about questioning IHL on other things that have been micromanaged?
Barnett: We are certainly open to any ideas that you have, so please email ideas to me so that it can be included as part of our conversation, and if we bring a resolution forward. We want to make sure that we take this very seriously, as it is a serious problem that we would like to see addressed.
C: I request that you send the documentation from today to us, so we can send it out to our departments.
Barnett: Yes, absolutely. I will send the amended resolution, and via UM today.
• Adjournment
Motion to adjourn.