Minutes of the Meeting of the Senate of the Faculty
Thursday, April 18, 2002 7:00 p.m., Room 113, Conner Hall

Meeting called to order with a quorum at 7 p.m.

Present: E. Acevedo, D. Adler, M. Aiken, A. Ajootian, D. Barker, J. Bentley, N. Bercaw, C. Brower, W. Chen, L. Cozad, K. Dellinger, C. Eagles, R. Elam, G. Herrera, A. Kishk, F. Laurenzo, A. Mark, J. Martin, R. C. Ochs, Oliphant-Ingham, M. Overby, J. Reid, D. Rock, B. Smothers, K. Swinden, M. Tew, C. West, N. Wiggers, D. Wilkins. S. Wolcott, M. Zarzeski, J. Zjawiony

Absent: B. Alidaee*, J. Aubrey, B. Barkdoll, L. Bombelli*, J. Czarnetzky*, S. Davis, A. Fisher-Wirth*, J. Ford*, K. Knight*, P. Malone, A. Quinney*, J. Schetz*, K. Sufka*, A. Trefzer*, J. Urgo*
*Prior notification

I. Announcements
A. Report on Budget, Andy Mullins
Andy Mullins, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor; State/Federal Institutional Liaison

Fund Sources for free educational entities in Mississippi

K-12: State=60%, Local=25%, Federal=15%

Community College: State=56%, Local=31% (Ad Valorem & Tuition), Federal=13%

Institute for Higher Learning (IHL): State Legislature=35%, Local=50% (self-generated), Federal=15%

Fund Sources for the Institute for Higher Learning (IHL)

Local, or self-generated funds: the IHL board doesn’t have the authority to raise taxes–only to raise tuition.

Board began the debate today whether or not to raise undergraduate and/or graduate tuition.

Other self-generated funds are the auxiliary services, food court, etc.

99% of our gifts are earmarked, generally not for operations.

Chancellor Khayat has been trying to raise gifts for scholarship to free up the general operating funds.

Fund Sources for the State Budget, FY2003

Over 11 billion total

Myth: 50% of state dollars go to education; only 50% of the general fund go to education.

Federal Funds 35.01%

General Funds 35.10%

Other Special Funds (earmarked) 29.88%

Legislators don’t like to earmark money because it reduces their power.

Myth: gaming money is earmarked for education.

There is an educational earmark: 1% of the 7% sales tax goes to education; unfortunately this money has been supplanted by the Legislator–cut from the general fund–not in addition to what education already received.

General Fund percentages: All educational activities=58.27, Executive and Fiscal Affairs=1.98%, Local Assistance=2.15%, Hospitals & Hospital Schools=5.28%, Debt Service=6.51%, Agriculture & Economic Development=2.43%, Social Welfare=9.35%, Social Welfare=9.35%, Corrections=6.73%, All others=7.30%

The crisis in health care is eating up the general operating funds.

Bond money and general operating funds are not the same thing.

Bond money can not help with salaries or health care.

Bond money is listed under “Debt Service” in the budget. Current Debt Service is 6.51%.

This years budget the Legislature is projected a little over 2% growth; the Governor will probably have to make budget cuts midyear.

Questions

Senator Elam: will the budget change if there is a special session? No: the Governor sets the agenda and then Legislature only deals with those issues. They will look at health care, not education.

Senator Herrera: can equipment for the buildings be included in bond money? Yes: if it is full renovation, not just repairs. But the funds are all specifically designated.

Senator Malone: is the legislation allowing state agencies to provide early retirement incentives going to pass? No: may pass the Legislature but the Governor will probably veto. There is language included that gives special benefits to Legislators, so the Governor will relish vetoing this legislation.

B. Update from recent Council of Academic Administrators meeting, Senator Tew
The Council addressed the language from the AAUP that has been submitted to SACs; unanimously voted to approve. This was a bookkeeping measure; the AAUP language has already been submitted to SAC and just was never approved by the Council. The AAUP language will now be included in the handbook along with the other procedures and policies.

II. Old Business
The Minutes of the March 21, 2002 Senate meeting were approved without dissent
minutes_20020300.html

III. New Business
A. Proposal for Internal Academic Program Review, Donna Adler
Proposal is for the formation of a university-wide program review committee; the Faculty Senate’s role would lie in nominating people to serve on that committee. Dr. Eftink is using the strategic planning to put into place a procedure for departments and programs to be reviewed on a five-year cycle. This would allow departments to make long-range plans and would give the departments time to make suggested improvements. Proposal is meant to be proactive: not looking at what departments did wrong but what departments can plan to do right in the future. Proposal is still in draft form and there are some suggestions that Senators would like to make in the future; for the present, the Senate supports the intent of this proposal.

Senator Eagles moved that we send the proposal to the Academic Affairs Committee for consideration and consultation with Dr. Eftink. 2nd: Mark Tew. Motion passed without dissent. Click here to read proposal on the web. Click here to access document in Word.

B. Business School Procedure Update
Re: “A Process to be used in Deciding Whether or not the Economics Faculty will transfer from the School of Business to the College of Liberal Arts”. Click here to access original Senate document

Click here (PDF) for the the 04/15/02 letter from the Provost to the School of Business Administration faculty

Click here (text file) for the 04/17/02 email from the Provost to the School of Business Administration faculty

Senator Overby made a resolution responding to the above letter and email sent by the Provost to the School of Business Administration faculty. Click here (PDF) for the resolution passed by the Senate 04/18/02 including friendly amendments written in pencil. Click here for a web version of the final document.

Senator Tew moved that the Senate accept Senator Overby’s resolution as amended in points two and three, and authorize the Executive committee to convey to the Provost the ideas as conveyed by Senate in a cover letter. 2nd: Senator Wiggers. Motion carried with no dissent and two abstentions.

Click here (Word document) or click here (web version) for the cover letter composed by the Executive Committee and sent to the Provost 05/01/02 along with the resolution passed by the Senate.

C. May Faculty Senate Meeting, Senator Oliphant-Ingam moved that an extraordinary meeting be called on Thursday, May 9, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. 2nd: Senator Rock. Motion passed without dissent.

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

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