Minutes of the Meeting of the Senate of the Faculty
Thursday, September 12, 2002, 7:00 p.m., Room 113 Conner Hall

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

Present: Milam Aiken, Donna Adler, Nancy Bercaw, Charles Brower, Rick Elam, Gail Herrera, Ahmed Kishk, Fred Laurenzo, Phil Malone, Amy E. Mark, Jeanette Martin, Clifford Ochs, Anne Quinney, Robert Riggs, David Rock, John Schetz, Bobbie Smothers, Warren Steel, Ken Sufka, Mark Tew, Joseph Urgo, Charles West, Nancy Wiggers, Dawn Wilkins, Susan Wolcott

Absent: Edmund Acevedo*, Aileen Ajootian, Brahram Alidaee*, Julie Aubrey*, Bonnie Avery, Deborah Barker, John Bentley* Luca Bombelli*, Wei-Yin Chen, Laurie Cozad, John Czarnetzky, Steven Davis*, Kirsten Dellinger*, Charles Eagles, Jennifer Ford*, K.P. George, Kathy Knight*, Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham*, James Reid*, Charles Ross, Annette Trefzer*, Marilyn Zarzeski*

I. Old Business
The minutes of the May 9, 2002 meeting were approved with out dissent minutes_20020500.html

II. Announcements
A. American Association of Univeristy Professors (AAUP) see http://www.aaup.org/, Senator Susan Walcott
The AAUP is trying to increase membership in Mississippi; no active chapter at UM. Statewide meeting for AAUP November 19, 2002 in Jackson, MS. Informational meeting on Thursday, September 26, 2002 7:15 p.m. in Conner 113 led by Christopher Hanes.

B. Department of Economics
The Senate agreed that that the Department of Economics be moved to Liberal Arts III. Chair Adler will draft a document to update the Constitution and Bylaws, slated for the October meeting.

C. Council of Academic Administrators: nothing to report; September 2002 meeting canceled.

D. Nominations for the Senate representatives to serve on the Athletic Standing Committee:
Senator Rick Elam nominated by Senator Sufka, Senator Malone second
Senator Elam elected to the Athletic Standing Committee without dissent.

E. Discussion: proposal to change the Constitution and Bylaws to provide more continuity in leadership for the Senate of the faculty.

Comments from the Senate on Possible Solutions

Have the chair serve two years, regardless of election date

Create a chair-elect position; each leader would be active for three years: chair elect, chair, and previous past chair. Issue: if you were elected as chair-elect, then your term might be extended past the your retirement year

Have a chair and vice-chair and no previous past chair.

Universal practice that when you chair the Senate you get one-course relief.

Concern: lack of continuity in the committees, where a lot of the work is done.

Concern: lack of work done over the summer vs. allowing faculty research time in the summer.

F. Faculty Governance Committee: draft policy for periodic reviews of administrators, new chair: Senator Joe Urgo
Chair Adler requests that Senators research and share policies from other schools with the Governance committee.

G. Academic Affairs Committee report on status of pre-tenure leave policy issue, new chair: Senator Nancy Bercaw.

Comments from the Senate on Possible Solutions

Have applicant go to an ad hoc committee instead of their chair

Question the language of justifying what you did on your year off: does this set you up for failure

Declaring failure by using the policy; there should be at least a semester sabbatical before tenure, or course relief

Policy should be automatic, instead of having to apply to it; instead everyone gets this with the option of declining it

Senator Bercaw would like feedback if anyone was interested or tried to use this policy, and what your experience was

Senator Bercaw would like feedback about an ad hoc committee, and if the ad hoc committee idea would pass in the Council of Academic Administrators

Chair Adler requests that Senators research and share policies from other schools with the Academic Affairs committee.

H. Report from the USAF, Chair Donna Adler
USAF would like a suggestion from this body re: a policy/precedure for searches for university Presidents/Chancellor to be submitted to the IHL. A committee may be appointed some time in the future. Chair Adler requests that Senators research and share policies from other schools with her to send to the USAF.

I. Chancellor will be invited to the Senate for the October meeting by the approval of the Senate. Any questions/issues that Senators would like him to address, please contact Chair Adler.

J. Honor’s College search committee: list of members available from Chair Donna Adler or Senator Joe Urgo.

Meeting Ajourned at 8:07 p.m.

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