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Faculty Senate
University of Mississippi

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Meeting held in Bryant 209

 

 

Agenda

  • Senator Albritton opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
  • First order of business: Parking on Campus
    • Move to suspend rules for this purpose
      • No opposition
      • Passed
    • Initiative by Chancellor in 2010 for transportation
      • Zipcars came of this
      • RebalPedals cam of this
      • Committee was formed to study parking/transport issues
    • Committee recommendations
      • Create a Dept of Parking and Transportation
        • Previous dept was part of police without exclusive focus
        • Transportation issues were outsourced to Oxford city
      • Isaac Astel (sp?) is now director of said Dept and will present/field questions
    • Isaac Astel (sp?) presentation
      • Howry/Falkner lot rerouting has gone over to Fac/Staff
      • Residence hall numbers are comparatively low
      • Commuters lost 930 spaces this year; more permits sold than spaces
      • Encouraging use of new Express Shuttles from satellite lots
      • Traffic and parking committee will have a faculty senate rep and will convene within one month
        • Points will include bikes, trailways, shuttles
    • Questions
      • What is the long-term plan for campus parking?
        • Inner part of campus will eventually be foot and bicycle traffic only
        • Need to disabuse people of the idea that you can park within 100ft of your destination and drive between buildings
        • Law school is particularly rough
      • What about advance notice of parking changes? Could wording/ideas reflect the situation of young mothers who are working for UM?
        • Issues are recognized; any offense is unintentional
      • Does the long-term plan include parking structures?
        • Costs are prohibitive; $12-15k for above ground per spot and $40k per spot below ground
        • Maintenance is also an issue
        • Money could solve issue, but express shuttle route with federal matching funds is more cost-effective and has no add’l costs
        • Structure would cost an add’l $120/month per space
        • Structure is in long-long-long term plan
      • What about gates for faculty lots? E.g. Ohio State.
        • Investigations are ongoing (e.g. studies of 3-year outcomes); idea has been discussed
      • Comment: parking enforcement effort has been good last few days
      • What about satellite campuses? Fees are the same and information flow is really bad
      • Comment: Decisions should be made with faculty input; latest decisions seems like input was lacking
      • Comment: Keeping longer hours as staff; arriving early and not being able to take a lunch, not commensurate with pay
      • Comment: Transit hours do not reflect faculty hours; start too late and end too early
      • Comments: Assorted anecdotal complaints
  • Second order of business: Election of Senate officers for 2012-2013
    • Opening comments
      • Timing of election is problematic; governance committee might consider changing it
      • Committee vacancies need to be filled; committee service is essential to functioning of Senate and governance committee should look to doing something about this
        • Senate committee representatives should come from senate, ideally
      • Newly elected senators should:
        • Sign in with name, department, and email
        • Choose three committees from a list
    • Election of officers: questions
      • Term of office is one year for officers; may be reelected once
      • Comment: President of faculty senate would get course reduction
        • Provost Stocks: Would be willing to try to find such a thing
    • Election for Chair
      • Move for Michael Barnett
        • Nomination accepted with the caveat that at least three meetings over the coming year; vice-chair will have to fill in
      • Nomination that voting be closed and Michael be elected by acclimation
        • Seconded
        • Approved unanimously
    • Election for Vice-Chair
      • Move for Brian Reithel
      • Nomination that voting be closed and Michael be elected by acclimation
        • Seconded
        • Approved unanimously
    • Election for Secretary
      • Move for Judy Greenwood
      • Nomination that voting be closed and Michael be elected by acclimation
        • Seconded
        • Approved unanimously
  • Third order of business:
    • Elections for Academic Affairs, Academic Support, Finance, University Service, Governance, Executive committees
      • Senators directed to break up into committees of interest
      • Senators directed to elect chairs from among the members so chosen
  • Senator Barnett closed the meeting at 9:00 p.m.