Faculty Senate MINUTES – January 24, 2017
Senators in Attendance: Rachna Prakash, Patrick Alexander, Kris Belden-Adams, Derek Cowherd, Patrick Curtis, Brice Noonan, Zia Shariat-Madar, Esteban Urena, Randy Wadkins, Tossi Ikuta, Feng Wang, Mark Van Boening, Alexander Yakovlev, Mary Hayes, Katie McKee, Peter Reed, Mark Walker, Andrew O’Reilly, Paul Loprinzi, Zachary Kagan Guthrie, Vivian Ibrahim, Jarod Roll, Alysia Burton Steele, Stacey Lantagne, Dennis Bunch, Eric Lambert, Michelle Emanuel, Christina Torbert, Vishal Gupta, Sumali Conlon, Sandra Spiroff, Stephen Fafulas, Thomas Peattie, Mary Roseman, Meagen Rosenthal, Travis King, James Bos, Ben Jones, Marilyn Mendolia, Chrisitan Sellar, Javier Boyas, Marcos Mendoza, Minjoo Oh, Roy Thurston, Rosemarry Oliphant-Ingham, William Sumrall, Rory Ledbetter,
• Call Meeting to Order
o 6:00pm meeting called to order
• Approval of December 6, 2016 Minutes
o Motioned, seconded, all in favor
• Chancellor Jeff Vitter
o Searches:
 Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor search about to begin
 Deferring search for Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs until above search completed
 Immediate search for new Chief Information Officer to begin
 Vice Chancellor for Advancement
• Reorganization in Development Office based on study from independent consultants
• Former chief fundraiser left to take a position at another University
• In order to get ready for upcoming Capital Campaign we need a major, senior professional in that role
• Recommendation was to elevate this position to VC for Advancement
o Other SEC schools have people in this position with similar titles
• This will enable use to bring new and important resources to the university
• Goal is to bring funding over the $1billion mark
• This is not an academic position
• Looking for a senior experienced professional that has led other capital campaigns successfully
o Already coordinating across Athletics and UMMC
• The upgrade in the position and any additional positions will come from the Foundation not the university
o And if everything goes according to plan, monies currently sent to the foundation from the Chancellors office will be reallocated
• Have been in touch with search committee and they have agreed to move forward with a small group to protect the identity of the applicants
 QUESTIONS:
• Q: For some of the searchers we are using head hunting firms, can you tell me your thoughts on using this innovation?
• A: It is not uncommon at other universities to use these firms for positions at the dean level and above to make sure you can find the best people
o Q: The search firm has specific talent in finding people for these types of positions?
o A: The search firm selected has a great deal of experience in finding people for these types of positions. The first time it was used was for the Diversity VC position.
o Update on current legislative session (issues affecting UM)
 The top bill for the University has to do with UMMC
• Health Care Collaboration Act (going through house and senate)
o Similar to what was done in AL, to remove the bureaucratic shackles placed on the medical center so that they can more easily join in partnerships and joint ventures more flexibly
 Would also allow them to get out of procurement laws
o Will allow us to bring in more expertise to the University
 Other entities from outside of the State are imposing on the medical center
• Both Baptist and Ochsner are working on buying up hospitals within MS
o Currently there is strong support for this move from Weighs and Means and public health committee and the Finance and Public Health committeee
• There are several bills on the state flag
o One bill that will not likely pass is on mascot, flag, and song
• There is a bill on changing IHL funding formula to give less weight to out of state students (current – 0.8 to out of state and 1.0 to in state students) – we are of course opposing, but probably won’t pass
• Bill to restrict universities ability to use state funds on lobbyists
o We don’t currently do this anyway
• Later in the session there is a bill to consider the use of bonds
o Funds for $25 million for STEM building and some funds ($30 million) for expansion of the children’s hospital
 QUESTIONS:
• Q: If the funding for out of state students were to drop, what would it drop to?
• A: If the university has less than 10% it would stay the same, for us it would drop to 0.55
• Q: About the healthcare collaboration act, would there be any possibility of freeing the main campus from the procurement laws?
• A: At one time, there was discussion to broaden that to all education institutions, but that engendered a lot of push back. Right now, that will not be happening.
• Q: There are multiple flag bills in addition to the Colonel Reb bill?
• A: Yes, there are multiple. There is also another bill to allow employees with enhanced training to carry firearms on campus.
• Q: You mentioned that lobbyists are paid through the foundation, ballpark how much do we spend on that right now?
• A: Right now, we don’t have the exact numbers
o Q: They provide information on upcoming bills?
o A: Yes, we are in constant contact with them about upcoming bills and bills we would like to have passed
• Strategic Planning for Childcare Initiative:
o Dr. Laura Antonow (Director of College Programs in the Division of Outreach) will outline her plans to develop a blueprint for the development of a childcare program at UM.
 2 yr appointment with the end goal to produce a 5 yr childcare plan on campus
 50% of her time
 Will be hiring an Associate Director of College Programs that will be spearheading much of the ground work for the project
 0-4 yr old children is the initial mandate of the program
• Will consider other childcare issues as part of her role
 Serve students, faculty, and staff
 The components of the solution
• Anything is possible
o Ex. lab, a daycare, a parent’s collaborative
 Examining grant opportunities
 Examine who would be administering the program once it is implemented
 Examine a physical location for anything that is needed
 1st step will be to meet with the childcare task force to discuss first steps
• Use some of task force as advisory committee
• Will include someone from HR and Finance
 Plan to visit peer institutions
• MS State
• UT Knoxville
• Kentucky
 Do some research to ensure she has the latest information
 Attend a conference re: childcare
 This should take around the next 6 months
 QUESTIONS:
• NO questions presently
• Committee Reports
o Academic Instructional Affairs
 No report
o Academic Conduct
 No report
o Finance & Benefits
 No report
o Development & Planning
 No report
o Governance
 Just received an email re: policy on consensual relationships and writers of policy will come to present at next meeting
• Q: Will we be able to provide feedback and input
• A: Yes, we will have the document and provide it as part of the agenda
o Research & Creative Achievement
 Chair taken a new position, Patrick Curtis from Biology is appointed the new chair.
o University Services
 No report
• Old Business
• New Business
o SB2849 – PERS/ORP
 Bill has support of IHL and lieutenant governor
 Proposal to allow you to switch from ORP to the state system – one time within the first 5 yrs of starting your position, but there is a proposed grace period for all current staff members (transfer ORP money to PERS to purchase service credit – but how that would work out exactly isn’t currently clear)
 Would like to know from faculty what the level of support is?
 Q: What is the timeline for the bill?
 A: we currently don’t know, but it seems like it would like to move ahead quickly.
 Q: is there any indication of how PERS is doing currently?
 A: I don’t know
• Q: A lot of pension systems are currently struggling around the country, is it possible that this bill is to augment that?
 Email to follow in the next few days
• Let faculty see and let Brice know what everyone thinks.
• Q: have you heard of any groups against the bill?
• A: Not right now.
• Q: If you do speak to the sponsor of the bill to extend the window to 6 years based on tenure?
• A: Yes, I will pass that along.
• Q: Does this bill only effect faculty within the state?
• A: On the university campus, this effects faculty only.
o Office of outreach: summer camp open house (Tues Feb 7)
 Email invitation for open house for summer campus to come from Brice Noonan
o Distribution of statement on sanctuary campus
 Received a request in December a request from JT Thomas (Sociology) to come before the Senate to present the idea of advocating to turn UM into a sanctuary campus
 Brice Noonan to distribute the statement to the Senate
• If you have questions email Brice Noonan and we can discuss at our next meeting
 Questions:
• Q: Is JT never going to make a faculty meeting?
• A: He has a class conflict and likely won’t be able to make our regular meeting
• Q: What is the intention of this document?
• A: I believe the intention is that Faculty Senate would draft a resolution to submit to the Administration.
o Formation of the university governance council
 Met with the heads of the other organizations today and everyone agreed that it would be beneficial to have a body wherein all groups could meet and discuss issues relevant to everyone.
 Three meeting structure for the entire year.
 This would not be a body that would be of elected people, nor would it be a body to draft resolutions (concern over diluting power of the respective bodies).
 May be best structured as a university standing committee.
 Questions:
• Q: Grad students, faculty, staff, undergrads are the bodies making up this group? And everyone is in favor?
• A: Yes, and yes
• Q: How different is this governance from the other forms of governance?
• A: This body would not have governing power. This would be an opportunity for the heads of each of these bodies to get together to discuss issues of mutual concern. It is more of a formalization of communication.
• Q: When you presented this a while ago you mentioned the formation of a body for contingent faculty?
• A: It is my understanding that there is a move for the contingent faculty to develop their own body. And if this body is created it would be included in this larger standing committee.
• Adjournment
o 7:08