Faculty Senate Minutes – March 6, 2018
Attendance:
Present: Jeff Pickerd, Patrick Alexander, Nancy Wicker, Brice Noonan, Brad Jones, Zia Shariat-Madar, Brenda Prager, Randy Watkins, Chris Mullen, Aileen Ajootian, Tossi Ikuta, Byung Jang, Lei Cao, KoFan Lee, Zachary Kagan Guthrie, Vivian Ibrahim, April Holm, Evangeline Robinson, Alysia Steele, Stacey Lantagne, Dennis Bunch, Kimberly Kaiser, Cecelia Parks, Amy Gibson, John Berns, Sumali Conlon, Cesar Rego, Dao Nguyen, Tejas Pandya, Sarah Wellman, Stephen Fafulas, Thomas Peattie, Mary Roseman, Chalet Tan, Meagen Rosenthal, Gary Theilman, Bob Barnard, Luca Bombelli, Tim Nordstrom, Younghee Lim, Ana Velitchkova, Marcos Mendoza, Jessica Essary, Derek Cowherd, Christian Sellar
Absent: Beth Ann Fennelly, Adam Gussow, Andrew Lynch, Christina Torbert, Marilyn Mendolia, Roy Thurston, Mark Ortwein,
Excused: Antonia Eliason, Rory Ledbetter, Ethel Scurlock, Stephen Monroe
• Call Meeting to Order
o Called to order 6:02
• Approval of February 13 2018 Minutes
o Christian Sellar (motioned) and Brad Jones (seconded)
 All approved
• Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter will speak on the issues of budget and faculty compensation.
o Budget situation
 We don’t really know the exact outcome at this time
 The revenue situation in the state is not good, and as enrollment has leveled off
 We need to make sure that we cover the known mandates ($4.6 million)
• Promotions within current faculty
• Healthcare
• Utilities
 Next on the list is salary increases
• Once these items are covered salary increases are next on the list
• All of this depends on state appropriations, known mandates, and tuition
 The vast majority of our budget does not come from the state
• Chancellors have been making the case to legislators that state appropriations are really important to all IHL institutes.
 The offer has been made to hold tuition steady, if state appropriations were increased.
 Tuition revenues have decreased because we have increased the automatic admission standards for out of state students. This makes recruiting really important as well as getting potential students to campus for visits.
 Tuition rate for next year has not been set as yet – will be set in May
 Tuition $8200 per residential student, non-residential tuition is $23,000 – we are one of the only institutions in our peer group that doesn’t decrease this rate.
 Salary increases
 Legislature
• HB 1083 – Weapons bill – was onerous in the sense that it would allow anyone with the enhanced carry permit to carry a gun anywhere. Fortunately, the senate committee has re-drafted to omit guns from sporting centers and has removed the provisions that would have overridden the IHL regulations. We are hoping that this current legislation moves forward. Will probably go through conference and will have to be reconciled with the House version.
• Sexual harassment bill is dead – bill stated UM should continue to function in the same way it has been functioning. We are constantly working to address these issues and are used as a model within the state. Working with the SEC to develop best practices.
 Transformative initiatives related to strategic plan
• For the first time it has elements for both UM and UMMC
o One of the initiatives is the Flagship Constellations. These have the potential to bring in significant funding, increase the research profile and maintain the R1 status.
 Big Data
 Community Wellbeing
 Disaster resilience
 Brain Wellness
 The new “STEM” building will have a global star link
 Connect researchers and faculty across the campuses and develop collaborations
 Many working groups moving towards ensuring the success of this initiative.
 For more information contact Josh Gladden
• Building healthy and vibrant communities
o Publicly unveiled March 19/20 in three communities
o Idea is to bring the resources and knowledge of the university to bear on these communities
• Plaque unveiling ceremony last week
o Longstreet Hall, George Hall, Lamar Hall, Barnard Observatory, the Tiffany Stained Glass Window in Ventress Hall, and a plaque noting the contributions of enslaved laborers
o University cemetery and memorial to US “Colored troops” to be updated in the future.
• Diversity summit at the Inn at Ole Miss (Thurs March 8, 2018 8:30-12:00)
o Open to all members of the university community
• Women’s history month
o March 20 – Fulton Chapel
• North MS golf classic to benefit children’s hospital (Web.com event)
o $180 million expansion
• Have officially taken control of the Old Baptist hospital
o Expanding nursing program
• Shorelight program is now official
o First group of students has already arrived
o Program to increase international environment on campus
o Start officially this fall
 Quesitons:
• Q: Your predecessor spoke of the creation of a $100 million endowment for faculty salary can you speak to the status of this endowment?
o A: We have an initiative as part of our capital campaign for staff salary. I don’t have the number on that right now.
 F/U (Noel Wilkin): I don’t currently have that number
• F/U: I don’t feel like an endowment is the best long-term answer (an endowment only allows for one year of increases at 2%). I think that the best way to ensure increases is to work with the legislator to implement the funding formula. The Shorelight program could also have a significant impact. And there are a number of possibilities.
• Q: You mentioned pushing implementation of the formula, it is my understanding the formula would negatively impact other institutors and the IHL is not going to do that?
o F/U: There are ways around that. And there are other revenue possibilities (tobacco funding). We would rather get to a more stable funding model so no one has to suffer.
• Q: You mentioned the Constellations, I am curious about what your vision for them is?
o A: They are research areas. So, this will enable faculty to go after larger funding opportunities. They also make a good case for donors. We would also like to offer more summits and meetings on campus to capitalize on the feelings we get when we go to research conferences. Foster an intellectual atmosphere.
• Q: Concerning enrollment numbers have there been any concerted efforts to hire more recruiters?
o A: Yes, through one of our donors we have hired a number of out-of-state recruiters.
• Q: Do we have an expected revenue figure from Shorelight?
o A: Over the time of our contract we are expecting to see the benefit
 F/U: Can those funds be used to increase faculty salary?
• R: Yes, they can be allocated to that use
• F/U: Currently how much of our salaries are tuition dependent?
o R: Tuition accounts for roughly 2/3s
• Q: On internationalization I haven’t heard very much about increasing opportunities for our domestic students for study abroad?
o A: That is a priority. We are working on that, and one of the ways to do that is to develop an exchange type program with a department/school overseas.
 F/U: Flagship Forward metrics (strategic plan) are going evaluate study abroad opportunities
• Q: Is there any thinking on the life-cycle of the current Constellations?
o A: They are not permanent and depend on how the projects go. We have also talked about adding Constellations going forward. The idea behind these is to benefit the most people possible.
• Q: I would like to address the Faculty Senate resolution Calling for a Transparent Leave Policy (https://www.olemiss.edu/faculty_senate/archives/Resolution-Leave.pdf ). This is an important issue for working mothers who are the sole breadwinner for the family. It would be helpful to know exactly what the policy is and have a single place to access it. Rather than
o A: FLMA is a federal benefit and helping to educate deans and chairs across campus about how to implement these programs. The next thing is the Career-Life Connector, which is intended to be a good resource.
 F/U: Agreed. Approval of lactation rooms on campus is forth-coming. The other thing is for new faculty and staff we have a “leave donation” program on campus that is accessible and understanding this process could be aided by the career-life connector.
• F/U: Making sure that the lactation rooms are sound-proof and that they are physically separated on campus will be important. It will also be helpful to have them be
accessible, so that if a partner or grandparent is bringing the baby to campus to feed, they are not making laps waiting to take them back home. Are babies welcome on campus? Can I have my baby in meetings or my office if they are not making a fuss? This information would be most helpful to parents to help them continue to contribute to our campus.
o R: Please make sure to get in touch with Laura Antonow about these matters.
• Provost Office Initiative: Career-Life Connector
o Melissa Dennis & Kathy Knight: Career-Life Consultants will help with faculty recruitment.
o Melinda Valliant & Kate Centellas: Career-Life Navigators will help current faculty with work-life issues.
o Careerlife.olemiss.edu
 The goal is to help potential and current faculty navigate the institution, HR, and any other issues
• It is not to replace the current structures on campus; it is another resource
 Consultants and navigators have been extensively trained and will be undergoing ongoing training.
o Q: Do you have resources to help new international faculty?
 A: we have the capabilities to help with that.
o Q: Some of the current faculty might have questions regarding spousal hires, do you have resources to assist with that?
 A: Current faculty would fall under the same rules as incoming faculty and we have resources to assist with that too. Please reach out.
o
• Committee Reports
o Academic Instructional Affairs
 Nothing to report
o Academic Conduct
 Nothing to report
o Finance & Benefits
 Nothing to report
o Development & Planning
 Nothing to report
o Governance
 Nothing to report
o Research & Creative Achievement
 Nothing to report
o University Services
 Temporary Injuries and Illness Policy
• This is an issue that has come up a number of times over the last few years and the timing of SDS on responding to these requests.
• This policy was drafted – https://sds.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/02/Temporary_Injury_Policy.pdf
• Q: Will Temporary disability need to get SDS documentation?
o A: Faculty have the latitude to work it out with the student on a case-by-case basis.
• Q: My question has to do with equal treatment of students. For example, the student has a problem that effects their writing you give them extra time, does this criteria protect faculty from other students from complaining?
o A: It provides for students to go to chair or dean with issues. But it is up to the faculty member to determine what is best in any given situation.
o Executive Committee
 Update on work regarding representation of NTT faculty
• We have met a number of times at this point. The executive committee is digging into this issue to seek clarification. We will come to the senate when we have these issues worked out.
• Old Business
• New Business
o Senator elections: April 2018
 Brice currently waiting on numbers of faculty members from each department to determine how many senators each gets. He will then be emailing chairs to get representatives. The elections are complicated by the roll-in of three-year terms. If you have any questions or concerns please be sure to reach out.
o Officer elections: May 8
o Noel Wilkin – Recruiters
 We have 17 nation wide recruiters
 We have:
• Signed a contract with a consulting firm that deals with enrollment and improve yield (people who actually come to the university)
o Working with deans to get selling points to improve yield
• 22 ACT and 2.75 GPA previous automatic admittance for out of state applicants
o Now it will be 22 ACT OR 2.75 GPA for automatic admittance
• Signing on to the “Common App”, which enables student applications to be hosted remotely and pulled down by institutions as they fit.
• Adjournment
o Christian Sellar (motioned), April Holm (seconded)
o All approved