Report of Faculty Assembly Meeting
Report from
President Molly Broad
President Molly Broad
made her final address as President to the delegates. She said that during this time she sought
to translate strength in UNC into a capacity to help
President Broad
addressed specific successes of the University including that the University
still provides affordable access to education and has grown by 37,000 students
in 8+ years. She further commented that
the system has accomplished unheard of rates of growth compared to other states
and has increased the college-going rate of minority students at twice the rate
of white students.
The University has conducted successful
outreach programs. One example is CFNC,
which has taken the mystery out of applying and planning for college. UNC now has $59 million a year in need-based
financial aid, up from zero. There has
been dramatic physical expansion through the bond program. President Broad also pointed to other
successes, including the increases in MA programs and increases in federal
research grants. The University serves
22,000 public school personnel every year to raise their level of professionalism. The Center for School Leadership works to
close the gap between teacher hires and attrition. She pointed toward increased
focus on research in biotechnology, marine sciences, and bioinformatics and to
new commitments to revitalizing the economy, such as the
Report from Robert
Nelson, Senior Associate Vice President for Finance
Nelson reported
that the Board of Governors is looking at ways to increase the predictability
of tuition and fee increases. The Board encourages campuses to consider the
impact of tuition/fee increases on students.
The BOG has asked campuses to consider tuition and fees together.
A BOG Task Force
is looking long range and is charged with taking existing policy and making it more
predictable and more flexible considering affordability and access. The current
draft states that undergraduate resident tuition and fees should remain within
the bottom quartet of peer institutions approved by the BOG. However, who those peers are is being
reviewed. Research extensive universities would be able to propose to the Board
a tuition increase outside of the parameters with sufficient justification.
Report from Kitty
McCollum, Associate Vice President for Human Resources
McCall reported
on the efforts to improve health care benefits for state employees. Although
nothing has been done through the legislature, the state health plan is making
improvements by instituting the Health Care Initiative. This provides, via a website, personal action
plans, a 24- hour nursing hotline, a worksite wellness program, and a PPO
option that would be available by October 2006.
There also has
been a change in the definition of retirement for members of NC teachers in the
NC retirement system. There must be a
complete separation from state employment of any kind for 6 months after the
retirement date. This new definition
does not apply to the phased retirement program until 2007 and does not apply
to those in an optional retirement program (ORP). However, there might have to be changes may
to the ORP policy to create a break in employment.
Discussion with
IRS made this happen. Although this
change has more to do more with public school teachers, all state employees are
affected. While IRS requires a break in
service, it has not defined what is should be. The IRS also will have new
phased retirement regulations next year.
Faculty planning to enter phased retirement before
For more
information on these changes please consult UNC’s human resources website: http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/hr/index.htm
Report from
Brenda Killingsworth, Faculty Assembly Chair
Chair Killingsworth
made the following report:
•
University strategic directions were approved by BOG last week, including some
changes suggested by FA,
•
Cost of living increases create difficulty in recruiting/retention. Since 2000, faculty has received no higher
than a 4.2% raise although 6% was requested. We have asked for a fact sheet so
we can share with our constituencies the problem of low salaries and poor
benefits,
•
Faculty Assembly will increase the numbers of its delegates. WSSU and FSU will have increases,
•
An article by Richard Veit about the shared governance policy will appear in an
upcoming edition of Academe. (For information on this policy please go to:
http://www.ncfaculty.com/html/motions/2005Feb06.htm)