East Carolina University

FACULTY SENATE

 

FULL MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2005

 

The first regular meeting of the 2005-2006 Faculty Senate was held on Tuesday, September 13, 2005, in the Mendenhall Student Center, Great Room.

 

Agenda Item I.  Call to Order

Catherine Rigsby, Chair of the Faculty called the meeting to order at 2:10 p.m.

 

Agenda Item II.  Approval of Minutes

The minutes of April 19, 2005, and April 26, 2005, were approved as distributed.

 

Agenda Item III.  Special Order of the Day

A. Roll Call

Senators absent were: Professors Bishop (Economics), Robinson (Math), Burwell (Social Work),  Killingsworth (Faculty Assembly Delegate), Vice Chancellor Lewis, Vice Chancellor Mageean, and the Administrative Council Representative.

 

Alternates present were: Professors Coonin for Winstead (Academic Library Services), Walker for Painter (Allied Health Sciences), James for Warren (Education), and Boklage for Dobbs (Medicine).

 

B. Announcements

Electronic access to the Faculty Salary report (BD-119) is available via One Stop. This information will be updated once 2005-06 salary information is made public.  Please direct any questions to Kelly Zimmer at 328-4182.

 

The Chancellor has approved the following resolutions from the April 19, 2005, Faculty Senate meeting:

 

05-29   Endorsement of a Faculty Assembly Resolution on Proposed Budget Reductions.

 

05-30   Endorsement of a Faculty Assembly Resolution on Opposition to the North Carolina State Senate Bill 1139.

 

05-31   Curriculum matters contained in the minutes of the March 24, 2005, University Curriculum Committee meeting.

 

05-32   Removal of the “University College” admissions classification from all University documents.

 

05-34   Request to change the name of the BS in Manufacturing to the BS in Industrial Engineering Technology.

 

05-35   Resolution on Faculty Salary Practices.

 

05-37   Revised College of Education Unit Code of Operation.

 

Faculty members are reminded of the research and teaching grant proposal deadlines.

 

Research grants are due Wednesday, September 14, 2005, in the Faculty Senate office.

                              http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/rg/research.cfm

 

Teaching grants are due Monday, October 3, 2005, in the Faculty Senate office. 

                              http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/tg/teachinggrants.cfm

Faculty members are reminded of the teaching award nomination deadline of Thursday, September 15, 2005. Portfolios of nominated faculty members are due in the Faculty Senate office by Tuesday, December 1, 2005. A description of each award is available at: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/aa/academicawards.cfm.  Please contact Dorothy Clayton in the Center for Faculty Development (328-6470) if you have any questions.

Faculty members not located on main campus (Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Health and Human Performance) and who serve on various academic standing committees are reminded of special courtesy parking permits available from the office of Parking and Transportation Services.  Special Courtesy Permits allow faculty members attending meetings, etc. to park in "A1/B1” lots on main campus.  These permits are issued to unit heads at no charge and are to be used in conjunction with a paid parking permit. Information about these parking permits was distributed to unit heads over the Summer.  Additional information is available from Mike Vanderven, Director of Parking and Transportation Services (328-1961).

 

All Faculty Senate materials (agendas, minutes, announcements) will be distributed via a Faculty Listserv that has been established and used in conjunction with the Microsoft Exchange mail system. Faculty choosing to opt out of the Faculty Listserv will continue to be able to access the materials via the Faculty Senate website.  Paper copies of documents will always be available in the Faculty Senate office (140 Rawl Annex).

 

Faculty interested in periodically receiving past copies of "The Chronicle of Higher Education" are asked to call the Faculty Senate office at 328-6537 to have their name placed on a distribution list. 

 

Members of the Faculty Information Technology Review Committee regret to inform the Senate that there are no funds available for this year’s Student Computing and Technology Fee Innovative Proposals. The Committee hopes to have the program revived for the 2006-07 academic year.  Please direct any questions to Karl Wuensch, Chair of the Committee at wuenschk@mail.ecu.edu.

 

The next Board of Trustees’ meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2005.  Copies of the meeting agenda will be available in the Faculty Senate office.

 

C.        Steve Ballard, Chancellor

Chancellor Ballard stated that due the threat of hurricane Ophelia, the University would be closed Thursday, September 14, 2005.  In reference to the status of ECU, he stated that it was a great time to be at ECU.  He congratulated the faculty on what they do for the institution and society noting from research on a cure for diabetes to successful programs dealing with at-risk teen agers to the quality of the University’s coursework. 

 

He made reference to his speech at the Faculty Convocation and congratulated the faculty for their hard work and stated 444 new faculty positions had been created through the work and scholarship of this University. He stated that the work of the faculty and administration will allow us to form the type of University we want to have and again he congratulated everyone on what had been done. He cautioned that the University could not continue to grow at the current rate. 

 

Chancellor Ballard noted that despite predictions of five months ago, a great year was had in the Legislature, which started with a $1.2 billion deficit but the bottom line for ECU is plus $27 million due in part to huge growth in enrollment. Overall impact to our base budget is a cut of 1.72% to be taken off the top with minimal impact. The $27 million is not sitting for open claims and there are numerous allocations. As far as compensation, the state provided 2% compensation for non-SPA and EPA employees, which he believes, is insufficient. 

 

The Chancellor stated that for the first time we have a steering committee with a team approach in place on campus for fund raising issues for the institution. He stated that we all need to work together towards a situation where fund raising for East Carolina University works as one institution not as separate entities within that institution. Organizational changes will be many and there is a lot of work to do improve our fund raising expectations.  

 

Chancellor Ballard distributed a document relating to the Status of UNC Health Care Initiative and stated that the healthcare initiative was disappointing and not working to the faculty’s advantages.  Minimal raises will not cover the increased costs. We must work much harder and all 16 campuses must exert more pressure. There is a lot of work to do to try to make a difference in healthcare coverage. 

 

In connection with hurricane relief efforts, the Chancellor stated that ECU community was to be congratulated for its contributions.  It is still hard to know all the best ways to help.  Our institution stepped up during a time of great uncertainty.

 

Sprague (Physics) asked what could the University do for displaced faculty members from Hurricane Katrina.  The Chancellor responded that the Provost was working to identify those in need.

 

Professor Rigsby noted that Vice Chancellor Mageean was called away on important family business and apologized for missing the Senate meeting.  Professor Rigsby noted that invitations to join the University Research Council were going out soon to various faculty members and administrators. The intent of the Council will be to nurture research on campus.

 

D.  Jim Smith, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

In addition to the report distributed electronically that morning and noted below, Provost Smith stated that he was very impressed that for five straight years we have had enrollment increase money at a very significant time.He cautioned that although we can continue to grow it could not be at this rate. In addition, we may have over $20 million to allocate this year that may not be the case next year. There are serious concerns about enrollment management and how much more we can do. There are many valid requests for this money, which could be double what we actually have. He cautioned that we must be careful this year and thanked the faculty for all their hard work, which gave us this opportunity.  There were no questions posed to Provost Jim Smith at this time.

 

Items included in Provost Smith’s electronic transmittal:

 

#1.  Salary matters:  the salary memoranda that describe the 2005-2006 process and criteria have been distributed.  Chancellor Ballard has indicated that we will find internal dollars to bring the total aggregate average faculty and NT-EPA salary increments to 3%  (2% legislative average; campus-based tuition increases raise the average to 2.7% and central dollars will be used to raise the average to 3%).  The schedule for this process has been distributed as part of the memoranda and the increments approved should be present in the October 31 payroll, retroactive to July 1.

  

#2.  Budget matters:  ECU’s enrollment increase projections for 2005-06 have been completely funded for the first time in five years. This means that approximately 129 faculty positions and associated benefits, operating dollars, library funds, and general institution support monies are coming our way (minus cuts noted below).  This adds up to approximately $20.5 million and gives us an opportunity to benefit the University.  We do have a total reversion (budget cut) of approximately $2.5 million that will be absorbed across the four categories mentioned above, i.e., will be absorbed entirely out of the new enrollment increase monies.  Stated differently, no cuts will be taken in current budgets.  That state of affairs may not continue forever and we must be cognizant of possible cost savings as we go forward. 

 

#3.  Promotion/Tenure/Reappointment Mentoring:  As we begin another year of academic life and work, please emphasize the importance in your departments and schools of the mentoring process for our tenure-track faculty.    We do three very important things for our University: we hire faculty, we allocate and use resources, and we participate in the reemployment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure processes.  When any fail in these processes, we all lose something.  Please contribute positively all along the way to make our university more effective and to make these processes more personally fulfilling for everyone.

 

#4.  ECU 2005-2010 Compensation Plan:  You will recall that a year ago, Chancellor Ballard asked that we develop a compensation plan for the next few years.  Given that a $25 a week raise for all ECU employees would cost $6million, this is a daunting task.  The goal of valuing all of our employees is a good one and the attachment is a start in that direction.  The document contains some interesting information and ten action steps.  The Faculty Welfare Committee and the Faculty Budget Committee have received copies and have been invited to contribute suggestions and recommendations for the plan as it evolves.  We are particularly concerned about our SPA colleagues because they have not had the advantage of a campus-based tuition increase salary augment.  Therefore, one of the action steps is to set a side $300K this year (and hopefully over the entire period, each year) to address SPA salaries in a way to be determined as the year proceeds.    

 

#5.  The Impact! Task Force:  The announcement yesterday of the revised Impact! ECU Committee as a task force under the guidance of Brian McMillen and Mary Lou Antieau marks an important step for the University.  The good work of the committee over the years must be constant in the future if we are to have a positive impact on the personal decision-making of our students in these important areas of concern.  --Many thanks to Brian, Mary Lou, and all who have been and will be associated with this work.

 

E. David Dosser, Chair of the Academic Integrity Subcommittee

Professor Dosser (Child Development and Family Relations) presented several items of interest to the Senate. Those items included an overview of his activites, a report on the Academic Integrity Subcommittee, and the University Athletics Committee’s 2004/05 Annual Report.  Professor Dosser’s full report to the Faculty Senate is available electronically at:

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/at/9_05senatereport.cfm

 

Wilson (Sociology) asked for Professor Dosser’s personal assurance that, in his judgment, there were no academic integrity problems within the Department of Athletics. Professor Dosser responded that he could give his assurance and more importantly so could the University Athletics Committee. He could not say that certain faculty members have not compromised academic integrity by being too generous in dealing with student athletes. Although it may have happened there is no indication in the records that it had and if so it would be rare. Likewise he could not say that some faculty members had been overly harsh or unfair in dealing with student athletes. This is what the committee is looking at.

 

F. Catherine Rigsby, Chair of the Faculty

Professor Rigsby (Geology) spoke briefly to the group about committee openings and asked for volunteers. She discussed her wish to spotlight various junior faculty in her remarks to the Board of Trustees and asked Faculty Senators to let her know of faculty within their unit who they felt deserved the extra attention.

 

G.  Brief Moment in History, Henry Ferrell

Professor Ferrell (History) discussed various historical happenings relating to a distributed 1956 black and white picture of various ECU supporters. 

 

H. Question Period

There were no questions posed to the body at this time.

 

Agenda Item IV.  Unfinished Business

A. Recommendation from the Process Improvement Committee Concerning Five-Year Unit Evaluations

Michael Poteat, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, presented the Committee’s recommendation, in accordance with Faculty Senate resolution #04-21, that the cycle of the Five-Year Unit Evaluations should be modified to fit the schedule of (combined undergraduate and graduate) program review (coordinated with external professional accreditation reports whenever possible).

 

There was no discussion and the recommendation was approved as presented.  RESOLUTION #05-38

 

B. Resolution on Classroom Discussion on Alcohol

Brian McMillen, Co-Chair of !mpact ECU presented a resolution on classroom discussion on alcohol. Allen (Chemistry) noted that he was not up on all that caused the resolution to be drafted but stated that the if goal was to prevent poor judgment, which would cause the cancellation of classes or moving exam dates due to perceived student inebriation then perhaps the resolution should be rewritten to reflect that rather than the use of a broad no-no about speaking about alcoholic beverages. Catherine Rigsby asked if he would like to propose an amendment, which he declined to do at that time. 


Glascoff (Health and Human Performance) made a motion to reword “Therefore Be It Resolved” to read: “Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends that a letter (similar to the one noted below) be sent to all ECU Faculty under the endorsement of the Faculty Senate and with the signature of either the Provost or the Chancellor.”  There was no discussion and the amendment was approved. 

 

Following discussion, the resolution on classroom discussion on alcohol was approved as amended. RESOLUTION #05-39

 

Agenda Item V.  Report of Committees

A. Committee on Committees

Henry Ferrell (History), Chair of the Committee, presented first the nominee for the Faculty Assembly Delegate vacancy. There were no nominations from the floor.  Professor Jan Tovey (English) was elected by acclamation and moved from a Faculty Assembly Alternate to a Delegate with a 2006 term. Elizabeth Hodge (Education) was elected to fill the 2008 Faculty Assembly Alternate seat.

 

Professor Ferrell then presented the nominees for the two open regular member seats on the  Appellate Hearing Committee. There were no nominations from the floor. Professors Richard Mauger (Geology) and Maury York (Academic Library Services) were elected by acclamation to fill the regular membership vacancies, with a 2006 and 2008 term respectfully.

 

Professor Ferrell noted that the Committee on Committees would report in October on nominees for the three alternate seats on the Appellate Hearing Committee and one seat on the Grievance Board. 

 

B. University Budget Committee

Henry Ferrell (History), Past Chair of the Committee, presented a summary of the University’s expenditures. He noted a report on the cost of distance education relative to on-campus for the UNC system and for ECU is available online.  

 

Jack Brinn, Interim Chief Information Officer, spoke briefly on activites of Information Technology and Computer Services (ITCS).  Additional information is available online at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/.

 

Wilson (Sociology) asked where was the support for faculty research noted in the distributed materials relating to how ITCS assists the University. Brinn responded by referring him to their website for further information.

 

C. Faculty Governance Committee

Dee Dee Glascoff (Health and Human Performance), Past Chair of the Committee, presented the proposed interpretation to the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix L. 

 

Boklage (Medicine) asked what “regular” meant in the sentence “who has regular academic faculty rank”, noting that this was a hard word to define.  Glascoff responded that “regular” refers to the rank of a faculty member.

 

There was no further discussion and the proposed interpretation to the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix L. was approved as presented. RESOLUTION #05-40

 

There was no additional business to come before the Faculty Senate at this time.  The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Christine Zoller                                                                                  Lori Lee

Secretary of the Faculty                                                                    Administrative Officer

College of Art and Design                                                               Faculty Senate

 

                  FACULTY SENATE RESOLUTIONS APPROVED AT THE SEPTEMBER 13, 2005, MEETING

 

05-38  In accordance with Faculty Senate Resolution #04-21, the cycle for the Five-Year Unit Evaluations should be modified to fit the schedule of (combined undergraduate and graduate) program review (coordinated with external professional accreditation reports whenever possible). The Unit Evaluation would serve as a faculty comment on the unit’s self study, a response to the findings and recommendations of the review team, and would be used in the development of a unit response to the recommendations derived from the program review. 

 

For the purpose of this recommendation, a unit is defined in accordance with Appendix D of the East Carolina University Faculty Manual which states “academic units are defined as departments described in the codes of operation of professional schools, the departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, professional schools without departments, Academic Library Services, Health Sciences Library, and any other units in which faculty appointments are made. In the College of Arts and Sciences and in professional schools whose unit codes describe departmental structures, departmental chairs are the unit administrators.  In schools that do not have departments described in their unit codes, the dean of the school is the unit administrator.”

Disposition:  Chancellor

 

05-39 Resolution on Classroom Discussion on Alcohol

Whereas, students have complained about instructors either joking about student drinking, canceling classes or exams because of concern too many students will be hung over, or telling their own drinking stories, and

 

Whereas, 20% - 23% of ECU students report that they are either abstinent or non-drinkers and another 20% report that they are light drinkers(OtC Student Health Survey 2002, Core Inst. Student Survey 2004), and

 

Whereas, the majority of ECU students are enrolled in order to gain an education, and

 

Whereas, jokes about student drinking and canceling classes or exams promote drinking and insult the non-drinkers, and

 

Whereas, heavy problem drinking has caused serious harm to a number of students and one recent death, and

 

Whereas,  the Student Government Association has asked the Faculty Senate of East Carolina University to join with them in a request that the draft letter noted below be sent to all members of the faculty at the University. 

 

Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends that a letter be sent to all ECU faculty under the endorsement of the Faculty Senate and with the signature of either the Provost or the Chancellor.

Disposition:  Chancellor

 

05-40 Interpretation to the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix L.

Part B of Appendix L allows ALL permanently tenured faculty members, regardless of administrative appointments, leaves of absence, etc., to vote on the acceptability of the nominees. Hence, in the case of a search for a new department chair, a nominee would be considered acceptable if he or she gets the endorsement of a majority of all of the permanently tenured faculty in the department. The total number of permanently tenured faculty in the department includes any tenured departmental faculty on leave of absence (if present and voting) or on administrative assignment within or outside the department.   

 

Disposition:  Chancellor