Visitors to the Senate: Ken Johnston, Finance; Cassondra Kirby, The Eastern Progress; Aaron Thompson, Enrollment Management; and Doug Whitlock, Administrative Affairs.

• Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs - Dr. Gary Cordner and Dr. Jaleh Rezaie are serving as co-Chairs for the search committee for a permanent Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs. The committee is to make a recommendation of 3-5 candidates to bring to campus by early spring and have the position filled by July 1, 2003.
• Vice President for Advancement - A most important position as we have to look at alternative sources of resource development on our campus as the state funding will continue to diminish. We need to look at a capital campaign, ways to increase private support, grants & contracts, and alumni support. Kerrie Moberly will chair the search committee which includes faculty foundation alumni and staff support for a permanent Vice President for Advancement. The committee is to make a recommendation of 3-5 candidates to bring to campus with plans to fill the position immediately.
• Athletic Director - The committee is to make a recommendation of 3-5 candidates to bring to campus with plans to fill the position immediately. Jack Lengyel, our Interim Athletic Director, has agreed to stay through basketball season.
• Our new Vice President for Student Affairs, Jim Conneely, will be starting his new position February 18. Dr. Conneely comes from the University of Arkansas with tremendous student affairs experience.

• How is the institution dealing with the reduction in the state workforce? All vacant positions are being reviewed due to retirement or resignation of faculty and staff support. In addition, the University has provided a one-year option for the Retirement Transition Program to encourage faculty to consider earlier retirement, as well as other ways to reduce and keep our workforce costs in line.
  
  
• How will the institution handle the moratorium on personal service contracts? Only personal service contracts that are funded by Grants & Contracts which have the effect of saving institutional funds through documented economies and contracts which are essential to the operation of the institution for which the institution has no suitable personnel resources will be submitted.€ How will the institution reduce the cost of its motor pool? The institution is already in the process of reducing our motor pool costs.
  
• How will the institution reduce its utility costs? Encourage faculty, staff, and students to turn off computers and lights when they are not in use. Also, the institution is monitoring the thermostat settings by using our energy conservation-based system.
• How will the institution reduce state travel expenses? The cabinet has been instructed to scrutinize all out of state travel expenses that are beneficial to the institution-attend the closer conference and drive when possible.
• How will the institution reduce its printing costs?
• How will the institution reduce the cost of equipment & furniture? All vice presidents and directors have been asked to hold off purchasing any new equipment and furniture unless it is essential to the operation of the area. Also, the sale of surplus property.
  
  The Strategic Planning Process is moving forward under the outstanding leadership of Dr. Laura Koppes. At this time, the Strategic Plan is Senator Glasser's number one priority. EKU must have a strategic plan in place to link with budgeting and that will provide a roadmap for the future of the University in terms of priorities for the next three-five years.

Foundation Professor: Dr. Jerry Cook, Professor of Physics with the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been named the Foundation Professor for 2003-2005.

2003 Degree Program Eligibility: The 2003 Degree Program Eligibility comes under the authority of the Kentucky Desegregation Plan of which EKU is in voluntary compliance. The Kentucky State Legislature has created a law which gives the Committee on Equal Opportunities, which is a part of the CPE and serves in an advisory capacity to the CPE, the ability to recommend approval of new programs for those institutions who are in compliance. CPE may withhold approval of new academic programs if an institution fails to make continuous improvement in the implementation of its equal opportunity objectives. The Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Office of Civil Rights have entered into a partnership agreement. EKU and the other universities in the state are covered by the partnership agreement.

According to the data collected from 2000-2001, EKU did not meet a few of the goals and is not permitted to start any new degree programs. However, we can apply for a waiver from the EEO Committee of the CPE if we can show extraordinary circumstances for any new program and the number of minority students that would be enrolled in the program.

Three areas that EKU is not in compliance with are minority retention, graduation rate of minorities (defined as Kentucky resident African-American students), and minority faculty hires (defined as African-Americans).

Senator Glasser will be working closely with the Deans and Chairs to aggressively seek minority faculty and will continue to work with Dr. Aaron Thompson in his efforts in student affairs in retention of minority students for the future.

President's Ball: The second President's Ball has been scheduled for Friday, February 21, 8-12 pm in the Keen Johnson Ballroom hosted by the Student Senate.

Arson on Campus: On January 9th and 12th, small fires were set at Commonwealth Hall. This is a serious felony charge and the University has authorized a $1500 reward for the arrest and indictment of individual(s) involved in the arson. Senator Glasser will meet with the residents of Commonwealth Hall, along with the State Fire Marshal, State Police, and members of the Richmond Fire and Police Departments to explain the seriousness of these events and also to explain to our students what they should do in the event of a fire.

Effective immediately Senator Glasser has instituted a photo identification security system in all residence halls on campus. A photo ID must be presented upon entering a residence hall and picked up when leaving. A campus-wide e-mail was sent notifying the campus community of the new security system.

REPORT FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR: Senator Johnson

Senator Johnson reported that the Executive Committee met on December 9, 2002. The Committee accepted reports from liaisons of the standing committees. It was also decided the Executive Committee will meet Monday, January 27 and February 24, 2003.

Senator Johnson reported that most Universities have a Vice Chair for the Faculty Senate. It was decided that the Rules Committee be given the charge to check with our benchmark universities to see who had Vice Chairs and what process they used in selecting a Vice Chair.
He announced that the search committee for the new provost has begun.

As a reminder, please bring a hard copy of any Senate reports to Sheila Adkins at the time of the report.

REPORT FROM COSFL: Senator Smith reported for Senator Siegel
Senator Smith reported that COSFL met November 18, 2002, at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education in Frankfort to interview the two finalists for CPE President. Senators Smith and Siegel attended the meeting along with Senator Freed who participated as CPE's faculty member representative.

All Kentucky public universities were represented at the meeting. COSFL's recommendations were reported to and were considered by the CPE in the selection of Mr. Tom Layzell as the new CPE President.