The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday,
February 3, 2003 in the South Room of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Johnson
called the sixth meeting of the academic year to order at 3:30 p.m.
Jim Clark, Vice President, Government Relations; David D. Gale, Dean, College
of Health Sciences; Stephen Haggerty, Department of Communication; Mary J.
Hall, Student Government Association; Ken Johnston, Vice President, Financial
Affairs; Marlow T. Marchant, Department of Technology; Matt Schumacher, Student
Government Association; Aaron Thompson, Vice President, Enrollment Management;
Elizabeth Wachtel, Vice President, Academic Affairs; and Doug Whitlock, Vice
President, Administrative Affairs.
APPROVAL
OF THE MINUTES:
The January 13, 2003 minutes were approved as written.
REPORT
FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Glasser
Senator
Glasser reported that the legislature begins deliberations tomorrow (February
4, 2003) on a budget for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She presented testimony
last week along with other university presidents of the public institutions
before the House A & R Subcommittee. They were asked to respond to
what a proposed 9% cut across the board would do to their institutions.
The Presidents that were present reported about the negative impact it
would have not only on the faculty, but the students and staff as well.
The impact would not be only short-term and immediate, but would have
long-term effects on the strives and achievements made under House Bill
1.
She
spoke in particular on the impact it would have on our programs, such
as:
- the
possibility of enlarged class sizes,
- courses
could not be offered,
- longer
graduation time for students,
- the
possibility of losing programs,
- the
difficulty it would have on being able to recruit and retain outstanding
faculty,
- the
negative impact on scholarship funding, and
- the
impact it would have on our technology, maintenance, and infrastructure.
Most
institutions talked about passing any further budget cuts onto their students
in terms of tuition increase. Six of the eight talked about the possibility
of raising tuition above and beyond what had been recommended at this
point to their respective boards. Senator Glasser responded that this
would be a last recourse for EKU. A 9.4% tuition increase has already
been approved and she feels that our students could not bear the burden
of any additional tuition increase.
Senator
Glasser does not think a 9% budget cut is realistic. She feels the House
A & R Subcommittee is supportive of education at all levels, not only
postsecondary education, but K-12 as well. She, in her testimony, also
stated that she felt K-12 and postsecondary education were "joined
at the hip." If they continue to cut K-12, by the time those students
go to college, there will be a great deal of remedial and developmental
work that would need to be done. We are not solving the problem at the
earliest possible entry level.
Governor
Patton will be presenting a budget to the General Assembly Wednesday night
during the Governor’s Address. Senator Glasser has been told
that he will be recommending a tax increase, but does not know the specifics
at this time. The University Presidents were asked to be supportive of
the tax increase. Senator Glasser feels we need to enlarge our revenue
base. We cannot continue to contemplate balancing the budget in the Commonwealth
by any further cuts. Those institutions that have already sustained cuts
cannot continue to do so. The General Assembly begins its official budget
deliberations tomorrow. She plans to attend and monitor these deliberations
and will keep EKU apprised of the situation. She also hopes there will
be some bipartisan support for what the Governor is going to recommend.
Her recommendation to EKU is to stay the course. She feels we have planned
for a potential cut and that we have pro-actively begun to plan for a
budget reduction this year.
Senator
Glasser reported that she attended and participated in a press conference
in Somerset with Congressman Hal Rodgers, along with Pam Collins and Kay
Scarborough from the College of Justice and Safety. Congressman Rodgers
announced today that he has secured a $15 million grant for EKU for funding
to address safety and justice issues in Eastern Kentucky. All federal,
state, and local law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel are going
to be able to seamlessly communicate statewide. It will enhance law enforcement
services that we provide in Kentucky. The Congressman shared with Senator
Glasser that he looked forward to other possible opportunities to partner
with EKU. He very much appreciated the expertise our faculty brought,
not only in Kentucky, but on the national/international forefront. Very
good news for EKU.
We
were also able to secure a $1.3 million grant this past week from the
new economy and business initiatives to operate a statewide justice and
safety initiative in South East Kentucky. She looks forward to the grant
reoccurring and supporting a lot of the initiatives EKU will be providing
in the future.
Senator
Glasser clarified an issue that seems to be causing a lot of debate
on campus in regard to the Snow/Inclement Weather Policy. She explained
the process to determine whether to delay or cancel classes. The process
starts at approximately 4:30 a.m. She receives a call from the State Police
and EKU Facility Services who are giving dual reports regarding traffic
conditions on I-75 and secondary road conditions. Two-thirds of our students
do not live on campus. The majority of our students, faculty, and staff
commute and do not live within a 2-mile radius of campus. Most of these
roads are not easily traversed. EKU’s Facility Services are working
around the clock and are relaying to her parking lot and sidewalk conditions
for the campus in inclement weather. A decision needs to be made between
5:00-5:15 a.m. at the latest in order to get the announcement to the television
& radio stations by 6:00 a.m. She is very conscious of the academic
scheduling of the classes that only meets once or twice a week, particularly
the evening classes; but, she also has to keep in mind that the evening
classes are mostly commuter students that sometimes travel a great distance.
While the conditions may be good in Richmond, they may not be so in Lexington,
Corbin, Manchester, Somerset, etc. where these students are coming from.
The three immediate ways you can get the delay and cancellation notice
before it appears on the television and/or radio stations are:
-
by
going to EKU’s Home Page and clicking on the Inclement Weather
notice;
-
by
calling EKU’s Weather Alert Phone number at 622-2239 (622-BADWeather);
or
-
by
listening to the WEKU radio station.
STATUS
OF SEARCHES.
Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost - Dr.
Jaleh Rezaie is chairing the committee alone while Dr. Gary Cordner is away.
They have begun screening applicants and plan to narrow the applicants down
to 12 within the next week or so. They are expected to start making preliminary
calls by doing phone interviews, reference checks, etc. There is a very good
pool of applicants in number, range, and diversity. The position is expected
to be filled and the person to begin by July 1.
Vice
President for Advancement - Ms. Kerrie Moberly is chair of this committee.
A large variety of applications have started coming in and they anticipate
the screening of applicants to begin within this week or next week. Start
date will be determined once the position is filled.
Athletic
Director - The search continues to move along and has been narrowed
to 10-12 applicants.
Dean,
College of Justice & Safety - Senator Hart stated they are down
to a workable number and look to bring candidates to the campus in
the near future.
Finalists
for all positions listed will be brought to campus to meet with faculty/staff/students.
The
Board of Regents will meet Saturday, February 8, at Arlington. The meeting
is open for anyone who would like to attend. There will be a Foundation
Board Meeting after the Board of Regents meeting, which is also open for
anyone who would like to attend. Following the Foundation Board Meeting
will be the tribute to Roy Kidd in the Keen Johnson Ballroom. All proceeds
will go to establishing a scholarship in his name.
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE CHAIR’S REPORT: Senator Milde (for Senator Johnson)
Senator
Milde reported that the Executive Committee met on January 27, 2003. Reports
from the standing committee liaisons were made. Senator Wasicsko reported
for the CAA. The Executive Committee discussed a request from Senator Smith
concerning a motion about honorary degrees. Senator Smith has since withdrawn
the request and the agenda was set for this meeting.
Senator
Milde reminded everyone that the University Strategic Planning Committee
is seeking volunteers for focus groups on Friday, February 14. Six to seven
faculty are still needed. Please pass the information along to your respective
departments.
FACULTY
REGENT’S REPORT: Senator Schlomann
Senator
Schlomann reported that the Regent's meeting had been postponed to Saturday,
February 8.
REPORT
FROM COSFL: Senator Siegel
Senator
Siegel reported that COSFL will meet Saturday, February 8. There are plans
to meet with Tom Layzell, CPE President, at a future date.
REPORT
FROM STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: Mary J. Hall
Ms. Hall reported
that their constitution review should be completed soon and will probably
be on the March Council on Student Affairs agenda and the April or May Board
of Regents agenda. They are also reviewing the bylaws for each branch to
make sure that next year's process will run smoother, that all three branches
are equal, and that there are more similarities between the branches.
SGA is participating
in the student organization presidents' luncheon that the Council on Student
Affairs holds each Thursday. The luncheon has been quite effective in getting
ideas and concerns from students. Ms. Hall asked the senators to encourage
student organization presidents to attend the luncheon.
There is still
money available for student organizations. Interested organizations need
to pick up a revised application, as well as an information packet, and
return by March 11. This is a good opportunity for recruitment and retention
purposes.
On March 3,
SGA will be involved in a community service event for America’s Promise.
There will be characters from Dr. Seuss. Readers will consist of students,
people from the community, and EKU administrators, faculty, and staff.
SGA will be
holding an election/recruitment campaign to make students aware of which
student government positions do what responsibilities. If you would like
to participate in this event, please let an SGA member know.
SGA will be
hosting a spotlight day at extended campuses in order to assist students
who transfer from a community college. It has been a concern that these
students do not have a proper transition to the University. Ms. Hall explained
that while there is an EKU on-campus day for transfer students, there isn't
an extended campus site transfer day. If you know of transfer students that
need help, have them contact the SGA office.
The Residence
Life Center (RLC) will hold elections tomorrow to fill vacant positions.
The Student Activities Council has already filled their vacant positions.
Ms. Hall reminded everyone that the President’s Ball will be on Friday,
February 21.
Spring Fling
is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8. Students from Model and St. Mark Elementary
are invited to attend. SGA will be spotlighting international student programs
as well as the University Diversity Office. Currently, there are 10 tables
scheduled from different cultures around the world. There will also be several
games available, and each person will receive a "passport" which will be
punched at each booth. Call or email Ms. Hall if you would like to participate.
COMMITTEE
REPORTS:
Budget Committee. Senator
Wade reported that the committee has met once since the last Senate meeting.
The following issues were discussed.
• The
use of social security numbers on campus. This issue was directed to
the Faculty Welfare Committee.
• The
proposal to take the $5 that faculty advisors receive for advising (which
amounts to approximately $60,000). It was discovered that the money
may have already been used elsewhere. He will continue to follow-up
on this.
• Flow
of information in the Banner system (regarding indirect costs which
are slow to come into the departmental budgets and regarding the cuts
that were made last August which reflected slowly as well). The Budget
Committee will be hosting a budget forum on Tuesday, February 11 in
the Teaching and Learning Center at 3:30 p.m. Vice President Johnston
and Interim Provost Wasicsko will be present to answer questions about
the budget and provide information to the University community.
Senator Callahan
mentioned that she had been informed the federal government had cut her
consulting fee down to match her hourly wage instead of the amount she normally
received, which reduced her grant from the principal investigator by $30,000.
Senator Wade indicated that the Budget Committee was unaware of the consulting
fee reduction and would check into the matter further.
Rights and Responsibilities Committee. Senator Gillaspie
reported that the committee had not met. Senator Callahan asked the committee
members present to meet immediately following the Senate meeting.
Committee
on Committees: Senator Wolf reported that a letter will be sent to each
faculty member asking them to self-nominate if they are interested in serving
on a University standing committee. She asked that the senators pass this
information on to their colleagues.
Faculty
Welfare Committee: - Senator Rahimzadeh was selected to serve as chair.
He reported that the social security numbers issue, which was given to the
committee by the Budget Committee, will be discussed at the next meeting.
REPORTS
FROM AD HOC COMMITTEES
Plus/Minus
Grading: Senator Fisher reported that the committee has received funding
to cover the cost for the surveys.
NEW
BUSINESS:
Council on Academic Affairs Report: Senator Hart reported for Senator
Wasicsko. The following curriculum changes were submitted:
Senator Hart
moved to approve the curriculum changes as a group, seconded by Senator
Siegel. The motion passed.
- The Course
by Special Arrangement proposal was presented for informational
purposes only. It will be going before the next Council on Academic
Affairs meeting. Senator M. Yoder asked for discussion. Some questions
raised concerning the course by special arrangement were:
- Is the
course to be treated similar to an independent study?
- Where
does the $100 fee go?
- Where
does the student fall if the class is canceled due to lack of enrollment?
- Would
it be appropriate to add language to reflect the $100 fee?
Extended
Medical Leave Policy - Vice President Ken Johnston reported that EKU
is updating the FMLA (Federal Medical Leave Act) to address inconsistencies.
It is for the period of time that exceeds the 12 weeks FMLA leave. Vice
President Johnston briefly explained the eligibility requirements, how the
leave is computed, the benefits received while on extended medical leave,
the procedure in reporting extended medical leave, and the procedure in
returning to work.
Questions were
raised regarding the differences in the old policy and the proposed policy,
if the proposal had been approved by legal counsel (especially regarding
termination references on the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3), and
the job protection available beyond the 12 weeks provided by FMLA. Vice
President Johnston described the differences as the requirement that an
employee must have worked at least one year before the leave and the period
of time in which the University provided benefits would be applicable. He
also indicated that the university attorney had approved the proposal. An
employee would receive payment for any accrued vacation and/or sick leave.
However, they would not receive compensation for time they did not have.
Vice President
Johnston stated that the proposal may be brought back to the Faculty Senate
at the Senate’s request.
University
Diversity Committee Report (Information item only) - Senator
Miranda reported that the committee made a recommendation to create a Diversity
Office with a staff person responsible for handling routine recruitment
and retention issues. President Glasser has restructured Multicultural Student
Services to create the new University Diversity Office which is now located
in the Student Services Building.
Senator Miranda
informed the Senate that an EKU Campus Climate Survey is now available for
completion on the web. She asked the senators to encourage faculty, staff,
and students to complete the on-line survey. The deadline is March 1. The
Colleges, Human Resources, Student Affairs, and other University Committees
will be able to benefit from the data gathered from the survey.
The Committee
is structuring the following three subcommittees: Education & Awareness,
Administration & Policy, and Recruitment & Retention.
The Recruitment
& Retention Subcommittee was involved in creating and negotiating the
EKU Campus Climate Survey.
As of January
24, 677 students, 205 faculty, and 428 staff had completed the survey.
OTHER ITEMS:
Strategic
Planning - Senator Koppes announced that there will be a strategic
planning meeting on Friday, February 7, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in the
Perkins Building. There will be eight different focus groups of 8-10 people
in each group. The Training Resource Center will provide facilitators, each
group will work independently, groups will consist of external and internal
persons, and there will be a buffet dinner for participants. Please inform
Senator Koppes or Senator Johnson if you can attend.
The committee
will be sending out a short survey via email and paper copies asking for
input on values that drive our community, factual and ideas. Please encourage
your colleagues to respond.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
Meetings