AUBURN
UNIVERSITY GENERAL FACULTY MEETING
Agenda for
March 13, 2001
3:00 Telfair
Peet Theatre
Approval of Minutes (See
Minutes on the Senate Home Page at
www.auburn.edu/administration/governance/senate/schedule.html
Announcements:
a. President’s Office: President William Walker
b.
Senate Chair: Dr. Bruce Gladden
Election of Senate officers:
Candidates:
Chair-elect
- Barbara Struempler, Nutrition and Food Sciences
Chair-elect
- Mike Watkins, Philosophy
Secretary-elect
– Donna Bohanan, History
Secretary-elect
- Renee Middleton, Counseling/Counseling Psychology
Resolution: Vote of No Confidence in
the AU Board of Trustees
Resolution: Form a Joint Assessment
Committee to plan Board evaluation
Farewell Address: Bruce Gladden
Presentation of Academic
Freedom Award by the AAUP: George Crandell
Announcement of Election
Results: Bruce Gladden
Adjournment:
Resolution
of NO CONFIDENCE
in
the Board of Trustees of Auburn University
March 13, 2001
Whereas, The Board of Trustees has consistently failed to consult with and/or take into account the opinions of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Auburn University over the course of the last decade on issues ranging from the allocation of resources through the appointment of Trustees representing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and gender/ethnicity; and
Whereas,
the Auburn University Board of Trustees and the Governor of the State, continue
to make a mockery of the efforts of students, faculty, staff, alumni and
citizens of Alabama to open the Board to new inputs from those not representing
the perspectives of the men who control the Board; and
Whereas,
these same individuals persist in pursuing their self-serving agendas for
Auburn University which will inevitably result in the weakening of its academic
reputation and insist on discrediting those within and without Auburn
University who disagree with or oppose their views; and
Whereas,
the principles of shared governance at Auburn University have eroded, perhaps
irreparably, in the last few years,
Therefore
be it resolved that the University Faculty expresses its lack of trust and
confidence in the Governor and other voting members of the Auburn University
Board of Trustees.
Resolution
(concerning appointment of a Joint Assessment
Committee)
Preamble. Auburn University is in the midst of an overall
general accreditation review by the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS), a process that will conclude in 2003. Should Auburn fail accreditation renewal, grave consequences
would result, including loss of massive amounts of federal funding, and loss of
prestige. SACS Criteria for Accreditation, Section VI, and specifically Article
6.1.2 requires that, “there must (SACS’ emphasis) be a clear distinction, in writing and in
practice, between the policy-making functions of the governing board and the
responsibility of the administration and faculty to administer and implement
policy.” Should SACS find that Article 6.1.2 has been violated, the Board
will have placed renewal of Auburn’s accreditation in grave jeopardy. (As an
historical precedent, it should be noted that in 1941, “irregularities and
incidences of outside interference into academic activities” in the Georgia
University System in fact did lead to the loss of SACS accreditation.)
Consequently, with genuine concern for the long-term best interests of Auburn
University, in fairness, and with good will for all parties, we offer the
following course of action as a constructive step forward.
WHEREAS there exists a widespread
perceived lack of institutional leadership and inappropriate governance by the
Board of Trustees of Auburn University, as demonstrated by a large majority of
the Auburn stakeholders (faculty, staff, administrative and professional
personnel, and students) voting “no-confidence” in the Board, this resolution
hereby requests that the following actions be taken promptly by joint action of
the Board of Trustees and the University Senate Officers:
Appointment of
a Joint Assessment Committee to Study the Feasibility of an External, Objective, and Independent
Assessment of the Board's Performance
Given the current state of
the relationship between the Board and the stakeholders, an objective,
independent assessment of the Board's performance by an outside agency or group
is needed. The Joint Assessment Committee (JAC) will study the merits and
mechanisms of such an assessment and report its conclusions and plan of action
to the University Senate and the Board of Trustees by April 6th, the
date of the next Board meeting. The JAC will determine suitable choices of
groups or agencies to perform the assessment, draft the charge to the group or
agency, and define specific tasks and deadlines. The membership of the JAC
shall be composed of the University Senate Chair, a Past-Chair of the
University Senate, the President of the Alumni Association, one Board of
Trustees member, the Chair of the AU Staff Council, a representative of the AU
administration, and the President of the SGA.
We believe it vital to the SACS accreditation process for the Board to be able to show clear evidence during next year’s SACS self-study that there have been changes enacted in its present operating attitude and format. An external assessment may provide meaningful benchmarks and evidence to SACS that the Board is in compliance with SACS guidelines. Should the Board choose not to accept the procedure outlined here, the stakeholders of the university must assume a position of immense care and responsibility by bringing further national attention to the Board's governing performance by whatever means appropriate in order to bring about the necessary changes in the Board, and if necessary, its composition.