Absent: C.W. Alderman, J. Bannon, L. Benefield, D. Bransby, W.R. Brawner, R. Brinker, D. Brinson, L. Colquitt, J. Heilman, D. Hendrix, J. Henton, G. Hill, D. Himelrick, J.N. Hool, J. Hung, C. Johnson, M. Kraska, F. Lawing, D. Lustig, A. Magg, J. Melville,J. Novak, C.M. Moriarty, R. Muntifering, L. Myers, J.C. Neidigh, D. Norris, J.T. Regan, R. Ripley, D. Rouse, R. Saba, S. Schneller, D. Shannon, W. Stegall, A.R. Tarrer, H. Thomas, H. Tippur, T. Tyson, D. Wilson
Absent (Substitute): S. Bentley (S. Downer), B. Burkhalter (J. Fletcher), B. DeMent (M. Jernigan), R.L. Evans, Jr. (R. Pearson), R. Gandy (M. Lisano), L. Katainen (T. Madrigal), L. Waters (R.A. Voitle)
Senate Chair Glen Howze called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.
The minutes of the previous senate meeting were approved as posted on the Senate web page.
Announcements:
a) Senate Chair: Glen Howze
The administration is in the process of appointing a search committee for the position of provost. Auburn faculty members have been asked to provide nominations for some of those committee positions. R. Kunkel (Dean, College of Education) will serve as committee chair. He will be joined by L. Waters (Dean of Agriculture), D. Wilson (VP Outreach), M. Bradbard (HDFS), J. Irwin (Electrical Engineering), and E. Richardson (Board Member). The committee needs representatives from those areas not already represented by a dean or department head. These areas include: liberal arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, architecture, business, nursing, forestry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, and the library. After today’s meeting, the members of the Rules Committee will meet briefly to set a time for another meeting to elect members to this committee. To make suggestions for nominations, please contact Howze, J. Heath (Senate Chair-elect), J. Weese (Senate Secretary) or M. Boosinger (Senate Secretary Elect.)
Drew Clark, chair of the Program Review Committee, could not make the meeting today however; he did tell Howze that the work of the committee is moving forward. The meetings of the Program Review Committee are now open and a schedule of those upcoming meeting can be found on the University Senate Web page Click here to go to the Page. Please attend if interested.
Within the next few weeks, the Rules Committee will be selecting a nominating committee for senate officers. Positions up for election are Chair-elect for senate and Secretary-elect for senate. As soon as the nominating committee is complete, Howze will e-mail senate members and ask that they share with the remaining faculty the names of people on the committee. If you have suggestions for Chair-elect, or Secretary-elect, please contact one of those nominating committee members. In addition, please be sure to contact the nominee as well. The nominating committee should be appointed by the end of the week. April 8, 1999, is the date of the election for these new officers.
At the March 9, 1999, meeting, the Senate will take nominations from the floor for new members of the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee is the "committee on committees." It selects nominees or persons to serve on all standing and ad hoc Senate committees. Members hold office for two years. The only requirement is that the candidate must be a senator at the time of election. The election for Rules Committee officers will be held at the April 9 senate meeting.
The Budget Committee, chaired by D. Large (Executive Vice-president), has started meeting and will meet regularly until a budget is formed. Please contact a committee member if you have suggestions.
All committee memberships are now published on the senate web page. Click Here.
The Faculty Salaries Committee will start meeting soon. This year, they will be looking into gender issues. Please contact a member if you have suggestions.
In closing, Howze expressed his concern over the negative publicity Auburn has received in regard to its athletic program. Howze stated that it is difficult to tell parents and students that (we) need to raise tuition while at the same time that (we) are canceling football games at the cost of $500,000. Howze is not sure of the actions being taken regarding this issue. He is aware that one argument has been made stating the athletic budget is separate and can not be touched. This propaganda is negative, said Howze, and embarrassing to our university.
b) Assistant Dean & Librarian: Sherida Downer
The library’s computer system has been upgraded to deal with both internal and Y2K problems. Downer announced that "Self renewal" has been added to the system in order to eliminate fines for faculty and staff. The addition will allow for entry of only three renewal periods (90 days each). For any renewal period exceeding the third, you will need to bring the item to the library. The renewal will take effect 90 days from the day that you entered the request on the computer, not 90 days from the current due date. Downer noted that the system is acting a bit slow, and to please be patient while the problems are worked out.
As part of the recent upgrade, web sites can be placed on reserve. Also, the library will not handle copyright issues unless they deal with journals for which the library subscribes (i.e., Ovid, Expanded Academic Index).
J. Heath (Chair-elect) asked if there is a fifteen-dollar late fee for lost books. Downer replied that there is a fifteen-dollar processing fee for all books that have not been returned following the initial courtesy notice, subsequent overdue notice and final notice. The fifteen-dollar fee is non-refundable and does not include the cost of the book. If the item is found after you have paid the total fine, you will only be reimbursed for the item.
Committee Reports:
a) Academic Standards: Dr. Sadik Tuzun
The Academic Standards Committee was charged by Christine Curtis (VP Academic Affairs) to review the University’s academic standards and to recommend appropriate changes resulting from the conversion to the semester system.
The committee members are: M. Cameron, J. Dane, C. J. Ellison, J. Fletcher, L. B. Gladden, L. Glaze, G. Hill, B. J. Liddle, R. D. Locy, S. L. Oswald, S. I. Spencer, S. Tuzun, W. Walker, JR. Wall, and R. Zee.
Following are the committee’s recommendations. All page references are to the 1998-99 Bulletin. In the majority of cases, the changes result from the mathematical conversion from quarter to semester hours. The most significant change relates to the adjustment in the suspension policy resulting from establishing the 120-semester hour limit as the minimum number of hours for graduation. Two issues, the resolution of the AU/AUM transfer and credit for correspondence courses, are still pending. Those recommendations will be made at a later date.
Before presenting the recommendations, Tuzun commented on an insert of recommendations to the Board by Dr. Muse at the January 22, 1999. The insert is as follows: "That students who are enrolled in the undergraduate division at AU or AUM and are in good academic standing on their campus may transfer to the other campus."
Tuzun explained that back in November 1998, the Board asked Walker to form a committee to look exclusively at this issue of transfer between campuses. The committee, comprised of faculty members and students from both campuses, did form and examined the details as to how to improve the integration of the two programs without changing the academic standards of either institution.
Following the Board of Trustees’ meeting, several people from AUM contacted Tuzun, expressing their concern over such a change. Tuzun met promptly with Provost Walker and President Muse to discuss the issue. Tuzun was quite pleased with Muse and Walker’s responsiveness and is happy to say that he recently received a letter from the AUM chancellor stating that the chancellor had received a letter from Muse explaining that the rule of free transfer has been changed. A final decision on the rule will be presented, as soon as, it is made by the joint AUM and Auburn Committee. Tuzun thanked President Muse and Provost Walker for their prompt actions.
A correction will be made to Item (1) listed on page 3 in Academic Suspension whereas the word semesterly will replace quarterly. The sentence will read, "(1) the semesterly GPA is below 2.2."
In terms of academic forgiveness discussed under Academic Suspension, Tuzun added that the following statement will most likely be included, "All students, whether beginning freshman or transfers, are not subject to academic suspension until they have received one semester of academic warning." Summer term is not included as a term for academic suspension or warning.
In regard to the section on Graduation (page 4), Tuzun stated that Auburn will only hold two commencement ceremonies, one at the end of spring semester and one at the end of fall. Students who fulfill graduation requirements at the end of summer term will be eligible to participate in the fall ceremony.
B. Felkey (Pharmacy) suggested inserting the word commencement in the last sentence, so as to read, "If a student does not plan to attend the commencement exercises, arrangements should be made with the dean or the Registrar to receive the degree in absentia."
H. Rotfeld (Marketing and Transportation) noted his approval of the change to 18 hours as a maximum full time course load, listed in the section Course Load (page 5, sentence 1). However, he is concerned with item (1). He feels that a 2.5 GPA requirement for students who wish to overload is too light. Rotfeld does not consider a 2.5 student gifted and believes that this type of screening could hurt the integrity and quality of Auburn’s academics.
Tuzun informed Rotfeld that he would bring this issue to the committee.
A vote on these recommendations will be on the March 9th Senate meeting agenda. In the meantime, please contact the committee if you have comments or suggestions.
Additional Announcement:
Muse apologized for being late and explained that he was in Birmingham with J. Prichett (Dean of Graduate School) to attend a meeting of the Alabama Minority Graduate Education program. This program is a consortium whose objective is to increase the enrollment and graduation of minorities in mathematical science and engineering in this state.
Muse will be appointing a search committee for the position of provost. He is currently working with Howze to ensure the obtainment of proper faculty representation. Provost Walker will continue to fulfill the responsibilities of the position until it is filled. Muse hopes to see the position filled by the start of next fall.
Provost Walker has issued a set of guidelines for the preparation in strategic planning in each of the priority program areas. A planning committee is to be appointed to identify the appropriate steps to be taken to enhance that program in the next five years.
Provost Walker and the various deans will be establishing a planning process for each of the restructuring proposals that have been approved by the trustees.
Lastly, Muse congratulated T. Boosinger (Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine) and the faculty in the School of Veterinary Medicine for achieving the full restoration of their accredited status. This accreditation called for a great deal of coordination and Muse is pleased with the success.
C. Bailey (Steering committee) asked Muse to comment on the issue of students transferring from AUM to AU. Why did the Commission make this insertion to their recommendations and how does he see it affecting the quality of academic standards on campus?
Muse said that the motivation behind this decision was to allow for freer movement of students between the campuses, and to permit a higher degree of interaction between the institutions. Muse has met with Provost Walker and Vice Chancellor for Academic & Stud. Affairs Dr. Roger Ritvo to discuss how this change might be best implemented. So far, two academic standards committees (one of those chaired by Tuzun) have met and come to some agreement.
C. Bailey then asked Muse to comment on the status of freshman enrollment. Although Muse could not provide actual figures, he believes that the application rate is greater than that of last year’s.
With regard to those programs that are candidates for merger or elimination, S. Tuzun asked Muse how the faculty members affected will decide which department will fit them best or which they will move to. Muse replied that each of these issues would be handled separately. He has asked Provost Walker to meet with each dean(s) affected to examine the issues and offer recommendations. Muse emphasized the need for discussion and input into this matter.
H. Rotfeld (Marketing and Transportation) asked Muse to comment on the past incident regarding and the Student Communications Board’s censorship of The Plainsman.
Muse stated that he believed this issue involved a situation of one group of students against another group of students. He said that Auburn is an institution whose primary business is learning, and perhaps there was some learning that could take place on both sides in regard to this incident.
Muse believes that this has occurred, and that a reasonable resolution has been made. Muse intends to appoint a special task force to examine the role and purpose of the communications board as well as what should be the editorial policy of The Plainsman.
c) Senate Ad-hoc Committee to Study Career Ladders for Non-tenure Track Faculty:
Dr. Jo Heath
Before discussing the Ad-hoc Committee Study of Career Ladders for Non-tenure Track Faculty, Heath discussed the Research Professor position. A proposal for the position was initiated and approved by the Senate in August 1997 and was then approved by President Muse.
Some ten months later, Muse wrote Howze a letter describing the changes that would be made to that proposal, as suggested by the Vice-president for Research. Those changes then made the new document quite inconsistent with the one the Senate had approved. Heath said (we) went to President Muse and objected. A negotiation procedure was then put in place.
G. Howze, J. Heath, M. Moriarty, and C. Curtis worked out the issue with Provost Walker as the mediator. The group met for many months and has come up with something that they feel is close enough to the original document.
The group focused on two main issues. The first dealt with protection from arbitrary dismissal so that the academic freedom of research professors would be protected. This type of protection was lost in the changes, therefore in order to compensate, the document now states that the research professor will have access to the grievance committee as well as an opportunity to employ the scientific misconduct procedure. Also, if a research faculty member’s contract is not renewed, he or she should be given a reason.
The other main focus dealt with the concern for erosion of tenure track positions. Originally, funding for the research professor position was supposed to be for contracts and grants. The phrase "or other designated funds" was subsequently added by C. Michael Moriarty’s office. The added phrase is so open-ended and states that any money can be used to fund those positions, including money intended for tenure track positions. Although this phrase still exists in the document, it now carefully defines those to be one of ten specific sources, none of which include taking money from tenure positions.
President Muse has approved this document and it is now headed to the Board.
D. Riegel (English) received a letter saying that this research professorship is being implemented. If so, why does the document have to go to the Board?
Howze stated that the research professorship is being implemented, but the document needs Board approval before it can be added to the handbook.
R. Gandy (Physics) said that it was his understanding that the document did not need board approval for implementation.
R. Henderson (Small Animal Surgery) asked if the document circulating regarding clinical professorships is different than the one on research professorships.
Howze said that the documents are different. The Senate has not seen the one for clinical professorships but he imagines that it will have to go to an ad-hoc committee for review. He believes that the document is similar to the one on research professorships.
Howze noted that there are 1,200 faculty on tenure track at Auburn, as well as 800 non-tenure track faculty. The research, clinical and auxiliary professorship series represent an attempt to provide some sort of rationality for the non-tenure track faculty.
Due to a mailing error, several Senators did not receive the Ad-hoc Committee’s proposal for Non-tenure Track Faculty. In order for senators to have time to review the document, Heath asked that the vote on its approval be postponed until the March Senate meeting.
G. Swanson (Past-chair) moved to postpone the vote. J. Cherry (Botany & Microbiology) seconded the movement. The motion to postpone a vote on the Ad-hoc Committee’s Proposal for Non-tenure Track Faculty carried by voice vote.
K. Alley mentioned the circulation of a document regarding a two-year plan of study for students who wish to finish before the semester transition and stated it was difficult to complete such a document.
Howze, along with the other senators, had no remarks concerning the document.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:20.