Minutes of the Auburn University Senate
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 3:30 pm
238 Broun Hall Auditorium
A full transcript is available for this meeting.
Attendance
Officers:
James Goldstein, Chair; Daniel Svyantek, Chair-Elect; Xing Ping Hu, Secretary; Donald Mulvaney, Secretary-Elect;
Administration
Gretchen VanValkenburg, VP, Alumni Affairs; John Mason, Research and Economic Development; Bonnie MacEwan, Dean of Libraries; Paul Patterson, College of Agriculture; Vini Nathan, Dean, College of Architecture, Design & Const.; June Henton, Dean, College of Human Sciences; Bobby Woodard, VP, Student Affairs
Ex-Officio
Timothy Boosinger, Provost; Lucretia Tripp, Steering Committee; Emily Myers, Steering Committee; Jared Russell, Steering Committee; Lisa Kensler, Steering Committee
Absent, sending substitute: Scott Enebak for Janaki Alavalapati, Dean, School of Forestry and Wildlife Science; Trey Fields for Jesse Westerhouse, SGA President; Elizabeth Leuore for Tenchi Smith, GSC President; Charleen Thomas for Althea Tate, Staff Council Chair; Lawrence Hamblin for Timothy Jones, A&P Assembly Chair;
Absent, not sending substitute: Larry Teeter, Immediate-Past Chair; Don Large, Executive VP; Jane Difolco Parker, VP, Development
Senators, by Department:
Robert Cochran, Accountancy; Anwar Ahmed, Aerospace Engineering; Michelle Worosz, Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology; Paul Brown, ACES; Rebecca O'Neal-Dagg, Architecture; Kathryn Floyd, Art; Cliff Defee, Aviation Management & Logistics; Bob Locy, Biological Sciences; Mark Dougherty, Biosystems Engineering; Mark Tatum, Building Sciences; Doug Goodwin, Chemistry; Cliff Lange, Civil Engineering; Ed Youngblood, Communication and Journalism; Allison Plumb, Communication Disorders; David Umphress, Computer Science & Software Engineering; Ann Beth Presley, Consumer & Design Sciences; Melody Russell, Curriculum & Teaching; Liliana Stern, Economics; Jung Won Hur, Educational Foundations, Leadership & Technology; James E. Ryan, English; David Held, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Justin Benefield, Finance; Rusty Wright, Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture; Traci O'Brian, Foreign Lang & Literatures; Ming-kuo Lee, Geology & Geography; Brent Fox, Health Outcomes and Research Policy; Monique Laney, History; Daniel Wells, Horticulture; Jerod Windham, Industrial Design; Andreas Kavazis, Kinesiology; Gregg Schmidt, Library; Alan Walker, Management; Dora Bock, Marketing; Dmitry Glotov, Mathematics and Statistics; Matthew Hoch, Music; David Crumbley, Nursing; Michael Greene, Nutrition, Dietetics, & Hospitality Mgmt.; Vicky van Santen, Pathobiology; Spencer Durham, Pharmacy Practice; Eric Marcus, Philosophy; Michael Fogle, Physics; Cathleen Erwin, Political Science; Ken Macklin, Poultry Science; Tracy Witte, Psychology; Marilyn Cornish, Special Ed. Rehabilitation Counseling/School Psych; Jeff Welborn, Lieutenant Colonel, ROTC Air Force; Roshun Steele, Maj., ROTC Army; Kristrina (Kriste) Shuler, Socio/Anthro/Social Work; Annette Smith, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Adrienne Wilson (theatre)
Absent, sending substitute: Gerry Davis for Mark Schall, Industrial and Systems Engineering; Amy Chitwood for Chippewa Thomas, Outreach; Captain, Willie Billingslea, ROTC Naval
Absent, not sending substitute: Dean Schwartz, Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology; Werner Bergen, Animal Science; Allan E. David, Chemical Engineering; Charles Chen, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences; Forest Smith, Drug Discovery and Development; Michael Baginski, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Latif Kalin, Forestry & Wildlife Science; Tom Smith, Human Development & Family Studies; Daniel Mackowski, Mechanical Engineering;
Minutes
Senate Chair James Goldstein called to Order, introduced Officers, and established a Quorum visually. He reminded the members of the senate to sign in in the back of the room and the rules of attendance and the rules for speaking at Senate meetings.
The minutes for meeting of November 15, 2016 were approved without modifications.
Remarks and Announcements
Office of the President: Jay Gogue, President
News on Trustees: There will be 3 new spots open for the Board of Trustees (BOT). Two created by the amendment voted in the general election last fall and one as a re-appointment. The committee is reviewing candidates and will make recommendations to the legislature by Feb 7.
News on Facilities: There are 3 facilities projects pending final approval at the next BOT meeting.
News on High Education Trust Fund: Will see a slight increase this year
Questions: None
Office of the Provost: Timothy Boosinger, Provost
P&T committee: Will be meeting soon and will have decisions to candidates in Feb, but not public until later.
Provost funded Professional Leave: The Provost encouraged people to consider professional improvement (sabbatical) leave. The process starts in Nov and most (80-90%) applications are approved.
There is an Interim Dean of Enrollment search now and will have someone appointed in March.
Questions:
Michelle Worosz (Senator from Ag Econ/Rural Soc.): What is the status of a study being conducted relating to compensation for women faculty?
Dr. Boosinger responded that the administration hired a consultant to make recommendations, but that they had not yet been acted on.
University Senate Chair: James Goldstein
Candidates for Senate officers will be announced at the Feb meeting. The Senate will post information about the candidates on the Senate’s webpage. The Rules Committee will meet soon to select Senate representatives for the Alumni Association Award Committee. He reviewed a change to the Faculty Handbook (3.6.5.C.c.e, Policy and Procedure for Promotion and Tenure). This change is being made so that the language of the handbook regarding external letters for candidates for tenure and promotion to associate professor will match existing practices. Since it is already standing practice in every college and school, there is no need for a Senate vote. The change was recommended by the Senate leadership with the approval of the FHRC and has already been approved by the administration. As a change to chapter 3 of the handbook, it will require approval by the BOT.
The proposed change can be reviewed at the agenda page:
External Letters (Word)
Pending Action Item
Revisions to University Senate Constitution
Presenter: Ralph Kingston, Chair, Faculty Handbook Review Committee
Dr. Kingston outlined places in the faculty constitution where (Article 2, 3 and 4) the languages are recommended for updating. Those specific sections are available in his presentation for review. There will be a change to the faculty constitution (primarily updating language) for a vote at the Feb meeting.
Article 2 and Article 4, proposed amendments to Senate Constitution (Word)
Article 3 and Article 4, proposed amendments to Senate Constitution (Word)
Information Items
1. Summer Fringe Benefits
Presenter: David Held, Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Summer Fringe Benefits
Dr. Held reviewed the background of this issue, explained why it is important to be looked at, reported that the Committee concluded that fringe rates are appropriate because university budgets are annualized and costs must be paid, but the communication about the change to a pooled fringe rate was poorly handled. Pooled fringe rate is the best policy but with impacts on 9 month faculty with funding for summer salary, and suggested that a change in the summer fringe rate may improve faculty morale and incentivize research/scholarship.
Report on Summer Fringe Benefits (Word)
Presentation of Summer Fringe Benefits (ppt)
2. This is Research
Presenter: Jennifer Kerpelman, Associate Dean for Research, College of Human Sciences; Steven Taylor, Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering; Lorraine Wolf, Director of Undergraduate Research
There will be a student symposium April 13. The deadline for abstract submission is Feb 17. There also will be a faculty symposium in the fall (Sept 22) with the location TBD. This is Research will feature a student symposium on April 13th and a faculty symposium on September 22nd. The deadlines for abstract submissions and judge volunteering can be found at www.auburn.edu/thisisresearch.
Presentation This is Research (ppt)
3. Spirit of Sustainability Award
Presenter: Jennifer Morse, Office of Sustainability
Applications for the Spirit of Sustainability awards are due Jan 31. This award is to recognize individuals or groups that exemplify the Auburn spirit by contributing significantly to sustainability on campus or in a community at any point along the Sustainability Compass. Faculty, alumni, students and staff are encouraged to nominate or self-nominate. Search for sustainability award on the AU homepage for more details.
Award Nominations (ppt)
4. Alabama Higher Education Partnership
Presenter: Gordon Stone, Executive Director, Higher Education Partnership
Gordon Stone spoke about the partnership and what it does. He encouraged faculty to participate by becoming members ($12 annually) and by participating in the Higher Education Day events on Feb 23.
Unfinished Business: James Goldstein, Senate Chair
New Business: James Goldstein, Senate Chair
Adjournment at 4:17 pm