AU Senate
November 14, 2023
Minutes
Meeting called to order at 3:30 p.m.
All senators in attendance reminded that they must participate in the canvas quorum poll (this is equivalent to the sign-in sheet during in-person meetings).
Vote1 to identify quorum. A quorum was established with 59 respondents.
AU Senate Chair: Lisa Kensler
Opening remarks regarding expectations of meeting.
Approval of minutes from October 17, 2023. Requested body to identify any changes. None noted.
Minutes approved with no corrections and unanimous consent.
Action Items
Chair shared procedures for all to hear. Stated Senate Rules, Steering, and Executive Committees are working to ensure all Senators and attendees receive AU Senate expectations.
1. Action item brought forward from Senate to Faculty Handbook Committee.
Presenter: Mitchell Brown, Faculty Handbook Committee. Senate previously passed changes to handbook, but there was not consensus in Faculty Handbook committee to move forward to administration with current changes. History: In June, this proposal change was approved and sent to Faculty Handbook Committee.
Today, a motion to recommit the Teaching Track Series back to the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee. Motion seconded. Motion highlighted Teaching Professor Line and seeks to define non-tenure role. A goal when recommitted to Non-Tenure Tracy Faculty Committee would allow more discussion at the implementation.
Debate opened.
Point of order identified to keep conversations focused on whether or not to send
forward to Non-Tenure Track Committee.
Question made re: what will happen if this goes back to committee. If motion approved, Provost Nathan addressed the plan if moved to administration to address implementation as a future goal to implement this motion.
Vote2: Motion to suspend rules of debate allowing non-Senator to contribute for debate of motions in November, 2023 meeting.
Vote for Motion passed 51 yes, 16 no, 4 abstain.
PASSES- Rules Suspended
Vote3 to Recommit Teaching Track Faculty Proposal back to Non-Tenure Track Committee.
Vote for Motion passed 36 yes, 32 no, 5 abstain.
PASSES- Returned to Non-Tenure Track Committee
2. Action item - Liliana Stern, Senator Economics Department- Addressed concerns related to disparities between faculty and non-faculty raises and compensations. Motion: There shall be an [Friendly amendment 1-23-24 remove administrative item with information item] information item and robust debate concerning raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty. Motion seconded.
Information requested of Dr. Roberts. President Roberts vocalized conversation of raises based on merit, roles, market adjustments, promotions, and endowments. Stressed the significance of people within Auburn university and leadership responsibilities.
Amended Motion and Seconded.
Vote4a deleted since no discussion allowed.
Vote4b to amend Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee further investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty and present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Amendment to Motion passed 44 yes, 16 no, 0 abstain.
Vote5 to amend Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee broadly investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty compensation overall and present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Amendment passed 49 yes, 17 no, 2 abstain.
PASSES- Amendment Accepted.
Vote6 on Motion: The Senate Requests that the Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee further broadly investigate the raises and increases in compensation for administrators and staff versus the faculty and faculty compensation overall and then present at a future Senate Meeting.
Vote for Motion passed 42 yes, 15 no, 3 abstain.
PASSES- Will move to Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee.
Information Items Tabled until January 2024
Lisa Kensler, Senate Chair, adjourned the meeting at 5:21 p.m.
Senate Meeting Attendance – November 2023
Senate Officers
Lisa Kensler Chair
Lori Eckhardt Chair-elect
Linda Gibson-Young Secretary
Jaena Alabi Secretary-elect
Mark Carpenter Immediate Past-Chair
Administration
Kelli Shomaker VP for Bus & Fin & CFO
Paul Patterson Dean, College of Agriculture
Herbert Jack Rotfeld sub for George Flowers Dean, Graduate School
Bobby Woodard SVP for Student Affairs
Jason Hicks Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Allan David sub for Mario Eden Dean, College of Engineering
Allen Landers sub for Ed Thomas Dean, COSAM
Joffrey Gaymon VP Enrollment Mgmt.
Calvin Johnson Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
Ex-Officio Members
Vini Nathan Interim Provost
Shali Zhang Dean of Libraries
Evelyn Hunter Steering Committee
Daniela Werner sub for Octavia Tripp Steering Committee
Robert Cochran Steering Committee
J Brian Anderson Steering Committee
Senators by Departments
Xu (Joyce) Cheng Accountancy
Roy Hartfield Aerospace Engineering
Valentina Hartarsk Ag Economics & Rural Sociology
Mary (Molly) Gregg ACES
Jacek Wower Animal Sciences
Vinicia Biancardi Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology
Kevin Moore Architecture
Lauren Woods Art
James Birdsong Aviation
Rebecca Riggs Biological Sciences
David Blersch Biosystems Engineering
Jeff Kim Building Sciences
Elizabeth Lipke Chemical Engineering
Wei Zhan Chemistry
Kevin Smith Communication and Journalism
Sanjeev Baskiyar Computer Science & Software Engineering
David Han Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Christine (Chris) Schnittka Curriculum & Teaching
Amit Mitra sub for Murali Dhanasekaran Drug Discovery and Development
Liliana Stern Economics
Andrew Pendola Educational Foundations, Leadership & Technology
Michael Baginski Electrical & Computer Engineering
Sunny Stalter-Pace English
John Beckmann Entomology & Plant Pathology
David Cicero Finance
Robert Gitzen Forestry, Wildlife, and the Environment
David King Geosciences
Jan Kavookjian Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Zachary Schulz History
Elina Coneva Horticulture
Clark Danderson Hospitality Mgmt.
Cynthia Frosch sub for Diana Samek Human Development & Family Studies
David Smith Industrial Design
Rich Sesek Industrial and Systems Engineering
Christopher (Brooks) Mobley Kinesiology
Kasia Leousis Library
Liesl Wesson Management and Entrepreneurship
Jeremy Wolter Marketing
Hans Werner van Wyk Mathematics and Statistics
Sabit Adanur Mechanical Engineering
Lee Johnson Music
Chris Martin Nursing
Kevin Huggins Nutritional Sciences
David Mixson Outreach
Peter Christopherson Pathobiology
Lena McDowell Pharmacy Practice
David Miller Philosophy
Luca Guazzotto Physics
Jonathan (Jon) Fisk Political Science
Amit Morey Poultry Science
Dan Svyantek sub for Alejandro A. Lazarte Psychology
Latifat Cabirou Special Ed. Rehab. Counseling/School Psych
Allison Plumb sub for Gregory Spray Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
David Strickland Supply Chain Management (new)
LTC, Laura Fryar ROTC Army
Captain, Michael Witherspoon ROTC Naval
Julie Wells sub for Danilea Werner Socio/Anthro/Social Work
Robert Cole Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Kerri Munoz World Lang & Literatures
Absent without substitute:
Lucy Alford sub for John David Jones SGA President
Soolim Jeong GSC President
Kimberly McCadden Staff Council Chair
Josh Henderson A&P Assembly Chair
Regina Gramling Business Analytics and Information Systems
Joel Hayworth Civil Engineering
Ann Presley Consumer & Design Sciences
Nathan Whelan Fisheries & Allied Aquaculture
LTC, Michael Quinn ROTC Air Force
Adrienne Wilson Theatre and Dance