Minutes
Senate Steering Meeting
August 17, 2021, 3:30pm
Via Zoom

Present, Todd Steury (Chair), Don Mulvaney (Immediate Past Chair), Mark Carpenter (Chair elect), Ralph Kingston (Secretary), Octavia Tripp (Secretary elect), Bob Cochran, Danilea Werner, Cheryl Seals, Bob Norton, Bill Hardgrave, Emmett Winn, Laura Kloberg (Senate Administrative Assistant).
Guest presenters: Taffye Clayton, Kamden Strunk.

Chair Steury called the meeting to order at 3.31pm. 
Chair opening remarks.  Todd Steury welcomed the Steering Committee to its first meeting of the new academic year.  Those present at the meeting introduced themselves.

Approval of Steering Minutes from June 7, 2021: Approved unanimously.

Steering Discussion of Agenda items for Senate Meeting, August 31, 2021:

DEI Training Module Rollout (Information Item) – Taffye Clayton
Dr. Clayton presented an update on the progress of the rollout of DEI training modules in the University.  Faculty have already been notified of the requirement to complete the Title IX module. In addition, DEI/EEO has developed a synchronous custom learning module, a foundational learning opportunity using AU-developed content.  The DEI/EEO module is expected to pilot by the end of September and be rolled out to faculty and employees in October. This module is separate from and will be taken in advance of the EVERFI-produced DEI training modules which the university has also purchased (and which can be used for micro-credentialling).

Faculty Handbook Changes on Classroom Policy (Information Item) – Kamden Strunk
Kamden Strunk, Chair of the Faculty Handbook Review Committee, presented proposed language for an addition to 4.2.7 of the Faculty Handbook (Visitors in Classrooms and Other Instructional Settings).

Nominations to Senate Committees (Action Item) – Ralph Kingston
Ralph Kingston (Senate Secretary) presented nominations made by the Rules committee to positions which have opened up in several Senate committees since the end of last academic year. 
The committee debated and decided on nominations from all twelve academic schools and colleges to the newly formed senate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.

Provost’s comments – At this point, Provost Hardgrave indicated he needed to leave the meeting. He had no additional informational items he wished to share.  Don Mulvaney (Immediate Past Chair) asked about the possibility of the state legislature taking steps to ban mask mandates in educational institutions. It is too early to make any determination about what will happen on this issue.   

Return to Steering Discussion of Agenda items for Senate Meeting, August 31, 2021:
Motion to continue having Senate meetings on zoom (action item) -- Todd Steury
Todd Steury (Senate chair) proposed that the meeting on 31 August start with a motion to continue having meetings on zoom (this motion was made and seconded in the Senate meeting on June 22, 2021).

Rules for zoom meetings (action item) – Todd Steury
The Steering Committee scrutinized and discussed proposed rules for electronic zoom meetings which Todd Steury proposed should be voted on separately in the Senate meeting. The Steering committee agreed these should be presented and voted on in the August 31 meeting. The rules will be communicated to Senators with the Senate agenda, and as an attachment to the email notification of the upcoming meeting. Senators will be expected to implement some of the rules for the meeting on August 31, including adding an “S” before their name on zoom to signal their role as Senator.
Chair Steury intends to move to using Qualtrics for voting purposes.  Senators will receive voting links by email during the meeting.  It is therefore important that Senators naming substitutes for meetings do so preferably by 3.30pm on the Friday before the meeting, but certainly no later then 3.30pm on the day before a Senate meeting.

Covid Resource Center Updates (information item) – Robert Norton
There are covid cases on campus. The Covid Resource center will be giving weekly updates to governance groups. The Covid Resource Center is going to be the central source of information on Covid-Related matters for everyone else too.  There have been some cases of employees becoming abusive towards Covid Resource Center staff. These cases will be logged and reported for possible disciplinary proceedings.
The Clinic will not be providing covid excuses. Often, private medical providers do not provide detailed covid excuses.  The only documentation that will allow students to miss class for quarantine is the documentation generated by the online self-report process. The positive self-report form is being tweaked, but it is operational. The exposure form is still being finalized, but students will be able to generate paperwork for exposures also. 
Other topics covered in discussion included sentinel testing, booster shots, student behavior, and quarantining requirements. The committee learned that employees who use the university’s BCBS Alabama group plan insurance are 78% vaccinated.

Approval of Agenda for 8/31/2021 Senate meeting.
The SteeringCommittee unanimously approved the senate agenda.

Other Business – None
Adjournment – Chair Steury adjourned the meeting at 5.06pm

Respectfully submitted,
Ralph Kingston
Secretary, University Senate