University Faculty Senate

Executive Committee (EC) Minutes
2008- 2009

INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Faculty Senate Executive Committee
2008-2009
February 17, 2009

EC#20
Approved March 3, 2009
February 17, 2009 Minutes

Indiana State University
Faculty Senate 2008-09

Present: V. Sheets, S. Anderson, J. Fine, A. Halpern, C. Hoffman, S. Lamb, S. Pontius, T. Sawyer, D. Worley

Guests: President Bradley, Tim Gritten

I. Approval of the minutes of February 10 as corrected. (T. Sawyer/S. Pontius 8-0-0)

II. Request from Cunningham Memorial Library for website volunteers (Tim Gritten)

a. Volunteers needed (faculty, staff, EAP) for one-half hour per month in three

month increments (small compensation) to engage in visibility tests.

b. Sheets suggested volunteers may also be solicited from new faculty orientation

as well as ITAC. Letters can also be sent out to faculty.

c. Short discussion on accessing journals (aggregators) in Library.

III. 15 Minute Open Discussion

a. S. Pontius – discussion of MAPLE exam (Math & Computer Science) goal is to have all students complete exam before classes begin. Students should be able to do a pretest.

b. S. Lamb - Nancy Rogers, Community Engagement, will meet with all chairs soon. Lamb reiterated his belief/concern that the Executive Committee and Faculty Senate’s desire to protect the autonomy of departments becomes a part of the fabric of Community Engagement’s discussions.

c. AAUP lecture on Academic Freedom.

d. S. Pontius asked about status of faculty evaluation process. FAC will take it up formally.

e. Informal meeting of Executive Committee with the president will be February 23.

f. Problems with missing remotes in classrooms (smart).

IV. Administrative Report (Bradley)

a. The Indiana House approved a 1% overall increase, but we will know more about the budget in April. He is looking to see what happens with negotiations. Budget hearings will occur in the State Senate on or about March 16. He does not yet know what Federal monies will be available, but expects that we will find out something fairly quickly. He also indicated that ISU appears to be holding its own with other institutions in the state/country.

b. There will be a Strategic Planning Retreat on March 26-27.

c. Sheets asked about some of the University’s capital projects being considered at this time as they relate to the budget. The president responded: Steam Plant project, Science Building, Federal Building, the roof on Computer Center, extension of bike trail, as some being considered, but a more detailed list will be provided later. Also, approximately $60 million will be provided for higher education capital projects.

d. The president and D. McKee continue to work on health care/insurance

issues and discussed plans for the creation of a campus benefit committee on health insurance. It would be a campus-wide committee focusing on health benefits only. Health insurance continues to be a complicated issue. This would not be a task force, but a permanent committee. They are also working on a policy for employees to donate sick time.

V. Chair Report – None.

VI. New Business

a. CONHHS Constitution – (S.A. Anderson/S. Pontius)

1) Discussion re: preventing Dean from Voting. Must be consistent with

Handbook.

MOTION TABLED: (D. Worley/S. Pontius) 7-2-0.

b. CONHHS P +T (S. Pontius/D. Worley)

Document should go from FAC to P-TOC. Does not have to go to Senate.

MOTION WITHDRAWN

c. President asked for faculty representatives for retention council. This group primarily is responsible for making sure the University’s initiatives that are agreed on are actually being carried out; it is not a policy making group. This group will look at data and determine what is and what is not working. It is really an operational team about implementation at each level.

d. Sheets noted that the Committee would be receiving an appeal from a college decision based on a grievance, which should come up at next regular EC meeting.

VII. Old Business – None

VIII. Committee Reports:

a. AAC – no meeting

b. AEC – no report – finished for year.

c. CAAC – sub committee on schools, getting back on track, administration and MAPLE.

d. FAC – faculty performance and tenure issues, CEP.

e. FEBC – met on Monday re salaries and other issues.

f. GC – grad catalog “Front Matter” review – revisit qualifying exam frequency, admission language inconsistency, curriculum items form Program Development Committee, degree concentrations on transcripts

g. SAC – Sheets was instructed to call a SAC meeting to check on progress re: charges.

h. URC - report on the charge about committee structure and a clarification of who can apply for research grants is scheduled for 3/3/09. Has evaluated eight research proposals submitted for spring semester and will fund six for approximately $24,500 total.

Meeting adjourned 5:00 pm.