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WSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING
February 12, 2001

Senators Present: Beckry Abdel-Magid, Sara Barbor, Matt Bosworth, David Bratt, Marianna Byman, Shirley Eiken, Ron Elcombe, Mark Engen, Pat Ferden, Matthew Hyle, Colette Hyman, Vernon Leighton, Peter Miene, Bill Ng, Frances Ragsdale, Holly Shi, Dean Feller, Jo Stejskal, Cathy Summa, Bruce Svingen, Paul Vance, Kerry Williams.

Senators Absent: Narayan Debnath, Darrell Downs, Mary Kesler (Sabbatical), Susanne Smith, and Alex Yard.

Others Present: Tim Hatfield, Peter Henderson, Joan Francioni, Lane Hermanson

  1. Call to Order

    2. Alex Yard is lobbying at the Capital. Board member Bruce Svingen has been designated as President for this Senate meeting.

    Bruce Svingen called the meeting to order at 3:09 p.m.
  2. Approval of Minutes of December 11, 2000 and February 5, 2001.

    3. 1. R. Elcombe/P. Ferden moved to approve the Dec. 11 minutes.

    Motion Carried.

    2. R. Elcombe/D. Bratt moved to approve the Feb. 5 minutes.

    Motion Carried.
  3. Agenda Additions and Approval

    4. 1. NB-P: WRC Fund Raiser (3:25 p.m.)

    2. NB-Q: WSU Reg. 5-2

    3. NB-R: Associate VP Meetings with Rochester Faculty

    Note: Matt Hyle will arrive at 4:00 p.m. to give status on negotiations.

    S. Sloan/S. Barbor moved to approve these additions.

    Motion Carried.
  4. President's Report

    5. No report
  5. Review of Meet and Confer Notes

    6. Dec. 14, 2000 included in packet. Feb. 8, 2001 notes sent as e-mail and available at the beginning of the Senate meeting.

    B. Svingen mentioned a few items in the Feb. 8 Meet and Confer that will be discussed at today's Senate meeting.
  6. Committees
    1. A2C2

      2. No report
    2. Graduate Council

      3. No report
    3. Government Relations Committee

      4. No report
    4. Personnel Policies and Grievance Committee

      5. No report
    5. Committee on Committees

      6. No report

    6. Negotiations/Action

Matt Hyle reported on progress of negotiations:

At the IFO website (www.ifo.or) one can find the official report, the actual text of the IFO's 1st proposal, and the text of MnSCU's 1st proposal.

Both sides exchanged proposals on language at this 1st meeting. In general terms, the IFO seeks

                    1) Workload limits, which reflect the additional demands, placed on faculty

2) Limits on adjunct and fixed term hires

3) More generous sabbaticals

4) Benefits for domestic partners

5) Improved parental leave benefits and many other items

All initial IFO proposals originate from either delegate assembly resolutions; grievances or problems brought to the IFO's attention.

MnSCU is seeking such items as:

1) Direct tenure for administrators

2) Increasing the "trigger" for overload to 16 credits

3) Changing Metro's faculty workload to parallel "our" workload

4) Pro-rata overload-pay for courses that are less than fully
enrolled

5) Allowing summer sessions to extend more than 5 weeks

6) Elimination of the Professional Study and Travel carryover from biennium to biennium

7) "Specialists" with limitations on numbers

8) Expansion of the reasons for using adjunct faculty, and other items.

Matt characterized this opening as very good. MnSCU came prepared, and gave us a proposal, something, which hasn't always happened this early in the past. In addition, we have a tentative agreement (TA in negotiations parlance) on a very minor item changing the word term to semester on page 81. But this is progress and early progress.

The IFO negotiating team is scheduled to meet on Feb. 22 and 23 to complete its economic package and to fashion a counter to the MnSCU offer. The IFO will present its economic package (all items directly associated with money) at our next meeting with MnSCU on March 22-24.

Please feel free to talk to Matt or send him an e-mail about these proposals. While the initial proposals have, in essence, defined the limits, there is still room and time to introduce items. Matt cannot guarantee that everything (or anything) that colleagues forward to him will end up in front of MnSCU this time, but the team will evaluate everything.
  1. Old Business
  1. Semester Length

No report, except to note from last Senate meeting that the Student Senate voted against
the 14-week semester proposal.

 

  1. New Business
  1. Sexual Assault Advisory Committee (NB-A from previous Senate Packet)

Colette Hyman, chair of SVAC, forwarded the committee charge for Senate comments and approval.

Committee charge:

The mission of the SVAC is to assist in creating a safe campus environment. The Committee shall review Federal and State statutes, and campus policies and procedures for handling cases of sexual violence. The Committee shall develop a plan to make accessible to students, staff and faculty information on policies and procedures relevant to sexual violence and on services and resources available to survivors of sexual violence. The Committee shall make specific implementation recommendations to the university constituency groups for educational programs and preventative measures regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment.

The Committee will elect its own chairperson.

                                        Term of office: 2 years.

                                         The previous year's chairperson will call the first meeting of the academic year.

Compositions: 4 IFO, including representation from Counseling Center; 4 MSUSAAF, including representation from Health Services, Security, Residence Life; 1 Council 6; 1 Council of Administrators; 1 Coalition; Affirmative Action/Sexual Harassment Officer; 1-4 students.

The SVAC recommends to all constituency groups that current members be allowed to remain on the Committee, in order to ensure continuity. Committee members will establish terms for current members.

S. Sloan/B. Ng moved to approve the Committee Charge and committee memberships.

Motion Carried.

 

B. Honorary Degree Nominee (NB-B)

The administration and the Honorary Degree Nominee nominate Rod Searle for an honorary degree of the Doctor of Humane Letters. The degree is to be awarded at the Spring Commencement in 2001.

                                        S. Sloan/J. Stejskal moved to approve this nomination.

                                        Motion Carried.

            C. Action Committee Charge (NB-D from previous Senate packet)

                                                      Proposed charge:

1. To execute, implement, and coordinate actions consistent with collective bargaining priorities and goals set by the IFO membership, IFO Board of Directors, WSUFA Senate, and WSUFA Executive Board

2. To inform institution and/or individuals affected by the Master Contract of pressing issues of concern related to collective bargaining

3. To initiate and organize collective bargaining impasse actions such as "but not limited to" publicity campaigns, letter writing, bannering, and picketing

                                                                                     Committee Composition:

                                                                               The seven-member committee shall consist of

- President of the Faculty Association

- Vice President of the Faculty Association

- Co-chairs of the GRC

- 3 at-large members

S. Sloan/S. Barbor moved to approve the Action Committee Charge and send to Committee on Committees for solicitation for membership.

                                        Some discussions ensued on some examples illustrating the various charges.

                                      Motion Carried.

 

D. University Web Site (NB-E from previous Senate packet)

Richard Davis, Director of Publications, provided Senate with a response to Faculty Association concerns regarding the WSU web site, including a review of its procedures and staff accountability.

                                         S. Sloan/P. Miene moved to accept the document with thanks.

                                         Motion Carried.

 

E. Nellie Stone Johnson Dinner (NB-F from previous Senate packet)

The dinner will be at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington. Social hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner/program at 6:30 p.m. at March 22 (Thus). Tickets are $50 each with $30 (tax deductible) of each ticket going into the scholarship fund. Tables of eight may be purchased for $400. The administration has purchased its own table and is looking for 2-3 faculty to fill this table.

D. Bratt/B. Abdel-Magid moved to request Alex Yard to send out an e-mail to solicit faculty volunteers.

Motion Carried.

 

F. Software Issues

1. Some problems have been experienced in putting programs on IT servers.

2. Since then, services have been improved. But still plenty of frustration

experienced by users.

3. Time-lines, communication-lines, budget-lines are often causes to these problems.

4. The process of putting software on IT servers is not well understood.

5. Send to Meet & Confer or the Technology Committee?

6. License issues are not being communicated directly.

7. Meetings are still occurring without full notification or full participation.

8. Should we have Dean Feller meet with Faculty Senate?

9. Who is responsible for the purchasing and updating of software?...VP Whetstone?

10. Modem lines from outside WSU are still a problem.

R. Elcombe/J. Stejskal moved to take these software/communication issues to Meet and Confer.

Motion Carried.

 

G. Association Election Schedule (NB-H from previous Senate packet)

The Election Committee proposed the following Time Frame for Spring 2001 Election:

February 28 Call for Candidates sent to faculty

March 21 Deadline for call of candidates

March 22 Post Candidates Info List Send ballots to Print shop

March 28 Send Ballots to IFO members

April 16 Deadline for return of ballots

April 17 Disseminate results to Senate President and all Candidates appearing on the ballot

April 23 Announce results of spring election at Senate Meeting

April 30 Announce results of spring election at Meet and Confer

                                        B. Ng/S. Sloan moved to approve the Election Schedule.

Motion Carried.

 

H. Laptop Proposal (NB-I from previous Senate packet)

Proposal from the Faculty Assn. IT Committee: Beginning with the entering class in Fall 2002, first year students will no longer be permitted to bring their own laptop and receive partial support services, they must lease laptops from ITS. There will be a phasing in period until fall 2002 for those students who brought their own laptops in fall 2001. They will be "grandfathered" and allowed to continue as partial participants but with more tightly defined and enforced limitations on service and support. Students who will attend WSU in Fall 2002 will be informed of the new policy as that class is recruited, starting this Spring and summer.

Faculty Assn. IT Committee moved for Senate approval.

Long discussion followed. Some expressed concerns about the service provided by IT right now. The Student Senate opposed this mandatory leasing of all students. Some felt having uniform set(s) of computers would improve IT services.

Motion Carried. ( 10 - 7 )

I. Change in Faculty Technology Charge (NB-K from previous Senate packet)

The committee reviewed the proposal from the senate and agreed to expand their charge. They have defined their charge in these three statements:

Represent faculty concerns in other settings in which technology decisions are made.
Identify potential issues and advise the faculty senate on them.
Disseminate information about technology to (and collect from) faculty.
Review specifications laptop program.

J. Stejskal/C. Summa moved to approve these charges.

Motion Carried.

 

        J. NCA Self-Study (Tim Hatfield and Peter Henderson 3:30 p.m.)

1. NCA Self-Study draft book is now ready! Circulated for Senators perusal.

2. Professional editing is the next step; Print-Shop deadline is before spring break.

3. Susan Hatfield) will prepare an executive summary for Senators and Constituencies. The full          draft will be on the Web.

4. Senators are being asked to comment on the draft and asked to choose between the full             version or the Executive summary (soon to be delivered to each faculty Senator's office).

5. The NCA committee is asking for input by the next Senate meeting on Feb. 26th.

6. A room full of documentation binders is also available for the NCA committee visits in                September.

7. Many thanks from the NCA-steering committee.

About ten Faculty Senators took the full draft version. Others will wait for the Executive Summary.

K. Revision of WSU Reg. 3-14 (NB-K)

The administration proposed the following amendment, which refers to Article 25(a) of the IFO/MnSCU Master Agreement:

Colleagues reviewing the PDR of a probationary faculty member are encouraged to provide formative commentary in the context of the separate criteria for tenure and promotion defined in Article 25(a).

                                         D. Bratt/K. Williams moved to refer to PP&G committee.

Motion Carried.

L. Outreach Planning (NB-L)

Administration requested faculty appointments to a WSU outreach planning session initiated by Associate VP Clements. It is to be a short-term effort. It was described in a memo entitled " WSU Outreach Planning Session."

2 IFO members are needed on the design team.

J. Stejskal/S. Sloan moved to send to Committee on Committees.

Motion Carried.

 

M. Allocation Model and Individual Contracts

Administration reported that it would bring to a Meet and Confer in the near future a written proposal to account for non-class duty days in addition to teaching load credits on the individual contracts. Faculty could indicate how many of these days they would devote to the four non-teaching areas.

Dr. Krueger declared that he did not want to establish a scheme that required policing. He also said he not would propose a new reporting/accounting scheme outside of the PDP-PDR process.

The plan would make the individual contract reflect the full range of work faculty do as specified in the master contract, and it would more explicitly distinguish WSU faculty from CC and TC faculty.

 

President Krueger also explained that the salary any days dedicated to research could be moved out of the instructional cost column of the MnSCU allocation model and into a new research column, thus bringing down the average cost of WSU lower division courses. This would yield a significant increase in the WSU share of the state appropriation under the latest version of the allocation model.

President Krueger also acknowledged that the non-class duty days now designated "faculty development days" should actually be available for work in any of the four non-teaching areas.

 

Negotiator Hyle advised that this should be regarded as information to Faculty Senate at this point, though we are eagerly waiting for the proposal from the administration. Further, the Faculty Senate appreciated the administration's understanding of faculty workload and the need for the State Universities to publicize research and scholarly activities.

 

N. Smoke-Free Campus Proposal

The Administration requested faculty review of a January 10 memo from the Wellness Committee proposing restrictions on smoking near building entrances. The committee requested the administration to take action regarding many complaints from students, staff and faculty about the amount of tobacco smoke that they are exposed to at building entrances, including academic buildings and residence halls. They also requested the administration of the following:

1. Enforce current smoking perimeters of residence hall to 25 feet,

2. Set a non-smoking perimeter of 25 feet for academic buildings,           and

3. Begin the process of making WSU a truly smoke free campus.

K. Williams/C. Summa moved to endorse this motion from the Wellness Committee.

Motion Carried.

O. University Assessment of Disability Issues (Joan Francioni, 4:12 p.m.)

Joan Francioni distributed a copy of the University Survey of Disability Related Issues. A MnSCU grant was obtained to study effective ways to meet the needs of our students with disabilities on campus.

Surveys to different WSU groups are being pursued. The request to the Senate is for endorsement of this effort and for encouragement to the Faculty to participate in the survey. The written survey will take ~15-20 minutes. Within the faculty group, they would like to meet with all departments on campus, in order to give every faculty member an opportunity to share their opinions and experiences with them.

J. Stejskal/C. Summa moved to endorse this effort and endorse encouragement of faculty participation.

Motion Carried.

P. WRC Fund Raiser ( 3:25 p.m.)

Beckry Abdel-Magid reported on behalf of the WRC and spoke about mission of WRC. Beckry asked the Senate to support WRC. Raffle tickets are being sold to further help the WRC: car and mountain-bike are two prizes. A sign-up sheet was circulated in Senate.

Q. WSU Reg. 5-2 [ Searches ]

Administration submitted a proposed revision to WSU Reg. 5-2, the hiring regulation, for faculty review. The issue involved language concerning the distinction between national and local/regional searches. They proposed the following bulleted additions under #5-b.3. (Notice of Vacancy)

1. National searches shall be conducted for all .50 FTE or more probationary positions (IFO/MSUAASF) and all administrative appointments (Managerial - non-bargaining unit).

2. A local or regional search shall be conducted for all .50 FTE or more fixed term positions (IFO/MSUAASF) and .50 or more externally funded positions (MSUAASF).

3. National searches for fixed term, externally funded, and part-time positions may be conducted at the discretion of the President.

K. Williams/R. Elcombe moved to send to PP&G.
Motion Carried.

 

R. Associate VP Meetings with Rochester Faculty

Administration noted that the Association agreed some time ago that Russ Lohmann could conduct information meetings with Rochester-based faculty at the Rochester University Center. Administration then requested that the Senate extent the agreement to include Associate VP Clements.

                              R. Elcombe/J. Stejskal moved to approve this request for Associate VP Clements.

It was pointed out that these information meetings are not regular Meet and Confer meetings.

Motion Carried.

 IX. Adjournment

M. Engen/V. Leighton moved to adjourn at 5:24 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Ng.