UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Faculty Senate 2007-08
________________________________________________________________
University of South Alabama
Faculty Senate
2007-2008
November 28, 2007
University Library, Rm.110
Approved Minutes
Present: Aliabadi, Allsion, Amare, Aucoin, Britt, Brown, Bru, Burnham, Byrne, Carnahan, Carter, Crumb, Dardeau, Doran, Douglass, Engin, Estis, Falkos, Fresne, Hamilton, Irion, Johnsten, Z. Khan, King, Li, Loomis, Meyer, Morris, Porter, Prendergast, Prescott, Prokhorov, Romey, Robinson, Sachs, Simpson, Tate, Vrettos, Woodford, Tony Wright, Tootie Wright.
Excused: Baggett, Green, Haas, Heins, I. Khan, Kinniburgh, Perez-Pineda, Pettyjohn,
Santoli, Teplick.
Unexcused: Lauderdale, Major, McNair, Phelan, Rowell, Sherman.
1. The meeting was called to order at 3:04 P.M. by Chair Tate. Quorum present.
2. Approval of Minutes:
- Motion by Chair to approve minutes for the October 17 meeting; no changes or suggestions; unanimous approval.
3. Chair’s Report: Chair Tate summarized points from the written report which is available in its entirety online. Highlights are listed as below:
- Equity Adjustment Meeting with Dr. Covey, Frank Hurley, and Mimi Summersell, Oct. 24, 2007
The purpose of the meeting was to go over the way external and internal equity adjustments are done at USA. Frank Hurley covered the external equity adjustments, while Mimi Summersell covered internal equity adjustments.
- Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting, Nov. 7, 2007
The Environmental Committee is looking into helping set up a departmental/ college-level environmental officer to assist with the recycling program. In January, the Senate will have Gordon Stone, Director of Higher Education Partnership, as our guest speaker. The synopsis of the Town Meetings is complete and will be presented to Pres. Moulton as an informational item. It will also be made available as a link on the Faculty Senate web page. Salaries & Fringe Benefits Committee are currently looking at a number of topics including requesting that that fertility issues be included health coverage, that consideration be made to adding an additional option to just single and family, and that for equity adjustments that the requirement for 5 straight years of merit be change to at least 3 of the last 5 years.
- Meeting with Dr. Covey, Nov. 8, 2007
Committee Chair Eric Loomis and Chair Tate met with Dr. Covey regarding the “Late Course Withdrawal Policy.” She has spoken with various groups (Council of Academic Advisors, the Deans’ Council, SGA and the University’s Registrar) about the policy and they all have voiced opposition to it. The inconvenience factor and the increased workload are the primary reasons given to their opposition.
- FS Executive Committee meeting with President Moulton, Nov. 14, 2007
A copy of the Town Meeting synopsis was given to Pres. Moulton and his senior administration as an information item.
A request was made for assistance in setting up contacts at each department/ college/building for the recycling program.
The question of how raises are determined was brought up, specifically how they are determined.
After a discussion of promotion raises, Pres. Moulton indicated that he would support raising the increments for Associate Professor and Professor to $4,000 and $6,000 respectively.
The issues of Fall and Spring breaks were raised.
There was a request to look as freshman seminars, as to whether there is consistency across Colleges as to their structure and requirements.
Pres. Moulton announced that he will be looking at revising the university’s vision statement. (The last one published was in 2003.) He requested input from the Faculty Senate for suggestions of changes and additions. The Executive Committee will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 5th to discuss this.
4. Old Business:
- Football Issue. President Moulton convened the Football Task Force, which met just a few times. Also, the Executive Committee has devised a web-based
survey to allow faculty a chance to voice their opinions, but the results of the faculty survey will not be compiled in time for the December meeting of the Board of Trustees. There was much discussion about the timing of the football issue, the comprehensiveness of the decision to bring about football at this time, and the lack of faculty input into these investigations. It was concluded that there is support but there are concerns. John Sachs, as Chair of Planning and Development, and Steve Morris asked that the Senate Chair take these concerns to the Administration. Eric Loomis made a motion for the Executive Committee to draft a letter from the Senate addressing these concerns. Motion was seconded by Cynthia Crumb. For: 37; against: 0; abstain: 0. Chair Tate asked the Executive Committee to meet to outline the concerns they wanted addressed so that a letter could be given to President Moulton before the Board of Trustee's December meeting.
- The Policy & Handbook Committee’s proposed Non-Reappointment Resolution was approved with friendly amendments: 27 for; 0 against; 5 abstain.
5. No New Business.
6. Committee Reports:
- Academic Development and Mentoring (Steve Morris): Spoke with Dr. Covey about mentoring; she is going to discuss with the Deans.
- Environmental Quality (Susan Santoli): President Moulton is going to reinstate the Maintenance contact person for each building.
- Evaluation (Tom Johnsten): In the process of revising Faculty Survey questions.
- Planning and Development (John Sachs): No report.
- Policies and Faculty Handbook (Eric Loomis): No report.
- Salary and Benefits (Jean Irion): No report.
- Technology Utilization (Jie Li): Faculty have the option to continue using their university email accounts after retiring. The Technology Fair was a success. There was uneven representation from the various colleges.
7. Caucus Leader Reports:
- Allied Health (Zari Aliabadi)- Nursing faculty of the Fairhope campus will be moving to the old Fairhope Library in the Spring.
- Arts and Sciences (Tony Wright)- No report.
- Continuing Education (Elliott Lauderdale)- No report.
- Computer and Information Sciences (Michael Doran): No report.
- Education (Leah Kinniburgh): No report.
- Engineering (Ali Engin): The tenure track faculty members are discussing tenure/promotion issues.
- Library (Amy Prendergast): No report.
- Mitchell College of Business (Greg Prescott): The recent accreditation review was favorable.
- Medicine (Kevin Green): No report.
- Nursing (Karen Hamilton): No report.
8. After notifying everyone that the Faculty Senate office has moved to the second floor of the Library, the meeting adjourned at 4:24P.M.
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URL: http://www.usouthal.edu/usa/fsenate/records/minutes/20071128.html