April 28, 1999

Faculty Senate Minutes

Dexter Lounge

April 28, 1999

Present: John Alexander, Bruce Barber, Paul Bauschatz, Dan Belknap, Mary Ellen Camire, Robert Cobb, Lee Davis, Ed Ferguson, Ivan Fernandez, Mac Gray, Michael Grillo, Dan Harrison, Knud Hermansen, Jim Horan, Leonard Kass, Roger King, Irv Kornfield, Janice Kristo, Kathleen March, Kyriacos Markides, Jim McClymer, James McConnon, Henry Metcalf, Harlan Onsrud, Connie Perry, Eric Peterson, Alan Rosenwasser, Steve Sader, Thomas Sandford, Therese Shipps, Jane Smith, Owen Smith, Kristin Sobolik, Mary Ellen Symanski, Gloria Vollmers.

Absent: Francois Amar, Tony Brinkley, Tai Cheng, Steve Cohn, Ted Coladarci, Steve Colburn, George Criner, Chris Cronan, Dan Dwyer, James Fastook, Ray Fort, Marc Girard, Michael Greenwood, Tim Griffin, Mel Johnson, Richard Judd, Justin Kelleher, Alan Kimball, Phil Locke Cynthia Mahmood, Mary Malone, Bruce Nicholson, Tina Passman, Hemant Pendse, Wesley Petteway, Paula Petrik, Hayden Soule, Sydney Thomas, Ione Hunt Vonherbing, Judy Walker, Gail Werrbach, Anotole Wieck.

I. Welcome.

President Mary Ellen Symanski called the meeting to order at 3:20 PM.

The Chair recognized Knud Hermansen to place a resolution thanking departing senators under new business. Hearing no objection, the agenda addition was admitted under item IX.

.

II. Approval of minutes for March 31st. A motion was made and passed to approve minutes as presented.

III. Announcements. President Symanski described Friday, April 30, faculty senate evaluation event on faculty governance as successful.

President Symanski also thanked the following executive committee members: Jim Horan, Michael Grillo, Alan Rosenwasser, Ivan Fernandez, Hank Metcalf, Gloria Vollmers, Kathleen March, Kristin Sobolik, and Connie Perry. She also thanked all faculty senators; Vice-provost Doug Gelinas, Provost John Alexander, and President Hoff.

Gloria Vollmers read a Resolution for Mary Ellen Symanski.

Whereas Mary Ellen Symanski has presided over a Faculty Senate greatly enlarged due to her own care and feeding;

Whereas she has tirelessly and with an enthusiasm and cheer matched by few and admired by many, worked for and with that senate enduring, perhaps in equal measure, complains and compliments, without complaining in return;

Whereas she has kept her ear to the chest of that Senate, monitoring its murmurs and irregularities, always ready to treat it with as much care as she does a neo-natal unit;

Whereas she has been quick to bring its complaints to the president and his administration and successfully represented its interests before them;

Whereas she has not allowed search committees to be formed without adequate and diverse faculty representation, answering our demands for additional committee assignments;

Whereas she has willingly kept her latex gloved hands prepared to probe into the dark areas of controversy: parking, flat-capped tuition, teaching evaluations;

Whereas she demonstrates her breadth of character by maintaining her scholarship and substantial teaching responsibilities, by adhering to high ethical standards, and, while cheering and supporting athletics, continues to insist on the fair treatment of athletes both on the field and off;

And whereas that same fair treatment is extended to all students and colleagues whose well-being Mary Ellen has sought to promote;

The Faculty Senate of the University of Maine resolves that thanks and appreciation, as well as a wish for a long and productive life after her Senate presidency, be extended to her, along with best wishes for a healthy and restful sabbatical. May you recover fully in time to continue to keep your finger on the pulse of this institution in the new century.

Unanimously Resolved!! Thursday, April 29, 1999

President Symanski explained a complication with the provost search. Faculty senate will express its desire that the provost has a faculty appointment. Belknap noted that publication of candidate visits would be better than to date. May 3rd at 1:30 will be specific time for faculty to attend a session.

Questions of Administrators.
Kornfeld asked CFO Duringer about travel agencies and price differentials. A: If there is a conference travel rate, UM is not trying to regulate that. Also, if there are clearly better rates available elsewhere, there will be no quibbles as to using those services. O. Smith asked about the situation with the new union building and if moving forward: CFO Duringer indicated the best bid received was $2 million over estimate. They have looked at renovating the old building, or redesigning the project. Building manager Reisinger suggested renovating by excavating. Ideas are still being considered, on fixed budget. President Hoff noted we are still faced with the need to raise $2 million.

Election of officers.
The offices of president and secretary were opened for election. Kristin Sobolik nominated Michael Grillo and read his brief statement of interest. Nomination was seconded. It was moved to declare Grillo president-elect/vice-president for 2000-2001 by acclamation. No nominations for secretary at this time.

Guest presentations. Harvey Kail, Associate Professor of English, presented next year’s class book A Midwife’s Tale, by Laura Thatcher Ulrich. Some activities are going on in relation to the book: community course (Portland, Camden, Orono); second of a series of web courses, INT 491; Fogler Library will create website on the class book; the first honors course (300 level); provost’s office will make 200 copies of book available for free. Kail gave the first copy to President Symanski.
CFO Robert Duringer presented an overview of the University of Maine budget, with specific items.(Text omitted)

He explained need to continue compliance efforts, through scholarships and women’s volleyball. Pouring rights with Pepsi/Coke are under discussion. There has been a BIA meeting, plan to speak with ComAir to improve flight schedule and better ticket rates. There has been an initiative to turn the campus bookstore into a coop. Flat-rate tuition is still being worked on–perhaps for ’01? Comp & Recreation fee: over 4,000 students were paying no such fee, and at long intervals. Now everybody will pay a small portion of comp fee. Thinking about expanding dormitories to 600 beds in the next three years. Retirement community will be affiliated with a private developer. Summary: No budget cuts this year. Additional resources: A strategy is in place for a growing university. The State of Maine is definitely supportive now. Challenges: Departmental operating budgets; backlogged maintenance; continue enrollment growth; modernization of Academic programs; establishing UM’s own niche.

Q: Is computer connection going in coop direction? CFO Duringer also referred to the Bear Necessities store. Doug Marchio, manager of Computer Connection, will put the store front in the new union building.

Q: Will monies go back into academics, particularly non-science areas? John Alexander there will an increase amount available for faculty research funds. Most of it should go to people in areas without access to large funding amounts.

Q: Is there a shift in % of E&G funding? Academics seem to be losing. Duringer showed chart based on athletic revenue passed last year. Title IX is reality. 7.62% budget increase for university, and .01% for athletics. Athletics Department gets $250,000, but this is for gender equity; other things are being taken away.

Q: Re. backlogged maintenance. Some areas are very bad. Duringer: 2% of bond money will go back into repair. Money will be available for maintenance endowment. President Hoff noted that we deal with deferred maintenance by, at end of year, taking 20% of any unspent funds, in order to do maintenance. Would it be better to take 30%?

Duringer noted he seeks more of an entrepreneurial spirit for Umaine.

Committee reports.
Library (Grillo) – see motion below.

Research & Public Service (Sobolik) will meet May 5 to discuss workers’ compensation and liability.

Constitution & By-Laws (Vollmers) – no report. President Symanski noted that number of 40 senators needs to be fixed.

Committee on Committees (Perry) – no report.

Academic Affairs (Horan) – will meet next week to discuss class book.

Finance & Institutional Planning (Metcalf) – will have report in near future.

University Environment (Rosenwasser) – Item 1: The committee is working with Phil Pratt for follow-up survey of student perceptions of academic climate. Data collection phase completed. Report will be ready in next academic year. Item 2: trash. Ad hoc committee on waste management wishes to become official. University Environment Committee will recommend that Pres. Symanski send approval to Pres. Hoff. Item 3: Resolution on free speech committee later on agenda.

BOT (Fernandez) – The next meeting will be held at USM on May 15 and 16.

VIII. Old business. No old business.

New business.
Library Advisory Committee motion (Grillo). LIBRARY MOTION – Michael Grillo.

The Fogler Library has suffered this last decade, a period of soaring operating costs, from relatively flat funding, which has resulted in a precipitous decline in book acquisitions, a freeze on new periodical subscriptions, a dropping of numerous periodicals, an increasingly burdened library staff, reduced open hours, and limitations in the physical plant, all of which hamper the intellectual pursuits of the students, faculty, and Staff of the University of Maine. The dynamic growth in electronic collections further exacerbates the problem in their subscription costs and demands for evolving technological infrastructures. Increasingly, the Library has had to depend upon fixed-period, one-time monies, which have not allowed it to grow, as it must to meet the needs of University and the State of Maine. While all of us across our campus have faced reduced budgets, we need recognize that the Library forms the common core of our Academic agendas, both in teaching and research. Therefore, the Library Committee asks the Faculty Senate to pass the following resolution: The Faculty Senate recommends that the President, Provost, and Chief Financial Officer of the University of Maine substantially increase the Base funding of the Fogler Library so that the University can fulfill its Mission as the premier research and teaching institution of the State of Maine.

Moved to accept as written. Motion passed unanimously.

Athletics Oversight Committee motion.

Motion Mary Ellen Camire – Athletics Oversight Committee.

Resolved: The members of the Faculty Senate endorse the revised policy developed by the Ad Hoc Ticket Policy Committee of the Athletic Advisory Board governing the distribution of free tickets to sports events to faculty members of the Athletic Advisory Board (AAB). The revisions to the policy are intended to make the policy regarding tickets uniform for students, staff and professional employees, faculty and community members of the Athletic Board. The revised policy also reflects a clarified rationale behind the distribution of free tickets to AAB members. This policy de-emphasizes the notion that the ticket package is received as a “perk” associated with Board membership and instead acknowledges the responsibility of AAB members to become informed about the various athletic programs and events. Tickets are provided for a limited amount of games in each sport to facilitate accomplishment of this goal. The Ad Hoc Ticket Policy Committee of the Athletic Advisory Board included representation from the Faculty Senate and Faculty Oversight Committee.

April 28, 1999

Chair of committee Mary Ellen Camire provided background on ticket policy changes as well as purpose for providing complementary tickets. It was moved to accept the policy as written. Approval was unanimous.

Environment Committee resolution on Free Speech and Assembly Review Board (Rosenwasser). Environment Committee Resolution – Alan Rosenwasser: Resolution on Free Speech.

Background:

At some time in the 1960’s, the Council of Colleges created a Free Speech and Assembly Review Board to protect the rights of those expressing dissident political views on campus. This committee is described in the section on the University’s Free Speech and Assembly policy in the Faculty Handbook (1982, p. 71-72, now in revision), even though this committee has long since ceased to exist. Several other university publications (e.g., Student Handbook, Employee Information and Resource Guide) also reproduce the free speech and assembly policy, but do not mention the review board. The Environment Committee believes that existing mechanisms are sufficient to ensure protection of free speech and assembly rights on campus. Since the Council of Colleges originally created the defunct review board, we now present the following resolution for approval by its successor, the Faculty Senate:

Resolution:

With this resolution, the Faculty Senate officially decommissions the long-inoperative Free Speech and Assembly Review Board, and asks that all reference to this board be eliminated from the current revision of the Faculty Handbook, and any other university publications in which it is mentioned.

April 28, 1999

The Resolution passed unanimously.

Resolution of farewell (March). (Resolution not available).

Resolution was received with unanimous consent.

Senator Metcalf moved that John Alexander’s name be included on the list of senators who are departing. This motion was approved by acclamation.

Election of Committee on Committees.
Ballots were distributed. Senators were asked to vote for those in their own college. Belknap noted that names should not be placed on ballot without senators’ permission.

Elected members on Committee on Committees: Business, Public Policy & Health-James Horan. Education-Jan Kristo. Liberal Arts & Sciences-Paula Petrik, Jane Smith, Ed Ferguson, Roger King. Engineering-Tom Sandford. Natural Resources, Forestry & Agr.-Michael Greenwood, Irving Kornfield.

Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 4:48 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathleen March
Faculty Senate Secretary