March 30, 2011
Faculty Senate Minutes
March 30, 2011
Present: Joe Carr, Sudarsahn Chawathe, Robert Dana, Janet Fairman, Robert Franzosa, Michael Grillo, Duane Hanselman, Kirsten Jacobson, Dennis King, Judy Kuhns-Hastings, Sue Hunter, Stuart Marrs, James McClymer, Harlan Onsrud, Tina Passman, Anne Pooler, Michael Scott, Scott See, Phillip Silver, Kathryn Slott, Shihfen Tu, Roy Turner, Chuck Wallace, Bob Rice, Howard Segal, Kurt Klappenbach, Janet Waldron
Absent: Douglas Bousfield, Ian Bricknell, Tony Brinkley, Chris Campbell, David Dvorak, Cynthia Erdley, Susan Erich, Todd Gabe, Eric Gallandt, Robert Gundersen, Gordon Hamilton, Dan Harrison, Clarissa Henry, Deborah Killam, Irv Kornfield, Bill Livingston, David Marcincowski, Sidney Mitchell, David Morrison, Howard Patterson, Justin Poland, Paul Rawson, Andrew Reeve, Thomas Sanford, Susan Lambrecht Smith, Touradj Solouki, Claire Sullivan, James Warhola, Mark Wells, Vivian Wu, Huijie Xue, Robert Kennedy, Robert Strong, Brian Harris, Ross Wolland, Nate Wildes, Melvin Johnson, Molly MacLean
The meeting was called to order at 3:17 pm.
I. Announcements:
Michael Grillo introduced Kim Junkins, the new Faculty Senate Administrative Assistant.
George Dolicker, Interim head of IT Security, will attend the full Faculty Senate meeting on April 27, 2011.
Nominations were requested for BOT Representative, Senate President, Vice President, and Senate Secretary.
II. Approval of the Minutes:
The minutes of January 26, 2011 were approved.
III. Committee Reports:
BOT Rep – Robert Rice
UMaine 65% tenured with 11.4% eligible.
Information Security Policy approved by the Board of Trustees. We need qualified people on the Orono campus to look it over.
Academic Affairs – Judy Kuhns-Hastings
The University is considering purchasing Infosilem software for classroom scheduling. There will be a meeting in the Bangor Lounge April 8, 2011, 9:00 – 12:00 and 1:30 – 4:30. Pierre Guay from Infosilem will facilitate the meeting. An announcement will be sent out this week.
Constitution & Bylaws — Harlan Onsrud
The handout on the changes to the Senate Constitution is informational for now but please review for [ADD] the next meeting when they will be voted on. Many of the changes will bring us into the electronic age. A couple items on the handout are:
Change “Faculty Assembly” to “Faculty Senate”
Change the distribution of meeting agenda from seven days to three days.
Research & Scholarship – Janet Fairman
Fifty-four people attended the very successful grant writing session meeting. Feedback indicates that it was very helpful. Janet will post the PowerPoint presentations online.
Finance & Institutional Planning – James McClymer
Next meeting Friday, April 8, 2011
University Environment – Mike Scott
Next meeting a week from Friday (April 8, 2011) to discuss classroom environment.
Library Advisory – Howard Segal
Next meeting April 4, 2011.
Service & Outreach – Deborah Killam & Claire Sullivan
No report.
Committee on Committees – Roy Turner
No report.
General Education – Tina Passman
Met to discuss intensive writing courses and review report from the writing consultants done in January. Pat Burnes from the English Department will be invited to the Elected Members’ meeting on April 13, 2011 to answer questions on the report.
Will start reviewing the Western Cultural Tradition Gen Ed requirement.
Will meet on Earth Day to consider the next direction for the committee.
UPCC – working on streamlining the forms and clarifying them for new course proposals and course modifications. The new forms will pass by the deans for review.
Ad Hoc IT Advisory — Irving Kornfield & Mike Scott
Last week, March 23, the IT Advisory Committee met with Chief Security Officer, George Dolicker to discuss the new IT Security Policy. Other committees present were the IT Administrative Committee and the ITech Committee. There was some frustration among the faculty present at the meeting. Roy Turner added that a committee was being formed to make sure that the policy approved by the BOT does not unduly interfere with what we need at UMaine for our teaching and research and also to indicate what we think that the policy should have been. Both Roy and Sudarshan Chawathe are members of this committee. If you have any suggestions about the new IT Security Policy, please contact Roy. George Dolicker will meet with the full senate on April 27, 2011. Tina sees the IT Security Policy as counter to our mission as a public institution. Roy Turner agreed. A question was raised about whether the university’s legal department is checking the policy.
Other questions raised:
gathering information and getting feedback from student organizations
Concern that university works with media and policy is counterintuitive to land grant mission
Make sure policy and operation mesh. UMaine is in the business of disseminating information so need to work within that framework.
Program Creation & Reorganization Review –Harlan Onsrud
Among the UMaine 150 objectives, one remaining item needed to be addressed: how to achieve meaningful cooperation among all the computer-related disciplines. John Vetelino, Electrical Engineering, explained that in January 2011 a document was presented by the deans for faculty vote. Two options (4&5) were approved (9 yes, 1 no, and 1 abstention). The approval was for the formation of a School of Computing with SIE and COS collaboration from the CEN program but leave CEN faculty and degrees in ECE. The motion was based on a large overlap between Electrical Engineering and CEN curricula and strong collaboration between faculty. No information was communicated between January and March 19, 2011.
Harlan Onsrud said there were eight proposals, now there are nine proposal “alternatives”. There’s no actionable item at this time. Tomorrow (March 31, 2011) proposal nine ends up in the Provost office and the Provost and President will consult.
Engineering Dean Dana Humphrey and CLAS Dean Jeff Hecker had met to discuss this proposal. However, there were several faculty members who felt that they were not adequately represented. Many felt that the removal of Computer Engineering from the College of Engineering would cripple the Electrical Engineering program. They checked 15 schools and 13 had computer and electrical in the same department.
When Tina Passman asked whether the proposed changes would have implications for accreditation, John Vetelino replied that this proposal would threaten accreditation.
Mohamad Musavi, Chair Electrical and Computer Engineering Department said he was shocked to hear about this on March 19, 2011. The department is in the top third for research funding at the university, 10th highest number of undergraduates in the university, and accredited for six years. There are four computing faculty and eight electrical. Out of 50 universities checked only one doesn’t have computer and electrical combined.
Many of the Electrical Engineering faculty present said that the idea of a School of Computing was a great idea but that it was NOT a good idea to separate Computer Engineering from Electrical Engineering. John Vetelino added that the timeframe for implementing the proposal was too short to permit adequate faculty response — March 19 was the first time that the faculty had heard of the proposal. Scott See asked why the timetable for this proposal had been accelerated. The answer was to try to have it in place before the new campus president took office. Scott See asked if the timetable could be changed. Harlan Onsrud wondered if there might be a compromise position that the administration could agree to. The Faculty Senate did approve this proposal at the February 23, 2011 meeting. Sue Hunter said that what hits her office tomorrow willbe discussed with the President.
Michael Grillo said: We’ll distribute the letter once the initiating letter is received.
Graduate Student Representative — Kurt Klappenbach
The Graduate Student Expo will take place April 21-22, 2011. There are 150 exhibits planned. There are expanded poster and presentation areas. The different disciplines have been separated for ease of judging and fairness to students. Undergraduate students from across the System are being invited to attend as well as State representatives and the Governor. Companies that are hiring have also been invited.
IV. Presentation by Janet Waldron on Finances
Janet Waldron Presentation – FY 12 Budget Projections and Enrollment Overview
http://umaine.edu/admin_finance/
— Positive budget commitment from the legislature and governor, keeping appropriations flat,
— Maintain student affordability,
— Increase in strategic financial aid;
— Minimize impact on personnel; hold open positions where possible;
— Responsibly adjust our spending expectations.
Review FY 10-11 Actuals
— Total $346.1m
— 83% out-of-state students
— Spring 2007-2011 headcount; 1 year change -2.2%, 5 year change -7%. This decline is associated with a decline in high school students.
— 2010 head count down
— Credit hours 2009-2011 down; 2009 -0.3, 2010 -3.1, 2011 projected at -2.4
— State appropriations fairly even but not robust
— Historic and Projected Tuition Increases; FY12 4.5% increase, FY14 projected 5% increase (this is only a projection)
— Currently 63% state funding and 37% tuition funding. By FY14 that is expect to shift with less dependence on state funding and more on enrollment
— Comparisons with other Land Grants in New England; lowest in-state cost and middle with out-of-state tuition.
— Within the UMS, UMaine rates are higher than the others
— FY10 actuals were up from the forecast; FY11 actuals were slightly down from forecast; FY12 — projection is for less credit hours.
Financial Aid
— Lost some Federal and State funding (1.9m)
— UMaine putting in 2.4m for financial aid to help mitigate this on students
Endowments
— Markets are coming back
Questions:
— Are all foundation funds rising?
— Small accounts are still underwater
— For investments, how to prepare if markets get volatile again?
— There’s a 25% special reserve to limit volatility.
— The UMS changed to rolling and changing the pay over formula.
FY 12 Highlights
Financial
— Provides an E&G base budget total revenue and expenditure increase of .6%
— Reduces personnel
— Addresses a $6M gap through a reallocation of resources
— Meets institutional requirement to provide funds to the Strategic Investment Fund
— Funds collective bargaining contracts currently in effect
Instruction/Research/Public Service
— Supports commitments made in UMaine150 by President Kennedy
— Adjusts funds for continued academic support
— Adjusts for decline in student enrollment for both FY11 and FY12
— Provides funds for strategic enrollment plan
— Mitigates reallocations in the Research area to enhance sponsored activity
— Contributes to Advancement & Development for building alternative revenue
Student Centric
— Works to maintain affordability for both undergraduate and graduate students
— Keeps the total cost increase for undergraduates at 3.3%, the lowest in 10 years.
— Enhances student services to increase value and retain students on campus
— Minimizes financial impact on necessary support for the student community
Operation and Maintenance
— Continues institutional commitment to increase deferred maintenance and capital
— Provides the necessary utility support for facility expansion
Questions:
— None
Working on changing paradigm
— Affordable
— Enrollment
— Development
— Capital – (Human, Plant and Equipment, and Financial)
— Technology
— Niche
Questions/Comments:
— Is the 2016 demographic dropping or rising and based on what?
Most projections are driven by high school numbers. To forecast enrollment you must look at credit hours, retention, students that take more credit hours per semester.
— Has planning begun for things coming out of Augusta, such as a 5-year high school etc.?
Aware but no plan on the table yet. More effort has been going towards Community College articulations. Community Colleges (CC) are eager for more students to go on for a BA/BS.
Stuart Marrs stated that the UMS wants a greater link with the CC’s.
Enrollment Management position is a positive step.
— With a reduction in tuition revenue, are any expenses reduced?
Hard to answer, bringing the whole base budget down to reduce costs over all.
With Accounts payable you can size up or down
With residence halls it is easier to make adjustments; if there’s an enrollment decline staff could be reduced or increased with an up swing.
— What happens with increased revenue, bank resources for less fluctuation?
UMS is trying to grow funds for less volatility. Each campus should do the same.
V. Questions to Administrators
None.
VI. Old Business
None.
VII. New Business
None.
VIII. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Slott, Secretary