November 12, 2014

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
November 12, 2014

Present: Steve Barkan, Dick Brucher, Sudarshan Chawathe, George Criner, Mauricio da Cunha, Paula Drewniany, Gordon Hamilton, Jason Harkins, Marie Hayes, Zhihe Jin, Scott Johnson, Leonard Kass, Irving Kornfield, Jordan LaBouff, Mary Ellin Logue, Robert Milardo, Patti Miles, Jennifer Moore, Martha Novy- Broderick, Harlan Onsrud, Michael Peterson, Brian Robinson, Deborah Rogers, Jonathan Rubin, Thomas Sandford, Michael Scott, Howard Segal, Kathryn Slott, Allan Smith, David Townsend, Gail Werrbach, Clayton Wheeler, David Yarborough, Bob Rice, President Susan Hunter, Jeff Hecker, Carol Kim, William “Dee” Nichols, Ryan Low, Charles Rote, Melvin Johnson, Lindsay Nutter (Stud. Gov)

Absent: John Allen, Jason Bolton, Ian Bricknell, Stephen Coghlan, Charlsye Diaz, Dylan Dryer, Scott Dunning, Thane Fremouw, Robert Gundersen, Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Robert Lilieholm, Laura Lindenfeld, David Marcinkowski, Grant Miles, Sidney Mitchell, Andrew Reeve, Mary Shea (for Susan Wheaton), Owen Smith, Shihfen Tu, Charles Wallace, Robert Strong, Peter C. Altmann, Meghan Sills (Grad Stud Gov).

The meeting was called to order at 3:15 pm

I. Welcome and Announcements

II. Approval of Minutes

October 15, 2014
Vote: Approved

III. Committee Reports
BOT Rep – Robert Rice
The BOT has been busy with 3 or 4 meetings recently. The next BOT meeting is at USM for two days. President Foster updated the Academic Affairs Committee regarding Academic Portfolio Review & Integration Process APRIP with eight themes identified. Those themes are: concern on campuses about integration of programs vs. differentiation, with respect to mission; how collaboration will result in cost savings; team encouraged to identify the big picture or ultimate goal; bad news makes challenges worse, need to present the good; logistical and policy issue across the system are major impediments; sub team isn’t getting student and faculty coming forward; recognize that collaboration needs and upfront investment by the System Office; a question that came up regularly, why competitors are succeeding and we are not. President Foster suggested a market survey be done at some point. There was another topic that was raised and the fact that there is a difference in rigor across campuses. President Foster classified it as a cultural barrier instead of a rigor barrier. Distance Learning, with online classes it’s becoming apparent that students taking those classes, and trying to register, often find a conflict with either requirements, exams, or finals conflicts.

The new BOT policy on Sexual Harassment was originally to affect those hired after a certain date. The policy has been changed, all employees, students, etc. will be required to do the online training. There was an update on the Administrative Review of Human Resources. UMaine currently has a 119 to 1 ratio and they want 300 to 1. Six positions will be lost on this campus by 2018. BOT Reps presented, to the Academic Affairs Committee, the idea of an academic quality index, monitor faculty/student ratio and other indicators to measure quality. As major changes take place, making sure the number one primary issue is not compromised. Budget issues, will there be a System CFO, or COO, that has been pushed back with push back from NEASC.

Q. What is the pushback, is it formal or can we push more? A. There has been no formal discussion publically.
Q. Is there anything Faculty Senate can or should do? A. Not currently
Q. Are the APRIP sub team positions filled?
A. Provost Hecker stated no positions have been filled. He’s looking for more volunteers from
underrepresented areas and had discussions with Deans to get more volunteers. The list will
move forward tomorrow and that’s when the sub teams will be created. They’d like to have a good mix with faculty representatives, students etc.
Q. Will it be proportional, faculty and students? A. For the most part but not completely.
Q. Would you like one or more from each campus. A. He would like to have more than one.

Academic Affairs – Marie Hayes
There is a motion coming up under New Business. The committee is interested in working with Jeff St. John on the Prior Learning Assessment, work done by Tom Sandford and Rick Borgman over the summer. The committee is hoping to have any changes done and be able to present a draft motion to an Elected Members meeting and a motion to the Full Senate in December. The Academic Affairs Committee would like to hear from anyone that has issues they’d like discussed.

Constitution & Bylaws – Martha Novy-Broderick
No report.

Research & Scholarship – Scott Johnson & Mauricio de Cunha
The committee is researching American research universities to see how peers do certain things. Collaborating with VP for Research, Research Council and Graduate Student Government.

Finance & Institutional Planning – Tom Sandford
Met last week regarding usage and cost, VP Ryan Low is gathering information for the committee. Facilities gave a presentation on infrastructure and it’s status. The system has several buildings 2.3 billion, UMaine more than 1 billion. President Hunter stated that is the value. The System has 9 million sq. ft. and UMaine has approximately 85% of that.
Q. Is this the base cost for the depreciation calculations?
A. VP Low said they were looking at cost first; they aren’t through all the information yet.
Discussion: VP Low stated the concept, as value goes up, in theory, could consume more budget. This year 100% was the goal but it will actually be approx. 60%.
Q. If you have 100% depreciation, the funds are not off limits, are they still available?
A. To a point. If you set aside funds for facilities but issues come up those funds could be used.
Q. Doesn’t it make sense to get our budget in order so it can’t be transferred out?
A. Yes, we want the decision level here. The goal is to be transparent with the BOT. The office is
actively involved with the process.
Q. What is the current commitment to depreciation?
A. VP Low said he’d need to check and get back with that information. The goal is 100% but for FY
16 we may not get there.

University Environment –Mike Scott & David Townsend
The committee met with faculty, students, and alumni regarding Divest Maine, eliminating fossil fuels.

Library Advisory – Robert Rice & Howard Segal
No report.

Service & Outreach –David Yarborough & Jason Bolton
The committee met on the 7th with Claire Sullivan and has revised the Mission Statement: Explore strategies for better highlighting faculty service, outreach and economic development that is delivered to the university community, statewide and across state line. At the System level, there’s an initiative to look at a program called CoLabratory. The committee would like to look at that and see if it’s a fit
with UMaine. Would like to create rewards, instead of mandates, to encourage people to do this. Discussion will continue on that.

Committee on Committees – Executive Committee
No report.

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Brian Robinson
Posted a proposal a few weeks ago regarding a Political Science online course and received one response. The commenter asked whether it’s appropriate to advertise for online majors without making it clear the alternative for online degrees. The committee isn’t clear on this, but should it be made clear that it’s not an online degree?

General Education — Harlan Onsrud
There was a document handed out regarding a motion on Block Transfers coming up in December. All seven campuses are creating similar policies. If there are any questions or comments please forward them to Harlan or George Criner. Discussion: this policy won’t affect many students. Campuses work hard to accept a students credits transferring in now. This policy creates transparency of something that is already done. President Hunter stated that she was at an earlier meeting and the first question was regarding Gen Ed transfer. The campus does everything they can to transfer credits; this issue is mostly a perception problem.

Ad Hoc IT – Mike Scott
The committee met with Dick Thompson and has scheduled future meetings bi-weekly. At the next meeting Dick Thompson will present a 5-year plan regarding capital projects being proposed. The funding model is unclear. A meeting will be set up with the new head of CED regarding Faculty Development.
Q. Is there discussion by IT about updating wireless in buildings?
A. Mike Scott thought that was part of the 5-year plan, it may be discussed at a future meeting.
That’s why regular meetings are important.
If anyone has a specific issue that should be raised by the committee to Dick Thompson contact Mike Scott.
Committees of the Administration Reports
Q. Dick Brucher said they’ve been negotiating for space in Neville for several months. He received an email the other day stating it needs to be signed off on. The email stated that IT will need lab space and a few offices on the 3rd and 4th floor, why do they need 500 feet for a wiring upgrade if there’s 9 million sq. ft. on campus? What procedure is used to determine this, no one in Neville was consulted. Now we’re told that people need to move.
A. The intent, short term is to use the space as a staging area for IT to run its lines. Jeff St. John said he found out at the same time as Dick that this was happening. A discussion with Dick Thompson will help meet the needs of the occupants and IT.
Q. Dick said they were told this is permanent.
A. Jeff said he’d do his best to get everyone the space they need.
Q. Regarding research agenda’s and incentives, there was a motion passed in 1997, regarding the return of Indirect Cost. Is there ever a time when Indirect Cost will be returned?
A. President Hunter and Provost Hecker stated that it has been discussed recently. VP for Research has brought the issue forward.
Q. Would it help to have support from faculty?
A. VP Kim said she has been pushing, the President and Provost are supportive, but it’s figuring out
the logistics of getting it done.
Discussion: Is Indirect returned to the BOT or just UMaine? It’s currently within UMaine so now is the time to get it done. President Hunter said they are all in favor of the concept but a plan is needed. May need to look at data and research to get facts on how it can be done, the impact on grant production, and present a plan.
Q. How much is being kept at the System level? A. None, it’s all held centrally.
When a grant is written 50% is added for Indirect Cost. At many universities it is portioned out to the grant writer, and other offices. It’s an incentive for people to write research proposals.
Q. The depreciation issues, how to retain infrastructure for labs with lower depreciation, what is the impact?
A. Investing in the facilities, we want to make the appropriate investments instead of projects picking us, being able to plan is best. Having a 5-year capital plan that lines up with the budgets following it closely means less of a scramble.
Q. Ryan Low was asked: how do you balance things when you work for the System and UMaine? A. He stated that he’s worked at other campuses and saw opportunities to do more at that time.
Having knowledge and going back to the System and is very honest with the Chancellor regarding the fact that someone cannot do his job from Bangor. The UMaine budget has many working parts and can’t be done from someplace else.
Q. CLAS told the Chairs that centralized travel isn’t going into effect right now. What is the timetable on that?
A. Ryan Low said he wasn’t sure about the delay but he will check it out and get back to senate.

IV. Old Business
None

V. New Business
Academic Affairs Committee
Motion on the 2015-2016 Academic Calendar
Whereas, the University of Maine has a mission to deliver a fully accredited, 14 weeks of instruction and 1 week of finals a semester to our students to insure the continuity of academic planning and program integrity, it is proposed that all features and dates of the attached Academic Calendar for 2015-2016 be adopted.
This motion proposes that the Spring semester, 2016 has the start date of January 11th; Spring Recess period beginning Monday, February 29th with class resumption on March 14th; and the end of the semester will occur after final exam week ends on May 6th. The reasons for these dates are determined by academic and research scholarship across the University of Maine campus and include:
• Efficient beginning of the semester to insure academic completion of all student requirements as early as possible to accommodate summer internships and coursework (e.g. May and June term), and student employment goals.
• Retention of the timing and duration of Spring Break to insure planning and coordination of student and faculty coordinated research and travel coursework, alternative spring break activities and student athletic spring competition.

Vote: Approved

Adjourned at 4:30 pm
Respectfully submitted, Kathryn Slott

Prepared by Kim Junkins