DRAFT Minutes 10 December 2025

December 12, 2025 Draft Minutes

Disclaimer: These are draft minutes, which are scheduled for approval at the next open meeting of the University of Maine Faculty Senate.

Attendance

Present:

Senators: Amber Roth, Amy Booth, Bashir Khoda, Bill DeSisto, Briar Chapin (Undergraduate Student Government Representative), Carter Emerson (Graduate Student Government Representative), C. Matt Graham, Camerin Seigars, Colleen Marzilli, Danielle Pelletier, Dean Astumian, Derek Michaud, Ek Han Tan, Ellen Hostert, Eric Landis, Erin P. Carter, Esther Enright, Glenda Pereira, Grant Miles, Greg Howard, Heather Falconer, Jay Wason III (Secretary/Chair), Jean Henri Akono Ada (Vice President), Jennifer Perry, Jianjun Hao, Jonathan Barron, Kathryn Slott, Lauren Jacobs, Lee Karp-Boss, Liliana Herakova, Matt Hawkyard, Matthew Chatfield, Michael Grillo, MJ Sedlock (Past President), Nils Haëntjens, Philip Fanning, Robert Meulenberg, Sara Flanagan, Sarah Lindahl, Seth Campbell, Shannon McCoy, Steven Kimball, Sudarshan Chawathe, Susan Smith, Timothy Bowden, Timothy Waring, Vince Weaver, Will Manion, William Gramlich, William Otto

Guests: Ellen Weinauer, Hannah Carter, James Ward IV, Jenny Boyden, Joseph DiSalvo, Brenn Borror, Giovanna Guidoboni, Scott Marzilli, Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler, Amanda Ashe, Ryan Weatherbee

Absent:

Senators: Alexis Foster, Amanda Klemmer (President), Benjamin L. King, Craig Mason, Jack Buttcane, Karen Beeftink, Keith Berube, Kelly Jaksa, Paula Drewniany, Phillip Dickens, Roberto Lopez-Anido

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 3:03 pm. The land acknowledgement was read by Sen. Pereira.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the previous open senate meeting on November 12 were approved with no revisions.

Presentation from the Director of the Office of Major Scholarships (OMS)

Nives Dal Bo’-Wheeler (Director of OMS) gave a presentation on the work she and her team are doing through OMS to support UMaine students through major scholarships and the Maine Top Scholars Program.

Details:

Maine Top Scholars Program

  • Administrative Specialist: Isabelle Todhunter
  • Questions regarding the Maine Top Scholars Program may be directed to: isabelle.todhunter@maine.edu

Update on the Revisions to the Research Misconduct Policy

Amanda Ashe (Director of Research Compliance) gave a presentation on the latest draft revisions to the Research Misconduct Policy. Director Ashe requested senate feedback on the revisions by the week of December 15. Interested parties may review materials (including the memo and draft revisions) shared by the Office of Research Compliance (ORC).

Details:

Questions may be directed to amanda.l.ashe@maine.edu

Questions of the Administration

Updates on the four Strategic Re-envisioning (SRE) implementation groups

Deputy Provost Hannah Carter summarized that the Academic Portfolio Review Implementation Group (APR-IG) is moving forward as the Deans begin working with faculty and staff on analysis. Reports from the deans are due on December 15.

Jenny Boyden, Interim Vice President of Finance and Administration (VPFA) & Chief Business Officer (CBO) gave an update on the work of the Administrative Business Services Implementation Group (ABS-IG), which culminated in the creation of a Presidential Committee on Administrative Excellence. The goal of this committee will be to address barriers identified by the Theme 14 working group and others, streamline systems and processes, improve onboarding and training, and reduce payroll-related administrative issues.

Jake Ward, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources, and Engagement, gave an update on the Manufacturing, Materials, and Workforce Implementation Group (MMW-IG), which is looking at how to deploy existing resources, infrastructure, innovation, and investments to support manufacturing, materials, and automation. The group has launched the B.O.T. (Build, Optimize, Train) Loft, micro-credentials in automation and robotics, and K-12 summer camps, among other things. They are currently also exploring ways to capitalize on changing priorities in the federal administration that include a reorganization around advanced manufacturing, AI, and automation.

Giovanna Guidoboni, Vice President for Research (VPR) and Dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, gave an update on the Research Portfolio Review Implementation Group (RPR-IG). RPR-IG began its work by looking at criteria, parameters, and data that could be used to best evaluate, assess, and re-envision existing research centers and institutes on campus. Data was gathered through the summer, and task forces were created to begin some aspects of implementation. Examples include recommendations made concerning a restructuring of the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (a.k.a the “RiSE Center”). Additional joint meetings between the RPR-IG and APR-IG have been scheduled to begin exploring opportunities for synergies between the work of these two implementation groups.

Budget Cuts

VPFA & CBO, Jenny Boyden, gave an update on the anticipated budget shortfall for FY 27, which has been reduced from $19.8 million to ~$18 million, in part due to an increase in payovers from endowments approved by the UMaine Foundation to relieve spending on scholarships from Education and General (E&G) funds. The Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee also held $0.5 million in endowments that have helped close some of the gap. The remaining shortfall will be met through a universal 7% budget cut to things like academics, research, administration, facilities management, and all other expenditures except line items over which the university has no control (e.g., utilities, debt service, etc.). Each unit and department was provided a budget template containing information on their target reductions. The deadline to submit proposed cuts to the Finance Office is December 19, 2025. These proposals will be considered by the president’s office, and if approved, entered into the University of Maine System’s budget system.

Sen. Miles asked whether layoffs are being considered. Jenny Boyden responded that possible cuts could include layoffs, elimination of vacant positions, or a withdrawal of proposed positions, among other things. Secretary Wason called for the next item of business and offered that additional budget-related questions can be directed through the Finance and Institutional Planning Committee.

Officer & Position Reports

There was no report from the President (absent), Vice President or Secretary. The Faculty Governance Council Representative (FGC), Sen. DeSisto, reported that the FGC met and discussed the system’s response to requirements related to Title II (accessibility). The system has supported the use of a software called “Ally,” which the FGC felt was inadequate to address the needs of faculty. Sen. DeSisto mentioned that Sen. Flanagan has been a helpful resource for faculty looking to better understand requirements. Secretary Wason said the subject of faculty responsibility with regard to Title II compliance had also been discussed in the Executive Committee meeting with the administration. The Administration has created a Title II Committee, convening for its first meeting on December 12, which is aware of the constraints, support needs and timelines faced by faculty.

The report from the Board of Trustees representative, Sen. Marzilli, is included below:

The Board approved:

  • Purchase of building in Portland, future home of Maine Law/MBA/Maine Center programs.
  • Construction of USM’s $50M Art Building, expanding creative arts facilities.
  • New BS in Wildlife Management at UMFK.
  • Elimination of USM’s Therapeutic Recreation and Recreation Leadership programs, due to low enrollment.

Campus Highlights: UMaine (Orono)

Major research advancements, interim leadership appointments, and athletic achievements. Food pantry initiatives continue supporting students.

Committee Reports

Program Creation and Reorganization Review Committee (PCRRC)

The chair of the PCRRC, Sen. Pereira, moved to endorse two program proposals in nursing: the PhD in Nursing and the Doctor of Nursing Practice with a Concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner. There was no discussion. The motion, SM 2603, passed with one opposed and four abstaining.

Questions for the PCRRC may be directed to Sen. Pereira (Chair) or MJ Sedlock (Co-Chair).

Environment Committee

The chair of the Environment Committee, Sen. Waring, moved to adopt SM 2604: Resolution Regarding Fossil Fuel Investments in UMS-Offered Default Retirement Accounts. Sen. Seigars asked whether the motion would force individuals to transfer savings to fossil fuel free retirement accounts. Sen. Waring clarified that the motion is not retroactive and would not force anyone to transfer their retirement savings to a fossil fuel retirement account. There was no further discussion and the senate voted unanimously to adopt the resolution, with two senators abstaining from voting.

Questions for the Environment Committee may be directed to Sen. Waring (Chair).

Cultural Environment Subcommittee

The chair of the Cultural Environment Subcommittee, Sen. Grillo, reported that it drafted a motion rejecting the federal government’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. After a round of edits and vetting by all subcommittee members, the motion will be presented to the Senate for consideration in January. The subcommittee will also plan to rename itself: TREVOR (Togetherness, Respect, Empowerment, Voice, Opportunity, Resilience).

Questions for the Cultural Environment Subcommittee may be directed to Sen. Grillo (Chair) or Sen. Flanagan (Co-Chair).

Committee on Committees (CoC)

Sen. Jacobs gave the committee report and solicited nominations for one faculty senator to participate on the Steve Gould Award Committee. Sen. Jacobs clarified that the award committee meetings would be held every other month for one hour over the course of a year. The responsibilities would include: 1) soliciting nominations from the University community of students and employees who meet the criteria of the award and 2) recommending the names of one or more recipients to the President for approval. Those interested in serving should contact Sen. Jacobs (Chair).

Finance and Institutional Planning Committee (FIPC)

FIPC drafted a response letter to the “Concerned UMaine Professors.” This letter and related materials are now available to the Faculty Senate. Many non-FIPC senators have provided pertinent feedback following the elected meeting, and discussions are continuing at the Executive Committee level.

FIPC met with the senior administration on Friday, November 21. The point-by-point highlights are as follows:

  1. Budgetary: Some faculty in charge of managing buildings voiced concern about a lack of clarity about funding for upkeep and maintenance this year. The administration provided detailed feedback for why this issue arose this year, and this feedback has now been communicated to those faculty. There was also discussion about any interest in exploring alternative budget models like limited Responsibility Center Management (RCMs). Many arguments were presented. For instance, from the faculty side, there is a feeling of initiative fatigue, and limited tangible benefits; many units doing a lot more with limited resources (for instance, no additional faculty lines). Given the budgetary situation, considering providing incentives to do more work that would help generate revenues could be beneficial to the university, just to state a few.
  2. Enrollment: UMaine is currently ahead relative to last year; positive trends in some states; staff is being deployed in promising states (e.g., Florida; Texas); discount rate policy is being reviewed to attract more out-of-state students; capacity constraints were highlighted (e.g., dorm space). Senators talked about how to get faculty more involved in the recruitment process; administration highlighted a pilot model currently in the works with Engineering. 
  3. R1 strategies and tactics (brief): Research expenditures > $50 Million, and PhD enrollment is around 641 students. It’s likely that the >=70 PhD graduates’ condition is met.

FIPC senators also met on December 3. The committee discussed how to finalize the remaining work related to the administrative growth motion and the preparation for the next meeting with the administration on December 21, 2025.

Questions for the Finance and Institutional Planning Committee may be directed to the committee chair, Vice President Akono (Chair).

Academic Affairs Committee

Work on a grade grievance policy continues, pending an updated draft from Associate Deans.

The proposed syllabus repository was discussed in a small meeting on December 9 with representatives from the Provost’s office, Student Government (UMSG), and the Academic Affairs committee. Feedback from committee members compiled for this meeting can be viewed here. Faculty have raised concerns including, most pressingly, the increased risk of doxing/targeted attacks to instructors of all ranks teaching in “sensitive areas.” Work on this issue will continue using a multipronged approach, including:

  1. A task force comprising faculty instructors, graduate instructors and UMSG representatives will be formed, targeting meeting in January to review specific needs and preferences for truncated syllabus format
  2. The Provost’s office and senate will reach out to counterparts at universities with existing syllabus banks to ascertain how peers have dealt with the concerns raised by stakeholders (meeting to review feedback intended, date TBD)

The next meeting of the Academic Affairs Committee will take place on December 17, where the committee will discuss moving forward with optional syllabus language regarding in-class recording and request to assess feasibility of an academic calendar modification to extend Thanksgiving break to a full week.

Questions for the Academic Affairs Committee may be directed to the committee chair, Sen. Perry (Chair).

General Education Stewardship Committee (GESC)

The transition of General Education courses to the new Core Curriculum is currently under review by the Undergraduate Program and Curriculum Committee. 

Additional updates:

  • An FAQ was added to the Core website. This site is a one-stop shop for all things Core Curriculum. Senators are requested to please share the weblink with their respective units/departments. 
  • Several minor adjustments will need to be made to the motion that created the Core last Spring. For example, an inconsistency in how double designations are handled. GESC will bring these to Academic Affairs for a motion that the full Senate can vote on in the Spring. 
  • With the full list of Core courses nearly complete, GESC will be turning its attention to “Themes” (pathways) in the Spring.

Questions for the GESC may be directed to Sen. Michaud (Co-Chair) or Ryan Weatherbee (Co-Chair).

Library Advisory Committee (LAC)

The chair of the Library Advisory Committee announced that there will be a vote on the NECHE 2026 standards for accreditation taking place on December 12, 2025. These new accreditation standards for 2026 do not mention the word library anywhere in them, nor do they mention the word librarian, and they have greatly diminished the standards for accreditation with regard to libraries.

Questions for the LAC may be directed to Sen. Barron (Chair).

Research and Scholarship Committee (RSC)

The RSC has not met since the last elected members meeting. A meeting is scheduled with the Office of Research Administration for December 19 to discuss collaboration regarding Notice of Intent (NOI) deadlines and a potential exception process. Another meeting has been scheduled for December 17 with the full committee and the new interim Vice President for Research, Giovanna Guidoboni.

Questions for the RSC may be directed to Sen. King (Chair) or Secretary Wason (Co-Chair).

Faculty Information Technology Committee (FIT)

FIT has been working on issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), the umaine.edu website, and guidance on where data should be stored.

Adjourn

There was no new business. The meeting was adjourned at 4:32pm.