September 21, 2016

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
September 21, 2016

Present: John Allen, Bob Bayer, Erik Blomberg, Jason Bolton, Emmanuel Boss, Tony Brinkley, Farahad Dastoor, Paula Drewniany, Thane Fremouw, Amy Fried, Per Garder, Michael Grillo, Jason Harkins, Leonard Kass, Peter Koons, David Kress, Brian McGill, Grant Miles, Patti Miles, Sidney Mitchell, William Nichols, Clint Relyea, Bob Rice, Deborah Saber, Michael Scott, Howard Segal, Kathryn Slott, David Townsend, Shihfen Tu, Mark Wells, Clayton Wheeler, President Susan Hunter, Jeff Hecker, Jen Bonnet (PEAC), Brian Preziosi (Grad Stud Gov)

Absent: Dean Astumian, Sudarshan Chawathe, Laura Cowan, Mauricio da Cunha, Scott Dunning, Chris Grindrod for Nancy Hall, Zhihe Jin, Jordan LaBouff, Robert Lilieholm, David Marcinkowski, Brian Olsen (sabbatical), Michael Peterson, Deborah Rogers, Owen Smith, Mona Therrien, Andrew Thomas, Sharon Tisher, Gail Werrbach, Peter C. Altmann (CEAC), Jonathan Deschaine (Stud. Gov.)

The meeting was called to order at 3:20 pm

I.   Welcome, Announcements and Comments:

Mike Scott, President of Faculty Senate, welcomed everyone to the first Full Faculty Senate meeting of the year.

II.   Approval of Minutes
May 4, 2015
Approved

III. Committee Reports
BOT Rep – Patti Miles
The last BOT meeting was at UMaine Fort Kent. BOT Reps met with the Chancellor regarding their role. The Chancellor, and BOT, wants reps to be a voice for faculty. Senators elected to senate should be the voice of their college and bring concerns from those colleges to Faculty Senate and to BOT Reps.

During the BOT meeting, the Chancellor stated he wants to move on reinvestment; infrastructure, people, etc. The new Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs gave a report noting academic anxiety and plans to work on that issue. A report is expected in November.

The unified budgets were approved, the Chancellor mentioned requesting more funding from the state in the form of bonds. There was approval of a revised investment policy, the System will only invest in companies that are more socially responsible.

Q.  In the budgeting, the current formula continues and then a mission driven budget takes effect, tiered tuition. Will a tiered tuition support other campuses?
A.  President Hunter stated that UMaine would be the top tier; tuition and fees stay with this campus.

Discussion: With a mission driven budget, there will be an effort to calculate needs and what the tuition and fees cover. We may get less from the UMaine System if raising more on this campus.

Chief Business Officer Claire Strickland said that’s a fair statement.

President Hunter stated the model has been approved but will now be fine-tuned. There will be peer institutions and a case will be made based on research, outreach, etc. Peer institutions will be different on the UMaine campus than the other six campuses.

There will be a budget presentation in late October or early November.

Academic Affairs – Michael Grillo
There will be a committee meeting next Wednesday, 3:00 pm in Lord Hall. The issues on the agenda are; UMSystem plan for One University, UMaine and UMaine Machias partnership, the question of faculty and curricular regarding some loss of control with schedules, meeting with Robert Neely Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, FIPC on course fees, evaluation of course scheduling, financial aid affects on student teaching and others, and how Department Chairs are appointed and how that’s different from appointing Directors.

Constitution & Bylaws – David Townsend
The committee will look at part-time adjunct faculty being on Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate President can appoint members to the Executive Committee and the committee will see how to get Honors College involved.

Research & Scholarship – Emmanuel Boss & Mauricio de Cunha
The committee is currently looking at what will be worked on this year. Upcoming, a search for Vice President for Research; the committee meets with the Vice President for Research a couple times a year. They’ll also be looking at the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and travel for research purposes. Travel for research is getting more difficult with reimbursement the same in expensive cities as it is in small, less expensive, cities.

Finance & Institutional Planning – Grant Miles
The committee will be more active this year, planning on two meetings a month. The next committee meeting is October 29 with Claire Strickland and other administrators. This year the goal is to be more involved as things are happening. Hoping to meet with Ryan Low once a semester. There are also plans for growth of the Institutional Planning portion of the committee.

University Environment – Kathryn Slott & Clint Relyea
The committee’s emphasis is to study campus diversity and look at space (teaching/research space) and how it fits the needs.  Will follow up on Tom Sanford’s motion of last year that was tabled.

Library Advisory – Robert Rice & Howard Segal
The library committee will continue as more of an ad hoc committee with fewer reports. One issue may be One University and the databases UMaine pays for and how that will work.

Service & Outreach – Jason Bolton
“Campus-wide dialogue to create strategic missions or visions.” Take these missions/visions from each department/school and colleges to see what they are doing. The committee is also looking for additional members.

Mike said this will be an evolving initiative this year and what the potentials are for the future. This is a collaboration between Faculty Senate and the President’s office.

Committee on Committees – Michael Grillo
Finalizing a few committees and recently put names through on others. Committee on Committees requires one member from each college, please sign up for this committee.

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Sid Mitchell
Sid commented that PCRRC requires one faculty member from each college on the committee. There currently are no issues before the committee.

General Education – Farahad Dastoor & David Townsend
Looking to do an assessment/review of current Gen Ed courses on UMaine campus.

Ad Hoc IT – Michael Scott & Patti Miles
Patti and Mike are on the ITSC, connection of Faculty Senate and IT Advisory Board.

Ad Hoc Shared Governance – Jason Harkins
The committee will continue the work started last year on college bylaws.

Reports of Faculty Members on Committees of the Administration
None.

IV.  Announcements and Updates from the Administration
President Hunter announced tomorrow’s campus breakfast and an upcoming forum with Chancellor Page. The forum will be Monday, September 26, 3:00 pm in DP Corbett. Provost Hecker mentioned working with Deans on the diversity of faculty, the goal is recruiting and retaining. He met with the Environment Committee on how to work together on this issue. Next Tuesday there will be a STRIDE workshop in Wells discussing diversity and diversity searches. Every dean has been asked to have someone at the meeting if they’ll be hiring.

The Provost will hold faculty forum/discussions this fall. The first is scheduled for October 5, discussing IT and classroom updates. November will be an update on the UMaine/Machias partnership. Faculty groups from each campus worked all summer on nine degree programs, how to collaborate, and help with enrollment issues.

Provost Hecker discussed changes in the Financial Aid policy. The change deals with institutional aid and how it’s handled, it will be more closely tied to credit hours. Previously, if a class was dropped financial aid remained the same. Now, aid will be lowered if a student drops below 15 credits. The new initiative will help move students towards the four-year graduation goal of 30 credit hours a year. Giving a student a refund when they drop a class sends the wrong message. The new policy only affects institutional aid and merit aid. If a student drops to 12 credit hours the leftover aid can be used in May or summer session. Students were sent the new policy, several times, but could have done a better job notifying faculty and advisors.

V. Questions of the Administration
Q.  Where are we with the Maine Community College block transfers?
A.  We’re not there yet, but working on it. Provost Hecker stated that he’d get an update and forward it.

Q.  Is Financial Aid prorated for the difference between 14 and 15 credit hour equivalent?
A.  Provost Hecker believed it’s less than the cost of a credit hour. He hopes students will look at that and use May or summer term.

Q.  What do you expect for hiring new faculty?
A.  Currently working with Claire Strickland on the budget. We’re slightly above credit hours budgeted right now, looking to see what can be anticipated for next year and if there will be any rise in tuition rates. This year should be comparable to last year, centrally funded positions will be clearer in November.

Q.  You mention Merit Aid regarding financial aid, but what about scholarships from endowment?
A.  Those are different, they’re not institutional funds.

Q.  What about students that do internships, those students aren’t getting 15 credit hours? Will this affect recruiting?
A.  We’ve become consistent with other institutions so don’t see recruitment being hurt. They can apply their aid to May or summer term.

Q.  Back to funding faculty positions centrally, do you ever see a time where there’s reinvestment in colleges?
A.  Centrally funded positions are about the institution’s priorities. Once funds go to the colleges it becomes a salary line in that college.

Q.  Do lines remain in the college if someone retires?
A.  Yes

Q.  About priorities, is there a process to rethink Blue Sky, Emerging Programs, or are they being reassessed?
A.  Not to that point yet, the Strategic Plan runs through 2017.

VI.  Old Business
None

VII. New Business
None

Adjourned at 4:34 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Grant Miles

Prepared by Kim Junkins