October 19, 2016

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
October 19, 2016

Present: Dean Astumian, Bob Bayer, Emmanuel Boss, Tony Brinkley, Laura Cowan, Mauricio da Cunha, Farahad Dastoor, Paula Drewniany, Thane Fremouw, Amy Fried, Michael Grillo, Chris Grindrod for Nancy Hall, Jason Harkins, Leonard Kass, David Kress, Jordan LaBouff, Grant Miles, Patti Miles, William Nichols, Clint Relyea, Deborah Rogers, Deborah Saber, Michael Scott, Howard Segal, Kathryn Slott, Sharon Tisher, David Townsend, Shihfen Tu, Gail Werrbach, Clayton Wheeler, President Susan Hunter, Provost Jeff Hecker, VP Research Carol Kim, Jen Bonnet (PEAC), Brian Preziosi (Grad Stud Gov)

Absent: John Allen, Erik Blomberg, Jason Bolton, Sudarshan Chawathe, Scott Dunning, Per Garder, Zhihe Jin, Peter Koons, David Marcinkowski, George Markowsky, Brian McGill, Sidney Mitchell, Brian Olsen (sabbatical), Bob Rice, John Singer, Owen Smith, Mona Therrien, Andrew Thomas, Mark Wells, Peter C. Altmann (CEAC), Jonathan Deschaine (Stud. Gov.)

The meeting was called to order at 3:20 pm

I. Welcome, Announcements and Comments:
None.

II. Approval of Minutes
September 21, 2016

Approved

III. Committee Reports
BOT Rep – Patti Miles
BOT Reps were asked to attend the November 8, 2016 Strategic Resources Allocation meeting, Patti will discuss it at the next Executive Committee meeting.

Academic Affairs – Michael Grillo
The committee hopes to meet with the Finance & Institutional Planning Committee in the near future. Michael Grillo is working on the Infosilm surveys completed and returned. Approximately 24 have been received and all seem consistent in one area, help from Wingate and making things work. The committee will discuss revenue stream and teaching, department chairs that teach, CED teaching, etc. to better build curriculums.

Constitution & Bylaws – David Townsend
No report.

Research & Scholarship – Emmanuel Boss & Mauricio de Cunha
The committee met Monday, a productive meeting setting priorities. March 16-19, 2017 will be the Maine Science Festival. No deadline has been set for proposals at this time, proposals are being accepted now.

Finance & Institutional Planning – Grant Miles
The committee met and discussed how to move forward and organize what issues go to UMaine or UMaine System. There will be a meeting with Claire Strickland Wednesday October 26, 3:00 pm.

University Environment – Kathryn Slott & Clint Relyea
The committee met with Provost Hecker to discuss University priorities on faculty retention. The committee chairs also attended the STRIDE conference. There will be a motion, tabled last May, back for review at the Elected Members meeting in November. Next Wednesday at 3:00 pm there will be a committee meeting.

Comment: It was mentioned that faculty don’t always know whom to contact regarding building issues. Mike Scott asked the nature of the tabled motion from May. It was a room by room survey of classrooms. Kathryn stated she’d contacted Tom Sandford for his data/information. Patti Miles said she has all the data scanned in. Mike Scott added that the committee share information with Robin Sherman before a motion is brought to Faculty Senate.

Library Advisory – Robert Rice & Howard Segal
No report.

Service & Outreach – Jason Bolton
No report.

Committee on Committees – Michael Grillo
Michael stated the committee is still looking for representation from each college for the committee, which is required by Faculty Senate Bylaws. The committee is still looking for volunteers for the Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences review and Promotion and Tenure Committee.

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Sid Mitchell
No report.

General Education – Farahad Dastoor & David Townsend
The committee will be meeting Monday in Murray Hall. Brian Doore will present NEASC accreditation standards for UMaine.

Ad Hoc IT – Michael Scott & Patti Miles
Patti stated she’s working on getting Blackboard updated by MaineStreet. There was a comment that a potential student couldn’t log in to MaineStreet or find information on the UMaine website showing dorm rooms. It was mentioned that you can’t always find information on UMaine’s website but if you Google it you find it.

Dr. Robert Dana stated he just found dorm rooms listed on the website, at least 15 rooms.

Ad Hoc Shared Governance – Jason Harkins
No report.

Reports of Faculty Members on Committees of the Administration
No reports.

IV. Announcements and Updates from the Administration

President Hunter announced a campus-wide budget meeting schedules for November 15, 3:00 – 4:30 pm, Wells Conference Center. She also thanked everyone for efforts during the Open House last week. There were approximately 1,100 people that attended.

October 28 is a Strategic Resource Allocation Planning Session in Buchanan Alumni at 3:00 pm. There will be some presentation but mostly round table discussions.

President Hunter thanked Ted Coladarci for finding information regarding past year numbers of entering classes. In fact, yes, 2016 is the largest entering class to UMaine with 2,230 first year students, “as of census”.

President Hunter yielded the floor to Faculty Senate Vice President David Townsend. David asked Jack Cosgrove if he’d like to speak regarding Homecoming weekend. Jack stated there were 22,000 “paying customers” between Football and Hockey on Saturday. November 5 Villanova will be on campus. He stated that the teams are doing great this year. He thanked everyone for all they’ve done for athletics.

Provost Hecker said he was surprised that at his last forum no one from Faculty Senate attended. He then realized, he’d scheduled it during a Faculty Senate meeting and apologized for that. The next meeting in November will be the topic of the UMaine/UMaine Machias partnership. He thanked faculty involved with the process over the summer. There were a lot of constructive ideas on collaboration; how a student can start at UMaine Machias and transfer to UMaine, shared courses and how it may benefit both ways. There were discussions regarding student ease of transitioning from UMaine Machias to a UMaine graduate program.

Regarding General Education, campus will be gearing up for the next NEASC review; ten-year review will be in 2019. Jeff St. John has been at NEASC learning the “ins and outs” and President Hunter has agreed to Chair the University of Rhode Island NEASE team in the fall.

Dr. Robert Dana stated a project to get deadbolts in classrooms has begun.

V. Questions of the Administration

Q. The meeting on Strategic Resource Allocation, what does that mean?
A. When the Chancellor came and made presentations and Vice Chancellor Wyck spoke about Scenario Planning, it’s been renamed Strategic Resource Allocation. President Hunter stated she hadn’t heard any of the presentations so not sure what the meeting will be like.

Q. The presentations are still PowerPoint, there’s no written report that would help clarify many things. The presentation a couple weeks ago had no mention of teaching, science, and only once mentioned faculty as a target group on a survey for student retention. Have the Chief Academic Officers shared any concern regarding no written document and could it be raised to the Chancellors Office?
A. Provost Hecker said yes, the issue has been raised but there needs to be more input before a report can be written.
Discussion: Looking at the report, you wonder what certain words mean. Provost Hecker stated that was a reasonable question. Michael Grillo mentioned that the document is full of unfamiliar jargon. Several things Faculty Senate & Alumni Hall addressed last year were never commented on but then it appears in the report. There’s no feedback or communication on wheather things are/will move forward or not.

Q. What is the relationship of the UMaine System and UMaine strategic investment?
A. The Vice Chancellor will have access to funds to advance academic quality. There will be an opportunity to have a call for proposals, there will be opportunity to access those funds.

Q. A lot of dollar amounts for projects have been assigned, $5 million for MaineStreet, $4.5 million United Online, etc. How do we give input into how resources are being spent?
A. There are committees working through problems and key problems such as student records, budgets, etc. as well as faculty issues. There are avenues available for input.
Discussion: We hear $800,000 from the Vice Chancellor and then $5 million or $3 million for other things. Encourage people to attend these meetings and raise the questions.

Q. Patti stated she’s been trying to get Blackboard updated on MaineStreet more than once prior to courses starting. She can’t figure out what the process is to get that done. It needs to be updated after add/drop. Who is responsible to fix it and what’s the process?
A. Robin Sherman stated she hears the issue and thinks it’s something that can be worked on.

Q. How does the UMaine/UMaine Machias partnership address the issue UMaine Machias has for the revitalization of Washington County?
A. Provost Hecker said he’s not sure the partnership will do that but keeping an academic function there will help Washington County. There are people in state government interested in how investments in the UMaine System can help UMaine Machias. They don’t currently have faculty depth but having the partnership can improve that. Marine Science has the Governor interested but the depth isn’t there, the partnership would bridge that.
Discussion: Can something be stated to acknowledge UMaine

Q. At what point do we know whether there’s a cost to UMaine resources, do we assume all the costs?
A. No, not necessarily. The partnership is built on paper, so far, and hoping to address the financials. UMaine has a responsibility to support this partnership but no authority. The 3^rd team regarding structure and governance just started meeting. There will need to be a summary of costs, what is already being carried by UMaine. Also, what is NEASC going to say about it and accreditation?

Q. Can the Provost confirm allegations of a meeting a week from tomorrow in the University Club of mostly males working on enrolling their help in the campus becoming more welcoming and gender equity issues for women colleagues?
A. The meeting of the Allies and Advocates group, connected with Rising Tides, will meet on Thursday next week. Contact Len Kass or Brian Doore for more information.     

VI. Old Business
None

VII. New Business
None

Adjourned at 4:25 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Grant Miles

Prepared by Kim Junkins