September 20, 2017

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
September 20, 2017 

Present: Dean Astumian, Susan Bennett-Armistead, Erik Blomberg, Tony Brinkley, Dick Brucher, Mauricio da Cunha, Farahad Dastoor, Julie DellaMattera, Paula Drewniany, Phil Dunn, Thane Fremouw, Per Garder, Mark Haggerty, Nancy Hall, Sam Hanes, Anil Raj Kizha, Robson Machado, Robert Meulenberg, Grant Miles, Patti Miles, William Nichols, Christopher Nightingale, Nigel Pitt, Paul Grosswiler for Laura Rickard, Deborah Saber, Michael Scott, Howard Segal, Kathryn Slott, Mona Therrien, David Townsend, Phil Trostel, Seth Tyler, Gail Werrbach, Xudong Zheng, President Susan Hunter, Provost Jeff Hecker, VP Research Kody Varahramyan, Jen Bonnet (PEAC), Brian Preziosi (Grad Stud Gov)

Absent: Jason Bolton, Emmanuel Boss, Alice Bruce, Scott Dunning, Nuri Emanetoglu, Torsten Hahmann, Leonard Kass, Peter Koons, Michael Montgomery, Renae Moran, John Singer, Andrew Thomas, Mark Wells, Clayton Wheeler

The meeting was called to order at 3:20 pm

I.  Welcome, Announcements and Comments:
Welcome to new Faculty Senate members. Explanation of senate meetings and committees and encouragement for all senators to participate on committees.

II.  Approval of Minutes
May 3, 2017
Approved

III. Committee Reports
BOT – Patti Miles
Patti stated she’d like to thank everyone for the technology and classroom updates done over the summer.

At a recent BOT meeting they approved the $1 million UMaine Engineering Building preliminary Schematic Design. There is a new program to examine programs with minimum numbers of students, undergrad and graduate. Also, the Strategic Resource Allocation Plan determines how money is prioritized.

1. Do you have a sense that with three new Associate Vice Chancellors to review programs that they will eliminate the programs?
2. Patti stated she believe the programs in question would be presented to the Provost.
3. Strategic Resourse Allocation, is UMaine doing better i.e., Enrollment Management? Was it discussed that those things differ between campuses?
4. Yes – UMaine is the only campus with significant growth. Most all other campuses face challenges for growth

President Hunter said that system goals for growth seem high, so several, including her, have been tasked with analyzing information.

Academic Affairs – William “Dee” Nichols
General Education will be rolled into Academic Affairs as a subcommittee.

General Education – Farahad Dastoor
No report.

Constitution & Bylaws – David Townsend
No report.

Research & Scholarship –
No report. Looking for a co-chair

Finance & Institutional Planning – Mauricio da Cunha
Held first meeting and discussed priorities for the committee. Mauricio is in the process of setting up the first meeting with administrators.

University Environment –
No report.

Service & Outreach –
No report.

Committee on Committees – Rick Borgman
No report.

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Clayton Wheeler
Upcoming review of proposal for reorganizing the Business School. Clay needs two members from each college to serve on the committee.

Library Committee – Howard Segal
Howard said the committee meets as needed. They will be meeting before the next Full Senate meeting.

President Hunter announced that the Maine Library Association named Dean Rumery Librarian of the Year.

Ad Hoc IT – Patti Miles
No report.

Ad Hoc Shared Governance –
Q.  Have all colleges passed bylaws.
A.  Jeff Hecker stated that all had and they’ve been posted.

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

IV.  Announcements and Updates from the Administration
President Hunter discussed the “degree of separateness” between UMaine and UMaine Machias (UMM). UMM is now a regional campus with separate financials. Claire Strickland is the CBO of both campuses, which makes for easier tracking; they pay their own bills. Faculty are separate, students separate, financial aid, etc. Some practices will be integrated like the UMaine Financial Aid office being a resource to UMM. Joe Lee, VP of Enrollment Management at UMaine will have a team consulting with UMM to assist with enrollment growth. Provost Hecker stated UMM has separate academics but both campuses are collaborating.

Provost Hecker said he has updates from the administration regarding motions passed last year by Faculty Senate. The updates are on motions that required action.

Motion to Improve the Responsiveness of the Current Course Fee System. A team will look at the issue this year. Provost Hecker will chair the team, so far members are Jeff St. John, Claire Strickland, one Dean, one Associate Dean, FIPC chair and there will be a faculty member.

December 2016 – Motion to Align General Education Courses with Faculty Senate Approved Criteria. Work has been done on the Gen Ed issue. Brian Doore, Office of Assessment, has been asked to do a review. Brian stated Rubrics have been developed to focus on nine Gen Ed areas and how to assess them. A working group came up with a sampling technique to look at courses in Gen Ed areas, sample courses, ask faculty to identify exams or papers that show evidence of the course within each Gen Ed area.

April 2017 – Motion for the University of Administration to react to the results of a survey conducted by the Faculty Senate Committee on Research and Scholarship. VP Varahramyan spoke regarding goals to optimize and modernize the Research Office and Graduate School. Three main areas: Office of Research Development, Office of Research Compliance, and Office of Research Administration.

Research Compliance and Research Administration are what used to be Office of Sponsored Programs. Administration will focus on pre and post-awards but all offices will work closely. Development will do grant development and professional development. The goal is to make offices customer friendly.

April 2017 – Motion 1: Classroom Maintenance – President Hunter supports the intention but not as written. A half million dollars has been invested on over 40 classrooms this past summer, 26 paint and polish projects, and communication in renovated classes (signage directing who to call with issues). Budget planning for the 2019 investment for additional areas is being planned.

May – Motion of the Faculty Senate to Support Achievement of Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the University of Maine by 2040 – There has been progress, even before the motion. A bid process was opened to help work on net zero with four companies submitting bids. The finalist plans will get some areas lower than the projected 2040 goal and prior to that date. The process has been slowed, somewhat, because two finalist have appealed the decision.

Provost Hecker also commented on a plan he submitted to the Program Creation & Reorganization Review Committee (PCRRC) a proposed Maine Business School changes. September 20, 2017 begins the two-week comment period then the proposal moves to Stage 3.

Provost Hecker encouraged faculty to attend the various Blue Sky Plan assessment forums that are to be held over the next few weeks.

V.  Questions of the Administration   
Q.  Regarding the Office of Research, what is the role of Jake Ward, VP for Innovation and Economic Development?
A.  VP Varahramyan said he’s met with Jake Ward regarding the two offices working together. Provost Hecker said that a year ago a committee began work on Knowledge Transfer with funds from the Alfond Foundation. One thing to come from it is an Innovation and Economic Council with administrators and faculty sitting on that committee. Also Jake Ward and VP Varahramyan will be working on building up the business model for Research Foundation.

VP Varahramyan stated faculty may benefit from workshops and training programs regarding research commercialization. There are a number of upcoming workshops.

Q.  Classroom renovation, is there a plan for this to be ongoing?
A.  All deans were recently asked for priorities. Also working to involve faculty who regularly teach in a room to gain insights. There will be different funding sources; IT has allocated two years of Classroom of the Future monies. Paint and Polish is also sometimes combined with IT. The committee meets from November through April developing a list of summer projects.

Q.  There was a bit of a gap in communication regarding technology heavy rooms/classes. Passwords and programs being changed just prior to classes starting was difficult.
A.  There has been a new workflow established so that doesn’t happen again. The group is working with Student Records to notify faculty when changes occur and how to get feedback from faculty.

Q.  Regarding the separation of UMaine and UMM, is there an intention for them to come under one umbrella in the future?
A.  President Hunter stated there was no intention to combine campuses. The idea is for UMM to benefit from the relationship with UMaine but not integration.

Q.  After two years will UMaine be responsible for the UMM budget.
A.  Claire said that as CBO she has responsibility but that all finances are separate and UMM remains with a separate budget.

Q.  The Previous UMaine President invested in bringing in international students, what is the status of that?
A.  Bringing out of state students is doing very well but the referenced efforts for international students were less successful and have been discontinued. UMaine is now investing in the Office of International Programs to increase international student numbers.

Q.  Can you comment on the upcoming forums?
A.  The meetings are regarding the Evaluation of Strategic Plans, which is five years old now. It’s now time to determine what to do next but will wait for the transition of the UMaine President.

The evaluations will go over what was done, not done, and why. The meetings will be an opportunity to share data and talk with the campus regarding all pathways and are the issues still important to campus. There is an opportunity for input online and video will be available if a meeting can’t be attended. There will be six forums.

There is a budget meeting in 100 Nutting Thursday, November 9, 3:00 – 4:30

VI.  Old Business
None.

VII. New Business
None.

Adjourned 4:30 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Grant Miles

Prepared by Kim Junkins