Faculty Senate

September 18, 2019

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
September 18, 2019

Present: David Batuski, Donald Beith, Erik Blomberg, Amy Booth, Alice Bruce, Sandy Butler, Kristina Cammen, Mauricio da Cunha, Paula Drewniany, Phil Dunn, Nuri Emanetoglu, Per Garder, Mark Haggerty, Torsten Hahmann, Emily Haigh, Heather Hamlin,  Sam Hanes, Leonard Kass, Amanda Klemmer Colt Knight, Sara Lello Margo Lukens, Natalie Machamer, Molly MacLean, Robert Meulenberg, Grant Miles, Patti Miles, William Nichols, Christopher Nightingale, Elizabeth Payne, Laura Rickard, Deborah Saber, Holly Schreiber, Michael Scott, Kathryn Slott, Sean Smith, Andrew Thomas, David Townsend, Phil Trostel, Peter Van Walsum, Xudong Zheng, Todd Zoroya, Faye Gilbert Interim Provost, VP Research Kody Varahramyan, Claire Strickland CBO, Robert Dana, Ken Ralph, Kimberly Whitehead Chief of Staff, Jen Bonnet (PEAC), Jennifer Chiarell (CEAC), SuriyaPrakaash LakshmiBalasubramaniam (Grad Stud Gov) Harrison Ransley (Undergrad Rep)

Absent: David Barrett, Stephanie Burnett, Julie DellaMattera, Nancy Hall, Valerie Herbert, Judith Josiah-Martin Margaret Killinger, Anil Raj Kizha, Peter Koons, Robson Machado, Renae Moran, Nigel Pitt, Timothy Reagan, Deborah Rogers, Mary “MJ” Sedlock, Howard Segal, Mohsen Shahinpoor, John Singer, Stephanie Welcomer, Mark Wells, President Joan Ferrini-Mundy

The meeting was called to order at 3:15 pm

I.  Welcome, Announcements and Comments
The new Grad Student Rep, Suriya, introduced himself and announced the deadline for graduate student grants is February 7, 2020. 

II.  Approval of Minutes
May 8, 2019
Approved with edits.

III.  Committee Reports
Academic Affairs – William “Dee” Nichols
The committee will be looking for additional members and members for the Gen Ed Committee. There will be a meeting, together, on September 25, at 3:00 in 222 Merrill Hall. Another meeting with Jeff St. John and Deb Allen has been scheduled for October 4, 1:00 pm in 112 Alumni. Dee is looking for a co-chair for Academic Affairs for fall and then to chair the committee for spring semester. The committee will be looking at the Academic Integrity Policy and work with the administration for online Student Evaluation (SET). The College of Education and Human Development voted to move toward with SET. Dee asked that senators discuss the issue with their units and take a vote.

Gen Ed – Subcommittee of Academic Affairs – Sam Hanes
The next two committee meetings will be planning meetings for the Gen Ed assessment process. The next assessment will be Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives. The committee will now be doing assessments each semester.

Constitution & Bylaws – Grant Miles
No report.

Research & Scholarship – Sean Smith, Deborah Saber & Nuri Emanetoglu
The first committee meeting will be September 24, 3 pm in the FFA room of the Union. Last year the Ad Hoc committee on Research Capacity identified five areas then down to one being high priority, indirect cost.  

Finance & Institutional Planning – Mauricio da Cunha & Mike Scott
There will be a meeting scheduled soon but still looking for members. There will be meetings with President Ferrini-Mundy and Interim Provost Faye Gilbert to continue work from last year.

University Environment – Erik Blomberg
A meeting will be planned soon. The committee will look at new language in the AFUM contract for sick/parental leave. It is improved but currently falls short of the Faculty Senate recommendations. If anyone has thoughts please contact Erik.

Q.  AFUM is for all campuses, can this campus add their own language?
A.  The short answer, yes but need due process. It’s possible there’s more leeway on the Orono campus but with AFUM involvement.

Discussion: The tenure process on this campus has room from other campuses so was hoping it would be the same with this issue.

Q.  What is the status of the Daycare Center?
A.  No recent updates. Erik said he was contacted a while ago by President Ferrini-Mundy’s office about serving on an implementation committee but there’s been no further contact.

Q.  Can you get an update on the numbers and number on waiting lists?
A.  Yes, but think there is still a large waiting list.

Service & Outreach – Colt Knight
The committee needs members. An email will be coming shortly with a meeting date.

Committee on Committees –
A few committee requests; Scientific Misconduct, Review and Tenure Committee, also review committees for Dean Rumery, Dean Servello, and Dean Haddad. 

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Margo Lukens
The committee will attempt to get work done quickly this year. There will be a meeting next week with a draft to streamline intent to plan and then presented to the next elected member meeting.

Library Committee – Howard Segal & Robert Rice
The committee met on August 28 to discuss budget cuts. This year there will be a 2.5% cut to the collection budget. Databases have been looked at for use and/or duplication, a number will be removed. If a specific database is unavailable the library will obtain it for researchers. Monographs are also being cut but can be obtained if it’s needed for class.

The IT Help Center has moved to the Library first floor. The poster printer will now be in Shibles. There will be a presentation practice room in the Library, equipment has been ordered and should be ready once that arrives.

Occam’s Reader will be available for electronic book loans. There will also be new tile and carpet on the first and third floors.

Information Technology Committee – Patti Miles
The committee met today. Box will be phased out and One Drive will replace it. Currently looking at programs available, what’s paid for and what is actually used. Many on campus want Adobe Pro but it’s very expensive. Other programs would need to be let go.

Q.  When is Box going away?
A.  Not yet and there will be help migrating files.

Q.  Will there be an issue sharing files if other universities don’t use One Drive?
A.  Things should work the same as they do now.

The migration will take place over the next year.

Q.  Does One Drive have the same security?
A.  Yes, better. 

BOT – Patti Miles
The big issue with BOT is that in July Chancellor Malloy said that if NECHE has problems accrediting campuses under the current system, then UMSystem will do look for alternative accreditation. Pushing ahead with One University idea.  They’ve published two documents everyone should read. One University would allow ease of transfer credits between campuses. Vice Chancellor Robert Neely has retired and Robert Placido will now hold the position.

Q.  The BOT and Academic Partnership relationship with other UMaine System schools has created an issue for UMaine. There’s a negative impact from this on UMaine – google search related to online programs at UMaine gets results from Academic Partnership and doesn’t show anything else. This is hurting the graduate program at UMaine and has a potential impact on the UMaine “Gold” initiative.  This should be brought up to the UMSystem.

Comments: One accreditation will be brought up at the elected members meeting. To depend on other campuses is a slippery slope. This is a serious topic.

Q.  Are other campuses up for accreditation?
A.  Presque Isle and Fort Kent are due for reaccreditation. Machias was included in UMaine reaccreditation efforts last year. President Ferrini-Mundy will meet with the commission in November to discuss issues from the reaccreditation visit and should receive the letter from NECHE  in January or February.

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

IV.  Announcements and Updates from the Administration
Interim Provost, Faye Gilbert, was introduced. She mentioned there will be two faculty forums, October and November. Convocation is on Friday with Keynote by President Ferrini-Mundy focused on fostering learner success. Alumni, Faculty, Undergrad and Graduate students may attend and a reception to follow.

Budget reallocation was done early this fall.  The number of enrolled students (and the mix of out of state versus in state students) is lower than projections. Realignments have been based on the actual numbers so budgets are lower, Deans worked hard to minimize the effects. Looking towards next fall, the President said she’ll be part of the budget talks.

Unified Fee: In 2002 the Unified Fee was implemented and funds went to specific areas. Over time, though, funds have mostly become part of the overall budget.  Several colleges still receive designated money from the unified fee, but not all do. In general, the fee doesn’t come out separately, it’s used for salaries, activities, etc. The Maine Business School doesn’t receive the additional funds, it’s in the base budget.

Q.  It’s complicated, but there is currently no way to increase lab fees when costs increase. Telling students, the Unified Fee is for labs but then need to charge them more elsewhere.

Provost is looking how to make changes in the Unified Fee process as well as how/whether to allow an increase to class fees. Provost Hecker is looking into a transparent process and on how to get to that point.

Q.  Why a fee?
A.  Unified Fee has gone to reduce cuts. It’s easier to raise fees than tuition. All of these need to be discussed.

It was mentioned that FIPCE will look at this and look for transparency. Hoping to work with the administration for that transparency.

The Maine Business School and College of Engineering have their own fee. But some or all of this goes back to central administration for base salaries (which has helped avoid some budget cuts)

Q.  Realignment, based on enrollment? Numbers are up, there was a small drop in freshmen and sophomores but other numbers are up.
A.  Projected enrollment is down. The projections were revised in August, closer to the actual number.

Comments: There is a large senior class, one of the largest. The 2021 class numbers are down.

David Townsend stated he had met with Interim Provost Gilbert and projections being short by 150 created the budget cuts. How do we build a budget when the target is missed?

Q.  We’re encouraged to educate Maine kids but the incentive appears to be aimed at out of state students.
A.  We need to improve the process. Massachusetts students aren’t better than Maine students, the incentive does seem to be going after out of state students.

The Provost Forums will look at what faculty do for retention. The goal is 75-76% retention, currently at 71%. We need to find the financial resources to get students to stay.

Suggest we table this for the next meeting.

V.  Questions of the Administration

VI. Old Business
No old business. 

VII.    New Business
No new business.        

Adjourned 4:30 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Grant Miles

Prepared by Kim Junkins