8 October, 1997 Minutes


Approved Minutes
8 October 1997

1 and 2. Call to Order and of Roll

3.Completion of Pending Business

Minutes of the regular meeting of 13 August 1997 will be offered for approval at the 12 November 1997 meeting owing to a clerical error in collating the document for today's meeting.

4. Report from the Chair

Suzanne McGill reported an interesting factoid that 33 administrators in Alabama two-year colleges are also state legislators, and welcomed William Fulford who is responsible for USA governmental affairs. Fulford reported about the new advocacy group, Higher Education Partnership, the purpose of which is to generate support for our state's public universities. After his report, the sense of the Senate was for McGill to write a letter to the faculty encouraging them to join the group and ask Fulford to include it with his membership invitation.

McGill reported about the merit-based salary increment proposed by President Whiddon (2% effective 1 October 1997, 1% as of 1 April 1997). The Trustees will meet no later than December 1997 to consider this and other matters.

McGill reported she and Tim Lally are serving with Larry Allen, Murlene Clark, John Filer, and Steve Picou on an ad hoc committee the President has appointed for A&S endowed professorships. The charge is to make initial recommendations concerning policy and procedures for implementing USA Foundation Professorships within the various A&S departments and to recommend guidelines for the use of the funds generated by the USA Foundation for the approved professorships.

McGill reported that section V of the state articulation program has been returned to the state-wide council of chief academic officers for study; the university presidents have gone

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on record opposing implementation of this section. Among' other objections raised is that it requires an enormous record-keeping task. The principal academic objection is that coursework for a major or minor taken at a two-year college may not adequately prepare a student for the other upper-division work at a university.

McGill reported that the SrVPAA search is under way. The search for VPMA is also proceeding with R. M. Culpepper chairing the search committee.

McGill reported the dedication of the Frederick Palmer Whiddon Administration Building is scheduled for 14 October 1997 and encouraged all faculty to attend.

McGill is working with the President to arrange for new faculty who will begin 15 August 1998 to obtain a half-month's pay on 1 September 1998, and for continuing faculty to obtain that half-month's pay in addition to their other compensation for the final installment of 1997-98 year also scheduled for 1 September. These two matters reflect some of the administrative adjustments for a transition from the quarter to the semester calendar effective Fall 1998.

5. Reports of Senate Standing Committees

Evaluation. Tom Hain had to depart early to meet his 4:00 p.m. class and will report at the next meeting.

Planning/Develonment. Douglas Haywick suggested that we institute a Senate e-mail suggestion box on the Senate home page.

Policy/Handbook. Richard Daughenbaugh has an excused absence and will report at the next meeting.

Salaries/Benefits: Phillip Bell reported his committee was studying the sick leave and maternity leave policies.

6. Reports of Caucus Leaders

No reports were made.

7. Old Business

McGill reported that the President would appoint an ad hoc committee to study the nomenclature of titles in academic affairs.

McGill reported that the President had not appointed an interim SrVPAA. A sense of the Senate was expressed that McGill would draft a resolution for the next meeting asking the President to appoint an interim SrVPAA as soon as possible.

McGill reported the President has decided not to re-review any applications for promotion made in 1997-98.

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8. New Business

None.

9. Communications from the President

No communications were reported.

10. Adjournment

McGill adjourned the meeting at 4:25 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted, T. Lally,
Secretary


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