UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Faculty Senate
Approved Minutes
16 September, 1998

 

1. and 2.           Call to Order and of Roll

            The regular meeting was called to order by Calvin Jones, Chair, at 3:00 p.m. in Library5.  The Secretary called the roll:

Present:                        Arata, Ballard Benoit, Brandon, Broadus, Caldwell, Camp, Cepeda, Chryslee, Davidson-Shivers, DeWitt, Douglass, Dorman, Engebretson, Evans, Foster, Frederick, Hamid, Haywick, Hitt, Honkanen, Izenberg, Jones, Langan, Labbe, Martin, McAfee, McIntosh, Moak, Morris, Mulekar, Norman, Payne, Parker, Ryder, Strange, Sternberg, Sylvestre, Sweet, Swint, Teplick, Trufant, Tuck-Muller, Thurston, Tucker, Van Hanegan, Vetrosky, Vinson, Williams, C. Wilson, G. Wilson, Zhang.

Absent (excused):         Allison, Ashley, Hamm, LeDoux, McIver

 

3.         Completion of Pending Business.

Minutes of the Meeting of July 8, 1998 were approved.

 

4.                     Report from the Chair

Calvin Jones introduced Interim President Gordon Moulton, Interim Academic Vice President Patsy Covey and Robert Shearer, Assistant to the President, to the Senate.  Mr. Moulton addressed the Senate and made the following announcements:

  1. Vacant key positions have been filled or are being filled as follows:
    Dean of Nursing – Dr. Deborah Davis
    Executive Director for Governmental and Alumni Affairs – Mr. Happy Fulford
    Public Relations – Four campus interviews with candidates have been scheduled
    Vice President for Medical Affairs – A finalist candidate was here yesterday
    Director of Libraries – Interviews with candidates will start next week

  2. Mr. Moulton’s immediate focus is directed toward funding academic programs.  This funding currently is provided through State appropriations, tuition fees, endowments and the USA Foundation.  He plans to ask the Foundation to contribute funding for a list of projects now being prepared.  The Foundation gave $2.35 million on September 11, 1998 as part of a total grant of $7.4 million.

  3. Faculty raises will be 8%.

  4. Student enrollment is down by 4% and credit hours are down by 11% as a result of the change to the Semester system.

  5. The University structure will be reorganized as follows:
    a.  The position of Vice President of Business will be eliminated and those duties will be assigned to the Vice President for Finance (Wayne Davis) and the Vice President for Student Affairs (Dale Adams).     
    b.  Various salaries will be increased to make them comparable with another university in the State – these salaries are currently approximately 80% of the other university.
Mr. Moulton stated that he would not reduce academic support and will continue to search for short term savings.

Dr. Jones thanked Mr. Moulton for attending the Senate meeting. Jones then reported the following:
a.         Presidential Search – The search Committee had its first meeting for the purpose of hiring a national search firm.  The Committee is supposed to meet again in two weeks to continue the work.
b.         Foundation funding – The Senate Faculty is asked to consider and submit a list of needs.
c.         Pending Resolutions – Library Addition – The Space Committee is working on this and is planning to call in a consultant.
Governmental Relations – Position now filled.
Sick Leave – To be discussed today and voted on at the next meeting.
d.         The Executive Committee met with Mr. Moulton one week prior to this Senate meeting and regular monthly meetings have been scheduled for the future.

Jones expressed Senate concerns relating to the Library addition, faculty raises, Governmental relations, future transition procedures and faculty workloads.

 

5.                     Reports from Senate Committees

Evaluation.     No report.

Planning/Development.     Doug Haywick presented a proposed university recycling program and asked for signatures supporting the program.  He also requested ideas regarding various safety issues.

Policy/Handbook.     Richard Vinson proposed that modifications to the proposed faculty workload policy would be developed for presentation at the next Senate meeting.  He noted that the new assigned weights will be 60%, 30%, and 10% for teaching, research and service respectively and that Department Chairs and Deans have the discretion to change these weights for individual faculty.  He urged faculty to read the new draft carefully and to note the new definition for Teaching.  Vinson further suggested that Section E should be deleted in the policy regarding Emeritus Faculty.

Salaries/Benefits.     John Foster reported that Pharmacy costs have increased by 15% which may lead to a possible increase in the co-payment for drugs.  A Customer Service representative has been hired by USA Prime Health to facilitate faculty/staff concerns with Prime Health.  As of October 1, 1998 faculty/staff will be allowed to make appointments directly with medical specialists who are members of USA Prime Health and will no longer need to go through the primary care physician.  Further issues being considered are: salary parity among faculty here and among other universities; compensation for part time faculty; health coverage on retirement; and increasing the age for dependent children from 23 to 25.

 

6.                     Reports of Caucus Leaders.

Michael Caldwell (Arts and Sciences) reported on the successful Arts and Science caucus meeting.  He also proposed that communication should be increased by appointing a Senate public relations officer and providing better communications through the Senate web page.  Caldwell stated that it is important that the faculty should feel that they are being listened to.

 

7.                     Old Business

The Resolution regarding the vacant Government Relations position was withdrawn since that position has been filled.

The Senate voted unanimously to adopt the Alabama Higher Education Partnership resolution.

A resolution addressing the appropriate procedures for replacing the University president was introduced for further discussion and a vote at the next meeting.

 

8.                     New Business

John Strange, Vice Chair of the Senate, reported on a USA Foundation meeting that he had attended last week.  He briefly outlined the history of the Foundation and its sources of funds.  He stated that the Foundation has provided funding for health services, funded and unfunded professorships, and various university needs.  Issues currently before the Foundation are:
a.         Add the President of the University to their Board with voting rights
b.         Allow the members of the Board of Trustees for the University who currently sit on the Foundation Board to have voting rights
c.         Pay 5% annually of Foundation funds to the University.

John Foster (Fringe Benefits/Salary) introduced two Resolutions to be voted on at the October meeting of the Senate.  They are:
1.         Sick Leave Policy.  Faculty would accumulate one day per month sick leave, with an accumulated maximum of 225 days to be applied toward retirement.
2.         Vacation Policy.  Faculty would accrue up to 44 days of vacation and at retirement could receive a cash benefit equal to the amount of unused vacation time.  Vacation that accumulates over 44 days can be converted to sick days and used as credit toward retirement.

 

9.    Communications from the President.

See Item 4 above.

 

10.       Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jeanne Sylvestre, Secretary

 

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