UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Faculty Senate
Approved Minutes
21 February 2001



1. Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 3:01 p.m.


2. Roll Call and Agenda Approval:

Present: Dagenais, Gifford, Blackwell, Bowers, I. Brown, R. Brown, Cohen, Comstock, Hitt, Kimball, Kwiatkowski, Matheson, Morris, Mozur, Payne, Rogers, Ryder, Vest, Garmon, Rowe, Broughton, Ellis, Strange, Olsen, Parker, Murray, Norman, Wheeler, Benoit, Boggs, Cepeda, Kayes, Perkins, Tuck-Muller, Wesenberg, Wilson, Bracken, Hsu, Swofford, DeWitt, Temple, Weitzel

Absent (Excused): Miller, Shardo, Bailey, McIntosh, Sylvester, Townsley, Beatty, Broome

Absent (Unexcused): Hill, Spector, Baker, Sternberg, Teplick, [Cox and Derbin are no longer with the University and have not been replaced on the Senate; White, Stevens, and Stubbs have resigned from the Senate]

The agenda was approved.


3. Approval of Minutes:

The minutes from the January 17, 2001 Faculty Senate meeting were presented and approved with minor corrections to the roll call, committee reports, and caucus reports.


4. Report from the Chair and Communication from the President:

Chairman Rogers reported on the Executive Committee's most recent meeting with President Moulton. He reported that President Moulton discussed proration and related budget cuts, and tuition and fee increases.

Announcements included:

a. Senate elections must be completed by the end of March, 2001. Caucus leaders should check with Senator Murray.

b. All faculty should be encouraged to complete the next Faculty Survey.

c. Nothing has been decided concerning the University's health plan.

d. The University Long Range Planning Committee has met. Two issues they will focus on are, diversity at the University and the image of the University.

e. Student Government Association members have indicated that some students would like access to information from student's evaluations of teaching.

f. The Office of Alumni Affairs has stated that the faculty award for Scholarly Activity has been dropped and, that in the future awards will be for excellence in teaching and excellence in advising.

g. Chairman Rogers will be attending the next meeting of Faculty Senate Presidents. This meeting will be held in Tuscaloosa.

h. Senator Murray stated that nominations for Senate positions should be given to the appropriate caucus leaders.


5. Reports from Standing Committees:

Evaluation Committee:

Senator Wesenberg informed the Senate that this years survey will be online, hopefully, during March. He also encouraged Senators to submit suggestions pertaining to the next faculty survey.

Planning Committee:

Senator Dagenais indicated that the Committee will meet next week and that work associated with the transportation grant is continuing. The awarding of an honorary doctorate to the next commencement speaker will most likely be discussed in the near future.

Policy and Handbook Committee:

Senator R. Brown reported that the Committee has been working on a distance learning resolution. He also reported that: (a) it has been proposed that meetings be held with administration representatives several times a year concerning handbook updates and changes, (b) the Committee recently discussed ombudsmen and workload issues, and (c) the committee has no resolutions forthcoming. Senator Brown also stated that the football report is supposed to arrive today (February 21 2001).

Salary and Fringe Benefits Committee: Senator Townsley stated that the Faculty benefits web page should be operational in the near future and that a sick leave donation policy probably will be proposed.


6. Reports From Caucus Leaders:

Allied Health: Caucus met with interim Dean.

A & S: Updated all faculty on results of a past meeting.

Computer Science: No report.

Cont. Ed. No report.

Education: No report.

Engineering: Special faculty meeting was held to discuss matters such as the budget, unfilled positions, and a new chair for the electrical and computer engineering department.

Library: The Director of the Library is now the Dean of University Libraries. No progress has been made on the new building.

Medicine: No report. A committee has been formed to search for a new Chair of Surgery.

MCOB: No report.

Nursing: No report.


7. Old Business:

Report from the ad hoc Committee on Recruitment and Retention

Some recruitment and retention issues will be included in this year's faculty survey.


8. New Business:

Associate Vice-President (Academic Affairs) Stout discussed the new policies and procedures pertinent to part-time faculty. [Modified copy is attached]

A motion to consider these policies and procedures was made and seconded. After some discussion, a motion was made to suggest modification of the introductory paragraph of the new policy and procedures statement. This motion passed (28 for, 5 opposed, 2 abstentions). The policies and procedures with the Senate's proposed modification are attached. [The changes are indicated by strikeout indicating deletions and bold font indicating additions.] The resolution was adopted as amended (30 for, 0 opposed, 4 abstentions).


9. President Moulton addressed the Senate. The major topics were budget issues and associated problems.


10. Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:50 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted by:
R. Bracken, Secretary


PART-TIME FACULTY

Policy and Procedures

The University recognizes that part-time (adjunct) faculty are an essential component of the University's instructional workforce. Part-time faculty bring to the classroom and laboratories professional experience, disciplinary expertise, and provide an important enrichment to student learning. The University also recognizes its responsibility to maintain an appropriate balance of part-time and full-time faculty and will be diligent in carrying [carry] out this responsibility [in a manner that does not jeopardize academic standards as determined by individual departments]. Given below are policy and procedures regarding part-time faculty.


1. Part-time faculty are temporary employees who are appointed "as needed" on a semester-by-semester basis. Appointment procedures are as follows:

A. National searches are not conducted for part-time faculty. Although search committees are not normally used for part-time faculty, the chair will appropriately consult with departmental faculty in their selection and appointment. Advertisements in local newspapers will be done only when deemed necessary by the dean and the chair. In those cases where local advertisements are necessary, both the Mobile Press Register and the local African-American newspaper, Mobile Beacon or equivalent, will be used.


B. Required documentation for a part-time faculty appointment is identical to that of a full-time faculty appointment as given below:

All of the above information is forwarded to the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. Upon approval for addition to the Part-Time Faculty Roster, the file is returned to the College Dean.

C. Part-Time Faculty Roster: A roster of approved part-time faculty is maintained in the offices of the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and the College Dean. Once approved for addition to the Part-Time Faculty Roster, the individual is eligible to teach on an "as needed" semester-by-semester basis. The Department Chair is responsible for initiating a written notice to the Dean and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs to withdraw an individual from the Part-Time Roster

D. Official files for part-time faculty are maintained in the Dean' Office.


2. Academic Credentials:

A. Part-time faculty members teaching credit courses leading toward the baccalaureate degree must have completed at least 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline and hold at least a master's degree, or hold the minimum of a master's degree with a major in the teaching discipline. In exceptional cases, outstanding professional experience and demonstrated contributions to the teaching discipline may be presented in lieu of formal academic preparation. Such cases must be justified by the Department on an individual basis using the standard "Exception for Faculty Academic and Professional Preparation" form.

B. Part-time faculty teaching courses at the master's and specialist degree level must hold the terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate, in the teaching discipline or a related discipline. In some instances, the master's degree in the discipline may be considered the terminal degree, such as the M.F.A., the M.S.W., and the M.L.S.; in others, a master's degree in the discipline coupled with a doctoral degree in a related discipline is considered appropriate. It is the responsibility of the Department to justify the master's degree, or master's in the teaching discipline coupled with a related doctorate, as the terminal degree for faculty members teaching in those disciplines. All faculty members teaching courses at the doctoral degree level must hold the earned doctorate in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.

C. The University recognizes that in unusual cases it may be appropriate to include those graduate faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional scholarly or creative activity, or professional experience, but who may not possess the required academic credentials. There also may be an occasion when a new graduate discipline is in its formative stage in higher education and there are no faculty members available with academic credentials in the discipline. In either case, when a department presents evidence of competence or academic credentials other than the doctorate in the discipline for its graduate faculty, the Department must justify the employment of such faculty.

3. Tenure Eligibility: Part-time faculty are not eligible for tenure and thus are non-tenure accruing.


4. Scheduling and staffing of all classes is tentative until registration is complete; therefore, course assignments and employment of part-time faculty may change with little notice. Part-time faculty will be notified of such changes as soon as possible.


5. Pay rates for part-time faculty will be reviewed periodically by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Council of Deans to determine if remuneration should and can be adjusted.


6. Duties: In general, the duties of part-time faculty are limited to teaching and should not include research or service.


7. Participation in Departmental Faculty Meetings: Although regular attendance at Departmental, College, or University faculty meetings is not required, part-time faculty should be encouraged to attend those meetings directly dealing with their teaching responsibilities. Supervisors will keep part-time faculty informed about meetings relevant to part-time faculty or about the information disseminated at such meetings.


8. Teaching Load: No part-time faculty member will teach more than 12 credit hours per academic year at the University of South Alabama, except in unusual cases in which special permission is given by the appropriate dean.


9. Orientation and Teacher Development: Orientation refers to providing information on mission statements, policies, logistics, facilities, and pedagogical advice that assist faculty in performing their duties and becoming integrated into the University community. Teacher development refers to initiatives by the University to promote effective teaching and to promote their professional development as educators.


A. Part-time faculty will be encouraged to participate in University-sponsored teacher development and orientation activities (e.g., "orientation for new faculty program," workshops and meetings).

B. In addition to institutional-level orientation opportunities for part-time faculty, each department will also provide orientation for its new part-time faculty. Such orientation can be in the form of, e.g., printed material, oral communication, or audiovisual technology. Orientation also can be one-on-one or in groups. Each department chair will provide new part-time faculty with the institution's "New Faculty Orientation Handbook," which can be supplemented with information specific to the department. Departmental orientation should especially focus on matters that apply to the department and to the part-time instructor's particular role.

C. Department chairs are encouraged to appoint a faculty mentor to each new part-time teacher for at least the first semester of employment at the University.

D. Although not prohibited by policy, the University usually does not fund individual requests for professional development of part-time faculty (e.g., funding for presentations at conferences).


10. Supervision and Evaluation. Supervision refers to a means by which the faculty member's teaching performance is monitored and by which individual guidance on meeting teaching responsibilities is received. Evaluation refers to a means by which teaching performance is formally assessed.

A. Part-time faculty will be supervised and evaluated by the department chairperson or designee.

B. In every course taught by a part-time faculty member, the department chairperson or designated tenured faculty member will visit the class at least one time.

C. Each semester, the department chair or designee will review and approve the syllabus, schedule of lectures or topical outline, objectives, and textbook(s) for all courses taught by part-time instructors, and will discuss with the part-time instructor the department's expectations for the course as well as the part-time instructor's teaching plan for the course.

D. Part-time faculty will be evaluated in accordance with the same policy and procedures as those employed for the evaluation of teaching for full-time faculty. However, part-time instructors will be evaluated by students in every course. Part-time faculty should be informed of the procedures for the evaluation of teaching during their orientation.

E. Each department will demonstrate that it uses the results of student and other evaluations of the courses in decisions regarding rehiring part-time instructors and in improvement of teaching and student learning.


11. Student Access: Student access refers to the means by which students can communicate with their instructors in a regular, effective, and timely fashion.

A. On the first day of classes of the semester, part-time instructors will provide students with information indicating how and when students can access them for out-of-class assistance.


B. To facilitate student access, the department will, to the extent possible, provide part-time teachers with reasonable access to appropriate support services (e.g., office space, office telephone, faculty parking, mailbox, mail services, e-mail account, and essential secretarial support for performing teaching duties).

REV: 12/14/00


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