UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Faculty Senate
Approved Minutes
23 May 2001

 

1. Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 3:07 p.m.

2. Roll Call:

Present: Hill, Bowers, I. Brown, S. Cohen, Comstock, Hanks, Kwiatkowski, Matheson, Rogers, Shardo, Willis, Longenecker, Vest, Rowe, Ellis, Gray, Guest, Murray, Wheeler, M. Cohen, Perkins, Wesenberg, Wilson, Bracken, Swofford

Absent: Dagenais, Gifford, Spector, Blackwell, Hermanson, Kimball, Miller, Mozur, Garmon, Bailey, Broughton, El-Saba, Olsen, Sylvester, Baker, Barik, Benoit, Boggs, Figarola, Foster, Kayes, McNair, Painter, Pettyjohn, Townsley, Beatty, Hsu, Broome, Temple, Weitzel.

3. Consideration of a resolution concerning recent changes in the Board of Trustees membership.

Chairman Rogers made some introductory remarks concerning appointment of trustees and election of Board officers. A resolution concerning recent events affecting Board membership was moved and seconded. After much discussion, the following resolution was voted on. (Note: twenty five senators were present and there were fifteen proxy votes.)

WHEREAS, the University of South Alabama Faculty Senate is the elected assembly representing nearly 700 faculty members in the University’s ten schools and colleges; and

WHEREAS, Governor Don Siegelman has submitted the names of four public-spirited citizens of Alabama to the Alabama State Senate as his nominees for upcoming vacancies on the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, however, none of the four individuals nominated by the Governor is an alumnus of the University of South Alabama; and

WHEREAS, two USA trustees whose terms will soon expire, Mr. Ken Kvalheim and Judge Herman Thomas, are alumni of the University; and

WHEREAS, with the departure of Mr. Kvalheim and Judge Thomas from the USA Board of Trustees, there will be no undergraduate alumni remaining on the Board; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Kvalheim and Judge Thomas have been unusually energetic, engaged, effective, and concerned for the welfare of the University and its students, faculty, and staff during their service on the Board; and

WHEREAS, the Board must soon elect new officers and has established the informal precedent of electing its Vice-Chair pro tempore to the position of Chair pro tempore of the Board; and

WHEREAS, Judge Thomas currently serves as vice-chair pro tempore of the USA Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, other state-supported colleges and universities in Alabama routinely have significant representation on their governing boards from among their alumni; and

WHEREAS, alumni are in a unique position to understand the history, needs, and aspirations of their alma mater; and

WHEREAS, the University of South Alabama Alumni Association, in its annual meeting on May 10, 2001, passed a resolution calling on Governor Siegelman (1) to withdraw the four names submitted to the State Senate and replace them with USA alumni; (2) for the State Senate to reject any nominees who were not USA alumni; and (3) for the Governor to nominate only USA undergraduate alumni as USA Board members until a majority of Board members are USA alumni; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, the University of South Alabama Faculty Senate thanks those recently nominated by the Governor for their willingness to serve the University, but joins the University of South Alabama Alumni Association in calling on Governor Siegelman to withdraw their names and replace them with the names of four alumni of the University of South Alabama; and

RESOLVED, the USA Faculty Senate joins the USA Alumni Association in calling upon the Governor to nominate only USA alumni to the USA Board of Trustees until such time as a majority of the members of the Board are alumni; and

RESOLVED, the USA Faculty Senate calls upon Governor Siegelman to renominate Mr. Kvalheim and Judge Thomas to the USA Board of Trustees; and

RESOLVED, the USA Faculty Senate calls upon the USA Board of Trustees to elect Judge Thomas its Chair pro tempore at its next meeting; and

RESOLVED, the USA Faculty Senate commends Mr. Kvalheim and Judge Thomas for their many sacrifices for the good of the University during their service as trustees, and looks forward to continued close association with both these stalwart supporters of the University of South Alabama; and

RESOLVED, the Chair of the USA Faculty Senate communicate this resolution immediately to the Governor, the Mobile County legislative delegation, the President of the University, the Chair pro tempore of the USA Board of Trustees, Mr. Ken Kvalheim, Judge Herman Thomas, the faculty of the University, the president of the USA Alumni Association, and appropriate local media outlets; and

RESOLVED, the Chair of the USA Faculty Senate convey this resolution in person to the USA Board of Trustees at its next meeting.

The resolution was approved. The vote was 35 for approval and 3 against approval.

 

4. Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by:

R. Bracken, Secretary