UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

FACULTY SENATE

2002-2003

 

March 12, 2003

Humanities Bldg., Rm 150

3:00 p.m.

Approved

MINUTES

 

 

1.  Call to Order—3:05 p.m., by Vice-Chair Morris

 

 

2.  Roll Call

 

Present:  Aldes, Bailey, Bowers, Broughton, R. Brown, Cohen, Dickens, Ellis, Figarola, Gamble, Godfrey, Hanks, Kimball, Kwiatkowski, Lemcool, Longenecker, Moreau-Johnson, Morris, Pardue, Peters, Quinn, Robertson, Rodning, Rowe, Sanders, Slagle, Sylvester, Tate, Temple, and Teplick.

 

Absent (Excused):  I. Brown, Dagenais, Donovan, Foster, Haywick, Mozur, and Wheeler.

 

Absent (Unexcused):  Aronson, Barik, Garmon, Gray, Hill, Jefferson, Perkins, and Wilson.

 

 

3.  Approval of the Minutes of the Feb. 19, 2003 meeting.

 

Minutes were approved by voice vote.

 

 

4.  Tim Beard

 

Dr. Tim Beard, appointed this past January as Dean of Students, was the guest speaker.  He is responsible for minority student affairs, the student center, student housing, counseling & testing, student organizations and campus activities.   He fielded questions about retention and responsibilities.

 

 

5.  Vice Chair’s Report

 

Recently, Chair Brown sent a letter to James Nix, Chair of the USA Board of Trustees, regarding what was meant by “revisiting” the university presidency in 5 years, as stated in the Board’s resolution of Dec. 1998.  The Board of Trustees adopted in 1999 a procedure for presidency search to be used in future searches. 

 

The Executive Committee met with Moulton.  A variety of issues were discussed.  In all likelihood, the budget for next year will be frozen at best, with the possibility of  3.8 % reduction in the budget.  There is talk of possibility raising tuition to offset any reduction.  The university received $13.8 million in direct appropriations from the federal government for FY 2003.  The administration issued a letter with a break-down of funding by program.   The issue of salaries for part-time faculty was addressed.  According to some numbers it appears that part-time faculty are making less under the semester system than they were making under the quarter system.  However, University Administration believes those numbers are flawed.  The construction of the building in the University Research Park for the first tenant is on schedule.  There is another possible tenant interested in joining the Park, though University Administration didn’t give any details.

 

6.  Standing Committees’ Reports

 

Evaluation.  The vote for the proposed constitution amendments will be done electronically.  The goal is to have it set up for the vote by the week after spring break.  The voting will be split between the two issues, and the proposals will have an introduction stating that they were unanimously approved by the faculty senate.  The annual Faculty Survey will be done, as it has been in the past, as a web survey.  In addition, a random survey through polling will also be done for comparison purposes.

 

Policy and Handbook.  The committee has been looking at the tenure process to make it more open; and is collecting information about it by contacting other institutions.  The committee is also looking at the issue regarding teaching load for on-line teaching; this is also currently in the data-gathering stage.  Another issue the committee is looking at is office hours.  Currently the Faculty Handbook lists 6 hours/week as a minimum.  But this does not address the increase use of email or on-line as part of office time.  A related issue is the question of the number of office hours for faculty who teach during the summer.  A question came up about whether scheduled office hours apply to advising or just to students currently in courses.  Also, the phrase “By Appointment” allows flexibility for the minimum limit. 

 

Planning and Development.  Committee Chair Slagle will be attending the long-range planning committee.

 

Salary and Fringe Benefits.  No report.

 

 

7.  Caucus Leaders’ Reports

 

Allied Health—Three candidates for the Dean of Allied Health have been brought to the campus for interviews.

 

Education—Five candidates for the Education Deanship were invited to the campus for interview, though 2 candidates have withdrawn.  There are 2 remaining candidates yet to be interviewed.

 

Engineering—The first search for College of Engineering Dean’s position has failed, so a search firm is gathering information on several possibilities.

 

 

8.  Old Business

 

It is time for the annual election of senators.  Letters with the details for the election will be going out to the departmental caucus leaders this month.

 

 

9.  New Business

 

A copy of the “Alabama Tax Reform Resolution” from the University of Alabama at Huntsville was presented, but tabled until next meeting.

 

Vice Chair Morris recognized the out-going senators (2003) and thanked them for their work.

 

 

10.  Adjournment

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m.