University of South Alabama Faculty Senate 2003-2004

Nov 19, 2003
University Library, Rm. 110
3:00 p.m.

Approved MINUTES

 

  1. Call to Order—The meeting was called to order at 3:05 pm
  2. Present: Aronson, Barik, Brown, Bur, Cohen, Coleman, Dickens, Donovan, DuPree, Foster, Giles, Godfrey, Gray, Harris, Haywick, Icenogle, Kovaleski, Lauderdale, Longenecker, Moreau-Johnson, Morris, Nowlin, Olsen, Pardue, Payne, Perez Pineda, Peters, Pillen, Powell, Pruitt, Robertson, Rubin, Sachs, Sanders, Sauer, Spake, Tate, and Temple.

    Absent (Excused): Aldes, Figarola, Gamble, Hanks, Jefferson, Millner, Ryan, Smith, and Teplick.

    Absent (Unexcused): Davis, Luterman, Manci, Parker, Quinn, and Rodning.

     

  3. Approval of Minutes of the Oct 15th meeting
  4. Approved with minor revisions.

     

  5. M. Wayne Davis, Vice-President for Financial Affairs
  6. Mr. Davis went over an 8-page handout that he distributed that summarized statistics and issues concerning the current USA health plan. The split of the number of employees insured was 50-50 between single and family contracts, with almost 9,000 members included in the plan. In the past 11 years there has been a 239% increase in total health care costs for the University. The biggest contributor to the increase costs is the rising pharmacy costs (478%). The University tries to divide the costs between the university and its employees on a 25 to 75 ratio, with the University picking up the higher percentage. There was a question about using prescription drugs from Canada, but USA has not look into that possibility.

     

  7. Chair’s Report
  8. Chair Brown distributed a list of Senate and Committee priorities for this year.

     

  9. Old Business
  10. Update on the Survey (Bart L.)—Only 116 faculty members have responded before latest reminder was issued this past week. After the reminder, 218 members have responded, out of a possibility of around 700. Longenecker also noticed a trend to not fill out the comment sections of the survey. He expressed a need to get fellow faculty members to respond to the survey. He was asked how the present survey compared to the former paper surveys. Electronic surveys for the first two years had a higher response rate than paper surveys, but this year there has been a very low response.

    Ad Hoc Committee on Evaluating the USA President (S. Morris)—Morris noted that President Moulton has issued his 5-year report (that was distributed at the recent fall university faculty meeting). Now the ad hoc committee will review it and give a response to it, hopefully by March 2004.

     

  11. New Business
  12. New Mentoring Program Guidelines. Coleman from the Academic Development and Mentoring Committee presented the guidelines to the Senate. There was a motion to adopt the guidelines, followed by a motion to table the discussion until the January 2004 meeting.

     

  13. Reports from Standing Committees
  14. Academic Policy and Handbook—no report.

    Environment—Nowlin reported that it has been determined that there is no standing university committee concerned with the environment of the university.

    Salary and Fringe Benefits—no official report, but Chair Brown indicated that Pres. Moulton has not completely ruled out any chance of a raise.

    Planning and Development—Haywick reported that the committee is still pursuing the possibility of a Faculty Club on campus. With all of the rearranging of facilities on campus, there might be the possibility that the Alumni Hall will become available.

    Mentoring and Academic Development—The presentation of the new Mentoring Program Guidelines under New Business served as the report.

    Evaluation—update of the faculty survey under Old Business served as the report.

    Technology—no report.

     

  15. Caucus Leaders Reports
  16. Allied Health—The department has a vacancy in their senate representation (Theresa Smith has resigned as of the end of 2003) that they are trying to fill.

    MCOB—They are interviewing candidates for a marketing position. There is a problem with parking around MCOB. Dickens has given the formal complaint to Chair Brown to pursue.

    Education—The College is narrowing the prospects for a new dean.

    Cont. Education—In order to increase participation in the graduation ceremony in December, there will be cookies/refreshments for faculty members attending the ceremony.

    Library—PETAL director has taken a job out of state, so there will be a national search for his replacement.

    Medicine—There is a "Science as Art" exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art.

    CIS—The College has a 100% faculty participation in graduation ceremony attendance.

    Nursing—There are 4 new faculty members in the College; the program in Baldwin County is doing well; student enrollment is up; and they may have to stop accepting new students to the program since it is full.

     

  17. Adjournment—The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 pm.