APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
November 10, 2003 (approved as amended)
At 3:20 p.m. on November 10, 2003, Chair Gates convened the Faculty Senate
meeting
in the University Conference Room (224 I. G. Greer Hall).
I. ANNOUNCEMENTS
A. Chair Gates welcomed visitors and asked that they introduce themselves.
(See voting sheet for visitors’ names.)
II. VISITORS
Dr. Matthew Robinson (Political Science & Criminal Justice) addressed
senators on matters of privacy rights, as guaranteed in the U.S. Bill of Rights
and the Constitution of North Carolina. He talked about how the USA Patriot
Act that was hastily enacted by Congress, is adversely affecting the rights
of private citizens. He distributed information about activities to address
the issue in the town of Boone.
Dr. Harry Williams, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, announced that,
after meeting with the Deans Council at Winston-Salem State University, a
new faculty exchange program has been implemented between Winston-Salem State
University and Appalachian. He noted that this collaboration is part of an
ongoing strategy by the Office of Diversity to increase diversity among faculty
and students at Appalachian.
III. MINUTES – Due to an e-mail account problem, the Faculty Senate
October minutes were not available in time for the November meeting. They
will be presented at the December meeting.
IV. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS STATUS –Chair Gates noted that Faculty Senate
motions and resolutions are available on the Senate website and will be presented
verbally to Senate as they are acted on.
Dr. Tim Burwell, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs represented
Dr. Ken Peacock who was unable to attend the meeting. Dr. Burwell asked senators
for more time to review the Senate’s resolutions. He informed senators
that, in terms of the university’s mission, he has been looking at peer
institutions that are similar to Appalachian’s policies on office hours.
He said that he has been examining: James Madison University, Western Carolina
University, East Carolina University, and the University of North Carolina
at Wilmington.
V. PROVOST’S BUDGET AND RESOLUTION STATUS REPORTS
Burwell noted that he was putting together a database designed to keep track
of budget line items such as salary expenditures. He anticipated that the
database would be up and running within a month or so. Burwell offered that
the university was still holding 2% of its budget for possible reversion to
the state.
Burwell was asked by Senator Bortz if it was true that the College of Business
was required by its accrediting body to have 9-hour teaching loads for all
its faculty. Burwell responded that the accrediting agency requires no more
than a 12-hour load, but expects appropriate reductions in load if the college
also has research expectations of faculty.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
VI.COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. Campus Planning Committee (SIMON, Waring, Jamison)
- Report
Senator Simon reported on her conversation with Clyde Robbins regarding her
concerns about hazards in pedestrian traffic areas and said that Robbins told
her three times they would all be taken care of. Simon said that to date that
was not true. She also noted that there were articles written in the press
on Oct. 16th and Oct. 21st about the Campus Planning Forum that was held on
Oct. 30th, 2003.
B. Welfare & Morale Committee
(MARKING, Arnold, Olson, Cramer)
- Report
Senator Marking reported that the SECU ATM machine was removed from Rivers
Street because the SECU did not win the bid to keep it there. She has spoken
with the Credit Union officers about putting a full service ATM machine in
the Student Union, but there are concerns about security of deposits. She
reported that her committee had been contacted by a faculty member concerned
about married couples serving on the same DPC.
Chair Gates, in anticipation of the Agenda Committee motion, asked Burwell
about student fees and their affect on the cost of attending Appalachian.
Burwell replied that the Provost’s Office had in place a fees committee
that assesses and oversees fee allocations and recommends any fee increases.
For example, the only fee increase asked for by Academic Affairs this year
was $6 for E&T expenses, but that other student fees rose also, for instance
for the student union (+$7) and Recreation (+$7). He noted these were receipt-supported
but employed personnel are bound by any state compensation requirements, which
can raise costs with out local control.
Burwell said in response to a question from Senator Anderson that general
student fees are scheduled to rise by 3.79%, and that the president’s
office frowned on any increases beyond 5%.
Preamble to Motion 03-04/11-01 – The recent history of state funding for Appalachian State University has been one of continually declining appropriations and frequent mid-year budget reversions, which have caused a deepening fiscal crisis for the institution. In choosing to reduce Appalachian’s budget by 10.88% since 2000-2001, the State Legislature has abdicated its constitutionally mandated duty to support the University and has damaged the institution’s ability to carry out its academic mission.
Although tuition increases are distasteful to the Faculty Senate, we nonetheless recognize that without them, the quality of the education students receive will inevitably suffer. While low tuition insures access to all who are able to do college-level work, we also understand that a cheap education is no bargain – and is in fact a disservice – if the state does not meet its responsibility to fund the university’s efforts to maintain quality.
1. FS03-04/11-01- Motion on Campus-based Tuition Increase-
The Faculty Senate believes that the proposed campus tuition increase and apportionment of those funds, while a step in the right direction, does not go far enough in addressing the immediate critical needs of this campus.
As a first step in alleviating the most serious results of recent reductions in the university's state appropriation, the Senate recommends the following:
1. Match the approach of at least two of our sister institutions and request a $300 increase in each of three years rather than two,
2. Dedicate the 21% portion now labeled "Other" to improving classroom instruction by funding and filling vacant faculty lines with new hires, including attracting the most qualified graduate assistants possible, and
3. Address Appalachian's chronic problem of low faculty salaries -- both in absolute and comparative terms -- by bringing the proportion of revenue dedicated to faculty salaries closer to that of at least two of our sister institutions. The current division is 35% faculty, 20% staff; the Senate recommends a division of 40% faculty, 15% staff.
Rationale:
1. Economic conditions still show no sign of improving. The Board of Governors has indicated that it will accept "multi-year" increase proposals. Chapel Hill, which has had a formal Tuition Task Force in place for several years, has reasonably read that to include three-year in proposals and has chosen that option, as has State. Passing up this opportunity will put us even further behind other UNC institutions. In 2002-03 we ranked 10th in the UNC System. Our 2003-04 tuition already ranks us 16th among the 17 institutions considered our peers.
2. Quality classroom instruction through manageable class size should be one of our top priorities. To achieve this, we must restore funding to faculty lines which have been lost. This requires dedication of resources at a level which will allow us to hire the most qualified faculty to teach the additional class sections which the continuing influx of new students has demanded.
3. Most faculty are not hired from the local population, meaning that Appalachian must compete nationally for faculty. If we are to reach the goal of a nationally known comprehensive university, we must attract and retain the most qualified faculty possible to North Carolina's third-highest housing market with a good salary and benefits package.
Vice-Chancellor Ward requested for the record that he had no knowledge of
this motion even though he is a member of the Agenda Committee. Gates said
there was an email discussion on the Senate listserve of the proposed tuition
increase that resulted in this motion being crafted from that discussion.
Senator Anderson supported establishing a standing committee on tuition, since
tuition increases were apparently now to be an ongoing source of income. Senator
Bortz supported that idea saying it would strengthen faculty involvement in
university governance.
Discussion of the motion noted that the Legislature was abdicating its responsibility
to fund higher education by allowing more of the burden to rest on students;
that the motion increases the percentage allocated to faculty salary over
that originally proposed by the university ad-hoc committee; that the motion
could unfortunately convey that faculty are not concerned enough about staff
pay levels; that Appalachian should follow the lead of the flagship institutions
and request the rise over three years instead of two; that the category of
“other” remains vague and students being asked to pay should know
what they are paying for; that reliance on tuition increases sets a path for
privatizing public universities and that the proposal did not specify how
low staff salaries would be addressed.
Director of Human Resources Len Johnson provided information that 26 staff
are paid less than $18,200, that 158 are paid less than $20,000; that 439
are paid less than $25,000; that 668 are paid less than $30,000, and that
these together make up about one-half of all ASU staff. He urged the Senate
to keep such figures in mind when considering whether to recommend lowering
the percentage allocated to staff salary raises, since staff have also had
to pay higher insurance and parking costs like everyone else.
Senator McGarry made a substitute motion that the Chancellor requests the
North Carolina Legislature to raise its allocation to Appalachian State University
by $300 dollars per student for each of 3 years and that this motion is to
be forwarded to the UNC Board of Trustees and Board of Governors. Senator
Bortz seconded.
Senator Olson queried whether the substitute motion was pointless in that
we would deny ourselves necessary funding just to send the legislature a message.
Senator Moore moved to table the original motion. Senator Rardin seconded.
VOTE 1 Motion to table the motion on Tuition increase
17 YES 5 NO 1 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
Motion from the floor that the Chancellor requests the North Carolina Legislature
to raise its allocation to Appalachian State University by $300 per student
for each of 3 years and that this motion is to be forwarded to the Board of
Trustees and the UNC Board of Governors.
Senator McKinney called for the question and Senator Truett seconded.
VOTE 2 Call for the question.
18 YES 3 NO 2 ABSTAIN
The question passed.
VOTE 3 On motion from the floor
12 YES 8 NO 3 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
The Senate took a short break.
VI.I. Ad-hoc Committee on Faculty Governance (KOCH, McGarry, Bortz)
1. FS03-04/11-02- Motion on Senate Inclusion in Administrative Cabinet-
The Faculty Senate requests that the voting membership of the University Administrative Cabinet include the Chair of the Faculty Senate.
Rationale:
It is vital to effective shared governance that the faculty be represented at the highest level of campus administrative decision making. Only through full participation in the governance structure can
faculty opinion and interests have adequate representation.There was discussion whether the representation should be on the Deans’ Council or the Cabinet and what exactly did the reference to “voting” mean in the resolution. Senator McGarry suggested deleting the word voting from the motion and Gates accepted that amendment.
1. FS03-04/11-02- Motion on Senate Inclusion
in Administrative Cabinet (as amended)-
VOTE 4 The Faculty Senate requests that the membership of the University
Administrative Cabinet include the Chair of the Faculty Senate.
22 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
A.FS03-04/11-03- Motion on Faculty Committee Representation (Doug Waring)
Faculty representatives for all College and University level committees are
to be recruited and approved by the Faculty Senate, as the faculty's elected
representative, unless representation is needed from a particular department.
If representation is needed from particular University Departments then the
department’s faculty (not the Chair) is to nominate and approve faculty
members for committee service. These decisions, at both the senate and department
level, can be handled through alternative communication procedures (e-mail,
phone, etc.) if a scheduled meeting is not possible. However, even in these
cases all members of the Faculty Senate or department faculty must be notified
and provided the opportunity for feedback and voting on the decision.
Rationale:
"Representation" requires participation in the process for there
to exist the perception of individual and collective authority. The idea "representation"
only exists if the group being represented has formal
control of its own representation decisions. Even when faculty are on a committee
(like the current university level search committee) the faculty selected
may perceive their responsibility as being towards those that appointed them
and not to the body that they are intended to represent. Thus, in the case
of the current search committee, there is no perception of representation
because there was no semblance of participation in the process of selecting
those who would represent our interests.
Senator Cramer moved to return the motion to the Ad-hoc Committee on Faculty
Governance. Senator Rardin seconded.
VOTE 5 Motion to send back FS03-04/11-03- Motion on Faculty Committee
Representation to Ad-hoc Committee on Academic Governance
19 YES 0 NO 1 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
B.FS03-04/11-04- Motion on Constituent Involvement in the Chancellor Search
(moved by Senator Waring; second by Senator Arnold)
Whether the current Chancellor search is open or closed, each of the finalists to be interviewed for the position will write and present to the relevant university groups (faculty, staff, students, & administration) a "Statement of Governance Philosophy". This statement is to include sections that specifically describe the candidate's views/philosophy of the role and responsibility of each constituent group in University governance.
If the interview process is closed to the university as a whole, then these statements are to be labeled Candidate A, B, and submitted anonymously to the University community as a whole for formal feedback. A formal response from the governing bodies of each group is to be solicited with no decisions being made by the search committee until those responses are received. Under these conditions, once a new Chancellor is selected the statement written and submitted by that candidate is to be identified to and for the University community as a whole.
Rationale:
Self-evident. The university community are the people affected by this decision and they should have at least some say in their own future.Following considerable discussion about the problems of a closed chancellor search Senator Moore moved to table the motion. Senator Rardin seconded.
VOTE 6 Motion to table FS03-04/11-04-
Motion on Constituent Involvement in the Chancellor Search
12 YES 5 NO 1 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
Senator Moore moved and Senator Rardin seconded to adjourn the November 10,
meeting.
VOTE 7 Adjourn the November 10, 2003 meeting.
10 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN
The motion passed.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Moore,
Secretary
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY - FACULTY PRESENT AND VOTING SHEET
November 10, 2003
Voting Symbols: Y = yes N = no A = abstain
Name of Senator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ANDERSON, STELLA Y Y Y Y Y N Y
ARNOLD, EDWIN N N N Y Y N Y
BORTZ, JEFF Y A Y Y A Y Y
BUSH, ROBERT Y Y Y Y Y Y
CRAMER, BETH Y Y N Y Y Y
DEL PLIEGO, BENITO excused
GATES, PAUL Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
GRAVETT, SANDIE N Y A Y
HALL, KIM excused
JAMISON, TOM Y Y A Y Y Y
KEASLER, TERRY A A Y Y Y N
KOCH, ANDREW excused
LAMBERT, MONICA Y Y Y Y Y Y
MARKING, MARTHA Y N N Y Y Y Y
McCAUGHEY, MARTHA Y Y N Y Y
McGARRY, RICK Y Y Y Y
McKINNEY, HAROLD N Y Y Y Y N Y
MOORE, MICHAEL Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
MUIR, KEN excused
OLSON, GEORGE N Y N Y Y
RARDIN, PATRICK Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
SIMON, KATHLEEN Y Y Y Y Y Y
STAUB, SUSAN N N N Y Y A Y
TRUETT, CAROL Y Y Y
WARING, DOUG Y Y A Y Y N Y
WEISS, AMY Y Y N Y Y Y
YAUKEY, MARGARET Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
VOTE 1: Motion to table the motion on Tuition increase
VOTE 2: Called for the question.
VOTE 3 Motion from the floor that the Chancellor requests the North Carolina
Legislature to raise its allocation to Appalachian State University by $300
dollars per student for each of 3 years and that this motion is to be forwarded
to the Board of Trustees and Board of Governors in North Carolina.
VOTE 4: The Faculty Senate requests that the membership of the University
Administrative Cabinet include the Chair of the Faculty Senate.
VOTE 5: Motion to send back FS03-04/11-03- Motion on Faculty Committee Representation
to Ad-hoc Committee on Academic Governance
VOTE 6: Motion to table FS03-04/11-04- Motion on Constituent Involvement in
the Chancellor Search
VOTE 7: Motion to Adjourn the November 10, 2003 meeting.
VISITORS: Dr. Bill Ward, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs;
Dr. Tim Burwell, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Dr.
Harry Williams, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity; David Forbes, Senior
Staff Writer , The Appalachian; Ms. Kathy Graham, Staff Council; Erin Flynn,
Student Government Association Director of Academic Affairs; Cindy Wallace,
Enrollment Services; Janice Voss, Staff Council Secretary; Terri Miller, Staff
Council President; Jenny Ware, Staff Council Vice-President; Len Johnson,
Director of Human Resources; Peter Petschauer, Hubbard Center.