MSU FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
April 2, 2003
Members Present: Sherwood for Giroux, Kommers, Schmidt for
Schlotzhauer, Leech, Taylor, Seymour, Jones, Nehrir, Conant, Weaver,
Amend, Levy, Bogar, Bond, Jelinski, Pratt, Fisher, Lynes-Hayes,
Kempcke.
Members Absent: Young, Gipp, Morrill, McDermott, White, Anderson,
Linker, Howard, Stewart, Yoo/Mumey, Lefcort/Bradley, Locke, English,
Idzerda, Lynch, Prawdzienski, Knight, Hoffman.
Others Present: Bandyopadhyay, Dooley, Fedock.
Joe Seymour is the new representative to Faculty Council from Chemical
Engineering
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 PM by Chair Elect Warren
Jones. A quorum was present. The minutes of the March 26, 2003,
meeting were approved as distributed.
Chair's report - Chair Elect Warren Jones.
- Chair Howard is attending a special session of the Board of
Regents in Helena.
- The regents are discussing and voting on taking advantage
of the Montana University System's allowed exemption from
the state workmen's compensation insurance plan. A task
force studied the issue thoroughly and project the
university system could save $500,000 per year by becoming
self-insured.
- The regents are also considering items that were not
discussed at the March Board of Regents because of time
constraints.
- The University Planning, Budget and Analysis Committee is
meeting weekly.
- During yesterday's meeting, budget amendments which are
highest priorities were discussed and ranked.
- If money is available, three faculty lines will be added.
- UPBAC is expanding the contingency reserve. Much of the
it would be an enrollment reserve to use to fund sections if
there is a significant increase in students next year.
- Buying the student recruitment services of Royall Company
is a high priority, as is
additional money for WebCT.
- John Sherwood has been named head of the Department of Plant
Sciences, effective May 1.
University Governance Council Nominating Committee report.
- Nominations for faculty positions on university-wide committees
may be submitted to Vicky York, Chair of the Nominating
Committee, by April 4.
- Nominations may also be submitted for Chair of the Faculty
Affairs Committee and Chair Elect of Faculty Council.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - none.
Professional Development Task Force report - John Sherwood.
- Information regarding definition, rationale, and
recommendations was distributed.
- The task force is co-chaired by John Sherwood and Dean of
Education, Health and Human Development Greg Weisenstein.
Members of the task force include Anne Camper, John Hermanson,
Mike Meyers, Greg Olson, Jay Schmidt, and Greg Young.
- The report of the committee will be presented to the Provost by
the end of the semester.
- Deans were asked to describe the professional development
opportunities available in their colleges. From the responses
(included in the distributed information) it is apparent there
are many opportunities in addition to sabbaticals. However, the
opportunities across the campus are very uneven.
- A survey of sabbatical programs among peer institutions was
done. The availability of sabbaticals at MSU is substantially
lower than any of the peers, including UM.
- Recommendations of the committee are:
- Make professional development opportunities a priority.
- Develop a web page listing the professional development
opportunities at MSU.
- Regularly evaluate existing professional development
programs and distribute funds depending upon need and
perceived benefits.
- Establish a standing committee to perform these functions.
- During discussion by the Council, several points were made.
- The value of professional development in the university
setting appears to be viewed differently across campus,
because some departments address professional development in
annual reviews and some do not.
- It seems that the philosophy of sabbaticals has changed
from an opportunity for renewal granted all faculty to a
competitive research-oriented process based on a proposal
similar to a grant proposal. What are the sabbatical
criteria for other institutions? A discussion of the
appropriate philosophy to use at MSU may be in order.
- The Buy-out for Enhancing Scholarship and Teaching (BEST)
and the Scholarship and Creativity Grants are useful
professional development tools, but they serve a different
purpose from sabbaticals.
- If more MSU faculty apply for sabbaticals, the need for
funding additional sabbaticals may be more immediate.
However, there appeared to be agreement that the current
sabbatical form and its requirement for external review
letters is a deterrent to faculty's applying. It is viewed
as an imposition on colleagues to request a letter of
review, particularly to substantiate a sabbatical proposal,
so many faculty appear to be hestitant to do so.
- Increasing expertise and effectiveness should be one of
the main rationales for funding sabbaticals, and the
external letters are not necessary to address this.
- There was agreement by the Council and the Provost that a
group - Faculty Affairs Committee, the standing committee
proposed by the Professional Development Task Force, or some
other group - should review the criteria for funding
sabbaticals, and that this should be done before a call for
sabbatical applications is made Fall Semester, if possible.
- Chair Elect Jones will communicate this information
to UGC Steering Committee at tomorrow's meeting.
- Peter Kommers volunteered to serve on such a task
force.
As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary Warren Jones, Chair Elect