FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
April 19, 2000
PRESENT: Sherwood, McDermott, Kommers, Peed, Neff, Leech, Benham,
Howard, Duncan, Larsen, Jost, Harkin, Nehrir, Mooney,
Weaver, McClure for Amend, Locke, Lansverk, Levy, Bogar,
Bond, Jelinski, McKinsey, Lynch, Monahan for Fisher,
Butterfield, Scott, Griffith.
ABSENT: Ag Econ, Hatfield, O'Neill, Burgess, Anderson, Francis,
Prawdzienski, Carlstrom.
The meeting was called to order by Chair-Elect Ron Larsen at 4:10 PM.
It was determined a quorum was present.
University Governance Council Nominating Committee report - George
Tuthill.
- Nominations for Faculty Council positions and faculty
nominations for university-wide committees were announced and are
listed below. Further nominations may be made by contacting the
Nominating Committee or at next week's Faculty Council meeting,
before the vote takes place.
- Chair, Faculty Council - Ron Larsen (current Chair-Elect)
- Chair-Elect, Faculty Council - John Sherwood
- UGC Steering Committee (3 positions) - Jack Jelinski, Alan
Leech, Wes Lynch, Mike Peed
- Chair, Faculty Affairs Committee - Jodee Kawasaki
- Long Range Planning Committee (2 positions) - Ken
Bruwelheide, Jon Wraith
- Strategic Planning and Budget Committee (1 position) - Kay
Chafey, Rich Howard, Gwen Jacobs, Ed Mooney
- Chair, Committee on Grievance Hearings - Martin Frick
- Conciliation Committee Chair (automatic in 3rd year of
membership) - Alanna Brown
- Conciliation Pool (2 positions) - Janis Bullock, Brad Coon
- Core Curriculum Committee (1 position) - Greg Francis
- Undergraduate Studies Committee (1 position) - Harry
Benham
- Salary Review Committee (1 position) - Susan Capalbo
- Intellectual Property Committee (2 positions) - Marty
Hamilton, Rocky Ross
- Equipment Fee Allocation Committee (2 positions) - Jack
Hyppa, Chris Yakymyshyn)
- Affirmative Action Advisory Committee (1 position) - Amy
Thomas
- University Facilities Planning Board (2 positions) -
Lauren McKinsey
- Traffic Appeals and Regulations Committee (1 position) -
Amy Carver
- University Marketing Committee (1 position) - Kim Scott
The minutes of the April 5, 2000, Faculty Council meeting were
approved as distributed.
Chair's report - Ron Larsen.
- The President's Executive Council budget recommendations were
distributed at SPBC on April 7.
- According to SPBC member Peter Kommers, the contrast in
faculty and contract professional positions was accurately
reported in the BOZEMAN CHRONICLE.
- A primate biologist has been hired by MSU.
- The MSU and UM presidents discussed the idea of a
half-time retirement option with the Commissioner of Higher
Education. There are many issues that would need to be
settled, including changes to TRS policies, before such an
option might be available.
- According to Rich Howard, it would be helpful to
discuss the issue with faculty in the Department of
Education. The department has tried a variation of
this option, and some problems are associated with such
an approach.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - Jack Jelinksi.
- The Provost approved a change in the sabbatical application
form, which was submitted to him by the Faculty Affairs
Committee.
- Last year, sabbatical committee members reported review
results to applicants. Because of the time involved in
doing so and in answering questions about the results, the
reports will now be sent from the Provost's Office. That is
where questions about the results will be directed.
- Faculty Affairs will discuss a change to the proposed
conciliation policy, which is still to be reviewed by Faculty
Council.
- The University Promotion and Tenure Committee has asked that
there be a guideline for reviewing promotion and tenure at all
levels for faculty who've been granted a number of years toward
tenure when they are hired at MSU. Should these years be
reviewed according to MSU's standards, should only the years at
MSU be reviewed, or should some other method be used?
- Discussion of the faculty review of administrators
(administrative review) and how it might be improved is
continuing.
- The Faculty Affairs Committee, Faculty Council Chair and Chair
Elect, will meet with Deans' Council May 2 to discuss post-tenure
review. There will be some kind of post-tenure review, according
to Ron Larsen. Earlier this year, the academic deans brought up
the issue, and there is interest in knowing what the general
thoughts about the policy are.
- Some concerns about the policy have been expressed to
Jack, and there will be time to discuss them before any vote
is taken on the policy. The policy will not come to a vote
until next fall. However, Faculty Affairs would appreciate
input this year so changes can be considered.
Budget discussion.
- Ron briefly outlined the PEC budget recommendations, attached
to Faculty Council members' agendas, and there was discussion of
some of the recommendations.
- The additional fee charged on designated accounts approved
two years ago for an academic enhancement fund has been used
to fund base programs. Therefore, a recommendation
regarding an academic enhancement fund is made. An
additional 1% charge is to be used for Banner.
- It is intended that program review include base programs.
- There has been no discussion of any special protection for
people within three years of retirement, if there are no
salary increases.
- In reallocating faculty tenure-track position vacancies
according to clearly stated criteria, it is Ron's
understanding that postponement and other changes in
allocating these positions are included by default.
- Elements that indicate fiscal responsibility and control
of the budget by the administration is encouraging.
- SPBC recommendation.
- Peter Kommers distributed recommendations to SPBC for the
2001 budget. The recommendations will probably be presented
as a motion at the April 21 SPBC meeting. Another motion
that may be presented at the meeting recommends 3%
across-the-board cuts for all VPs and a reduction in
instructional funding from 57% of the state funding to 54%
over a period of time. The two motions represent different
poles.
- What does "protected" mean? No cuts, no across-the-board
cuts, small cuts if essential, across-the-board cuts if
"board" is divided into two categories, or across-the-board
cuts are acceptable?
- Does "instruction" mean 'academic areas'? All instruction
doesn't fund academics.
- Peter said that SPBC recommendations are to deal with the
broad view.
Progress of Lewis Hall Renovation - Vice President for Research Tom
McCoy.
- The renovation is part of an on-going process, started 1 ?
years ago. Other buildings are also part of the renovation.
Some people in LJH moved to the new Ag/Bioscience Building.
Deans of Ag and L&S were to decide how space is assigned, and it
then was to be allocated to department heads.
- Last week, in L&S it was decided who will go where as a result
of the remodeling.
- In 1996 hire letters for Center for Computational Biology (CCB)
faculty, certain amounts of space were agreed upon. It was to be
provided in the EPICenter, but that has not become a reality, and
there is not enough room in the new down-scaled project to
accommodate all people the space promised them.
- AJM and Lewis Hall were considered for renovation. Lewis was
chosen, because the formaldehyde is the basement had to be taken
care of by finding new space for the anatomy lab. The anatomy
lab was moved to Linfield. This made room for CCB in the
basement of Lewis. In addition, the WWAMI program has been
consolidated in LJH, vacating space in the Lewis Hall basement.
Another advantage to Lewis for CCB is that it is in close
proximity to the Animal Research Center.
- An outside consultant will advise on security in the Animal
Research Center, since a primate biologist has been hired by the
CCB.
Hewlett Committee.
- Because of the lack time, members of the Hewlett Committee will
return to report on the new core.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary