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Minutes of the Meeting of the Senate of the Faculty
Thursday, September 13, 2001, 7:00 p.m., Room 213, Conner Hall

Meeting called to order with a quorum at 7PM

Present: M. Aiken, B. Barkdoll, L. Bombelli, J. Bradley, L. Bush, W. Y. Chen, D. Chessin, P. Cooker, A. Cooper, C. Cunningham, J. Czarnetzky, K. Dellinger, Rick Elam, R. Ethridge, A. Fisher-Wirth, R. Haws, G. Herrera, I. Labuda, F. Laurenzo, P. Malone, A. Mark, J. Martin, D. Nagal, R. Oliphant-Ingham, J. Reid, R. Riggs, J. Schetz, W. Steel, K. Swinden, M. Tew, T. Verlangieri, D. Wilkins, S. Wolcott

Absent: A. Ajootian, W. Cleland, Bobbie Krapels*, S. Davis, C. Eagles, J. Ford*, K. McKee, D. Rock, M. Zarzeski
*Prior notification

I. Address by Provost Carolyn Staton
A. Salary

Tuition and enrollment went up this year, turning increases in revenue into salary raises. Aiming for raises to take effect in the end of October.
1. There will be a minimum of $1000 raise for ALL tenure track faculties* (NOT merit based)
Decided on $1000 partially because insurance has gone up about that amount since the last raise
*must have worked at the University of Mississippi for one year
2. Additionally, salary increases will be given to faculty with the greatest disparity compared to averages at peer institutions
3. Additionally, salary increases will be given to faculty to address compression within units (merit based)

B. Student-teacher Ratio
1. The University has carved out money from the increases in revenues ($400,000) for teaching positions. Deans are now making applications to the Provost's office. Will be decided by the middle of October. The IHL is still holding back five percent of the current budget, which is thus not available to the University.
2. The University can not "cap" enrollment; at a state institution, if the student is qualified, s/he must be admitted. Options to keep enrollment at 12,000 may include creating an application deadline.
3. The University has begun its strategic planning process for the new decade which will address what size University we want to be.

C. Questions & Answers
Why is the Internet response rate so slow?
Kathy Gates has determined that the state-wide network is saturated. Part of our problem is due to downloading music & films by students. IT is considering gigabyte limit per day policy for the students.
What was the total amount of money available for raises? A little less than a million dollars. Roughly half of that goes to the $1000 per faculty raise then, much of the other half will be spent on the departments with the worst disparities.
Will there be a reduction in the number of graduate degrees the University offers? The Board has indicated that a graduate program can have low enrollment in a department if that major is part of your identity. However, the Board is creating a matrix to measure PhD output and eliminating those with a low turnout rate. The Board has released the data from this matrix and templates. This evaluation/process is not technically part of the Strategic Planning process but will run simultaneously, both under Maurice Eftink. The University will advocate the programs we think are good to the Board. Masters and PhD programs will be addressed separately.
What are the changes in the Croft program? Croft is funded by a percentage of the profits of an ongoing business and it didn't do too well this year.
What is the status of the many 099 programs? Ole Miss is under an unfunded mandate re: developmental classes, which costs a quarter million per year. The Board won't budge due to the Ayers case.
What is the official news on the Performing Arts Center architectural plans? The new stage is too large for the theater arts department; the architects are considering converting the planned rehearsal room to make a smaller auditorium.

II. Announcements
A. Welcome new Senate members
John Schetz, Rick Elam, Bobbie Krapels
B. 2001-2002 Budget available in Chair Bush's office and behind the reference desk at JD Williams library. Amendments to the budget can be significant; these changes are penned in throughout the year.
C. Discussion of difficulties with the campus bookstore (Barnes & Noble)
Survey of Senators: resounding, yes, it is an issue and has been a recurring issue for 3-4 years. This is the worst it's been. Professors can tell students to order from the Internet but students want to use their flex money.
Problems: orders the wrong thing; only orders 65% of class enrollment; books don't come in on time; books not always the best price; there is a lack of communication; the bookstore never calls faculty back; athletes get a separate line that not even faculty get during the first couple of weeks.

III. Old Business
A. Minutes of the May 10, 2001
, Faculty Senate meeting approved as corrected
minutes_20010500.html

B. Shortened Semesters: Report from Jeanette S. Martin, Chair, Academic Support Services Committee
Shortened semesters are not a live issue at the moment.

C. Academic Administrative Search Procedures: Report from Fred Laurenzo, Chair, Faculty Governance Committee
Summary of action thus far: the issue of new search protocol has been in committee for almost 2 years, including the aim to revise the handbook regulation on how search committees are formed as well as term limits for administrators. The Governance Committee came up with a document which was brought to the Executive Committee but not to the Senate floor last spring. The Senate debate broke down due to the large amount of confusing issues in a single document. Also, all of these issues are volatile. Dr. Laurenzo has broken up the document to separate the issues. Next the committee will bring a proposal for term limits for Deans, Associate Deans, Directors and Chairs to the Senate. Also, Senator Laurenzo will bring a proposal to change the structure of how search committees are chosen with more of the power shifted to the faculty.

These new documents will be posted on the website as part of the October agenda. Please review documents before the next meeting in preparation.

IV. New Business
A. Executive Committee Recommendation
: that a draft "Mission and Vision Statement," prepared by the administration as a part of a university-wide planning process now getting underway, be accepted only as a "working draft"
Senator Bradley made friendly amendment to add "only". Recommendation passed by acclamation.

B. Announcement of selection of Professor Susan Wolcott, School of Business Administration, as the Senate's representative on the Environmental Assessment Task Force, created as a part of the new university-wide planning process.

C. Report and recommendations of the Committee on Committees regarding faculty appointments to standing university committees. See Attachment A The recommendations of the Committee on Committee were approved by acclamation.

D. Report from Executive Committee on Senate representatives to standing university committees
Senator Barksdoll volunteered for the Faculty and Staff Appeals Committee See Attachment B

E. Selection of Senate representative for vacancy on Intercollegiate Athletic Committee (vice Robert Cook)
John Bradley was nominated by Phil Malone/Seconded by Robert Haws. Elected by acclamation.

F. Reports from Chairs of Senate Standing Committees concerning activities and plans:

Meeting officially adjourned at 8:45 PM

Attachment A

University Standing Committees
Recommendation of the Committee of Committees
Faculty members to fill vacancies on University Standing Committees

  • Academic Discipline (5-year terms), Faculty member, Chair (term ends September 2002): Ajit Sadana, Chemical Engineering
  • Academic Suspension and Dismissal Appeals (5-year terms), three Faculty members: Larry Hanshaw, Secondary Education; Cynthia Linton, Music; Bob Robinson, Business Administration
  • Artist Series (July-June term), one Faculty representative from Theatre, Dance or Music; two Faculty members: Jon Moen, Business Administration; (vice R. Cook)(term expires 2002): Paula Temple, Art
    Note: Faculty representative from Theatre, Dance or Music: because of uncertainty about whether it was within the province of the Committee on Committees to designate a Faculty member for this position, no recommendation was made. This position will be filled after consultation with the Chairs of the Music and Theatre Arts Departments
  • Buildings, Grounds and Renovations, one Faculty member: Richard Buchholz, Biology
  • Calendar Committee, one Faculty member: Cynthia Linton, Music
  • Copyright Committee (staggered 3-year terms, except Dir. of Technology,
    Commercialization and Business Development), one Faculty member: Joe Sumrall, Elementary Education
  • Faculty and Staff Appeals, one Faculty member: Maria M. Martin, Reference and Distance Learning Librarian
  • Health and Safety: Chemical Safety Subcommittee, one Faculty member: Christopher McCurdy, Medicinal Chemistry
  • Health and Safety: Occupational Safety Subcommittee, one Faculty member: Clint Williford, Chemical Engineering
  • Honors Day, one Faculty member (Chair): Fannye Love
  • Instructional Technology, two Faculty members:Waheed Uddin, Civil Engineering; Dan Williams, English
  • International Student Programs, two Faculty members: Joe Atkins, Journalism; Kathy Wachter, Family & Consumer Services
  • Lecture Series (July to July), two Faculty members (one designated as Chair): Faculty Member, Chair: the Committee recommends that Robert Westmoreland, Philosophy, currently serving on this committee, be asked to serve as Chair, opening two Faculty positions, for which the Committee designates: Edmund Acevedo, Exercise Science & Leisure Management; Tamar Goulet, Biology
  • Library Council:
    Representative of the College of Liberal Arts, Group II: J.R. Hall, English
    Representative of the School of Business Administration: Jeanette Martin, Business Administration
    Representative of the School of Law: Kris Gilliland
  • Museums, one Faculty member; Faculty Member: Maribeth Stolzenburg, Physics & Astronomy; Replacement for Katherine Daigle: Steve Brewer, Biology
  • Recreational Facilities, one Faculty member: Noel Wilkin, Pharmacy Administration
  • Recruitment, Admissions, Orientation, and Advising, two Faculty members: Jan Bounds, Court Reporting; Donn Schaefer, Music
  • Retirement and Insurance, one Faculty member: James F. Payne, Afro-American Studies. Note: The Committee notes that Phil Malone has been designated by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee as its representative on this committee and that Senator Malone is currently serving on it. The Committee therefore recommends that Senator Malone's status be changed to that of Representative of the Senate of the Faculty and the balance of his Faculty member term (ending 2002) be filled by Rene Pulliam, Theatre Arts
  • Student Life, one Faculty member: Ann Webster, Educational Leadership.
    Note: The Committee notes that the Faculty Senate Executive Committee has discussed the possibility of converting one the two current Faculty Senate representatives on this committee to a general Faculty member position. In the event that occurs this year, the Committee designates the following person to fill such a position: John O'Haver, Chemical Engineering
  • Traffic and Parking, one Faculty member (Chair): Erskine Smith

Attachment B

University Standing Committees
Representatives of the Faculty Senate
Designees of the Executive Committee for 2001-2001

Although committee membership terms normally are for three years, September to September, the terms for Faculty Senate representatives is meant to be one year. The following people have been designated by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate to fill the current vacancies for representatives of the Senate:

  • Academic Discipline: Amy Mark, Library
  • Academic Suspension and Dismissal Appeals: Robbie Ethridge, Liberal Arts III
  • Buildings, Grounds and Renovations: Chair, Susan Wolcott, Business Admin.
  • Calendar Committee: Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham, Education
  • Faculty and Staff Appeals: Brian Barkdoll, Engineering
  • Health and Safety: John Czarnetzky, Law
  • Honors Day: Jeanette Martin, Business Administration
  • Intercollegiate Athletics (January to January): (vice R. Cook, term expires January 15, 2003) John Bradley, Law
  • International Student Programs: Marilyn Zarzeski, Accountancy
  • Library Council: Dale Nagle, Pharmacy
  • Museums: Milam Aiken, Business Administration
  • Recreational Facilities: Gail Herrera, Library
  • Retirement and Insurance: Phil Malone, Business Administration
  • Student Life (2 positions currently shown): Phil Cooker, Education
  • Traffic & Parking: Debbie Chessin, Education

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