[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Minutes for the Meeting of the Senate of the Faculty

September 9, 2004 4:45 PM

Thad Cochran Research Center (Natural Products Center), Room 2066

Meeting called to order with a quorum at 4:50p.m.

Present: Edmund Acevedo, Donna Adler, Robert Brown, John Bruce, Daisy Cheng, Alice Cooper, Conrad Cunningham, Gregg Davidson, Tristan Denley, Michelle Emanuel, Laurdella Foulkes-Levy, Garey Fox, Ray Fulton, Greg Johnson, Fred Laurenzo, Diane Marting, Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham, Elizabeth Payne, Michael Repka, Bill Scott, Laura Sheppardson, Warren Steel, Joe Sumrall, Mary Thurlkill, Randy Wadkins, Kristine Willett, Wu Haidong, Alexander Yakovlev

Absent:  Milam Aiken, Bahram Alidaee, Victoria Bush, Judith Cassidy*, Laurie Cozad, Rick Elam, Kris Gilliland*, Matthew Hall*, Jamie Harker (not notified of meeting), Charles Ingene*, Ivo Kamps (not notified of meeting), Chris McCurdy*, Jennifer Mizenko, Sidney Rowland, Diane Tidwell*, Joe Urgo (not notified of meeting), Nancy Wicker, Kathleen Wickham (not notified of meeting), John Winkle*

* Prior Notification

Old Business and Updates

1. Minutes of the May 6, 2004 minutes_20040500.html

Senator Brown made a motion to endorsed

Senator Bruce seconded

Motion accepted

2. Instructor Career Ladder (Instructor Policy) – Dean Hopkins

Senators discussed: How will this proposal impact visiting professors? Who would oversee these instructors?  What level of teaching experience is required?  Is this promotion limited to full-time instructors?  Will this actually present students with the most qualified instructors?  Would departments maintain freedom to place instructor? Would the limit of 6 yrs of hiring instructors change? After a couple of yrs, would there be opportunity for re-appointment/re-classification? Could instructors serve on university committees? Has this been cleared with AAUP policies/standards?

Senator Emmanuel made a motion to approve

Senator Davidson seconded

Motion passed without dissent

3. Teacher Evaluations – Assoc Prov Maurice Eftink & Assistant VC Kathy Gates

Senators discussed: Is using paper evaluations legitimate? Will requiring students to complete evaluations be viewed as coercive?  Aren’t we looking for balance between reaching acceptable participation rates, incentives, and consequences?  Is there an ethical concern with making students complete teacher evaluations?  Will these procedures be utilized on the Oxford campus only?  There has been course confusion when filling out evaluations. Does this provide more opportunity for course shopping? And is this a good thing? Can faculty opt out of publicizing his or her results?

Senators are encouraged to propose procedures and provide feedback to Eftink or Gates by 9/20 @ eftink@olemiss.edu or kfg@olemiss.edu

Faculty representatives on the UM Web-Site Re-design Committee are Dr. Clif Mims & Dr. Sean Wilson.

4. Faculty and Staff Compensation Incentive Plan

The Administrative Council is considering the compensation plan.

5. Committee on Elections

Elections to University Committees are taking place.  Please help with conducting the elections.

Reports from Committees

1. Academic Support Services: Chair, Michelle Emanuel

A memo was sent to the Chancellor outlining a process to follow in addressing the implementation of an Honor Code.     

Committee will discuss electronic privacy policies established at other institutions and present proposal at next faculty senate meeting.

2. Faculty Governance: Chair, John Bruce

The Background Check policy has been suspended for the time being.

3. University Services: Chair, Laura Sheppardson

The Academic Council has decided not to support the Contractual Readmission Proposal.

4. Academic Affairs: Chair, Robert Brown

Our responses to the Proposals by the ASB have been forwarded to the Provost and the ASB.

5. Finance Committee: Chair, Rick Elam

No report.

New Business

1. Editorial Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate

The Bylaws and Constitution editorial changes were handed out for review. The senate will vote to accept the changes at the October meeting.

Senator Payne made the motion to extend the meeting by 15 minutes

Senator Adler seconded

Motion passed without dissent

2. Faculty Survey

Faculty Senate Chair Acevedo suggested that the senate conduct a survey of the faculty that would assess the faculty’s thoughts on several areas of the university. This would allow for the senate to address issue important to the faculty from a with a move proactive approach. A suggestion was made that possibility the Faculty Governance Committee would initiate this process. 

3. ASB Resolutions

The Faculty Senate agreed that these topics will be most appropriately addressed by the Undergraduate Council.

4. Chancellor’s Wine & Cheese Social (Dec. 9)

New faculty and senate are invited to a Wine & Cheese with the Chancellor.

Next Meeting October 14

Senator Laurenzo made a motion to adjourn the meeting

Senator seconded

Meeting adjourned at 7:12pm