University Governance

UNIVERSITY SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
August 26, 2008
Provost’s Conference Room – 3:30 p.m.

Approved 09/23/08

PRESENT:  Mary Berry, Liz Kowalchuk, Nancy Kinnersley, Lisa Wolf-Wendel, Lisa Friis, John Staniunas, John Stratton, Mary Ann Baker, Dennis Constance, Danny Kaiser, Paul Farran, Adam McGonigle, May Davis, Bill Walberg

EXCUSED: Ben Eggleston, Eric Foss

ALSO PRESENT: Molly Mulloy

            SenEx chair Mary Berry called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. and welcomed members to the first meeting of the academic year.

MINUTES for June 10, 2008 were approved.

STANDING REPORTS
University Senate President
            Mary Berry thanked members for approving the final committee charges by email. She reported that the Chancellor amended and approved the Scholarly Misconduct Policy passed by University Senate last April; this will be discussed further at today’s meeting. The Chancellor also approved the amendments to the course withdrawal policy as passed by the Senate.
            The new Director of Research IT Services is interested in speaking to the University Senate. Consensus was for Berry to invite him to a fall Senate meeting.  
A chair is needed for the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee.  Several persons were recommended and will be contacted by Molly Mulloy.
            Berry reported that as SenEx chair she has been asked to serve on the Information Management Services Committee as well as the United Way  committee.

Faculty Senate President
            Nancy Kinnersley met with Vice Provost Danny Anderson and several KUMC faculty last week to discuss the teaching aspect of the Initiative 2015 report. The Provost has sent a memo to chairs and deans asking them to identify independent study courses to be offered for resident credit. Director of Research Compliance Bill Sharp is forming a task force to update the Conflict of Interest policy for both the Lawrence campus and the KUMC campuses. Kinnersley thanked Liz Kowalchuk for attending the Provost’s emergency budget meeting in early August when she and Mary Berry were out of town.   She announced that in addition to the KSU president, and PSU (Pittsburg State) president is stepping down this year.

Student Body President
            Adam McGonigle reported that a Student Senate proposal for the new aquatic center has just been sent to the consultant. Discussions are underway about changing the entire Student senate election process, which McGonigle said is costly and time-consuming. A Student Senate bill is being prepared that would provide oversight for all boards and committees that allocate student fee income. The Student Legislative Awareness Board (“SLAB”) has booked guest speakers this fall to help publicize its voter registration drive, and will host a dinner for students and state legislators on 01/29/09.

Unclassified Senate President
            Paul Farran commended Nancy Kinnersley and Adam McGonigle for their excellent speeches at Opening Convocation last week.  He is investigating the creation of a document repository software system for the Unclassified Senate. Farran noted that the Provost will speak to the Unclassified Senate about KU’s budget cuts when he meets with them on 09/24.  

University Support Staff President
            Dennis Constance reported that USS leaders from all of the Regents’ universities will meet as a group once a month and attend the Board of Regents’ meetings. The USS is planning a one-day “mini Wheat state tour” for its members. After 1 ½ years of discussion, the Task Force on Supervisory Evaluation expects to have an evaluation instrument completed very shortly. The USS is also looking at various methods to track changes to the USS Handbook.

SCHOLARLY MISCONDUCT POLICY
            Members reviewed the 07/22/08 memo from the Chancellor to the Provost in which he (the Chancellor) amended and approved the policy passed by University Senate in April 2008. Mary Berry reported that she and Nancy Kinnersley discussed the changes recommended by the Provost when they met with him and his staff in May. Berry will report the Chancellor’s action to the University Senate on 9/11.

No further business.

Respectfully submitted,