University Governance

SENATE MINUTES

UNIVERSITY SENATE
November 13, 2008 – Green Hall, Room #203

Approved February 12, 2009
PRESENT:  Faculty - Mary Berry, Melissa Birch, David Brackett, James Daugherty, Ben Eggleston, Ada Emmett, Allen Ford, Joe Harrington, Man Kong, Liz Kowalchuk, Chuck Marsh, Joyce McCray-Pearson, Brent Metz, Barbara Phipps, Dan Spencer, John Staniunas, Jeff Staudinger, John Stratton, Rodolfo Torres, Donna Tucker, Tony Walton, Lisa Wolf-Wendel. Staff – Betty Childers, Mary Ann Baker, Cayla Witty, Danny Kaiser, Jason O’Connor.  Students – Ben Cohen, May Davis, Mason Heilman, Libby Johnson, Bill Walberg, Elise Higgins, Tonia Salas, JJ Siler, Brian Hardouin. Ex-officio – Adam McGonigle, president, Student Body; Dennis Constance, president, University Support Staff; Paul Farran, president, Unclassified Senate.

EXCUSED: Faculty - Matthew Burke, Marta Caminero-Santangelo, Mark Ezell, Mohamed El-Hodiri, Doug Huffman, Iris Fischer Smith, Lisa Friis, Alice Lieberman, Steve Maynard-Moody, Jim Orr, Jean Peterson, Gitti Salami, Kelli Thomas, Stacey Swearingen White. Staff – Jeannette Johnson. Students – Stacy Elmer, Eric Foss, Aly Rodee

ABSENT:  Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, Jean Phillips

ALSO PRESENT:  Molly Mulloy, Governance; Danny Anderson, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

                        President Mary Berry called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

MINUTES for October 23, 2008 were approved.

STANDING REPORTS
University Senate President. 
 Mary Berry offered best wishes to Molly Mulloy, who will be out of the office for two months for medical treatment. 
Berry noted that governance committees are starting to report on their charges to SenEx, who will review them and bring action items to the Senate.
Berry reported on discussions and steps taken by her and Faculty Senate President Nancy Kinnersley in the last few weeks regarding the “invention agreement” form that faculty and staff are required to sign. After being contacted by concerned faculty, Berry and Kinnersley gathered information on KU’s intellectual policies dating back to 2001; contacted concerned faculty, other west campus researchers, the former chair of the Research Committee, and Law School faculty for feedback; discussed it at length in SenEx; exchanged many emails and met with Vice Provost for Research Steve Warren and his staff on multiple occasions.  The result is that the administration has agreed to modify the form based on issues raised by governance and discussions with concerned faculty. At this point, the administration expects that those faculty who signed the first form will not be asked to sign a modified form, but may have that option. Berry emphasized that all persons involved had approached the concerns with an open ear, and the process was handled expeditiously and constructively by both governance and the administration.
Berry announced that the optional Senate meeting originally scheduled for 12/11/08 is cancelled, and the January 29, 2009 meeting will be held in Room 106 at the Law School rather than our usual Room #203.

Faculty Senate President
            Nancy Kinnersley reported that FacEx has recommended to the Provost that a policy on posthumous degrees for undergraduates be placed on the policy website. FacEx recommends that a degree be granted posthumously only if the following conditions are met: 1) the student was in good standing at the time of death, 2) the school recommends the awarding of the degree, and 3) student was in his/her final semester at KU.
            FacEx discussed the process of appeals to FacEx with respect to drop/add dates for symposium or practicum courses. The general policy is that courses without set meeting times, such as by appointment, are not subject to the drop/add deadlines. Therefore, the consensus of FacEx is that the drop/add dates do not apply to symposium/practicum courses.
            A reporter from the Lawrence Journal World inquired at University Relations about domestic partner benefits at KU.  Bill Crowe, chair of governance Task Force on Employee Benefits, is keeping KU’s University Relations updated about the task force’s progress in looking at the entire benefits package at KU.

Student Body President
            Adam McGonigle reported that students in focus groups and student organizations are currently providing feedback on four different plans to expand the Student Recreation Center. Student Senate is hosting a dinner for legislators on January 29th and will have student members in Topeka throughout the legislative session.  A proposal will be sent to the Parking Commission to request that clients at Watkins Hospital not be charged for using the parking meters. Student Senate is running out of money to allocate to the many student entities.

Unclassified Senate
            Paul Farran reported that a working group is developing a virtual document repository and redefining the Unclassified Senate website. Members will vote in December on updates to the Unclassified Senate’s bylaws.  The Professional Development Committee hosted a tour of Kansas Public Radio and Audio-Reader this week, and will hold a seminar on updating resumes.

University Support Staff (USS)
            Dennis Constance reported that USS is working on a memorial to honor long-time employee Allan Eastland, who died in a car accident this month. USS is exploring ways to make personnel policies across campus more uniform and to ascertain ways to identify incidents of retribution that may occur after employee complaints. The state-wide Classified and Support Staff Council met to plan its activities for the next state legislative session.

CONVERSATION WITH DANNY ANDERSON, VICE PROVOST FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
            VP Danny Anderson, professor of Spanish, noted that he had been in his new position for six months now.  He described his responsibilities in the Provost’s Office and recent activities of offices he supervises, including the Privacy Office, International Programs, Continuing education, and HREO. Anderson serves as liaison with academic units and on the Provost’s Latino Vision Council.  He is reconvening two groups that used to meet on a regular basis: the Associate Deans Council and the Advising Council. He is also quite involved with all of the changes going on in the reorganization of the School of Fine Arts. He works with the Center for Teaching Excellence on programs and projects and communicates with the Board of Regents about new program certificates and minors. He is responsible for the seven-year cycle of reviews of academic programs that are required by the Regents. Anderson noted that the Chancellor has asked him to partner with KUMC’s Heidi Chumley (Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education) regarding the 2015 Initiative, adding that it is crucial for many people to have input into the strategic plan. 
            Anderson said he is interested in making changes more quickly at the university and involving more people in the process.  He emphasized the importance of websites and lauded KU’s new online policy library.  He recommended that Senate members look at www.collegeportraits.org, which will have a “college portrait” for KU and 300 other universities.
            Anderson described KU’s budget timeline and possible reductions for the coming year. He noted that deans have been told to prepare for a 3% cut this year and a possible 4% in FY10, though these figures may change between now and April 2009.  Anderson urged all to be creative and to think strategically on how to confront the budget cuts and to speak up and share possible solutions with unit heads. He then answered various questions from Senate members about the proposed budget shortfall.
            Mary Berry thanked Vice Provost Anderson for his openness and candor, noting that he has been extremely responsive to questions raised by her and Faculty Senate President Nancy Kinnersley this semester.

No further business.  The meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Molly Mulloy