UNF Faculty Association Meeting Minutes

Faculty Association

Summer 1999

FACULTY ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES
June 3, 1999

I.		Call to Order
		Kathleen Cohen, Faculty Association Vice-President, called the meeting to order at 12:45 p.m. Steve Shapiro is unwell.
II.		Approval of Minutes
		The minutes of the May meeting were approved as distributed on the web.
III.		Announcements
		No announcements.
IV.		Standing Committee Reports

		Academic Programs Committee - Joyce Jones
		No report. The committee will meet next on June 8 at 1 p.m. Check with Joyce for the location.
		Academic Standards Committee - Simin Vaghefi
		No report.
		Academic Technology and Support Services Committee - Dennis Gay
		No report.
		Adjunct Affairs - Allen Tilley
		No report.
		Budget and Legislative Information Committee - Joe Perry and Sheila Mangum
		No report.
		Faculty Affairs Committee - Judy Solano
		The committee will meet next Friday, June 11, at noon in the Faculty Association Meeting Area, Building 11/1327. There are three items from the committee on the agenda today.
		Nominations and Elections Committee - Diane Tanner
		No report, but there are some University Committee openings. Kathy Cohen announced that Osprey Productions needs one at-large member; Sabbatical Selection needs one member from the COAS and one member from the COEHS; and the University Appeals Committee needs one alternate member from COAS and one alternate member from COEHS.
		Promotion and Tenure Committee - Bill Slaughter
		No report.
		Executive Committee - Kathleen Cohen
		The next meeting is June 15 at 12:15 p.m. in the Faculty Association Meeting Area, Building 11/1327.
V.		Other University Committee Reports

		Graduate Council - Bill Wilson
		No report.
		Safety Advisory Council - Ted Stumm
		No report.
VI.		Special Reports
		President Anne Hopkins deferred to Janet Owen for the Legislative Report
		Legislative Liaison Report - Janet Owen Janet distributed copies of her "Tallahassee Report" to faculty. Although Govenor Bush vetoed $313 million worth of higher education appropriations, the tuition increase veto is the only one that affects us. Her report outlines UNF's share of the budget and discusses salary increases, PECO, and admissions recalculations among other things.
		UNF President - Anne Hopkins Despite a 10% budget increase, the one "down note" is the salary situation: 2.8% for employee salary increases. The veto of the 5% tuition increase across the board was a surprise, but is partly compensated for by raising the differential increase to 5% from the original 3.8%. New planning needs to be done to accommodate the changes in tuition income. UNF received more money for enhancement of academic programs. Pat Plumlee asked: Why was the state's contribution to each employee's ORP account lowered from 11.57% to 10.15%? Bob Fagin replied that the system has caught up with under-funding and that was the rationale. Pat Plumlee commented that individual faculty members are hurt by this reduction. Anne Hopkins: Since the unfunded liability was met, the contribution rate was lowered; in terms of the system, it is a sign of better health for state retirement.
		United Faculty of Florida - Gary Harmon
		He read some comments from the UFF state president regarding salaries. Despite promises to the contrary, SUS salaries remain seriously below those of comparable institutions and are under competitive. Everyone's good intentions went awry, with only $3 million appropriated of the $10 million proposed for salary enhancement. Gary complimented President Hopkins on her support of the faculty salary concerns and hopes for greater success on that issue in the future. Chancellor Adam Herbert will introduce a proposal at the July meeting of the Board of Regents to deal with the difference in what was promised and what was delivered.
VII.		Question and Answer Period
		No questions.
VIII.		Legislative Items
		Item #1 - FA 99-24: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee. (Second Reading of Bylaws Amendment); Judy Solano moved the item. These proposed amendments in the new Bylaws deal with the few remaining inconsistencies. Article IV resolves a contradiction with Article IV, section 6 and Article VI, section 4 by specifying that the Executive Committee merely reviews items on the legislative calendar, but does not have authority to "approve" those items. The motion passed unanimously. Item #2 - FA 99-26: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee.. (Revision of Policies for University Appeals Committee); Judy Solano moved the item. This revision clarifies the role of the president in the appeals process, makes titles uniform, and makes procedures for conducting hearings congruous with the Faculty and Student Handbooks. Susan Wallace asked wherein lies the authority to change these procedures? Judy Solano: At the Faculty Association, then up through higher administrative levels. Chris Rasche: Since these are academic issues, it is appropriate for policy to originate and be changed by faculty. Further discussion. Judy Solano: Let's rely on the way we have been conducting appeals which now will be coordinated out of Academic Affairs. The motion passed unanimously. Item #3 - FA 99-27: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee. (Revision of Outstanding Teaching Awards Guidelines) Judy Solano moved the item. For a variety of reasons, the time of nomination and application for UNF's undergraduate teaching awards has been moved up to fall semester. College Screening Committees will review and recommend finalists by the end of the fall semester, and in the spring the University Selection Committee will meet and make its final recommendations. The dates should clarify eligibility questions, too, regarding which semesters should be included in submissions. Scott Hochwald: Will this award process be revisited each year? Judy Solano: No, only to revise actual dates. Lucy Trice: Why not include summer courses for eligibility? Some faculty may be disenfranchised by their college teaching patterns. Judy Solano: There are real disadvantages for those faculty who do not get summer teaching. Lucy Trice: Is the award decision made on the number of courses taught? Judy Solano: No, courses are not "counted." Chris Rasche: The old form was done away with in lieu of a discursive explanation. Discussion ensued. Ellie Scheirer: She does not recall any discussion of the diversity of courses because of other variables. Nick Wilson: He is perplexed because the arguments given favor leaving in summer courses for eligibility. Pam Chally: It is possible that faculty might teach fewer than four undergraduate courses in the College of Health, because some do nine-hour courses. Lew Radonovich pointed out that a nine-hour course would be counted as three 3-hour courses. Judy Solano: The wisdom of the committee was to leave eligibility at four undergraduate courses taught over a two-year period, so there is no problem with the Health faculty qualifying. The item passed unanimously.
IX.		Adjournment
		With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _________________________________ Elizabeth Lane Furdell, Secretary