UNF Faculty Association Minutes

Call to Order

President Steve Shapiro called the meeting to order at 12:46 p.m.
He then reordered the agenda to move the legislative liaison report forward since Janet Owen has to leave early.

Legislative Liaison Report - Janet Owen
The Duval County legislative delegation was a key leader in procuring funding for the SUS. She encouraged the faculty to thank legislators for their support. For UNF, undergraduate education received $2.7 million in new money, and $376,000 for graduate. The BOR has not determined the FTE distribution between undergraduate and graduate levels, but most of the graduate distribution will go to UF. There will be a 5% tuition increase; the university presidents may exercise a discretionary 5% differential increase.

For the first time additional library resources money has been made recurring. UNF got everything it needed in PECO, and also $ 7.2 million for planning the new Science & Engineering Building. Many thanks to Betty Holzendorff, who is responsible for this money. The combined critical deferred maintenance and major challenge grants were separated; there is $20 million in deferred maintenance. All of UNF's major gifts were matched. For the first time, state employee free courses were funded as recurring dollars.

Janet said her next statements need the introduction: "The institution is in the black, employees in the red." Raises for all employees are effective October 1. For USPS and A&P, raises are 2.8% across the board, with no discretionary money. Health insurance premiums will increase, and the state contribution to the retirement plan will decrease. For faculty there is market equity money, but TIP and PEP were not funded.

There are two new regents, Tom Petway from Jacksonville and J. Collier Merrill from the Panhandle.

II.

Approval of Minutes of April 1, 1999

The Minutes of the April meeting were approved as distributed on the web.

III.

Announcements

Hank Camp said the General Education Initiative is launching Learning Communities in the fall. He passed out copies of offerings. The faculty have responded positively to this initiative, which consists of co-registered courses which have a thematic base.

Steve Shapiro announced that the UNF Baseball team is in the South Atlantic Regional Tournament playoffs, which begin tonight at UNF.

There are a number of vacancies on non Faculty Association committees; Diane Tanner has posted them on the blackboard.

President Shapiro has appointed Gene Baker to the Benefits Committee, which acts as an advisory committee to the Director of Human Resources.

President Shapiro has appointed Judy Rodriguez and Jyotsna Pradhan to the Sabbatical Selection Committee.

Please suggest members who would be interested in serving on the Parking Committee.

IV.

Standing Committee Reports

Academic Programs Committee - Joyce Jones

The committee met on May 11, and will meet again on June 8. It will have agenda items for September. It has 3 items for today's meeting.

Academic Standards Committee - Simin Vaghefi

The committee met in April; it has 2 items for today.

Academic Technology and Support Services Committee - Dennis Gay

Dennis has a class at this time; there is no report.

Adjunct Affairs - Allen Tilley

Allen Tilley was elected chair for next year. The Provost and Vice President have disapproved FA99-14. Although the administration looks favorably on several of the recommendations, it thought the legislation too costly. This Committee intends to monitor the situation of the adjuncts and report to the Association.

Budget and Legislative Information Committee - Joe Perry and Sheila Mangum

Sheila reported that the committee met with President Hopkins on May 11. Next year there will be two new committees formed from this one. Paul Mason will chair the new budget committee.

Faculty Affairs Committee - Judy Solano

The committee has 4 items for today. It meets on May 14 in the Faculty Meeting Area (Bldg. 11 / 1327).

Nominations and Elections Committee - Diane Tanner

The results of the April elections are on the website. University Committee vacancies are:

Osprey Productions--1 year at large
Sabbatical Selection--1 COAS and 1 COEHS; this committee is required by the contract; members must be unit faculty who are tenured.
University Appeals--1 COEHS and 1 COAS
PEP--2 at large (not necessary since there is no PEP money)
SPE--1 COH, 1 COBA, 2 at large

Promotion and Tenure Committee - Bill Slaughter

Bill Slaughter is absent, but Steve Shapiro said that the committee will meet in June to elect a new chair.

Executive Committee - Kathleen Cohen

Next meeting will be May 18, 1999, 12:15, Faculty Association Meeting Area.

Other University Committee Reports

Graduate Council - Bill Wilson

The Council will not meet again until next fall.

Safety Advisory Council - Ted Stumm

No report; will meet again in the fall.

VI.

Special Reports

UNF President -Anne Hopkins

President Hopkins announced that she had appointed Janet Owen Director for Governmental Affairs; she complimented Janet on the excellent work she does in Tallahassee. President Hopkins said the BOR has given university presidents the authority to raise tuition an additional 5%. She has received student suggestions about how best to spend the money. The budget process is proceeding. There is a need to hire more faculty. She has been meeting with lots of potential donors. She encouraged the faculty to thank legislators for their help; special thanks to Betty Holzendorff, John Thrasher, etc. There is a need to do something about improving salaries.

Legislative Liaison Report - Janet Owen

See I. Call to Order.

International Programs - Tim Robinson

Dr. Timothy Robinson has replaced Betty Flinchum. In the fall he plans to visit each college in order to develop international programs. UNF has 143 students on 8 programs, with 7 new agreements with international universities. On July 1 all international student activities will be consolidated into one unit. He gave a plug for the English as a second language program, whose numbers are increasing.

United Faculty of Florida - Gary Harmon

Gary encouraged faculty to thank legislators for working for SUS funding. He regrets that TIP and PEP were not funded adequately and had to be dropped. UFF and the Office of Academic Affairs sponsored the 4th annual dossier workshop; it is available on video.

VII.

Question and Answer Period

1.	Steve Shaprio (for question received anonymously): Do retired deans receive larger offices than regular faculty? Provost David Kline: There is no university policy; it is up to the deans to assign office space.
2.	Joyce Jones: asked for clarification about what can be approved legislatively during the summer. Judy Solano: said major program changes would not happen over the summer; this had been decided by the Faculty Association several years ago.
3.	Judy Solano: ask Vice President Bob Fagin to look at the terrible condition of this room and the one next door. Ellie Scheirer: criticized cleanliness of classrooms at beginning of school this summer. Bob Fagin: said he would look into this, and reminded everyone to send him E-mail about cleanliness problems.

VIII.

Legislative Items

ITEM #1 FA99-13: Submitted by the Academic Standards Committee
(Revision of Graduate Grade Point Average Policy); moved by Simin Vaghefi; no discussion; approved.

ITEM #2 FA99-17: Submitted by the Academic Programs Committee
(COAS); moved by Joyce Jones; no discussion; approved.

ITEM #3 FA99-18: Submitted by the Academic Programs Committee
(COBA); moved by Joyce Jones; no discussion; approved.

ITEM #4 FA99-19: Submitted by the Academic Programs Committee
(COEHS); moved by Joyce Jones;discussion included a question from Susanna Urbina about 99-025, titled Psychology and Education of the Deaf. Tom Serwatka said that course title is used in most Colleges of Education. Joyce Jones added that the word psychology existed in the previous course title; approved.

ITEM #5 FA99-20: Submitted by the Academic Standards Committee
(Nursing Policy on Progression); moved by Simin Vaghefi; no discussion; approved.

ITEM #6 FA99-21: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee
(Policy on Research involving Human Subjects); moved by Judy Solano; Bob Vergenz asked if this policy applied to research using secondary data. Judy answered no; approved.

ITEM #7 FA99-22: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee
(Teaching Graduate Courses at the 6000 Level or Higher); moved by Judy Solano; no discussion; approved.

ITEM #8 FA99-23: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee
(Resolution Regarding Summer Employment); moved by Judy Solano; no discussion; had to be a count of hands; motion failed.

ITEM #9 FA99-24: Submitted by the Faculty Affairs Committee
(First Reading of Bylaws Amendment); Judy Solano explained it corrected inconsistencies in the Executive Committee's review of legislative items.

ITEM #10 FA99-25:Submitted by the Faculty Association President
(1999-2000 Faculty Association Budget); moved by Steve Shapiro; no discussion; approved.

IX.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 1:21 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

________________________
Kathleen Cohen, Vice President
(for Elizabeth L. Furdell, Secretary)