UNF Faculty Association

Faculty Association	Spring 2001

Minutes of Meeting
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
May 22, 2001
12:15 @ FAMA

The meeting was called to order at 12:17 p.m.

Present: Cheryl Frohlich, Terry Bowen, Geraldine Collins, Sheila Mangum, Paul Mason, Donna Mohr, Randall Russac, Pali Sen, Judy Solano, Diane Tanner, Barbara Tuck, Cheryl Van Deusen

The minutes of the April 17 meeting were approved.

Executive Committee

Cheryl Frohlich reported that Judy Solano had found a 1987 Faculty Association Information Item submitted by the Rules and Appeals Committee (now named the Executive Committee) titled "Procedure for Faculty Association Consideration of Creation of New Academic Units and Structural Changes Across Departments, Division, and/or Colleges". The procedures for dealing with this document were discussed and it was decided that Cheryl will update the wording and send the document to Provost Kline reiterating that the policy has been in effect since 1987.

It was noted that FA 01-12 submitted by the Strategic Planning Committee titled "Faculty Representation on the Local Board of Trustees" was denied. The fact that it was denied will be noted in the Faculty Association packet for the next meeting.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Academic Programs Committee - Randall Russac

A checklist will be attached to APC forms. Each item must be checked and signed off before the Committee will consider it. If it is not, it will be sent back to the College.

Academic Standards Committee - Pali Sen

Pali Sen talked about the "W" option on the late withdrawal policy. The history of how it came to be included was discussed. There was a proposal to submit an information item including several emails that documented this history. It was decided that Faculty Association President Kathleen Cohen would send a letter detailing the information. It will be included in the packet as an Information Item.

The Committee selected Pali Sen to be its chair for the next year. Harriet Stranahan will be the secretary.

Academic Technology and Support Committee - Geraldine Collins

The Committee met May 9 with new members. Kathy Brown and Bruce Kavan will be co-chairs. Kathy Brown will attend Academic Technology meetings and Bruce Kavan will be the Executive Committee representative. Both will be at the August luncheon. No secretary was elected.

Geraldine Collins reported that the Committee has just about finished a Distance Learning Policy. It will be ready for the last meeting of the year as an Information Item. She noted that Dr. Kavan and Dr. Serwatka had combined a couple of policies from Academic Affairs.

The Committee asked Geraldine to write a letter to Bob Fagin expressing concerns about copy services, ATM machines, etc. She hopes he will respond before the next Faculty Association meeting.

She noted that the copier services contract with Xerox mandates a 90 day notice of non-service. She wanted people to know that copiers would not disappear overnight.

Adjunct Affairs Committee - Sheila Mangum

Sheila Mangum reported that there had been a problem with committee attendance. There are no officers for the next year yet. She hopes to have them soon.

Budget Advisory Committee - Paul Mason

Paul Mason reported that the Committee had met with President Hopkins on May 1. She told the members that there would likely be a budget cut. She thought the University could handle a 1 ½ % cut without most people noticing. If it becomes a 3 % cut, then we will. She answered many questions, but there are many things she does not know yet.

Paul noted that his tenure on the committee is over, after many years of service. Homer Bates will be next year's chair.

Faculty Affairs Committee - Judy Solano

Judy Solano reported that the Committee has two agenda items this month. The first item addresses and clarifies the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards eligibility. The second item recommends that anyone related to an applicant should not stand for election to the Sabbatical Selection Committee.

The Committee will meet with President Hopkins on June 14 at 11:00 a.m. in FAMA. The meeting will address how the faculty can have a voice at the Board level. The Committee wants to talk about how the faculty will be heard in the new governance.

Paul Mason said he wanted everyone to know that he is indignant (and has made it known in a letter to Joann Campbell) about not being paid for the 7th and 8th of the month. Cheryl Van Deusen commented that she wondered why a 26 week pay scale was not offered. She said her committee may include that question in the next research survey.

Judy Solano will be the chair of the committee next year.

Faculty Enhancement Committee - Cynthia Scott

No report.

Governmental Relations Committee - Terry Bowen

Terry Bowen hopes to have a chair for next year by the end of the week.

Nominations and Elections Committee - Diane Tanner

No report.

Diane Tanner reported that the Bookstore Committee recommended Follett as the bookstore contract for next year.

Promotion and Tenure Committee - Pat Plumlee

No report.

Research Committee - Cheryl Van Deusen

The Committee will have a new chair by next week.

Strategic Planning Committee - Donna Mohr

Donna Mohr reported that Gary Fane will be next year's chair. Verna Urbanski will be secretary.

Final Business

Food Service Consultant/Evaluation Committee:
Cheryl Frohlich voiced concerns about the preliminary report on UNF's present food services by Cini-Little Consulting. She is also concerned about the recommendations for changes based upon the company's surveys and research. The student survey had 234 responses. Only 14 of those were part-time students. The company noted that the survey respondents were not demographically similar to the University's student body and that "these student survey responses may not fairly and accurately represent the whole." However, the company went on to state, "While acknowledging the limitations of the survey responses, there may be some benefits to analyzing the respondent's opinions." No survey results on faculty or staff were included in the preliminary report. There were serious concerns about the survey's validity and the recommendations based on the results. Cheryl reported that she might want to also include Kathy Cohen and an SGA representative on the committee, but had not received a reply from the President at the time of the Executive Committee meeting.

Plagiarism Software:
Terry Bowen asked Geraldine Collins about the possibility of the library helping faculty with the problem of plagiarism on campus. There was a discussion about plagiarism becoming a major problem. Geraldine will look into it and see what the library can do.

Appeals Committee:
Cheryl Frohlich discussed several appeal cases heard by the Academic Appeals Committee. She feels students are using their interpretation of Florida statutes and BOR rules for legalistic defenses such as "due-process" (not due-process within the University procedures) or "double-jeopardy". Both defenses are outside the expertise of committee members, besides being outside of the Appeal Committee's charge and its procedures as outlined in the faculty and student handbooks. She feels that the current ombudsman is poorly advising students about how to successfully proceed through the appeal procedures. She is also concerned about the possibility of opening the University to some liabilities.

Judy Solano said one of the cases had come out of her department. She had first-hand experience dealing with the campus ombudsman and had written a letter saying that the ombudsman is obviously not being trained to make policies and procedures clear to the students; that, instead, is acting as a student advocate. Students are being encouraged to make an antagonistic defense.

Geraldine Collins said that she confronts this problem in the library all the time. Students are being given bad information and are being encouraged to be adversarial.

The student ombudsman is appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs.

The issue: Does the Committee want to take this up in Faculty Association? Which committee should address the problem? It was noted that the more letters and notices that go out, the more possibility that the problem will be noted and something done. Several committees could address the problem.

Cheryl Frohlich was directed to send Sid Rosenberg, Chair of the Appeals Committee, an email requesting information on issues, if any, in the Ombudsman's position and recent appeals.

There was a short discussion about Appeal Committee's role.

The next meeting of the Executive Committee is June 19 at 12:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Barbara Tuck, Secretary