President Kathleen Cohen made the following announcements.

President Cohen reminded faculty members about the Open Forum with Provost Kline to be held immediately following this meeting. The discussion will address questions to Dr. Kline regarding promotion and tenure. The questions were forwarded to Dr. Kline after the November 2 Faculty Association meeting and are included in this month's packet. The forum will be held in this building (15) in room 2203.

The Faculty Affairs Committee is in the process of conducting the Annual Campus Climate Questionnaire. It is available electronically on the Faculty Association web site and is due February 23.

The Faculty Association web site is under revision and reorganization. Some links may not work correctly. Please bear with us while improvements are being made.

Jeanne Middleton of Alumni Affairs spoke to the Association about UNF Homecoming on February 17. She urged faculty to attend and to remind students about the homecoming activities. She spoke about the planned activities and pointed out flyers and schedules on the table in the back of the room. There is also a flyer with information about the student emergency fund.

Jeffrey Will spoke about the Albert Ernest Caring Award given annually. The award, which goes to a student who exhibits exceptional community and university service, is presented at summer commencement. He mentioned that the trophy is designed by the same person who designed the Heisman Trophy. He asked the faculty to recommend students for the award.

Bruce Fortado urged faculty to attend a Question and Answer Forum presented by UFF February 8 at 3:00 p.m. in the College of Business, Room 2116. Bargaining Team Members Bill Bozeman and Cheryl Frohlich will present views and issues and respond to the Collective Bargaining Process. UFF President Rosie Joels will present the latest updates on the state of the Reorganization of Higher Education Governance

Kathleen Cohen reported that through the persistence and diligence of the UNF Student Government Association the Library Atrium will be open 24 hours a day while classes are in session, beginning February 1.

The Committee met January 12. There are two items on today's agenda: FA 01-43, Department of History and FA 01-44, College of Health. No meeting is scheduled in February. The next meeting is March 9 at 12:00 p.m.

The Committee met January 30 with Joanne Campbell to discuss BOR/UFF Contract Article 23.9 moneys that Cheryl Frohlich discussed at last month's Faculty Association meeting. Dr. Campbell explained, to the satisfaction of the committee, that nothing is out of order in the way that money was reported and used. The next meeting is scheduled for February 27 at 12:15 in 42/3136.

The Committee will meet on February 8 at 12:15 in FAMA.

The Committee met January 24 to make final plans for two Faculty Forums. The first will be February 23 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. It is titled "Academic Freedom: A Prerequisite for Academic Excellence?" The second is April 6 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. It is titled "The Role of Collegiality on Campus." The forums will be held in the Faculty Commons.

The Committee plans a joint meeting with the Research Committee on February 21to discuss results from last year's faculty survey.

The Committee met January 24 to analyze research survey results. Members realized that there was overlap with the Faculty Enhancement Committee and decided to propose a joint meeting. The two Committees will meet and submit a report at a later date.

President Anne Hopkins was welcomed with a warm ovation. She reported that she had been on campus only twice in 6 ½ weeks and was very happy to be back.

There are two issues to which she has been paying a lot of attention – the Reorganization Task Force and the state budget. She addressed several points on each issue. She assured the Faculty that there will be new university governance. She urged people to stand back and give it a chance. She commented that there is no magic to a Board of Regents. There are other states that have different kinds of university systems that work. Senator Graham's proposed constitutional amendment to keep the Board of Regents in place is likely too late. She feels we can make the new system work by being smart and working with the new boards.

President Hopkins commented that there are three issues in the Task Force that are big changes. One is that the university will have institutional governing boards. She noted that every institution where she has been has had an institutional governing board. It is the most common way that universities are governed. Board members are almost always appointed by the governor. The primary impact of the changes will be on her and her staff. They will have to work closely with the new board. She and her staff will try to get to know the board members and try to be responsive to their concerns and issues. Dr. Hopkins said she would put herself on the line by saying that the success of the university depends on how effective the president is in dealing with the board.

The second issue is the seven-member state board of education. They will have a huge array of authority and power -- sort of like a Board of Regents, only elevated. There will too much for them to do. There will be someone who will be in charge of the ten state universities in the system. They will have staff and she is hopeful those people will come to understand the issues we face.

The third thing is that UNF will no longer be a state agency. There are pluses and minuses to that. What she has been told and what she hopes will happen is we will be able to contract with the state for retirement and health, etc. She commented that UNF can do its own contracts if we like or work in collaboration with others. She said that there will be much greater autonomy in the new system. We can make our own rules. State laws will influence what we do.

The Governor's proposed budget is available in electronic form from the state web site. There is a 1.25 percent reduction in the base budget. She promises that she will keep the instructional budget intact. By budgeting differently the university may be able to make this transition and not have to cut other things on campus. She assured faculty that UNF is okay for now. There will be some things happening but she will be very open with information.

Pat Plumlee asked if the Foundation Board would disappear. Dr. Hopkins replied no. It may do some different things but it will be there. She gave some examples of what it might do.

Verna Urbanski asked if UNF is not a state agency, what is it? Janet Owen responded that it will be a public body corporate. There is more flexibility.

Andrew Farkas asked if a public body corporate has the right to strike? The response was, "It depends." The UFF contract will be binding for three years and so it is not a concern right now. There are a huge number of decisions to be made. Dr. Hopkins said she wants to stretch out decisions as long as possible. The university is too thinly staffed to deal with them all immediately.

Steve Shapiro asked how a contract can be binding if one entity will disappear [the Board of Regents]. Janet Owen said that there will be an interim board. The contract can be enforced by law for two years.

Paul Mason asked Dr. Hopkins what she had heard about the one extra hour of teaching that has been mentioned in the press. Dr. Hopkins replied she had not heard much. The workload is bargained collectively. She commented that there are all sorts of productivity measures. She urged flexibility.

Bill Wilson asked if UNF will maintain its tax exempt status. Yes. Dr. Hopkins said that there are lots of uncertainties but no "horribles". That would be a "horrible". She assured faculty that there will be glitches, but that they will be fixed.

Dr. Hopkins remarked that the presidents of the ten state universities had met collectively. She feels the scare has brought people together. There are lots of good things that can happen. She urged faculty not to worry about a war among the institutions. She feels they realize that the cost of a war will be so high that they will lose.

The question was asked if members of the board will have to be from the institution's vicinity. Janet Owen said there have been final recommendations about the trustees. There will be nine. They can be from anywhere. Members will have two term limits, four year staggered terms. If a trustee misses three meetings, he is dismissed. Each will undergo a background check. They can lobby. Dr. Hopkins remarked that we should be thinking about who would be good trustees.

Judy Solano said she had heard that UF President Young had said at alumni meetings that this would be their opportunity to establish a presence throughout the state. Philip Handy reportedly had said this would be their opportunity to rise above mediocrity. She felt the things she had heard were not consistent with what Dr. Hopkins had said about the presidents working together. Dr. Hopkins said she didn't know what to say but that there are different entities that he speaks to and may forget that there are media present. Might they want to have more of a presence in Jacksonville? It is possible. Some of their health programs are fine. She commented that we don't want people coming in this area to offer programs that we offer or might want to offer, but there are some that would be okay. When the Board of Education is in place, she will ask for rules about service areas. That is one of the areas that will have to be addressed.

Ellie Sheirer asked for more information about retirement and health care. Dr. Hopkins said that the services we now receive from the state will be available to us for contracts and those could be either permanent or short-term contracts. The presidents have talked about and are intending to start an association of presidents to set up a consortium that might decide to deliver services collectively. Janet Owen talked about Community Colleges being statutorily authorized to contract for packages. We could continue existing contracts or contract for others. We could have a collective group called "safe harbors" to make sure that things don't fall through the cracks during the transition. Dr. Hopkins noted that the Transition Task Force has said to tell them what safe harbors we want to do and they will work with us. There are many options.

Pali Sen asked about the tenure issue. Dr. Hopkins said the changes will not affect tenure. She said the issue of tenure and academic freedom has been discussed and will be discussed. It has happened at other places in other states and always is protected. She noted that she and other presidents would have to help new board members understand about tenure. She believes tenure is so essential that she would "die on the sword for tenure". She believes that is so essential to what we are as an academic institution that she would fight for it. She thinks the Task Force members did not even think about those kinds of things at all. They were not even on their radar scope.

No report. Ms. Owen interjected some comments during Dr. Hopkins report.

Dr. Fortado said he had thought most of this year that UFF, the Faculty Association and the Administration were largely in agreement toward the Reorganization Task Force. He felt they all thought that Task Force members did not understand education and that they were entering the university domain without understanding much. He said he had felt all along that some of the views between UFF and the administration would naturally diverge and he thinks that has happened. He said he knew that when the university presidents decided to support local boards and that when local administrators would owe their jobs to them that they would not always have the same views as UFF. He feels this is a natural part of this process. He does not share some of Dr. Hopkins' optimistic views about some of the new things coming our way. He does not think most of the people in power are well-intentioned and that tenure will be an issue. He commented that the Council of 100 (business leaders who have been advising the governor) does not believe in civil service protections and want all employees to be employed "at will". He mentioned other concerns and rumors that Phil Handy had told University of Florida groups that this would be good for them. They could become more powerful. He said Task Force members are saying different things to different audiences. He plans to watch carefully and thinks UFF and the Faculty Association will have to be stronger.

Dr. Fortado urged faculty to attend the February Question and Answer Forum with Cheryl Frohlich on February 8.

Dr. Chris Rasche talked about the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates and how members had been attending Task Force meetings on each campus and speaking about their concerns about the new university governance and its possible impact on academic freedom, etc. Task Force Chairman Phil Handy asked the group to send a letter stating its concerns and recommendations. The Council crafted a long letter and forwarded it to the Task Force. There was never any response. Some time during the Christmas holidays the Task Force realized that it had not included faculty in the process and that faculty all over the state were unhappy and did not appreciate the Task Force very much. Task Force Chairman Philip Handy organized a meeting for January 18 in Tampa and wanted all faculty leaders to attend. Dr. Rasche said the upshot is that faculty have been cordial but have not embraced everything he has had to say and now he is angry. Now it seems he has sent a letter to the governor and others targeting the UFF Senate president and Dr. Rasche for comments that he viewed as uncharitable and fear-mongering. The ACFS is meeting in Tallahassee February 3 with Interim Board of Regents Chancellor Judy Hample and a member of the Task Force to try to get this back on a higher level.

The Strategic Planning Committee asked Bob Fagin how the proposed two-year split of the planning funds for the library expansion affect the time line for completion of that facility?

Bob Fagin responded that he did not know. It depends on what the Legislature does.

Dr. Rama Murthi Rao asked the following questions.

1.    Will alternative technology for teaching and/or research, developed by UNF faculty, be        considered equally with commercial technology?

2.    How much money is the university spending on providing and supporting Blackboard?

3.    How many faculty members are using Blackboard, and how much do they like it?

The questions will be forwarded to Dr. Tom Serwatka for a written answer.

Steve Shapiro said that he had heard that DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) would be ended. Janet Owen replied that she had heard it being discussed and that there have been rumors floating but she has heard nothing for sure.

Dr. Scott Hochwald reported that he received extra money in his pay when he was on sabbatical. When the money was taken back, it wasn't taken back from salary but from somewhere else. He is paying extra taxes, etc.

Bob Fagin said he would look into the question.

Dr. Scott Hochwald asked for better maintenance of the portables.

Item #1 - FA 01-01: Submitted by the Academic Programs Committee.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The item passed.

Item #2 - FA 01-02: Submitted by the Academic Programs Committee.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE

The item passed.

The meeting adjourned at 1:07.

Respectfully submitted,

_______________________
Barbara Tuck
Secretary