Faculty Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC) – March 4, 2011

Faculty Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC) – March 4, 2011

Attendance

Present: Alex Blazer, Ben Davis, Lee Digiovanni, Sally Humphries, Fadhili Mshana, William Risch, Mike Rose, Susan Steele, Craig Turner, Charles Ubah, Mike Whitfield

Regrets: Sandra Jordan, Sandra Gangstead

Guest: Tom Ormond

Activity and Agreements

1.   Call to order:  The committee chair called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m.

2.   Agenda:  A motion to approve the tentative agenda of the 4 Mar 2011 as circulated was made, seconded, and approved.

3.   Minutes:  A motion to approve the 4 Feb 2011 minutes as corrected was made, seconded, and approved. The correction involved the language detailing the Maymester payroll date.

4.   Work Group Updates:  Each of the work groups reported back to the committee.

A.    Faculty Evaluation, Triggering Reviews of Department Chairs Work Group: The work group [Sally Humphries – CoB, Susan Steele – CoHS] reminded the committee of the language in Section 3.07.01 of the Georgia College Academic Affairs Handbook providing faculty an opportunity to inform the evaluation of academic administrators.

(Excerpt from Section 3.07.01 of the GC Academic Affair Handbook)

Part IV, Evaluation of Academic Administrators by others

All faculty have the opportunity to participate in the evaluation of the academic administrators. At their discretion they may complete evaluations on department chairs, deans, directors, assistant vice presidents, associate vice presidents and the Vice President/Dean of Faculties by using the PART IV Academic Administrators Evaluation Form, Located here). Under Georgia state law, all evaluations are considered subject to the open records law. There will be an in depth review of academic administrators conducted every 5 years by the supervisor. The schedule of these 5 year reviews is located here, Administrative 5 Year Review Time Table.

The work group indicated its recommendation that faculty voice in the administrative evaluation be realized in the form of recommendations for professional development rather than in the form of an evaluation. The work group offered a modified version of the existing Part IV form entitled “Faculty Recommendations for Administrative Development” [attached as a supporting document] as a sample form with which these developmental suggestions be solicited. With these ideas in mind, the work group offered a two part recommendation in the form of a motion for committee consideration.

FAPC Motion 1 (4 Mar 2011) To recommend that

(1)   each member of the 2010-2011 Faculty Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC) educate her/his constituency (faculty colleagues) that faculty have an opportunity to inform the evaluation of an academic administrator [see Section 3.07.01 of the Georgia College Academic Affairs Handbook].

(2)   the Provost ensure that the administrative evaluation process include a mechanism by which the appropriate personnel solicit developmental feedback, on an annual basis, from the faculty to inform an administrative evaluation. In particular, a recommendation that each Academic Dean actively solicit developmental feedback, on an annual basis, from faculty to inform the administrative evaluation of the department chair or unit supervisor of the faculty. Care should be taken to ensure confidentiality in the collection of this developmental feedback from the faculty. The “Faculty Recommendations for Administrative Development” form (modified version of the existing Part IV) is provided as a sample form that could be used to collect this feedback.

This motion was approved unanimously.

B.     Post-Tenure Review Work Group:  The work group [Martha Colvin - CoHS, Nancy Davis Bray - Library, Lee Digiovanni - CoE, Ken Farr - CoB, Mike Rose - CoAS, Craig Turner – CoAS] continues its review of the existing language on post-tenure review in section 3.07.03.6 of the Georgia College Academic Affairs Handbook. The Post-Tenure Review work group maintains a web presence accessible by following the “Post Tenure Review Work Group” link at the top of the FAPC web presence. This work group will provide its recommendations to the committee at the next and final committee meeting scheduled for 1 Apr 2011.

5.  Informational Items: A number of informational items were provided, some generating activity.

A.    Academic Year Faculty Availability in the Summer Issue: In regards to the following motion, Associate Provost Tom Ormond reported back to FAPC a number of informational items.

FAPC Motion 1 (14 Jan 2011): To recommend that the Provost instruct all academic administrators that no faculty member be required to perform duties while not under contract. Further, that refusal by a faculty member to perform tasks while not under contract shall not be considered during the tenure application process, annual evaluations or merit increase decisions.

i.    The Provost is continuing to solicit feedback from academic administrators [deans, chairs] as to the ramifications of this motion on various departments and units.

ii.   The issue of whether or not faculty would be covered by Worker Compensation benefits, i.e., injury on the campus while working without a contract, was a complex subject that legal advice failed to fully elucidate. It was pointed out that Workman’s Compensation is a state benefit not an institutional benefit. The legal implications became a matter of considering whether the work of the faculty member was promoting the good of the institution.

Comments by FAPC members indicated that Worker’s Compensation benefits had little to do with the original intent of FAPC Motion 1 (14 Jan 2011). The intent was to highlight the difficulties that occur when faculty perceive that they are duty bound to work without being appropriately compensated.

The ideals identified as desirable are to ensure that faculty (1) are aware of expectations placed on them AND (2) have a voice (the right to accept or decline, the right to negotiate compensation) with respect to work, particularly in the area of service (advising, orientations, availability to students, etc.) that is desirable or necessary during the time when faculty are not formally under contract (most prominently summer).

B. Summer Pay Tax Withholdings / Extra Compensation

Summer Pay:  In light of the correction on the Maymester payroll date made in the meeting minutes for the 4 Feb 2011 meeting, the committee requested that Ms. Susan Allen be invited to the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting to provide information on the fiscal policy that makes July 1 the earliest possible pay date for Maymester. The committee chair was charged to extend this invitation on behalf of the committee.

Extra Compensation:  No new information was available.

C. Student Opinion Surveys Concern - Student Participation Rates

i.     FAPC Motion 2 (3 Dec 2010) To recommend to the Provost that standard language be developed that will appear on all course syllabi to inform and encourage students to participate in completing Student Opinion Surveys.

The Chair noted that a draft of this language had been circulated to the committee by email prior to this meeting and that this email was a supporting document attached to the meeting agenda.  Associate Provost Tom Ormond served as point person of the drafting committee [other members were Lisa Griffin, Ed Hale, Stephanie McClure] of this language and indicated that all committee feedback was welcome.

DRAFT language:  Given the “virtual” sophistication of Georgia College students, course evaluation in the form of the student opinion survey is being delivered through an online process. Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping quality education at Georgia College. All answers are completely confidential and your name is not stored with your answers in any way. In addition, instructors will not see any results of the evaluation until after final grades are submitted to the University. The online evaluation is available to students two weeks prior to the last week of class.

Feedback was provided by the committee and a new draft will be prepared by the drafting committee for committee (FAPC) consideration at its 1 Apr 2011 meeting.

ii.  Update on Provost shall review how SOS narratives are being managed and disseminated to faculty action from 12-03-10 meeting

An update was provided to indicate that Student Opinion Survey (SOS) narratives (the specific student comments) are no longer provided to Chairs on direct digital media, such as a CD, but rather now are now accessible on the Department Chairs menu within Banner / PAWS and could be provided to faculty from there.

iii. Update on FAPC Motion 1 (3 Dec 2010) To recommend that Student Opinion Surveys be administered to all classes with ten or more students.

The committee chair indicated that this motion had been made by FAPC 3 Dec 2010, taken to ECUS for steering at the 21 Jan 2011 joint meeting of Standing Committee Chairs and ECUS, steered back to FAPC at that 21 Jan 2011 meeting, and endorsed as an advisory motion from FAPC to the Provost at its 4 Feb 2011 meeting, and emailed by the FAPC chair on behalf of the committee to the Provost on 15 Feb 2011.  There was no additional information available on this motion at this time.

iv. At the 4 Feb 2011 meeting, committee deliberation of the following motion was postponed to the 4 March 2011 FAPC meeting with the agreement that FAPC members would seek feedback from their constituencies to inform the committee deliberation on this motion. FAPC Motion 1 (4 Feb 2011) To recommend to the Provost that all student opinion survey results be used for faculty performance evaluation purposes.

Recommendations from various constituencies included a variety of opinions including (a) general approval of the motion (b) approval of the motion along with maintaining the same procedures (one class SOS chosen by the faculty member, one by the Chair) for identifying the sections for which SOS are used in faculty evaluation (c) support for having a ten student threshold (d) concern for how to manage classes that have more than one instructor (e) concern that the closing of the assessment loop was not adequately addressed (f) citing limitations with the current process noting that multiple surveys may be recommended in some instances (g) a recommendation to amend the current procedure [as stated in (b)] for identifying SOS for faculty evaluation to one chosen by department chair and at least one chosen by faculty member to permit flexibility across departments and academic units, and (h) that SOS results be used for developmental purposes as well as summative use for the annual faculty evaluation.

A motion to amend FAPC Motion 2 (4 Feb 2011) to read as To recommend to the Provost that student opinion survey results be used for both formative and summative faculty evaluation purposes was made, seconded and approved.

During the discussion of the motion (as amended), the committee chair indicated the time for adjournment (1:45) had been reached and that the meeting could continue only if there was a motion to extend the meeting time.  A motion to extend the meeting time to act on the amended motion was made, seconded and approved.

After some continuing discussion, a motion to postpone committee consideration of the motion (FAPC Motion 1 (4 Feb 2011)) as amended to the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting was made, seconded and approved.

6.   Committee Annual Report: The committee chair sought and received permission from the committee membership to prepare a draft of the committee annual report for committee consideration at the 1 Apr 2011 meeting.

7.   Tentative Agenda: As the time designated for the meeting was exhausted, the remaining items on the 4 Mar 2011 agenda were postponed to the next meeting.

8.   Adjourn: There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and approved.  The meeting adjourned at 1:49 p.m.

Actions Some activities lead to actions to implement the committee agreements.

4.A      Forward FAPC Motion 1 (4 Mar 2011) to Provost Jordan. (Craig Turner)

5.B      Invite Susan Allen to the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting to provide the fiscal policy that July 1 is the earliest date allowed for Maymester payroll. (Craig Turner)

5.C.i    Ensure that an updated draft of the SOS narrative be circulated to the committee by email and be placed on the tentative agenda of the 1 Apr 2011 meeting. (Craig Turner)

5.C.iii  Ensure that the motion postponed from the 4 Mar 2011 meeting is on the tentative agenda for the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting. (Craig Turner)

6.         Prepare a draft of the FAPC annual report for consideration by the committee at its meeting scheduled for 1 Apr 2011. (Craig Turner)

7.1              Ensure that the items postponed from the 4 Mar 2011 meeting are on the tentative agenda for the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting. (Craig Turner)

7.2              Set the tentative agenda for the 1 Apr 2011 FAPC meeting in consultation with the committee members. (Craig Turner)

Tentative Agenda for the next FAPC meeting (1 Apr 2011 in Arts & Sciences 1-16)

1.                  Items postponed from the 4 Mar 2011 committee meeting.