Faculty Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC) Minutes 10-01-2010

Attendance

Present: Alex Blazer, Sally Humphries, Fadhili Mshana, Susan Steele, Bill Risch, Mike Rose, Craig Turner, Charles Ubah, Mike Whitfield

Regrets: Ben Davis, Lee Digiovanni, Sandra Gangstead, Sandra Jordan

Absent: None

Guests: None

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 1 October 2010 as circulated was made, seconded, and approved.

3.      Minutes:  A motion to approve the 3 September 2010 minutes as circulated was made, seconded, and approved.

4.      Advice Sought for Level of Detail for Minutes:  A request was made for clarification and review of the previous month’s minutes. In general, attendees affirmed the current style, format and level of detail. No changes were recommended by the committee.

5.      Informational Items:  The Chair provided confirmation of actions completed from the previous meeting including (a) committee operating procedures filed with Executive Committee and posted to committee web presence (b) A&S 1-16 is reserved and confirmed as the location of Spring 2010 meetings of this committee (c) composition for the Post-Tenure Review Work Group (Martha Colvin-CoHS, Nancy Davis Bray-Library, Lee Digiovanni-CoE, Ken Farr-CoB, Mike Rose-CoAS, Craig Turner-CoAS).  In addition, a summary of recent meetings (27 Sep 2010 University Senate and 17 Sep 2010 joint meeting of the Standing Committee Chairs and Executive Committee) was provided, including a summary of the current agenda items of the standing committees of the University Senate.

6.   Student Opinion Surveys – Concern:  A concern, emerging from an email sent to the committee chair, regarding discrepancies in the computations of average ratings for the on-line archive of the paper-and-pencil student opinion surveys was shared as an information item.  In the email the committee was asked to consider ensuring that the communication of these discrepancies was consistent across the academic units of the university.  Appropriate campus officials are aware of these discrepancies and corrections are in progress and were expected to be completed by 3 Oct 2010.  As the Provost had extended regrets for this meeting, the committee agreed to add this item to the tentative agenda for the 5 Nov 2010 committee meeting and request an informational update on this matter from the Provost at that meeting.  Committee actions (if any) on this matter will be informed by this update from the Provost.

7.      Academic Year Faculty Availability in the Summer Work Group:  A member of the committee work group is seeking an audience with the University Chairs Council to share the survey results and report from the 3 Sep 2010 FAPC meeting on this matter.  This matter will be added to the tentative agenda for the 5 Nov 2010 committee meeting.

8.      Faculty Evaluation, Triggering Reviews of Department Chairs Work Group:  This issue arose from a concern about the current faculty evaluation process and an interest in exploring the options available to faculty to inform the evaluation of a department chair or immediate supervisor.  Due to the recent university-wide reconsideration of the faculty evaluation process at the department level, the work group decided to put on hold any further investigation of faculty evaluations.  The conversation on triggered reviews of department chairs concluded that a mechanism for faculty to inform a department chair review is desirable.  The committee asked the work group to review the existing mechanism, called the Part IV Academic Administrator Evaluation Form, and provide an update and its recommendations (if any) at the next committee meeting.

9.      Unfinished Business:  There was no unfinished business.

10  New Business:  A concern was voiced to indicate that for some faculty, summer tax withholdings were distorted (extra large tax withholdings) with combined pay for teaching multiple sections.  More information will be obtained and presented at the next meeting.

11. Tentative Agenda:  One item (in addition to items 6, 7, 8, 10) was added to the tentative agenda of the next meeting.

12.  Adjourn:  There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved.  The meeting adjourned at 1:42 p.m.

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

7.   Present committee recommendations to University Chairs Council. (Alex Blazer)

8.   Locate and review the Part IV Academic Administrator Evaluation Form. (Sally Humphries, Susan Steele)

11  Set tentative agenda for next meeting in consultation with committee. (Craig Turner)

12. Seek information concerning possible options of how summer pay for faculty can be handled to reduce tax withholdings. (Craig Turner)

Tentative Agenda for the next FAPC meeting (5 November 2010 in Arts &Sciences 1-15)

1.   Post-Tenure Review (work group update)

2.   Faculty Evaluation, Triggering Reviews of Department Chairs (work group update)

3.   Informational (Faculty Availability, Student Opinion Surveys, Tax Withholdings)