Executive Committee of the University Senate

Provost's Report

1. Provost Jordan reported all is going well on the campus front. There is nothing new to report about the state budget since the President's report to the campus. However, ongoing discussions are continuing at the state level about the budget.  The Provost reported the implementation of the new core is continuing. However, the Provost announced currently there are 11 approved courses; however, 11 more area B courses are needed. A question was asked about who owns the course. The Provost explained the department owns the course, staffs the course, but the course is not in the major. The Provost also announced the new associate Provost, Tom Ormand, is in place.

Unfinished Business

1. Bylaws Drafting Committee
   
   • a. Election Process: Ken McGill provided a copy of the bylaws outlining the current election process. Ken reminded all present that ECUS is in charge of implementing the at-large election process. Ken announced there are plans for a survey tool to be implemented in the new Senate website for the ease of developing and administering surveys.  As the new survey tool is not up yet, Ken will develop a survey in a word document to send to all ECUS members surveying the at-large election process. 
   • b.Ken will also put together a survey to send to senators concerning the election of the presiding officers. The survey will also include a question about term limits for senators.
   • c. Process for calling an emergency committee: All agreed the issue for calling an emergency committee meeting will be sent to the bylaws drafting committee.
   • d.There was a question from a member of the by-laws committee on what the bylaws committee is really trying to accomplish with new language. It was agreed that the members of the bylaws committee will be invited to the next ECUS meeting.

1. Calendar:
   
   • a.Tanya Goette asked for the survey to include the question about the switching of the committee meetings so no one committee will always meet during the late meeting time.
   • b.The President and the Provost will place the convocation on the calendar.
   • c. It was agreed that the common meeting time will be put on the Council of Chairs and Deans agenda.

New Business

1. Communication issues:
   
   •  a.The Presiding Officer mentioned to the appropriate Dean that particular staff and faculty were not attending committee meetings and the problem was resolved.
   • b.The demise of the announce list was discussed and it was discussed that events can be announced such as music events and theatre events on the home page. The whole idea of the demise of the announce list was the overwhelming complaints of too many emails. Therefore, Erin Warnock is now the point person for sending campus messages. There are some complaints across campus of not knowing where to go announce an event.  It was discussed that Harry Baxton should hold a forum for soliciting improvements on the communication and how someone gets their information out to the campus community. Ken is to contact Harry Baxton about setting up a forum about campus communications and ideas for improvements.
   • c. There was some discussion about student emails and the decisions that need to be made about student email.
2. Governance Retreat Planning Committee:
   
   • a. Karynne Kleine mentioned that the governance retreat planning committee never met. Karynne agreed to be the convener for getting the governance committee retreat planning committee together.
   •  b. Karynne also asked Tanya Goette to solicit for a member on the committee from the College of Business.