Faculty Policy Council

Minutes of the April 30, 2012 Regular Meeting

Location: Norman 158 

Submitted for Approval at August 27th, 2012 FPC Meeting

Attending:

Dale Campbell (HDOSE), Suzy Colvin (STL), Tom Dana (College Administration), Ester de Jong (STL), Linda Eldridge (HDOSE), Danling Fu (STL), Joe Gagnon (SESPECS), Tim Jacobbe (STL), Holly Lane (SESPECS), Walter Leite (HDOSE), Erica McCray (SESPECS), James McLeskey (SESPECS), Dorene Ross (STL-FPC chair), Edil Torres-Rivera (HDOSE), Shelly Warm (STL)

Approval of Agenda

Holly Lane (moved), Edil Torres-Rivera (second) APPROVED

Dean’s Report

  • Budget numbers have not changed
  • The COE has a 2.3 percent reduction in funding (about $450,000)
  • Dean Good does not anticipate that budget reductions will result in the need for faculty lay offs or program closures
  • The new COE budget manager (Sandra Bass) will begin soon and she will work with us as we continue to clarify questions about the budget we have received.

Announcements

  • None

Action Items

  1. Election of an FPC Secretary

Discussion:

The FPC Secretary serves a year in that capacity and then becomes the Chair of the FPC in the subsequent or following year. The FPC Secretary’s responsibilities include: a) keeping minutes of the proceedings of the Faculty Policy Council (although there will be a graduate assistant assigned to maintain the minutes); b) distributing the approved minutes of each meeting of the Faculty Policy Council to all faculty members in the College of Education as soon as possible following each meeting; c) serving on the Agenda Committee; d) preparing a summary of activities of the Faculty Policy Council each year with distribution to all faculty members in advance of the spring meeting of the College of Education faculty; e) serving as Chair of the Curriculum Committee; and f) serving as secretary at faculty meetings. The most important job of the secretary outside of maintaining the minutes of the FPC and College Faculty meetings is serving as the Chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Tim Jacobbe nominated Ester de Jong. Seconded by Dale Campbell. James McLeskey moved nominations be closed. FPC unanimously approved Ester de Jong as FPC secretary.

1. Designation of Parlimentarian: James McLeskey

2. Committee Assignments

Discussion:

FPC has representation on each of the eight FPC committees: Budgetary Affairs Committee, Curriculum Committee, Diversity Committee, Faculty Affairs Committee, Lectures, Seminars and Awards Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Research Advisory Committee, and Technology and Distance Education Committee. The Curriculum Committee will be covered by the FPC Secretary. FPC members are representatives on the various standing committees; they are intended to serve as the chair of these committees.  FPC representatives are responsible for calling the first meeting of the committee, once members have been identified from the three Schools and will report on committee activities throughout the academic year at FPC meetings.

In addition, there is the Agenda Committee, which meets a week before FPC meets and membership includes the FPC Chair, FPC Secretary, and a third member from the FPC. This committee meets with Dean Glenn Good and Associate Dean Tom Dana to develop the agenda for each meeting. The responsibilities of the Agenda Committee actually extend beyond that. It is the group that decides the appropriate group or venue for resolving issues. So if an issue is brought to the Agenda Committee’s attention that the members believes should go directly to one of the standing FPC committees, it is within their rights to refer that issue to that committee.

Committee Assignments (One volunteer was secured for each committee):

Agenda Committee: Holly Lane

Technology and Distance Education Committee: Linda Eldridge

Faculty Affairs Committee:  Walter Leite

Research Advisory Committee: Joe Gagnon

Long Range Planning Committee:  Shelley Warm

Budgetary Affairs Committee: Dale Campbell

Lectures, Seminars, and Awards Committee: Danling Fu

Diversity Committee: Edil Torres-Rivera

3. Establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Affairs

Background

Tom Dana provided background to this committee. An Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Affairs (CAA) was proposed for 2012-2013 year to address academic issues related to students and programs that reflect college-wide concerns, and address other academic issues that are not the clear responsibility of an existing FPC committee.  The committee would address undergraduate and graduate education, as appropriate. Examples of areas where these issues may arise include: annual program reviews, doctoral program improvement plans, research requirements for doctoral students, summer course policies, and input on the academic calendar.

Motion to endorse the establishment of an ad hoc committee on Academic Affairs was made by Holly Lane.  Walter Leite seconded.

Discussion:

Concerns were raised regarding the focus or charge of the committee and the autonomy of programs to make their own decisions.  Clarification was provided that the purpose of the ad-hoc CAA is not to take away program autonomy but to provide a forum for faculty input on college-wide issues related to students and programs.  The Agenda committee will continue to assign issues to appropriate committees and ensure that appropriate decision-making processes are followed. Agenda committee decisions are regularly communicated to FPC members.

The CAA is intentionally established as an ad-hoc committee for this coming year (2012-2013). This allows an assessment of its function and role at the end of the year. At that point, it can be determined whether the committee should become a standing committee (which would require a constitutional change), remain an ad hoc committee, or be discontinued.

FPC members voted to create the ad hoc committee on Academic Affairs and to evaluate its role at the end of the academic year.

Result: The motion carried with 11 in favor, one against, and one abstention.

Discussion Items

  1. Strategic Planning Implementation Committee Update

Discussion:

Dorene Ross shared the current work of this committee: At the Spring Faculty meeting Jodi Gentry guided faculty through an activity where faculty were?? asked to indicate behaviors to stop, start, and continue as aligned with the core values outlined in the strategic plan.  Small groups reported the outcomes of their discussion and Jodi will send a synthesis of comments and suggestions. The Strategic Planning Implementation Committee will identify next steps.  For this coming year, the committee hopes to work with the Dean on next steps related to the target goal areas of the strategic plan.

2. BAC Guiding Principles for Budget Decision Making

Summary of discussion of prior FPC:

  • Jeanne Repetto introduced this document and described what is new in this document
    • Updated and compiled what is important across three prior documents
    • FPC members discussed the issue of vertical versus horizontal cuts. There was concern that vertical cuts may be damaging and morale killing for faculty..
    • Jeanne expressed the view of the committee that this does not necessarily mean that program cuts will occur. Their intent is that any cuts need to be intentional and strategic rather than random.

Discussion

At the last FPC meeting there was insufficient time to discuss the revised guidelines.  The revised document is not drastically different from the 2009 Principles document; it incorporates UF senate guidelines more explicitly and integrates other prior documents related to budget decisions.   The question of referencing the strategic plan as a guiding structure for decision making (as compared to using the role of research I institution as the guiding structure) was raised.  It was proposed that both components should be reflected in the final document. Concerns were raised about vertical versus horizontal cuts and the idea under Principle #5 that attrition was not desirable.  After discussion, the word ‘optimal’ was added to Principle #5 in place of ‘desirable’.  In addition, a few minor, non-substantive edits were made.

The question arose regarding whether the document should be sent to all faculty as an information item. It was agreed that this was important to do before FPC took a vote. A straw vote was taken regarding the option of an online vote instead of a face-to-face meeting.  All were in favor of the option.  FPC members decided to revise the Principles document to reflect suggested edits and language changes.  This revised document will be sent out to faculty.  After that, FPC will vote through an online ballot regarding whether to endorse the Principles document.

Motion to adjourn by Suzy Colvin; seconded by Walter Leite.

Meeting adjourned at 3:20pm.