Faculty Policy Council

Minutes of the February 4, 2013 Regular Meeting

Location: Norman 158

Attending:

Linda Eldridge (HDOSE), Danling Fu (STL), Tim Jacobbe (STL), Ester de Jong (STL), Joe Gagnon (SESPECS), Holly Lane (SESPECS), Erica McCray (SESPECS), James McLeskey (SESPECS), Dorene Ross (STL, chair of FPC), David Therriault (HDOSE), Edil Torres Rivera (HDOSE), Shelly Warm (STL)

Absent: Dale Campbell (HDOSE)

Dean Glenn Good (Deans’ Office)

Approval of Agenda

Holly Lane (moved), Danling Fu (second)

Agenda was approved

 

Approval Minutes

James McLeskey (moved), David Therriault (second)

Last FPC Meeting’s minutes were approved

Dean’s Report

Key developments:

– Governor Scott announced the intention to appropriate 15 million dollar to UF to support merit pay and initiatives that will move the University into the Top Ten.

–  The College of Education is doing well in terms of budget.

–  Enrollment has somewhat decreased.  This affects our budget so Directors and faculty are encouraged to focus on student recruitment and retention.  The RCM model also rewards Schools when more expensive faculty are teaching larger classes.

– Colleges are working to adjust their management systems to find ways to increase revenues; using the RCM model as a basis for decision-making.  For example, the Business school has decided to no longer allow non-business majors to take courses. In the RCM model, they argue that it costs them more to teach these students than it brings in revenue for the School.

– The Development Office and Dean’s office continue to explore entrepreneurial possibilities and find donor support for COE priorities and projects.

– The Dean is committed to support the Strategic Plan informally and formally.

University Senate Report

James McLeskey submitted a report to all COE faculty via email on January 24th, 2013.

Announcements

  • Spring COE Faculty Meeting will take place on April 22nd from 3:00-5:00pm in the Terrace Room.
  • The Dean’s Annual Budget Meeting will take place on April 25th, from 9:00 – 11:00am in the Terrace Room.
  • The Election Committee has been established:  David Therriault (HDOSE), Jeannie Repetto (SESPECS) and Alyson Adams (STL) were appointed to represent each School.  They will be responsible for establishing the 2013-2014 election slate for FPC.

Action Items

Action Item: Approval of Strategic Planning Implementation Ad Hoc Committee

In an effort to move the strategic plan forward in effective and efficient ways, it was proposed to create an ad-hoc committee that would be representative of the three Schools and include both faculty and administrators (including School Directors).  Currently, the two groups often engage in parallel decision-making processes. It was also noted that complex policy issues often cut across different FPC committees, making it difficult to set policy in any one FPC committee. This ad hoc committee could potentially address this challenge.

While the Long Range Planning Committee was considered a logical starting-point for strategic plan implementation, it was noted that this group does not include School Directors.  Moreover, engaging in collaboration for actual strategic planning implementation was not originally part of the committee’s charge.  Asking the Long Range Planning Committee to set up additional meetings and conduct intense work related to the strategic plan did not seem appropriate.  As a result, an ad hoc committee structure was proposed to both alleviate the long range planning committee’s work as well as create a structure where faculty and administrators could share decision-making and action planning related to the strategic plan.

Hazel Jones, Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee joined FPC and expressed some concerns and requested clarification of the role of the proposed ad hoc committee. Questions included:

–  Given that strategic planning is part of the charge of the FPC Long Range Planning Committee, why do we need an additional committee?  Reviewing and monitoring strategic planning is a function of the long range planning committee at other institutions as well.

–   What precisely would be the function and focus of this committee? How would this be different from the Long Range Planning Committee?

–   FPC has a committee structure that has not been optimally utilized for strategic plan implementation.  It was recognized that the committees needed support for clearly articulating an agenda aligned with the strategic plan.  Should we not improve on the existing structure for shared governance first?

In response to the various concerns raised, it was decided the table this action item.

It was recognized that there is still a need to accelerate and prioritized strategic plan implementation.   In a response, the following motion was made.

New action item: Request that the Long Range Planning Committee identify a structure that will accelerate the effective and efficient implementation of the Strategic Plan and propose such structure for approval at FPC meeting no later than the April 1st FPC meeting.

Ester de Jong (moved); Holly Lane (seconded)

A friendly amendment to include a time frame by David Therriault was accepted.

Vote: Six in favor, three against, one abstention.

The motion carried.

Follow-up: Dorene Ross and Ester de Jong will communicate and meet with the Long Range Planning Committee.

Discussion Items

The discussion of the College Technology Committee Report was tabled until the next FPC meeting.

Information Item

Faculty Affairs Committee has been charged to review the composition of the Tenure and Promotion committee because this committee now makes personnel decision for tenure and non-tenure track positions. Because the Bargaining Agreement requires elected committees of tenure accruing faculty to make decision about sabbaticals and of non-tenure accruing faculty to make decisions about professional development leaves the composition and process for securing members of these committees must also be revised in order to align current practices to the bargaining agreement.

Committee Reports

Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Affairs

Reporter: James McLeskey

The Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Affairs did not meet this month.

Agenda Committee

Reporter: Holly Lane

Committee created an agenda.

Budgetary Affairs Committee

BAC met with the school directors, who shared how each department uses salary savings and money from IDC.  They selected April 25th, 9:00-11:00am as the date for the Dean’s Annual Budget Meeting.  They will be requesting input from faculty.

Curriculum Committee

Reporter: Ester de Jong

The College Curriculum Meeting did not meet this month.

Diversity Committee

Reporter: Edil Torres-Rivera

The Diversity committee will make a report to FPC at the April meeting

Faculty Affairs Committee

Reporter: Tim Jacobbe

The committee is in the process of scheduling a meeting to review sabbatical applications.

Lectures, Seminars, & Awards Committee

No report

Long Range Planning Committee

Reporter: Shelley Warm

A draft of the minutes from the last LRPC meeting was shared with FPC members.  The committee reviewed each of the strategic planning goals submitted by the FPC committees and has several recommendations for the committees.

The committee discussed a proposal to reduce the number of committee assignments for FPC.  The committee agrees with this goal.  The committee also agreed with the proposal to count the FPC representative as one of the School representatives on the committee.  As to the total number of committee members, the Long Range Planning Committee suggested asking each FPC committee about the optimal number of members for their committee.  They will follow-up with each committee to find out.

Research Advisory Committee

Reporter: Joe Gagnon

The committee should have the criteria for CRIF refined by the next meeting.  CRIF proposals are due in April.

Technology and Distance Education Committee

Reporter: Linda Eldridge

The committee reviewed and analyzed the data from the survey and submitted a report to FPC for acceptance.

Adjournment

Motion to Adjourn

Shelley Warm (moved), David Therriault (second)

APPROVED

Meeting adjourned at: 3:49pm