Call to Order and Announcements

The University Senate was called to order at 3:50 p.m., in Room 111, Harrison Hall, Oxford Campus, on Monday, October 22, 2018. Members absent:  Juan Carlos Albarrán, Kenya Ash, Stacey Lowery Bretz, Shelly Jarrett Bromberg, Rodney Coates, Bradley Davis, Michele Dickey, Cole Hankins, Jannie Kamara, Meaghan Murtagh, Benedict Njoku, Nancy Parkinson, Ashley Pool, Joe Rode, Vince Smith, Steven Tuck, Andy Zeisler, and Madeline Zinkl.

1. Announcements and Remarks by the Chair of University Senate, Phyllis Callahan
   1. The last of 3 Senate debates will held Friday, October 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Hall Auditorium.
   2. The Strategic Planning Committee is being formed to focus on six strategic priorities. Bob Applebaum, Sociology and Gerontology and Julia Guichard, Theatre, are the Committee Co-Chairs.
   3. Climate survey task force is charged with creating action plans from the Campus Climate Survey.
   4. Applications for the Presidential Fellows Program are due November 1, 2018.

Approval of University Senate Minutes

2. A motion was received, seconded, and carried to approve the October 8, 2018, minutes of University Senate.

Consent Calendar

3. The following items were received on the Consent Calendar: 

   1. Class Attendance Policy Revision

   2. Proposal for Revision of Dossier Guidelines

   3. Graduate Council Minutes – September 11, 2018

There was a motion to remove Benefits Committee statement from the consent calendar. This will be moved to Old Business and discussed at the November 19, 2018, meeting.

Old Business

4. Ad-Hoc Committee Charge – Terri Barr, Chair, Senate Executive Committee

   1. Senator Barr explained that the charge was drafted by Senate Executive Committee as directed by Senate Resolution 18-12. The resolution was read and the floor was open for discussion. The relationship of SR 18-12 to SR 18-11 was discussed.  Both resolutions are attached for reference (Attachment A-I).

   2. The charge was revised, with specific attention to the following:

      1. The links to the policies pertaining to Academic Freedom and Due Process as well as the statement indicating that all faculty have academic freedom were removed.

      2. A comment was made regarding the usefulness of benchmarking other institutions regarding protection of non-tenure track faculty.

      3. Suggestion made that along with of having general recommendations about faculty composition, make it part of the charge to recommend how to increase the number of tenure/tenure track positions while continuing to align with the University’s mission.

      4. A suggestion was made to specify issues pertaining to non-tenure track faculty when implementing rights, privileges, and due process. There was concern that the charge not be too prescriptive and specific.

   3. Provost Callahan stated that she has met with the Faculty Welfare Committee and that they are working on multi-year contracts, which had previously been rejected.

   4. This revised charge will go to Senate Executive Committee for another look and will be brought back to Senate on November 19, 2018.

Report

5. Report by the Chair of the Executive Committee of University Senate, Terri Barr

   1. Senate Executive Committee met on October 15, 2018, to draft the Ad-Hoc Committee charge.

   2. Senator Barr indicated that the results of the survey to senators is on the Senate Canvas site.  Senators are asked to review the list to determine if a Senate Committee is working on the issue, or if they know of the issue to be resolved

Adjournment

6. A motion was received, seconded, and carried to adjourn the Regular Session of University Senate.