Minutes for February 3, 2003

The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, February 3, 2003 in the South Room of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Johnson called the sixth meeting of the academic year to order at 3:30 p.m.

The following members of the Senate were absent:

^*denotes prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary

Visitors to the Senate were: Jim Clark, Vice President, Government Relations; David D. Gale, Dean, College of Health Sciences; Stephen Haggerty, Department of Communication; Mary J. Hall, Student Government Association; Ken Johnston, Vice President, Financial Affairs; Marlow T. Marchant, Department of Technology; Matt Schumacher, Student Government Association; Aaron Thompson, Vice President, Enrollment Management; Elizabeth Wachtel, Vice President, Academic Affairs; and Doug Whitlock, Vice President, Administrative Affairs

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

The January 13, 2003 minutes were approved as written.

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Glasser

Senator Glasser reported that the legislature begins deliberations tomorrow (February 4, 2003) on a budget for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She presented testimony last week along with other university presidents of the public institutions before the House A & R Subcommittee. They were asked to respond to what a proposed 9% cut across the board would do to their institutions. The Presidents that were present reported about the negative impact it would have not only on the faculty, but the students and staff as well. The impact would not be only short-term and immediate, but would have long-term effects on the strives and achievements made under House Bill 1.

She spoke in particular on the impact it would have on our programs, such as:

• the possibility of enlarged class sizes,
• courses could not be offered,
• longer graduation time for students,
• the possibility of losing programs,
• the difficulty it would have on being able to recruit and retain outstanding faculty,
• the negative impact on scholarship funding, and
• the impact it would have on our technology, maintenance, and infrastructure.

Most institutions talked about passing any further budget cuts onto their students in terms of tuition increase. Six of the eight talked about the possibility of raising tuition above and beyond what had been recommended at this point to their respective boards. Senator Glasser responded that this would be a last recourse for EKU. A 9.4% tuition increase has already been approved and she feels that our students could not bear the burden of any additional tuition increase.

Senator Glasser does not think a 9% budget cut is realistic. She feels the House A & R Subcommittee is supportive of education at all levels, not only postsecondary education, but K-12 as well. She, in her testimony, also stated that she felt K-12 and postsecondary education were "joined at the hip." If they continue to cut K-12, by the time those students go to college, there will be a great deal of remedial and developmental work that would need to be done. We are not solving the problem at the earliest possible entry level.

Governor Patton will be presenting a budget to the General Assembly Wednesday night during the Governor’s Address. Senator Glasser has been told that he will be recommending a tax increase, but does not know the specifics at this time. The University Presidents were asked to be supportive of the tax increase. Senator Glasser feels we need to enlarge our revenue base. We cannot continue to contemplate balancing the budget in the Commonwealth by any further cuts. Those institutions that have already sustained cuts cannot continue to do so. The General Assembly begins its official budget deliberations tomorrow. She plans to attend and monitor these deliberations and will keep EKU apprised of the situation. She also hopes there will be some bipartisan support for what the Governor is going to recommend. Her recommendation to EKU is to stay the course. She feels we have planned for a potential cut and that we have pro-actively begun to plan for a budget reduction this year.

Senator Glasser reported that she attended and participated in a press conference in Somerset with Congressman Hal Rodgers, along with Pam Collins and Kay Scarborough from the College of Justice and Safety. Congressman Rodgers announced today that he has secured a $15 million grant for EKU for funding to address safety and justice issues in Eastern Kentucky. All federal, state, and local law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel are going to be able to seamlessly communicate statewide. It will enhance law enforcement services that we provide in Kentucky. The Congressman shared with Senator Glasser that he looked forward to other possible opportunities to partner with EKU. He very much appreciated the expertise our faculty brought, not only in Kentucky, but on the national/international forefront. Very good news for EKU.

We were also able to secure a $1.3 million grant this past week from the new economy and business initiatives to operate a statewide justice and safety initiative in South East Kentucky. She looks forward to the grant reoccurring and supporting a lot of the initiatives EKU will be providing in the future.

Senator Glasser clarified an issue that seems to be causing a lot of debate on campus in regard to the Snow/Inclement Weather Policy. She explained the process to determine whether to delay or cancel classes. The process starts at approximately 4:30 a.m. She receives a call from the State Police and EKU Facility Services who are giving dual reports regarding traffic conditions on I-75 and secondary road conditions. Two-thirds of our students do not live on campus. The majority of our students, faculty, and staff commute and do not live within a 2-mile radius of campus. Most of these roads are not easily traversed. EKU’s Facility Services are working around the clock and are relaying to her parking lot and sidewalk conditions for the campus in inclement weather. A decision needs to be made between 5:00-5:15 a.m. at the latest in order to get the announcement to the television & radio stations by 6:00 a.m. She is very conscious of the academic scheduling of the classes that only meets once or twice a week, particularly the evening classes; but, she also has to keep in mind that the evening classes are mostly commuter students that sometimes travel a great distance. While the conditions may be good in Richmond, they may not be so in Lexington, Corbin, Manchester, Somerset, etc. where these students are coming from. The three immediate ways you can get the delay and cancellation notice before it appears on the television and/or radio stations are:

1. by going to EKU’s Home Page and clicking on the Inclement Weather notice;
2. by calling EKU’s Weather Alert Phone number at 622-2239 (622-BADWeather); or
3. by listening to the WEKU radio station.

STATUS OF SEARCHES

• Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost - Dr. Jaleh Rezaie is chairing the committee alone while Dr. Gary Cordner is away. They have begun screening applicants and plan to narrow the applicants down to 12 within the next week or so. They are expected to start making preliminary calls by doing phone interviews, reference checks, etc. There is a very good pool of applicants in number, range, and diversity. The position is expected to be filled and the person to begin by July 1.
• Vice President for Advancement - Ms. Kerrie Moberly is chair of this committee. A large variety of applications have started coming in and they anticipate the screening of applicants to begin within this week or next week. Start date will be determined once the position is filled.
• Athletic Director - The search continues to move along and has been narrowed to 10-12 applicants.
• Dean, College of Justice & Safety - Senator Hart stated they are down to a workable number and look to bring candidates to the campus in the near future.

Finalists for all positions listed will be brought to campus to meet with faculty/staff/students.

The Board of Regents will meet Saturday, February 8, at Arlington. The meeting is open for anyone who would like to attend. There will be a Foundation Board Meeting after the Board of Regents meeting, which is also open for anyone who would like to attend. Following the Foundation Board Meeting will be the tribute to Roy Kidd in the Keen Johnson Ballroom. All proceeds will go to establishing a scholarship in his name.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT: Senator Milde reported for Senator Johnson

Senator Milde reported that the Executive Committee met on January 27, 2003. Reports from the standing committee liaisons were made. Senator Wasicsko reported for the CAA. The Executive Committee discussed a request from Senator Smith concerning a motion about honorary degrees. Senator Smith has since withdrawn the request and the agenda was set for this meeting.

Senator Milde reminded everyone that the University Strategic Planning Committee is seeking volunteers for focus groups on Friday, February 14. Six to seven faculty are still needed. Please pass the information along to your respective departments.

FACULTY REGENT’S REPORT: Senator Schlomann

Senator Schlomann reported that the Regent's meeting had been postponed to Saturday, February 8.

REPORT FROM COSFL: Senator Siegel

Senator Siegel reported that COSFL will meet Saturday, February 8. There are plans to meet with Tom Layzell, CPE President, at a future date.

REPORT FROM STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: Mary J. Hall

Ms. Hall reported that their constitution review should be completed soon and will probably be on the March Council on Student Affairs agenda and the April or May Board of Regents agenda. They are also reviewing the bylaws for each branch to make sure that next year's process will run smoother, that all three branches are equal, and that there are more similarities between the branches.

SGA is participating in the student organization presidents' luncheon that the Council on Student Affairs holds each Thursday. The luncheon has been quite effective in getting ideas and concerns from students. Ms. Hall asked the senators to encourage student organization presidents to attend the luncheon.

There is still money available for student organizations. Interested organizations need to pick up a revised application, as well as an information packet, and return by March 11. This is a good opportunity for recruitment and retention purposes.

On March 3, SGA will be involved in a community service event for America’s Promise. There will be characters from Dr. Seuss. Readers will consist of students, people from the community, and EKU administrators, faculty, and staff.

SGA will be holding an election/recruitment campaign to make students aware of which student government positions do what responsibilities. If you would like to participate in this event, please let an SGA member know.

SGA will be hosting a spotlight day at extended campuses in order to assist students who transfer from a community college. It has been a concern that these students do not have a proper transition to the University. Ms. Hall explained that while there is an EKU on-campus day for transfer students, there isn't an extended campus site transfer day. If you know of transfer students that need help, have them contact the SGA office.

The Residence Life Center (RLC) will hold elections tomorrow to fill vacant positions. The Student Activities Council has already filled their vacant positions. Ms. Hall reminded everyone that the President’s Ball will be on Friday, February 21.

Spring Fling is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8. Students from Model and St. Mark Elementary are invited to attend. SGA will be spotlighting international student programs as well as the University Diversity Office. Currently, there are 10 tables scheduled from different cultures around the world. There will also be several games available, and each person will receive a "passport" which will be punched at each booth. Call or email Ms. Hall if you would like to participate.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Budget Committee. Senator Wade reported that the committee has met once since the last Senate meeting. The following issues were discussed.

• The use of social security numbers on campus. This issue was directed to the Faculty Welfare Committee.
• The proposal to take the $5 that faculty advisors receive for advising (which amounts to approximately $60,000). It was discovered that the money may have already been used elsewhere. He will continue to follow-up on this.
• Flow of information in the Banner system (regarding indirect costs which are slow to come into the departmental budgets and regarding the cuts that were made last August which reflected slowly as well). The Budget Committee will be hosting a budget forum on Tuesday, February 11 in the Teaching and Learning Center at 3:30 p.m. Vice President Johnston and Interim Provost Wasicsko will be present to answer questions about the budget and provide information to the University community.

Senator Callahan mentioned that she had been informed the federal government had cut her consulting fee down to match her hourly wage instead of the amount she normally received, which reduced her grant from the principal investigator by $30,000. Senator Wade indicated that the Budget Committee was unaware of the consulting fee reduction and would check into the matter further.

Rights and Responsibilities Committee. Senator Gillaspie reported that the committee had not met. Senator Callahan asked the committee members present to meet immediately following the Senate meeting.

Committee on Committees. Senator Wolf reported that a letter will be sent to each faculty member asking them to self-nominate if they are interested in serving on a University standing committee. She asked that the senators pass this information on to their colleagues.

Faculty Welfare Committee.  Senator Rahimzadeh was selected to serve as chair. He reported that the social security numbers issue, which was given to the committee by the Budget Committee, will be discussed at the next meeting.

REPORTS FROM AD HOC COMMITTEES

Plus/Minus Grading: Senator Fisher reported that the committee has received funding to cover the cost for the surveys.

NEW BUSINESS:

Council on Academic Affairs Report: Senator Hart reported for Senator Wasicsko. The following curriculum changes were submitted:

• Computer Electronic Publishing (A.S.)
• Master's of Science in Nursing, Rural Community Health Care Nursing
• Master of Public Health
• Recreation & Park Administration (B.S.)

Senator Hart moved to approve the curriculum changes as a group, seconded by Senator Siegel. The motion passed.

• The Course by Special Arrangement proposal was presented for informational purposes only. It will be going before the next Council on Academic Affairs meeting. Senator M. Yoder asked for discussion. Some questions raised concerning the course by special arrangement were:
  * Is the course to be treated similar to an independent study?
  * Where does the $100 fee go?
  * Where does the student fall if the class is canceled due to lack of enrollment?
  * Would it be appropriate to add language to reflect the $100 fee?

Extended Medical Leave Policy.  Vice President Ken Johnston reported that EKU is updating the FMLA (Federal Medical Leave Act) to address inconsistencies. It is for the period of time that exceeds the 12 weeks FMLA leave. Vice President Johnston briefly explained the eligibility requirements, how the leave is computed, the benefits received while on extended medical leave, the procedure in reporting extended medical leave, and the procedure in returning to work.

Questions were raised regarding the differences in the old policy and the proposed policy, if the proposal had been approved by legal counsel (especially regarding termination references on the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3), and the job protection available beyond the 12 weeks provided by FMLA. Vice President Johnston described the differences as the requirement that an employee must have worked at least one year before the leave and the period of time in which the University provided benefits would be applicable. He also indicated that the university attorney had approved the proposal. An employee would receive payment for any accrued vacation and/or sick leave. However, they would not receive compensation for time they did not have.

Vice President Johnston stated that the proposal may be brought back to the Faculty Senate at the Senate’s request.

University Diversity Committee Report (Information item only).  Senator Miranda reported that the committee made a recommendation to create a Diversity Office with a staff person responsible for handling routine recruitment and retention issues. President Glasser has restructured Multicultural Student Services to create the new University Diversity Office which is now located in the Student Services Building.

Senator Miranda informed the Senate that an EKU Campus Climate Survey is now available for completion on the web. She asked the senators to encourage faculty, staff, and students to complete the on-line survey. The deadline is March 1. The Colleges, Human Resources, Student Affairs, and other University Committees will be able to benefit from the data gathered from the survey.

The Committee is structuring the following three subcommittees: Education & Awareness, Administration & Policy, and Recruitment & Retention.

The Recruitment & Retention Subcommittee was involved in creating and negotiating the EKU Campus Climate Survey.

As of January 24, 677 students, 205 faculty, and 428 staff had completed the survey.

OTHER ITEMS:

Strategic Planning.  Senator Koppes announced that there will be a strategic planning meeting on Friday, February 7, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in the Perkins Building. There will be eight different focus groups of 8-10 people in each group. The Training Resource Center will provide facilitators, each group will work independently, groups will consist of external and internal persons, and there will be a buffet dinner for participants. Please inform Senator Koppes or Senator Johnson if you can attend.

The committee will be sending out a short survey via email and paper copies asking for input on values that drive our community, factual and ideas. Please encourage your colleagues to respond.

ADJOURNMENT:

The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.

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