The University of Southern Mississippi

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

March 7, 2008

Union Hall of Honors

2:00 p.m.

Guest: Dr. Bobby Middlebrooks presented Dr. Frank Moore (chair Biological Sciences) with his Headwae Award. Dr. Moore expressed his gratitude to the university, his department, and his family.

Guest: Coach Larry Fedora briefly spoke about his desire to build a strong team and his willingness to work with faculty on curricular and other student athlete issues.

Guest: Dr. Bobby Middlebrooks informed the Senate that the new provost would begin active transition to his new position beginning in May. He said that the search for a dean in the College of Education and Psychology was being extended with the possibility of engaging a search firm to insure a wide range and large number of qualified candidates. He reported that there were a number of worthy candidates for the position of Dean of Libraries and that search was on schedule.

1.0       Call to order: 2:30 pm

2.0       Approval of January and February minutes: Motion to approve January minutes by Young, second by Beckett, motion passed. With minor revisions to February minutes regarding the report of Faculty Handbook committee (Beckett) and discussion following, motion by Davis to approve February minutes, with second by Price, motion passed.

3.0       Approval of agenda: Motion by Young to approve the agenda, second by Griffin, motion passed.

4.0       Officers' Reports
4.1 President

4.1.1 Judd reported that the Faculty Senate elections ballots would be sent out soon and due April 2. He thanked the Elections committee members for their hard work.

4.1.2 Judd reported on a discussion in the Provost Council about a need for a clearer structure for sabbaticals. He suggested that the chairs of the Awards Committee, Faculty Welfare Committee, Faculty Handbook Committee work with Gulf Coast representatives and the Faculty Senate executive committee to put together a plan for how the sabbatical committee should be formed and how faculty are awarded sabbaticals.

4.1.3 Judd reported that he hopes that the UAC and CAC can provide rationales for promotion and tenure decisions to faculty.

4.1.4 Judd is working with Homer Coffman to provide a venue for teleconferencing for Senate meetings.

4.1.5 Judd reported that the changes to the Faculty Handbook approved by Faculty Senate will be approved by President Saunders.

4.1.6 Judd reminded Senators of the May 2 Senate meeting on the Coast.

4.1.7 Judd thanked members of the Awards Committee for their work.

            4.2 President-Elect – no report

4.3 Secretary – Young reminded senators of the anniversary of the March 7, 2004 Faculty Senate meeting and the unanimous vote of no confidence.

4.4 Secretary-Elect – Hauer reported on the events scheduled for the inauguration of President Saunders.

5.0       Committee Reports
5.1       Academic and Governance – no report
5.2 Administration and Faculty Evaluations – no report
5.3 Awards – Price reported that the Grand Marshal nominations are now closed and that work continues on Excellence in Teaching, Research and Creativity for junior faculty and mentoring awards.
5.4 Budget – no report
5.5 Constitution and Bylaws – no report
5.6       Faculty Welfare – no report
5.7 Government Relations – no report
5.8 Technology – no report
5.9 Elections – ballots will be out soon and due April 2.
5.10 Other committee and liaison reports

5.10.1 GCFC – Scurfield reported that the GCFC is looking at the issue of student fees between Coast and Hattiesburg students. He also reported that the city of Long Beach and USM are working on funding for a bike path and sidewalk to connect the campus and downtown. Interview and observation rooms are nearly complete on the Coast for psychology

5.10.2 Facility Management Planning Committee

5.10.3 Alternative Learning Committee

5.10.4 Distance Education Committee

5.10.5 Faculty Handbook Committee – Beckett presented the Senate with proposed changes to the handbook regarding pre-tenure review, the Departmental Personnel Committee (Section 8.3), post-tenure review (8.5.2), and applications for promotions procedures (9.5.1). In addition, the first sentence in 8.2.7 (regarding a personnel committee for pre-tenure, reviews, promotion recommendations, and tenure deliberations. Senate may vote on these proposed changes in April.

5.10.6 Academic/Graduate Council – Graduate Council has recommended admission policies for doctoral programs so that in some cases candidates may be admitted with either a bachelors or masters degree. Academic Council has been working on changes to the Bulletin. AC/GC have a joint committee to streamline guidelines for programs as they move from the coast to Hattiesburg or from Hattiesburg to the Coast.

6.0       New Business

7.0       Old Business
8.0 Other
9.0       Adjournment

Faculty Senate March 7, 2008 Attendance

College of Arts and Letters

1. Anita Davis
2. Cheryl Goggin
3. Stanley Hauer
4. Stephen Judd
5. John Meyer
6. Greg O’Brien (Amy Young, proxy)
7. Kate Douglass
8. Bob Press (Kyeoghi Baek, proxy)
9. Paula Smithka
10. Amy Young

College of Business

1. James Magruder
2. Catherine Price

College of Education and Psychology

1. Ann Blackwell
2. Taralynn Hartsell
3. John Rachal
4. Elizabeth Haynes

College of Health

1. Wendy Bounds
2. Trent Gould
3. Bonnie Harbaugh
4. Stephen Oshrin
5. Tim Rehner (Joyous Bethel, proxy)

College of Science and Technology

1. Randy Buchanan
2. John Hannon
3. Jeff Evans
4. Jerry Griffith
5. Barry Piazza
6. Larry Mead
7. Dave Beckett

Coastal Science, Marine Science & Gulf Coast Research

1. Chet Rakocinski
2. Don Redalje (Rakocinski, proxy)

University Libraries

1. Jennifer Brannock
2. Barton Spencer

USM Gulf Coast

1. Patsy Anderson
2. Ken Zantow

Guests: Dr. Frank Moore, Ms. Cindy Moore, Ms. Emily Moore, Larry Fedora, Sherry Laaughlin, Joseph Navidsky, Margie Jepson, Jana Bryant, Homer Coffman, Scott Carr, William Powell, Bobby Middlebrooks