The University of Southern Mississippi

Faculty Senate Meeting

February 1, 2008

Union Hall of Honors

Minutes

 

Guest Speaker:  Dr. Martha Saunders – (2:00 pm) reported on the following:

  1. Dr. Saunders received a call from the governor who stated that funding for next year was likely to remain the same.  She pointed out that a flat budget is actually a cut since increase costs in energy, insurance and others have increased.  These costs will have to be assumed by each institution.
  2. Dr. Saunders is considering a policy that states that Mississippi money would only apply to Mississippi students.  Haynes stated that such a policy would have a significant impact on online programs that charge in-state tuition.
  3. Dr. Saunders announced that David Wolfe will begin at USM on Feb. 4.
  4. External relations – Saunders reports that Driskell has been very involved with getting approval for selling property without getting legislative approval and is working to communicate the needs of USM to the House and Senate.
  5. Dr. Saunders has appointed a number of individuals to serve on the University Strategic Planning Committee that will be charged with utilizing results from the dialogues that occurred in the fall 2007 semester.  The committee will also be looking for measures of performance for keeping our Carnegie status, evaluating enrollment measures, and with improving faculty and staff salaries.
  6. Dr. Saunders announced that once data from exit sheets collected in on-campus interviews with provost candidates are done that she expects to visit the campus of the preferred candidates and take members of the provost search committee.

 

 

Guest Speaker:  Dr. Bobby Middlebrooks – reported on the following:

  1. Dr. Middlebrooks discussed some of the concerns for consideration of the Faculty Handbook committee regarding promotion and tenure.  There was discussion regarding outdated electronic versions of the Faculty Handbook other than the official copy maintained in the Provost’s Office.
  2. Sufficient funding will be provided by the provost for dean searches. 

 

1.0       Call to order- President Stephen Judd called the meeting to order at 3:08 after reports by President Saunders and Interim Provost Middlebrooks.


2.0       Approval of Jan 2008 minutes:  Deferred to March meeting. 


3.0       Approval of agenda –  Motion to approve agenda by Smith, second by Redalje.  Motion passed.


4.0       Officers' Reports
            4.1       President – Stephen Judd

4.1.1        Update on Deans searches – refer to Middlebrooks report.

4.1.2        Provost Search – Judd reported that information will be collected at the end of each candidate meeting and will be compiled by Dr. Donna Davis. 

4.1.3        Eagle Club rates – Athletics is upgrading their system and that while rates will go up, the Athletic Foundation will offer matching to faculty and staff who have been members.

4.1.4        Update on interim Dean of USMGC – see Middlebrooks report.  Smith called for a national search for that position.

4.1.5        Reflections on Jan. 25 GCFC meeting –  members expressed the following:

1.      need for a plan for the period between present and the opening of Cross Creek

2.      need for better telephone and electronic communication so that GC people do not always have to lose an entire day to attend a brief meeting on the Hattiesburg campus

3.      there is lots of concern about communication on the coast in case of emergency

4.      there is concern that the State and IHL commitment will diminish over the years in the development of Cross Creek

5.      at present, students must go from the Long Beach campus to the Student Services building (Garden Park) which is creating a number of problems for students, staff, and faculty

4.1.6        Update on University Strategic Planning Committee (see report by Saunders).

4.1.7        SGA Smoking Ban – Judd alerted Senate to expect SGA to look to Faculty Senate for support should a resolution be put forward.

4.1.8        Mary Beth Applin was presented an award for her two terms of service on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and commended for her service on many university committees.

                                   
            4.2       President-Elect – Steve Oshrin

4.2.1        Oshrin discussed the declining enrollments in summer school and announced that Dean Gandy will chair a committee to examine the incentives to faculty who teach summer school.  Oshrin asked for volunteers to serve on that committee

                                   
            4.3       Secretary –  Amy Young no report

 

4.4              Secretary-Elect – Stan Hauer reminded Faculty Senators about the inauguration of President Saunders on March 28.


5.0       Committee Reports
            5.1       Academic and Governance – no report
            5.2       Administration and Faculty Evaluations – Oshrin – evaluations have been distributed and are due March 2.
            5.3       Awards – Price – the committee has reviewed nominations for excellence in teaching, research, and service

            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, Faculty Senate charged the committee with reviewing iTech’s governance procedures
            5.9       Elections – Meyer (co-chair) – committee is working on ballots
            5.10     Other committee and liaison reports

                                    5.10.1  Gulf Coast Faculty Council – No further report

                                    5.10.2  Faculty Handbook Committee, David Beckett, chair – met with Council of Chairs who support Faculty Senate recommendations about revisions to the handbook.  The deans were asked about why they disagree with Faculty Senate recommendations but they did not respond with their reasons

                                   

6.0       New Business – Judd reported on discussion with President Saunders about reviving the University Club.  Limited funding is available.  Faculty Senators expressed unanimous support for the University Club.  Dan Tingstrom asked the executive committee to look at the policy concerning faculty pay cuts for mini-sessions in the event that enrollment dropped once classes had begun.

 

           

7.0       Old Business - none
8.0       Other - none
9.0       Adjournment:  4:05 pm

 

Faculty Senate attendance for Feb. 1, 2008


 

College of Arts and Letters

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

 

College of Business

  1. Stephen Bushardt (Young proxy)
  2. Mark Klinedinst
  3. Catherine Price (Judd proxy)

 

College of Education and Psychology

  1. Ann Blackwell
  2. Taralynn Hartsell
  3. John Rachal (Blackwell proxy)
  4. Daniel Tingstrom

 

College of Health

  1. Trent Gould
  2. Bonnie Harbaugh
  3. James McGuire
  4. Stephen Oshrin
  5. Tim Rehner

 

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

 

University Libraries

  1. Jennifer Brannock
  2. Barton Spencer (Brannock proxy)

 

 

 

USM Gulf Coast

  1. Pat Smith
  2. Ken Zantow
  3. Heather Annulis

 

 

Guests:

Dr. Middlebrooks

Dr. Powell

Dr. Saunders

Dr. Myron Henry

Mary Beth Applin