Executive Board
Meeting Minutes
June 29, 2004 | 3:00-5:00 p.m.
107 Lab of Mechanics
Present: B. Allen (Provost);
S. Agarwal (FS President); C. Baldwin (FS President-Elect); S. Carlson
(Provost's Office); S. Crase (FDAR Council Chair); J. Girton (RPA
Chair); C. Heising (Engineering Caucus Chair); G. Palermo (Academic
Affairs Council Chair); J. Maves (Design Caucus Chair); B. Robinson
(Judiciary and Appeals Council Chair); A. Van Der Valk (Liberal Arts
and Sciences Caucus Chair); D. Vrchota (Governance Council Chair);
B. Yang (Agriculture Caucus Chair); T. Zanish-Belcher (FS Secretary)
Absent: A.M. Fiore (Family
and Consumer Sciences Caucus Chair); B. Mennecke (Business Caucus
Chair); G. Phye (Education Caucus Chair); E. Thacker (Vet Med Caucus
Chair)
The meeting was called
to order at 3:15 p.m.
Agarwal added two items
to the Executive Board agenda: the reorganization recently approved
by the Board of Regents (Old Business) and Cultivating Democracy (New
Business).
Palermo moved, Robinson
seconded, and the consent agenda was approved.
Announcements and Remarks
President
Agarwal gave a report
on the strategic planning process. The committee recently had an all-day
retreat, and the facilitating committee is meeting weekly throughout
the summer. There will be another all committee meeting in August,
and after that, materials will be distributed for campus input. For
additional information on the strategic planning process, please see
the website:
http://www.iastate.edu/~newplan/
There is currently one
appeals case with the Board of Regents. They are still investigating,
and will have a final decision at their next meeting in August.
President-Elect
Baldwin has no announcements.
Palermo asked whether or not there would be funding for a spring faculty
conference or retreat, and Baldwin responded in the affirmative. Agarwal
noted his summaries from the 2004 conference are nearly complete,
and will be distributed to the Senate.
Provost
As the Provost had not
yet arrived, the Board moved on to the next item in the agenda.
Old Business
Taskforce on Review of
Warren Madden and his office
The Task Force will begin
work in the fall and is being chaired by Roger Stover, Professor of
Finance. There will also be 3 sub-groups to focus on different areas,
such as Business and Finance, Facilities, and Services. The Board
is asked to send any nominations for the Task Force membership to
Agarwal.
B. Handbook Update
Reorganization Policy
The approved reorganization
policy has been reformatted and is part of the handbook
NTE Appointment and Review
Policy
While this section is
already in the handbook (under Appointments), it has been determined
that some sections such as evaluations and reappointments need to
be moved. There may also need to be expansion of the text in those
areas. When finalized, the drafts will be sent to the Governance Council
for review.
Reorganization of Industrial
Education and Technology with Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
The Task Force, consisting
of Claudia Baldwin (chair), Max Wortman, Clark Ford, and Jack Girton,
submitted their report and it has gone to the Board of Regents. The
reorganization will occur on July 1, but Baldwin noted the need for
continued monitoring of resource issues. Palermo moved, Girton seconded,
to accept and approve the report. MOTION PASSED.
New Business
A. Renaming the 2002 Faculty
Handbook to 2004 Faculty Handbook
Agarwal requested the
Board consider renaming the current handbook. The Board then discussed
the impact of the handbook's being available electronically, and how
this impacts on the change implemented during an academic year. Shouldn't
there just be a standing decision to change the date on an academic
year basis? There will also discussion related to the need for a yearly
summary from the Handbook Committee, related to changes and revisions.
Palermo noted the handbook is documentation of the “working path towards
perfection.”
Girton moved, Yang seconded
a motion to accept the most recent version of the handbook. MOTION
PASSED.
The Board agreed that
the Handbook should be named the Faculty Handbook, with edition dates
and the creation of a year-end summary. Based on the group's discussion,
Girton will take this issue to the Handbook Committee for procedural
recommendations.
Conflict of Interest-
V. Allen
The Board discussed the
conflict of interest issue raised by Professor Allen, English. There
are differing ideas related to the concept, and the group discussed
the need for fundamental principles and better wording. There is a
need for understanding from the Provost and the Faculty Senate President,
as final arbiters in these matters. The current disclaimer sheet is
more procedural/operation, while the wording in the Faculty Handbook
is purposely vague. The Handbook Committee will work on this issue
and will return with draft language, based on current policy.
NTE Faculty Voting Rights
Agarwal raised the issue
of enfranchisement of NTE faculty in regards to voting rights. According
to the Faculty Handbook, NTE faculties are to participate in governance.
A number of issues are not clear in regards to their voting in hiring
decisions, evaluations, and their meeting participation.
Carlson noted that Departments
determine these issues, and the real question is whether any differential
treatment is at odds with the Faculty Handbook. There is a reliance
on the Departments and their Colleges to articulate the policies in
regards to NTE participation. Palermo asked if these documents were
submitted to the Provost by Colleges and Departments, and the answer
was yes. Girton commented that Departments and Colleges should be
reminded to clearly state NTE's participation levels. The Board agreed
these decisions should be left up to the Departments.
Use of Personal Vehicle
for Official Business—mileage compensation rate
A faculty member had requested
the Faculty Senate examine this issue. There was a discussion as to
whether this is the responsibility of the Senate, or falls under the
purview of the Vice President for Business and Finance, or the Board
of Regents. The Provost responded yes, but Palermo noted that the
Faculty Senate does have oversight of basic welfare policies for faculty.
Girton suggested that
Welfare and Benefits (RPA) take a look and make recommendations. It
was also recommended that all financial aspects in the Faculty Handbook,
including meals, changes in rank, and salary increments, also be examined.
Carlson also recommended discussing this with Vice President Madden.
Cultivating Democracy
Palermo announced a new
academic theme for undergraduates during the upcoming year, “Cultivating
Democracy.” 25 faculty members from the Colleges provide oversight,
and the theme will also be incorporated into Destination ISU and ISUComm,
as part of the curriculum. The World Affairs Institute will also be
a partner. Palermo asked if the Faculty Senate website should provide
some kind of link to the theme.
After brief discussion,
Vrchota suggested a website be developed specifically for “Cultivating
Democracy,” with it noted as being endorsed by the Faculty Senate.
She also felt it was important to communicate this curriculum development
to the faculty. Zanish-Belcher suggested a presentation at an upcoming
Faculty Senate meeting would be helpful.
I.
Provost
The Provost then made
several announcements. A new Dean of Engineering has been named and
he will begin January 1, 2005. An Interim Dean will be announced shortly.
One of the original five
finalists for the Veterinary Medicine Dean position is being interviewed.
The strategic planning
process is making progress.
There are a lot of changes
happening with the Board of Regents, and he would like to report on
this in more detail at a future meeting.
Finally, he thanked the
Task Force on the upcoming Reorganization, specifically C. Baldwin
and the Executive Board, for the quick turnaround time in submitting
the final report.
VII. Summer Retreat (August
11: 1-5 p.m. @ Gateway Center)
Faculty Senate Fall Picnic
(August 26 @ Reiman Gardens)
Agarwal noted the upcoming
events dates, and noted the July 27 Executive Board meeting would
be dedicated to discussing the Summer Retreat.
(Next Meeting Discussion)
VIII. Adjournment
- 5:00 p.m.
The Executive Board adjourned
at 4:55 p.m.
NEXT MEETING
July 27, 2004 3:10 -5:00
107 Lab of Mechanics
