Minutes of the Faculty Senate

Meeting convened at 1:15 p.m. by Ramanarayanan Viswanathan, President.

ROLL CALL

Members present: James S. Allen, Mark A. Amos, Gary Apgar, Robert D. Benford, Joseph Brown, Terry Clark, Jon D. Davey, Paula K. Davis, Lisabeth DiLalla, Stephen D. Ebbs, Carl R. Flowers, Maureen D. Francis, Philip C. Howze, H. Randy Hughes, Kathryn A. Hytten, Sanjeev Kumar, Mary E. Lamb, David A. Lightfoot, Douglas W. Lind, John D. McIntyre, Lori Merrill-Fink, Aldo D. Migone, Don Rice (ex officio), R. William Rowley, Pamela A. Smoot, Gerald R. Spittler, Peggy Stockdale, Spyros Tragoudas (ex officio), Russ Trimble (ex officio), Ramanarayanan Viswanathan, Matt R. Whiles, John R. Winings, David S. Worrells, Kay M. Zivkovich.

Members absent: Allan Karnes (ex officio), Fernando Trevino (ex officio).

Members absent without proxy: Edward J. Alfrey, Peter Borgia.

MINUTES

The minutes of the special meeting on August 28, 2007, were approved as presented. The minutes of the regular meeting on September 11, 2007, were approved as presented.

REPORTS

1. R. Viswanathan reported that the fall faculty meeting is scheduled for October 25. Lunch will be provided. He also reported that Board of Trustees Chair Roger Tedrick will be attending the Senate's November 13 meeting.

2. Interim Provost Rice noted that Chancellor Trevino is attending an event in Chicago for the SIU Foundation and was unable to attend the Senate meeting. He then reported that there are currently two ongoing conversations on campus that relate to the University's image and its ability to recruit and retain students. First is a conversation with Tom Hayes from Simpson-Scarborough, a consulting firm that is helping with efforts to create an image or branding of the University and the marketing of the University. T. Hayes gave a presentation of where that consulting effort stands and discussed the efforts that will be made in the coming year. Many faculty were interviewed or heard the presentations by Simpson-Scarborough, and although much of the focus is on the effort to recruit students, it also has to do with recruiting faculty and making the local community and the broader southern Illinois communities aware of SIUC.

Interim Provost Rice reported that the second conversation was with a firm called Royal and Company, which works primarily with the recruitment of students. They do not get involved in broader marketing issues unless they are asked to do so. The company primarily works on the search and contact of students, then follows up to try and bring them to the universities for which the company works. Company founder Bill Royal brought several of his staff with him and made a presentation on what they do for universities. The University's new assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management, Victoria Valle, has worked with him at two other universities. It is possible they may be brought in to help with developing relationships with sophomores and juniors in high school and attempting to maintain contact with them and their families. Interim Provost Rice noted that if the University does develop a contract with Royal, he would like to bring back Mr. Royal to make a presentation to the Senate. He also noted that Royal and Simpson-Scarborough have worked together before and are not working in conflict with one another.

Interim Provost Rice reported that College of Engineering Dean Osborne has decided to retire effective January 4, 2008. Interim Provost Rice will be talking with the dean and his staff about an interim while the search is conducted for a new dean. Letters have gone out to all constituency groups asking for people to serve on the search committee. He is looking to have a permanent dean in place by the beginning of fall semester 2008.

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

1. J. Brown asked if it would be possible to invite V. Valle to a Senate meeting to introduce herself since there was so much interest in her coming to SIUC and because the job she is doing is vital to the University. R. Viswanathan responded that he will invite her to the next meeting.

2. P. Stockdale asked if Royal and Company targets a certain demographic of student. Interim Provost Rice responded that the parameters of the search would be set by the University; the company bases their searches on the criteria they are given. S. Ebbs asked if specific programs could be targeted, e.g., selectively recruiting to those programs that are undersubscribed as opposed to pulling students into programs that are already oversubscribed. Interim Provost Rice responded that it is possible. One thing [Royal and Company] described as having done at the University of Virginia was when they opened up a search, they found there were three questions to which students and parents wanted answers: what are the majors available; can I get in; and what is it going to cost. The initial search tries to provide that information. Royal and Company give a means to get back in touch. Based on the demographics the students provide, the next contact could be focused on particular majors. [The information provided] can be manipulated in multiple ways.

REPORTS (cont.)

3. A. Karnes submitted his report on the October meeting of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the IBHE (included as appendix 1).

4. T. Clark presented some background on the inception of Barking Dawg Productions, noting the marketing initiative came as a result of discussions within the Faculty Senate Budget Committee. He provided demographic and enrollment trends in Illinois and showcased the most recent ad campaigns that have been developed.

ELECTIONS COUNCIL -- P. Stockdale, Chair

P. Stockdale presented the results of the Faculty Senate special elections in Liberal Arts, Science and Law (included as Attachment A to the Agenda).

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL -- None.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY COMMITTEE -- P. Smoot, Chair

1. P. Smoot presented for approval the Resolution to Recommend Approval of the RME to Change the Name of Outdoor Recreation Resources Management to Forest Recreation and Park Management (included as Attachment B to the Agenda).

Resolution was approved on a voice vote.

2. P. Smoot presented for approval, with corrected verbiage, the Resolution to Recommend a New Unit of Instruction to Establish a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Musical Theater, College of Liberal Arts. She noted the resolved should also be corrected to read that the proposal is for a new unit of instruction and not an RME. R. Viswanathan asked if the change means that additional resources will be required. P. Smoot responded that is not her understanding.

Resolution, as corrected, was approved on a voice vote. [see appendix 2]

3. P. Smoot reported the committee received a proposal to establish a minor in Native American Studies. Committee members decided to invite the parties involved to meet with them and respond to questions the committee has raised. Also, she has received an RME for an addition to the minor in Rehabilitation Services, which the committee will act on at its next meeting.

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES -- S. Kumar, Chair

S. Kumar reported the committee received a request for two to three nominations for the Screening Committee for Director of the Student Health Center. The Committee on Committees forwarded the names of John Benshoff, Professor, Rehabilitation Institute; and Regina Glover, Associate Professor, Health Education and Recreation. The committee also received a request for a nomination to the Academic Calendar Committee.

BUDGET COMMITTEE -- T. Clark, Chair

T. Clark reported the University continues to face several challenges. D. Worrells concurred and indicated the committee asked if more budget cuts were anticipated. The [administration's] response was that they simply do not know. T. Clark indicated the Chancellor's Budget and Planning Advisory Committee is currently looking at a $1.8 million deficit, so the committee is wrestling with where cuts should be made.

FACULTY STATUS AND WELFARE COMMITTEE -- G. Apgar, Chair

G. Apgar reported the committee met on September 11 to discuss R. Viswanathan's request that the committee consider and make a decision regarding the current manner by which faculty matching salary increases are negotiated and received. R. Viswanathan explained that currently a faculty member receives an offer from a competitive institution or business, and the decision regarding whether to make a compensatory offer to match is made by the dean of the college from which the faculty member resides, with input from the department chair and approval of the Provost. The committee was asked to determine whether a resolution for oversight or reporting would be appropriate. G. Apgar reported that the committee discussed the issue and found that the current situation appears to be adequate. The committee recognized that financial compensation is usually one of a myriad of personal or professional reasons for faculty to look elsewhere for employment, but felt that the current manner of negotiation and decision making is timely and appropriate. The Faculty Association, as part of the agreement, currently collects and retains counter-offer information.

G. Apgar reported the committee discussed past resolutions (i.e., Resolution to Create a University Task Force to Develop Formal Procedures for Understanding and Addressing Faculty Retention) in which a faculty exit interview was formulated and given to departing faculty by the dean. G. Apgar indicated he spoke with Steve Middleton [in the Provost's office] and was told that the faculty exit interview questionnaire was online, and e-mail contacts for departed faculty have been collected to solicit input with respect to the survey. A final report is to be submitted to the Provost and can be shared with the committee upon approval by the Provost.

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE -- None.

OLD BUSINESS -- None.

NEW BUSINESS -- None.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

P. Stockdale announced that the Psychology Department, along with Sigma Xi and the College of Liberal Arts, is sponsoring a speaker on October 12, Dr. Geoffrey Maruyama from the University of Minnesota, who will speak on the topic, "Are Academics Prepared and Able to Address Real World Problems?"

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 2:23 p.m.