§
John Purdy, 2002-2003 Senate President, called the
Senate meeting to order at 4:03 pm. Senators
approved the minutes of December 2, 2002 and Standing Committee minutes.
University President Karen Morse pointed out the beneficial media support
for Higher Education in the State in a recent series in the PI.
§
Provost Bodman reported a first version of the
Governor’s budget that provides a set of “priorities of government” that
includes Higher Education. The
budget introduces no new taxes to close the $2 billion budget hole, and proposes
a 5% cut in operational support (below the 2002-03 appropriated level applied to
entire university support) and 2.5% cut to the non-instructional budget.
Bodman reported this as a $9.2 million cut collectively over the
biennium. The Governor proposes in
part to offset the cut with tuition authority up to 9% for all categories of
tuition, with broader local authority on any category except resident tuition.
§
Although currently no salary increases are
contained in the budget Bodman suggested the budget cuts could have been much
worse.
§
Bodman reported he is currently in process of
preparing for the 5-year accreditation review, with external reviewers coming to
campus, perhaps in April.
§
Constituent concerns included a request to propose
Handbook language to revise the evaluation process for first-year, probationary
faculty.
§
President Purdy facilitated a discussion on Faculty
Governance. Morse asked for clear
lines of communication and understanding, and a mechanism for bringing
disagreements to the forefront. Senators
discussed how to further elicit faculty participation and asked the
administration to include faculty very early in future decision making. The Executive Council will undertake to formulate action
items for consideration to the Senate: to facilitate communication, engagement
in positive discourse, and full participation in the decision-making processes
on GER reform, tenure and promotion, allocation of resources and other
governance issues.
§
The meeting adjourned at 6:04 p.m.
APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS, KEVIN LEONARD, Elections Officer
Senators
approved the 2003 schedule for nominating and electing faculty to the 2003-2004
Faculty Senate.
Appointed
to the Faculty Senate:
Debra
Salazar for James Loucky (Winter Quarter)
Leroy
Plumlee for David Gilbertson (Winter Quarter)
Michael
Meehan for James Hearne (Winter and Spring)
Appointed to Academic Technology Committee, John McLaughlin
Faculty
Vacancies
Faculty
Grievance Committee, one 3-year term
Salary
and Welfare Committee (2-quarter replacement for Ira
Hyman)
Senate
Library Committee (2-quarters for James Hearne)
Employee
Training and Development Committee,
1-year term