Professional … pragmatic … principled … progressive
Summary Minutes for
(approved
|
Executive
Board: Michael Harkins, President;
Paul Guymon, Vice President; Jim Edstrom, Secretary; Dan Loprieno, Treasurer;
Sue Overland, Grievance Officer; Julie Fleenor, Past President |
·
Michael reminded
everyone about the full-time faculty holiday party today and the all-campus
holiday gathering sponsored by the Senate on Monday in A Building by the
fireplace. He noted that the Glenn Reich
Award will be announced on January 12th at the all-faculty meeting.
·
The dean
evaluations and the reorganization surveys are being processed.
·
He shared a
couple of articles on the issue of shared governance.
·
He has received
copies of the previous dean evaluations.
·
He spoke before
the Board of Trustees at their last meeting, stressing the importance of
working together.
·
He is appointing
a forms committee consisting of Patti Ferguson, Caryn Levington and Jacque
Mott.
·
The ad hoc
committee on climate is continuing its work.
·
There will be a
Faculty Senate luncheon during Orientation Week in the spring.
·
Michael thanked
the Senators for all their hard work during this semester.
He then asked for a motion to
go immediately to “New Business” on the agenda.
Jim Edstrom so moved; Pat Beach seconded. The motion was approved.
VII. New
Business
Vice President of Academic Affairs Marge Skold noted
that there has been a power outage in Buildings L and P. Classes scheduled before
There
was a discussion of the procedures for search committees. There were questions about the ongoing hiring
freeze for staff. Marge noted that if
there is a need for a position to be filled, a rationale for doing so must be
submitted.
Several
other points were discussed with regard to full-time faculty search committees:
1. The Vice President of Academic Affairs asserted that deans
serve on search committees, and it is her expectation that deans will
participate in the hiring process.
Several Senators responded that the level of dean participation varies
from division to division and department to department.
2. The Vice President of Academic Affairs recommends but does
not require small search committees of 3-5 members. There are no mandates on either the size or
the composition of the search committees.
3. The Vice President of Academic Affairs recommends but does
not require that committees include members from outside the department as well
as from inside the department.
4. The Vice President of Academic Affairs noted that The
committee does not have to be diverse.
However, it is part of the College’s mission to encourage diversity in
the candidate pool.
5. Both the Senate and the Human Resources Committee have
forcefully argued that the search process should result in the selection of one
name to be forwarded for hiring. The Vice
President of Academic Affairs would like (but does not require) multiple names.
Some concern was expressed that a number of faculty
positions have not even been posted yet.
Marge replied that this resulted from a mechanical glitch; on her way to
catching an airplane flight, she sent a voicemail automatically to the deans to
inform them as to which positions would be posted. That message was not sent properly, and so
there was a delay of about ten days before the error was discovered. Marge was also asked whether the guidelines
she is referring to are written down; she responded that they are the HR
guidelines. One Senator summed up the
issue by asserting that we need to make sure that any new faculty are a comfortable
fit and able to act as part of a team.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Marge Skold then
left the meeting at
With regard to the search committees, it was
emphasized that there is a difference between recommendations and
requirements. Michael asked Senators to
send Jim Edstrom their impressions of the meeting with Marge; Jim will work to
compile them into one summary. Kathi
Nevels and Andrew Wilson volunteered to work with him on this project.
VIII. Adjournment
Pat Beach moved for
adjournment; Sue Bajt seconded. The meeting
was adjourned at 1:35 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Edstrom