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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

Thursday, November 21, 2002

CSU 204

3:00 p.m.

 

Approved Minutes

 

 

Attending:

Don Larsson (A&H Rep, taking notes for Paul Hustoles), Nina LeNoir (Program Review & Assessment), Pat Earle (AH&N Rep), Sonia Meiers (State IFO Rep), Jim Petersen (Budget), John Parham (Negotiations), Marge Burkett (UCAP), Karen Willette-Murphy (Faculty Research), Claudia Pragman (Faculty Improvement & Sabbatical), Barbara Keating (State IFO Rep), Daardi Sizemore (Graduate), Kellian Clink (Planning), Roger Severns (Vice President, chairing for Georgia Holmes), Dick Swanson (Business Rep), Melodie Andrews (Treasurer), Mary Visser (State IFO Rep), Stewart Ross (Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning), Steve Bohnenblust (Parking)

 

Severns called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.   Minutes for October 31 were approved.

 

1.     Negotiator Report:

John Parham discussed contract negotiations. IFO negotiators will have their first organizational meetings on Dec. 12-13.   There was discussion of the impact of elections on official ratification of the “2001-2003” contract.   Parham noted that state costs for health insurance have actually gone down. 

 

2.     Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning:

Stewart Ross discussed the newly-revived and renamed Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.  Ross thanked the IFO for its role in revitalizing the Faculty Development Director position and noted that he has visited personally with 54 new faculty and a number of departments.  He is in the process of forming a faculty consultant group to work with faculty on development issues and that will not be directly linked to administration or procedures in promotion, tenure, etc.  Severns noted the consensus of the Executive Committee that all faculty should feel free to approach Ross and the CETL office for advice and consultation on teaching and other faculty development issues.   Ross expressed some concern that less than half of the new faculty he has met with are actually tenure-track.   Ross also noted that appropriations by MnSCU in support of faculty development are not proportional to campus size; in particular, St. Cloud and Mankato are both receiving less than their full share of dollars for the number of faculty they have.  Ross mentioned some other initiatives, including a series of brown-bag lunches devoted to particular topics.  There was some discussion about the possibility of a voluntary   “pre-duty days” workshop in August for new faculty, specifically devoted to teaching issues.

 

3.     Parking:

Steve Bohnenblust discussed parking issues. There was considerable discussion regarding the new shopping/housing development being built in University Square and its impact on campus parking.  The developers have offered the university to trade the right to  at least 170 spaces in Lot 21 for the development of 240 new spaces in the meridian areas between lots 21 and 22.   Keating moved and Earle seconded a motion that Bohnenblust be invited to the next Meet & Confer to discuss these and other issues related to parking. The motion was approved.

 

4.   Committee Replacements/Volunteers Needed:

a:   Business—Planning (2 year appointment)

b:   Business—Rep. for Nominations & Elections 2003

 

5.     Confirm/Select Appointments—:                                                                                         

a.   UCompass Advisory CommitteeA&H: The following were approved by email vote and were reconfirmed :  A&H: Warren Sandmann, Nina LeNoir; AH&N: Kent Kalm, Gerald Schneck; Business: Robert Zelin,; Education: Carole Milner, Gail Zahn; Library/Unaffil.: Melissa Holmberg,; SBS : Joe Davis,; SET: Scott Fee, Brian Groh

b.     Ucompass Advisory Committee Additions: The following were moved, seconded and approved.   Business: Penny Herickhoff;  Library/Unaff: Robert Bothmann; SBS : Kathy Gorman

c.      CETL Consultation Group The following were moved, seconded and approved. AH&N: Lynnette Engeswick, Tricia Young; A&H: Linda Duckett, Stewart Ross, Nan Johnson-Curiskis; Business : Claudia Pragman; SBS: Richard Schiming, Bill Wagner; SET: Vojin Nololic, Gregg Marg

d.     Graduate Committee:   1/2 year replacement   Moved, seconded and approved. Norma Krumwiede

e.      Search Committee for Senior Director for University Development:  Moved, seconded and approved. SBS: Perry Wood

 

6.     IFO/MSNCU Committees/Task Force

        Nominees were all moved and approved

 

7.     Meet and Confer Agenda Items:

There was discussion about items to be raised at the next Meet & Confer, especially regarding the budget process and how faculty will have input on ways to meet potential budget cuts from the state.   Keating moved and Burkett seconded a motion that the question of filling previously probationary positions with fixed-term faculty should be placed on the M&C agenda.  The motion added that these issues should be directed to the Planning Committee and that Senior Vice President Boubel should attend those committee meetings.   The motion passed, and Georgia Holmes will be asked to draft a memo on these issues to President Davenport.

 

8.     Reports:

Larsson confirmed that the note under “Unit Representative Reports” was his report for the College of Arts & Humanities.   Willette-Murphy reported that the Faculty Research Committee reviewed 24 proposals and funded 12 of those.   A total of $46,000 was dispersed.   The deadline for Spring Semester is 4:00 p.m., Friday, March 21.  Other written reports in the agenda were approved.

 

9.     Discussion Items:

There was considerable discussion about FA planning and the retreat on Jan. 9, 2003 at Old Main Village. Shared governance will be one of the main topics and President Davenport will be invited to share in the discussion.  

 

 

There was also discussion about making the Executive Committee more effective in Meet & Confer.  It was suggested that job descriptions for committee positions be posted on the FA website (http://www.mnsufa.org ), that the Meet & Confer structure should be put clearly in writing and distributed to the campus, and that there should be a training session for newly-elected committee members before they take office. Visser moved and Earle seconded that Holmes should remind committee members of their duty to attend committee meetings or send replacements if they cannot go.   The motion passed .

       

        Members were reminded of the social event at Maggie’s on Nov. 25.

 

Severns reported that there are two campus grievances at Step 4, one relating to non-renewal and one relating to promotion.   The state arbitrator ruled against the FA and IFO in its grievance on the awarding of a contract to Mankato Aviation for training.   Some issues in the grievance were not addressed in that ruling.   There was further discussion about the Aviation matter.

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Donald F. Larsson


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