Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

January 27, 2004

 

Attendance:   (Those present indicated by an underline)

Officers:  President Fisher, President-Elect Schoenberger, Past President Larkin, Secretary: Williams, Treasurer: Buske

IFO Board Members:  Hill, Johnson, Kilborn

Unit Representatives:  COB SubbaNarasimha, COE Hornstein, FAH Kilborn, COSE Akubue, COSS Ore, SS C. Inkster

Negotiator:   Langen

Guests:  F. Condon, G. Tabakin, and R. Lavenda

 

1.                  Call to order at 3:19 PM

 

2.                  Call for new agenda items

7.f. Shaded Grading

7.g. Late Ads (Andy)

7.h. Office of Clinical Experiences

(Discuss student complaints and policy for student complaints under 6.d.)

7.i. Partnership Contracts for Programs off Campus

 

The Executive Committee welcomed Frankie Condon at today’s meeting.

 

3.                  Treasurer’s Report

 

No report was given.

 

4.                  Announcements

 

a.       AFL-CIO Meeting on 1/24

 

This meeting held this past Saturday.  FA President Fisher, President-elect Schoenberger, and Negotiator William Langen attended.  FA President Fisher stated her impression of this meeting was a political meeting indended to begin grass roots efforts to, mainly, defeat Bush.  President-elect Schoenberger stated they need us to provide them with someone they can channel issues through who is willing to work with them to try to get flyers and information distributed, making people aware why they should not vote for Bush.  Health insurance and overtime pay are key issues.  Whether people vote Republican or Democrat, health insurance is important.  We wouldn’t have health insurance if we didn’t have unions.  The AFLCIO want people to be aware of the consequences of voting for someone other than the candidate who would ensure health insurance.  Negotiator Langen stated the structure of the AFLCIO is radically different than our own.  The structure in how they approach their members is different.  For us, what makes sense is an issue-by-issue analysis -- to  poll through our GR committee, our local legislators and reps from both parties to see where they stand on issues of concern to us with the result being the same.  It seems like this is how we should approach our university faculty.

 

FA President Fisher will follow up with Mary Beth Juetten to see what kind of opportunities there are for us – whether they want to support this.

FA President Fisher will bring copies of the materials from the AFLCIO meeting to the next Executive Committee meeting to distribute.

 

The IFO Lobby Day is scheduled for February 18 and 19, when the FA Presidents and the members on the GRC attend.  In the past, GRC  members have not been going; so to have good representation, I’d like to fill in with members from our Executive Committee.  Past President Larkin stated our own local Government Relations committee on campus has not met – the committee should have met to determine who would participate in Lobby Day.  Last year, a member said he would go, and he didn’t show up.  Steve Hornstein said he would be happy to go.  Negotiator Langen stated at the legislature, Democrats and Republicans intervened disastrously, and Democrats didn’t even try and stated we need immediate tangible changes.

 

FA President Fisher will put the issue of negotiations on the Senate agenda for Bill Langen to address the Senate.  Past President Larkin stated he can convene a meeting of the GRC and will obtain a listing of members from the FA Office. 

 

A concern was raised about how to get more university faculty to participate and volunteer for committees – if this means “fair share” faculty.  Therefore, FA President Fisher will make this a topic for the Senate agenda as well.

 

FA President Fisher shared a listing of open faculty positions, passed around the table.

 

FA President Fisher spoke about the need for one more person from the Nominations and Elections Committee to tally votes.  We have a situation with the COB because there are five representatives needed for the Dean Search Committee; and we currently have four nominations with a three-way tie.  There are few COB representatives – FA President Fisher spoke with the COB representative on the Executive Committee and agreed we should send out the ballots again for the COB to vote and have a shorter turn-around time for people to respond in order to receive their votes by next week.

 

Past President Larkin stated there was a policy made for the Social Sciences Interim Dean Search Committee of no more than one representative from a department allowed on a search committee.  This policy was the result of a motion made in Senate during the fall.  It was confirmed this policy is not a procedure but is a good idea for future elections.

 

Motion for there to be no more than one person from each department for the College of Business and College of Social Sciences Dean Search Committees (Schoenberger/Larkin).  Motion fails

 

Motion for the tie in the COB to be resolved with a ballot sent to the faculty in the COB (Schoenberger/Hornstein).  Passed

 

Motion we would remove from the ballot anyone from a department already represented on the committee (Schoenberger/Larkin).  Motion fails

 

FA President stated she would like to take this issue to Senate and advise them of this situation, asking for their decision on this procedure -- whether we should limit one person from each department.

 

b.      University Council 1/26

 

FA President Fisher reported there was some talk about the pilot First Year Experience Program.  Enrollments were down 213 FTE this semester from last year (same time) – not any better than the fall.  Mankato’s enrollment is up.  Provost Spitzer talked about 80 faculty positions they’re searching for the fall.  They’re going ahead with the position of the Director of Affirmative Action and Social Equity; and FA President Fisher has put out a call for the search committee.  There was discussion about accreditation in ‘07 (assessment), NESE data, and the American Democracy Project.  HR is having workshops on training, with attendance being encouraged.  There is also some data about funding for some projects (i.e., the Centennial Hall renovation), and FA President Fisher’s  notes were passed around.

 

c.       IFO Executive Committee & CARE Training 3/4, 3/5, and 3/6

FA President Fisher stated she has a conflict with the meeting dates of March 4, 5, and 6 – the 4th, 5th, and 6th  being the IFO Executive Committee meeting and March 6th  being CARE training as well (originally scheduled when Delegate Assembly was scheduled, and Debra Lee rescheduled).  She stated she will attend the CARE (Community Anti-racism Education) training on 3/6 and asked for someone on the Executive Committee to take her place at the IFO Executive Committee on 3/6; therefore, Subba volunteered.  (Theresia:  Did I understand these dates as you meant them?)

 

5.                  Minutes

 

FA President Fisher confirmed the Provost made their revisions in the job description, and she passed the document around.

 

                        a.  Executive Committee Minutes of 1/13 (attachment 5a)

 

Motion to approve the Executive Committee Minutes of 1/13 (Kilborn/Subba) Passed

 

The agenda was moved to 7.a.

 

7.         a.  Progress report on implementation of Zmora, et al. v. State of     Minnesota, et al. settlement agreement (attachment 6c from Senate on 1/20/04) (attachment 7a)

 

FA President Fisher stated Senate passed a motion to refer this issue to the Executive Committee          and introduced Geoffrey Tabakin and Rob Lavenda as guests. 

 

It was stated given faculty has expressed great dissatisfaction with the administration’s draft of the diversity training initiative, the following motion was made:

 

Motion to take the issue of diversity training for faculty to Meet and Confer (Larkin/Buske).  Passed

 

Motion to substitute motion for Executive Committee to request of Administration at Meet and Confer that the administration with faculty association conduct a search for qualified SCSU faculty to develop a robust diversity training program, including anti-semitism awareness for faculty and staff; and that the administration use contingency funds from the settlement if possible to compensate selected faculty for this work (Hornstein/Kilborn).  Motion fails

 

 

 

Motion to close debate (Johnson/Schoenberger).  Passed

 

FA President-elect Schoenberger suggested Frankie Condon contact the diversity committees, obtain information, and bring it back to FA President Fisher in preparation for pre Meet and Confer so we may have this documentation prior to discussion in Meet and Confer.

 

The agenda was moved to 6.d.

 

6.         d.  Student complaint appeal

 

FA President Fisher stated with regard to student complaints, she recommends scheduling meeting(s) with the student and faculty members as time permits.  She asked the committee if we can have a process where more than one meeting would occur.

 

Motion that you can have more than one meeting regarding student complaints and grade appeals (Schoenberger/Hornstein).  Passes

 

The agenda was moved to 7.d

 

            7.         d.  Professional Study Funds – Article 19, Section B, Subd. 3 – page 73

 

Motion to remain in meeting for five minutes longer (Kilborn/Hill).  Passed

 

A faculty member who was reimbursed for copywriting fees under the old system had his request for reimbursement rejected under the new system.  FA President Fisher talked with the Business Manager and the purchasing people as well as President-elect Schoenberger.  She then met with Provost Spitzer to clarify if copywriting fees can come out of departmental fees; and he stated they’re not covered under professional study or by the department, since faculty are getting paid for doing the study.  The Department Chair is reimbursing the faculty member with department fees.  FA President Fisher asked if she should check with the IFO on this issue; therefore, it was agreed she would do so.

 

7.         e.  Staff meetings and Delegate Assembly 

 

FA President Fisher will draft a letter to Jim Pehler regarding the FA office staff’s participation in staff meetings and the Delegate Assembly for the committee’s review.  

 

8.         Adjournment at 5:20 PM.