Final approved at EC 11-29-05; FS 12-6-05
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
November 15, 2005
Attendance: (Those present indicated by an underline)
Officers: President Judy Kilborn, Past President/President-Elect Annette Schoenberger, Secretary JoAnn Gasparino, Treasurer Robert Johnson
IFO Board Members: Andrew Larkin, Jayantha Herath
Unit Representatives: COB P. N. SubbaNarasimha, COE Steve Hornstein, COFAH Frankie Condon, COSE Balsy Kasi, COSS Mary Clifford, SPEC Susan Motin
Negotiator: Bill Langen
1. Call to order at 3:20 p.m.
2. Approval of EC Minutes of October 18, 2005—Minutes were approved in Senate on 11-8-05.
3. Treasurer’s Report—To be given at first meeting of the month.
4. Announcements
a. Pre-Meet and Confer & Meet and Confer on November 17, 2005 (in regular locations)—The meeting was moved to Thursday. Kilborn will not be there, but the Provost will be. Schoenberger will run the meeting.
b. Microphones and room set-up for Senate—Kilborn pointed out the new configuration for Senate for next time. We will try this, and if it works out we will continue with the new model. Kilborn explained the model.
c. Search for COE Dean—COE has had meetings with the Provost, and two people from each department have been elected. When they voted for filling the position immediately or extending the interim dean, they were split: half wanted someone immediately and half wanted the interim dean longer. Kilborn explained the calls that have been put out recently. There is an advisory interim dean search committee and Condon is a representative at-large. Kilborn explained possible outcomes of the committee. Kilborn discussed the COB dean search. The Provost is trying to decide what to do with the search. There have been three requests put out for the committee, but there are still not enough names to run an election. Kilborn is trying to get people to search on that committee, currently there are three committee members.
d. Status of EEOC Taskforce—The taskforce was renamed by the Provost to be COE Taskforce. There will be one representative from each department and two at-large representatives. The administrative people are Rex Veeder and Kate Steffens. The Provost asked if Nancy Jessee could be an ex officio member on committee, and this will be on Meet and Confer agenda.
e. Status of Taskforce on Diversity Education—Condon said that two meetings have been scheduled, and she and Rex Veeder attended the meetings and talked about the subcommittee arrangement. The issue of size was discussed. Right now Rex is writing up his notes and will circulate via email for an agreement before scheduling the first meeting of the taskforce. Kilborn asked about the motion for Teacher Development and asked if taskforce will be ready to discuss. Condon will write up something for Meet and Confer, even though she may not be at the meeting.
f. Template on Teaching Schedule/Office Hours—Kilborn discussed her position, which is strictly her position. She feels that Administration needs acknowledgement that they are working on the template, otherwise the ability to collaborate may be lost. Kilborn discussed her reasons for believing this. Concerns were shared about the template being really rigid. EC discussed their concerns and issues with the template. Kilborn will not be at the Meet and Confer meeting, but the motions will be there. Concerns about going beyond what is in the contract were discussed. This item will be put back on the agenda under unfinished business, item b.
g. Meet and Confer Notes—We have a series of notes to review: September 22, October 6, and October 20. We need to know by Thursday if you have any corrections, you can give your comments and corrections to Polly. We need to be prepared to approve since they don’t go out to public until approved and faculty need the information.
h. University Council—The meeting was on Monday, and two items will be coming up at Meet and Confer. The President really wants to get moving on doctorates. University College will be an item at Meet and Confer also. MnSCU is interested in having the state university system pick this up since University of Minnesota is dropping it. EC discussed how this relates to other issues that have been recently brought forward and discussed. This item will be put on the agenda under new business, item j. Doctorates will be item k.
i. Local Equity Officer Orientation—Pat Arsenault trained eight or nine people last Thursday. EC discussed what actions needed to done now that people are trained, and whether those trained were now officers. This item will be added to the agenda under new business, item l.
5. Call for new agenda items:
· j. University Council
· k. Doctorates
· l. Local Equity Officer Selection
· m. Request for information from Continuing Studies (Jayantha Herath)
6. Unfinished Business
a. Higher Education Research Institute: 2004-2005 SCSU Faculty Survey Report (EC 062105 5.i.)—Kilborn pointed out the survey that was received this summer from Administration. Kilborn discussed the survey briefly and asked what EC would like to do with it. The item will be left on the agenda and EC will come back to it later after they look through the survey.
b. Template on Teaching Schedule/Office Hours—EC discussed what the problems might really be, and the need for clarification from Administration about the real concerns. Two possible problems with radically different approaches, depending on the circumstances, were discussed. EC discussed that if the problems stemmed from MnSCU and the Fox 9 news investigation, it might be an attempt to get the deans to agree amongst themselves, so that there is uniformity across campus. EC discussed the template in regards to the contract. This item will be on the agenda for Meet and Confer and EC needs to decide if they are going to bargain with Administration about the template in good faith or are they going to say no to the template. EC discussed making their own proposal for a template with contractual abiding ways to fulfill posting office hours, as opposed to going back and forth. It was noted that EC has most of the elements from Senate on what faculty do to fulfill office hours. Another element is the motion passed by Senate. EC will come back to this item after time definite with the Counseling Center and time definite regarding Affirmative Action Search.
7. New Business
a. Consensual-relationships Policy (EC 062105 8.e)—not discussed.
b. Committee for communications policies/processes for Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE) (Hornstein)—not discussed.
c. Short-Term Study Abroad Programs: Application Form and request for Budget (EC 100405 8.c)—not discussed.
d. Early Notification System for Students (EC101805 8.e)—not discussed.
e. Time Definite: 4:00 p.m. – Counseling Center—There was a discussion between the guests from the Counseling Center and EC. Kilborn pointed out that this may be on Meet and Confer this week. The Provost is well prepared with information on different models and may be expecting the center to have this well researched. EC gave the Counseling Center feedback on their proposal. The Center will work on the proposal for another Meet and Confer. Kilborn stated that the last Meet and Confer this year is December 15.
f. Time Definite: 4:30 p.m. – Affirmative Action Search—Kilborn said their has been a problem in how the search firm is being used. She referred to past Meet and Confer notes that stated how the firm would be used, but Administration is not following what they agreed to at Meet and Confer. The firm plans on doing airport interviews, and then they will break the pool down to twelve candidates, and those would go to the committee. The committee discussed what happened in the Provost search. Kilborn asked that this item be put on the Meet and Confer agenda. EC expressed concern that the search firm might screen out good candidates. Clifford discussed her frustrations as a committee member and expressed other members were frustrated as well. EC discussed meeting with the search committee to discuss issues. EC discussed Administration’s managerial prerogative. It was agreed that EC will bring to Meet and Confer what had been agreed to and talk about it. It was noted that Administration wants to close the search on December 6, and bring the candidates to campus in January.
g. Parliamentary Procedure and Departmental Processes in COE and elsewhere—not discussed.
h. DGS Program (EC 111505 7.h)—not discussed.
i. Diversity and Public Celebrations of Religious/Cultural Differences at St. Cloud State University (EC 111505 7.i)—not discussed.
6. Unfinished Business
b. Template on Teaching Schedule/Office Hours—EC discussed how they could add half-an-hour of contact time with students after each class. EC discussed what the template stems from, and the need to not be lured into Administration’s internal feuds and conflicts. EC discussed the need to support faculty interest, and was noted that the best way may be by saying to faculty that they are obligated to post their office hours and here are the ways they can do so. Administration can either accept that or not, and if they do not there are ways through grievances to handle this, which would not be in Administration’s best interest. The need to clarify what “normally” means was discussed as far as contractual obligations are concerned. EC discussed the questions of what is meant by ten hours, and what satisfies the contract. It was noted that many faculty do more than ten hours now and they may cut back is pushed, and EC did not think that would be a good idea for faculty or Administration. EC agreed that the Senate motion was a good approach.
8. Adjournment at 5:40 p.m.