Final approved in EC 1-31-06 and FS 2-7-06

Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

January 17, 2006

 

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 Monica Devers, COSE Balsy Kasi, COSS vacant, SPEC Susan Motin

Negotiator:   Bill Langen

 

1.      Call to order at 3:22 p.m.

 

2.      Treasurer’s Report (EC 011706 2)—not discussed.

 

3.      Announcements

 

Kilborn announced the reception at the Provost’s house tomorrow.  The party is for the people who have done service, and it starts following the workshops.

 

a.      IFO/MnSCU Meet and Confer—we have a new Associate Vice Chancellor for Labor Relations named Mary Leary, and she starts March 1st.  She comes highly recommended and from a union background.  We did keep TIAA-CREF.  SBI funds will be mapped to Vanguard on July 1st.  Schoenberger discussed some new procedures regarding funds.  She also added that we owe $1,200 back to the IFO because Wil Harri paid us too much after handling the severance payment issue of Donna West. Other upcoming bills are a new ergonomic chair for the FA President’s office and the bill for grievance training.  

b.      Chair Training—there will be another training this year, similar to last year’s.  You will hear more about this. 

c.      STAMATS—this is a marketing firm that has done an analysis of SCSU in how we see ourselves as an institution and how we brand ourselves.  Kilborn discussed the research briefly.  We will be hearing more about this in the future.  Already, there are two billboards: one in Albertville, one on hwy 10, and there will be another one coming in Maple Grove.  There will also be television commercials.  There are two commercials prepared.  On Feb. 3rd they will hold an informational meeting and answer questions.  They will also invite a cross-section of the university to brainstorm.  This comes out of a recruitment issue. 

d.      COE Climate Task Force—Kilborn gave a brief update, and distributed a list of task force members: Kate Steffens, Rex Veeder, Nancy Jessee, Glen Palm, Fran Umerski, Steve Malikowski, John Theis, Harold Risk, Terri Sheehan, Semya Hakim, Tamrat Tademe, Michael Pickle, Janet Salk, Barbara Bienik, and Linda Scott-Halverson.  The two facilitators are Jeff Ringer and Frankie Condon.

 

4.      Call for new agenda items—none.

 

6.      New Business

e.      1.B.1 Equity Officers selection— Kilborn has contacted those who attended the training, and she has had some response.  It was suggested to list the faculty who have had 1.B.1 training, Grievance training, and Mediation training, and fellow-faculty will receive the list to contact those people if needed.  There was discussion about not including Mediation training because we aren’t in charge of that training, and maintaining the list might be difficult.  It was noted that this issue came from two motions last year.  The officers are not part of a standing committee, and there are no elections necessary.  The need for faculty to get the names is the important issue.  We have records of those who attended the Grievance training and 1.B.1 training, and this will be posted on the FA website after double-checking the lists and checking that those who participated want their names on the list. 

i.   Delegate Assembly— today the forms went out electronically for delegates and resolutions.  The list of delegates and the resolutions are due back Feb. 3rd.  There was discussion about the resolutions.  The current delegate resolutions are on the IFO website.  Anyone who is a member of the IFO can make a resolution; however, the resolutions need to be seconded by another IFO member.  Resolutions should be clear and concrete.  We need to have the resolutions to the IFO by Feb. 10th.  It was discussed whether EC should look at the resolutions beforehand.  It was noted that EC should sign off the ones they agree with.  There was some discussion about possible resolutions.  Kilborn will try to bring forward a packet to EC of resolutions to Senate so everyone has a chance to look at them.    

j.   CARE Orientation Workshop: Compliance with Senate Motion—a few of people have asked Kilborn what would be the consequences if they do not attend the training.  There was some discussion about the training.  It was noted that it is not enforceable to attend and that people should be on their own/honor.  This item will be dropped unless it comes up in Senate. 

k.  Upper Division Writing Requirement—last May we had a committee that gave an update, and at that point the committee ended its time.  The Provost brought this to Kilborn and then Academic Affairs to see what the status is.  Kilborn read email on this issue for background information.  The Provost will ask for status at Meet and Confer this Thursday.  There was discussion about how this came about.  It was suggested that EC should communicate with the Provost to find out where this is at and what needs to be done, so that an agreement can be made.  It was noted that this should be part of the regular program assessment.  There was discussion about the assessment procedure.  Kilborn will make copies of her information for pre Meet and Confer on Thursday.  Kilborn was asked to get a list of departments who fulfill the goals, and she will try to get an electronic copy.  The minimum requirements were discussed, which could be imbedded in any major.  It was noted that a lot of departments have capstone classes that are part of the requirement. 

 

5.  Unfinished Business

a.  Higher Education Research Institute: 2004-2005 SCSU Faculty Survey Report (EC 062105 5.i.)—Kilborn discussed how this got on the agenda in the first place.  Kilborn pointed out the handout.  Kilborn will provide the handout to Senate for their information.  There was some discussion about the information in the report. 

 

6.      New Business

a.      Consensual-relationships Policy (EC 062105 8.e)—Kilborn pointed out the handout from Sharon Cogdill, and explained that we don’t have anything regarding this, which leaves us unprotected.  There is a state-wide 1.B.1 committee working on revising the 1.B.1 policy and procedure, and they are including consensual relationships in the revision.  EC discussed the possibilities, and the current problems that have occurred.  It was suggested that convening an ad hoc committee would be helpful, or putting it on Meet and Confer, or keeping it within the faculty, or asking Duke University if we could use their model. 

 

Motion for EC to ask the FA Senate to appoint an ad hoc committee to review Duke University’s policy, and any others, and to come back to the FA Senate with recommendations for a policy on consensual relationships—(Schoenberger/Larkin).  Passed

 

b.      Committee for communications policies/processes for Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE) (Hornstein)—not discussed.

c.      Parliamentary Procedure and Departmental Processes in COE and elsewhere—Kilborn discussed that there are departments that do not follow Parliamentary Procedure and they tend to be in conflict.  There was discussion where this approach might work, for example, by using a consensus approach.  Some departments do not have policies written down, and that causes lots of problems.  It was recommended that democratic processes be part of the Chair training.  It was noted that according to the contract, policies and procedures need to be reviewed  yearly, and this is not happening in all departments.  Kilborn asked if we, as a union, should offer a workshop or training for better departmental processes.  It was suggested that maybe this is something we can talk about in Meet and Confer, or maybe we need to convene an ad hoc committee to come up with some sort of standards, within the contract, and then take it to administrators.  Kilborn will put this on unfinished business as Democratic Processes in Departments.     

d.      DGS Program (EC 111505 7.h)—this is based on the fiscal year 06-07 budget plan.  Kilborn pointed out the DGS Director on this handout.  They want a faculty director, and it is going to take them longer to get this taken care of than they anticipated.  There was discussion about the upcoming University/General College.  It was discussed if this should go back to Meet and Confer to find out the status of hiring the DGS Director, along with the other positions listed.  There was some discussion about the other positions.  We will ask about these positions at Meet and Confer.

h.  “Dead Motions”—Kilborn discussed how this was put on the agenda.     

 

Motion that all main motions that are made in the Senate will be included in the minutes, whether seconded or not—(Larkin/Schoenberger).  Passed

 

f.   Request for information from Continuing Studies (Herath)—Kilborn asked for more information at the next EC meeting.

g.  Issues concerning online education (load, staffing, intellectual property)—not discussed.

 

7.      Adjournment at 5:10 p.m.