FACULTY MEETING

March 7, 2003
Gannett Auditorium

MINUTES

President Jamienne Studley called the meeting to order at 3:42 p.m.

MOTION:

A motion was made by President Studley to approve the February 7, 2003 Faculty Meeting minutes. The motion was seconded and passed with all in favor.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Studley opened the meeting by discussing her e-mail announcement to the community in which she stated: "In the interests of continuity, consistency, and long-term decision making, and to permit me to attend to institutional and personal transition matters, on Wednesday I asked Chuck Joseph to take day-to-day responsibility for leading President’s Staff and to guide the College’s discussions of priorities and finances for the future. I have every confidence that you will cooperate fully with Chuck in connection with these additional responsibilities, and with both of us as we move through the work and challenges of this semester." President Studley further stated that she hopes everyone in the community will work together to support Dean Joseph so that processes may be made easier and goals can be achieved. President Studley also thanked the faculty for doing a remarkable job in making this a time for learning for students concerning issues of war and peace.

DEAN OF THE FACULTY'S REPORT

Dean Joseph began his report by announcing and congratulating faculty who were recently approved by the Board of Trustees for tenure. (See Attachment A.) These faculty members have also been recommended for promotion toAssociate Professor and will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at their May meetings. Dean Joseph continued with announcing and congratulating faculty who have been approved by the Board of Trustees for Sabbatical leaves during the 2003/04 academic year. (See Attachment B.) Regarding faculty development, Dean Joseph pointed out that the recipients of the Faculty Award for Major Project completion is a new category and he thanked President Studley for her sponsorship of this initiative. Dean Joseph then introduced John Brueggemann who, on behalf of Alice Dean, announced Faculty Development Committee deadlines and awards. Proposals for the Summer Technology Innovation Grant are due by March 24; Faculty Development Grants are due by April 7, and the Tang Exhibition Applications are due by April 14. Dean Brueggemann encouraged everyone to apply. The recipients of the Faculty Award for Major Project completion include Jordana Dym, Catherine Golden, Holly Hodgins, Heidi Jaouad, Amelia Rauser, and Denise Smith. (See Attachment C.) Dean Joseph then announced next year's Moseley Lecture will be given by Professor Roy Rotheim.

Dean Joseph then discussed President's Studley's announcement and his responsibilities. President's Staff has extended an invitation to FPPC in the hopes that the Committee will be able to meet Monday morning with President's Staff. Financial data needs to be examined in an open and transparent way with a priority for President's Staff to establish trust within the next couple of months. The principles of constructive confrontation need to be embraced in order to avoid having problems go underground. Dean Joseph advised that he does not openly respond to the various e-mails that have been circulating, but he has been listening and he needs everyone's help in moving toward solutions. Dean Joseph pledges to continue the President’s habit of having an open, inclusive process in which all sides are heard and all questions are answered to the best of their ability. He asked for a pledge on the part of the community to ultimately realize that some decisions have to be made eventually.

There are 71 days until commencement and Dean Joseph encouraged everyone to pull together to prepare the best pathway for the arrival of a new president. The community should not be allowed to rupture.

VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS AFFAIR'S REPORT

Karl Broekhuizen thanked everyone for the opportunity to address this forum. He explained that he would not be giving details at this time. An invitation has been extended to meet with any department, division, unit, or individuals to talk about whatever is on their minds in order to make a contribution to the financial matters at hand. Karl stated that there haven't been many invitations to date. The offer is still open. Some meetings that did happen with Advancement, Special Programs, Exercise Science, Dance and Athletics were helpful. FPPC sponsored a workshop last week that Karl and Mike Hall participated in. Consultant actuaries came on February 4 and met with members of FPPC, Benefits Committee and members of the community. They have been invited to come back March 11 at the regularly scheduled FPPC meeting. Workshops are being developed to provided information about college accounting. Workshops relative to financial management are being considered. Karl is looking to find a couple of times per week for the next three or four weeks to do open forums to improve transparency.

Karl shared his own personal perspective that he doesn't believe that Skidmore College currently has a financial crisis. He acknowledged that times seem tough, and he acknowledges that some people may see it as a crisis. He thinks the situation is serious and that there are challenges ahead, but everyone needs to move forward to balance the short-term or current issues with the long-term issues while protecting the very heart of the College.  President Studley announced the addition of an agenda item pursuant to advice of the parliamentarian. Added under New Business: Item b., Resolution Addressing Zero Percent GSA (General Salary Adjustment).

REPORTS

MARK HOFMANN – Presidential Search Committee Progress Report:

Mark began his report on behalf of the Presidential Search Committee by advising that the Search Committee has been meeting and continues to host Presidential Search roundtables which have been held for alumni, parents and friends of Skidmore. The Committee continues to use the CFG Report on Presidential Searches as its guide. Faculty representatives have been meeting regularly with CAPT and CFG. As recommended in the report, the Committee will be scheduling a meeting between the faculty and representatives of the Search Committee just prior to the campus visits
of the final candidates. Final candidates should be determined by the end of next week. Sue Thomas has appointed an ad hoc group to research presidential transition issues. The group has 12 members and they are: Chris Kaczmarek; Don McCormack; Bob Kimmerle; Gove Effinger; Elliott Masie, Trustee; Gerry Schorin; John Brueggemann; Linda Jackson-Chalmers, Trustee; Michael Casey; Marny Krause; Pat Oles; and Sarah Goodwin.

To date the Committee has received a total of 153 applications and nominations. Out of those there are actually 75 applications in hand with the majority being nominees converted to applicants. The Committee is very excited about the quality of applicants. The timetable is as follows: February 21 a first cut of applicants was made, next week the Committee will meet to narrow the field to 12-15 candidates, at the end of March the Committee will be engaged in reference checking for that group and narrowing the field to semi-final pool of approximately eight candidates for offcampus interviews, and at the end of April or beginning of May it is hoped to bring the finalists to campus.

Applications will still be accepted.

REG LILLY – Benefits Committee Report:

A question of Benefits Committee membership was raised at the last Faculty-Only Discussion Meeting where CFG proposed an accommodation that was aimed to acquire budget and financial expertise. The proposal was to increase the number by three, one person from Business Affairs, one faculty member, and one support staff member. The Committee voted to accept it. The new members are non-voting guests. A question was raised as to why a member of CITS was necessary on theCommittee. Karl Broekhuizen originally decided that the representative for Financial Affairs would be Brett Ingerman of CITS as there was no one else available from Business Affairs. CFG was then hesitant to pull an active member off the Committee in midyear. CFG then proposed the compromise of adding three, non-voting guest roles. It was suggested that these kinds of changes should be brought to the Faculty floor for a vote. The Committee has developed a set of eight principles, which they are using when deliberating in their meetings. The Committee has met with the external consultant and has received a report of the recent survey results. A meeting on March 24 at 4:30 in Davis Auditorium has been scheduled for the faculty in order to present the data in the report. Reg encouraged everyone to attend. The Benefits Committee recommendations are due to FPPC April 7. The percentage of participation of the survey was 52 percent and included all non-union employees. The Benefits Committee is a college committee and not a faculty committee.

MICHAEL ARNUSH/UNA BRAY – Faculty Observers to the Board of Trustees Report

The Faculty Observer's Report for the Board of Trustees meetings held in February can be viewed online at: Faculty Observers' Report - February 2003. This year the Board invited IPC, FPPC, CEPP, CAPT, President's Staff and Dean's Staff to meet with them to have open discussions. Afterserving in an observer's capacity for 11 Board meetings as observer, Una stated that this was the single most difficult board meeting she's ever attended and that there was a feeling of financial crisis at the meetings. Michael thanked Gove Effinger for attending the Advancement segment of the meetings in Una and Michael's place. There is a need to help the Board understand what the life of faculty is all about.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW STAFF

DON McCORMACK – Special Programs

Don introduced Dan Coleman who is the new Director for the MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies) Program and described his credentials, accomplishments, and goals.

OLD BUSINESS

MOTION:

Pat Fehling, on behalf of CEPP, presented the motion for the recommendation of a separation of the Chemistry and Physics Department that was originally brought to the faculty at the February 7 Faculty Meeting. (See Attachment D.) Pat opened the floor for discussion.

MOTION:

Dick Lindemann made a motion to request that the vote on the motion above be taken by paper ballot. The motion was seconded and voted on. The motion was defeated. There was no further discussion regarding the motion by CEPP. The motion was voted on and passed with all in favor.

MOTION:

Gove Effinger, on behalf of CFG, presented the motion to Clarify Language on Teaching Loads. Gove read a portion of the motion into the record that was originally brought to the faculty at the February 7 Faculty Meeting. (See Attachment E.) Gove opened the floor for discussion. There was discussion about the addition of a semicolon. It was explained that the semicolon was strictly a grammatical correction. A question was raised as to the definition of teaching loads and the determination of loads and perhaps giving the Dean of the Faculty too much power to make that determination. It was explained that the Dean of Faculty is the one who would hold the authority to determine the teaching loads for faculty and not arbitrarily set by a chair or director which addresses the issue of equity. A question was raised as to the necessity of the word "personal" to describe teaching loads in the wording. CFG accepted the deletion of the word "personal" as a friendly amendment.

The question was called. The motion was voted on and passed as amended with all in favor.

NEW BUSINESS

ANDY KIRSHENBAUM – SGA – Student Bill of Rights

Andy provided information on the background for the Student Bill of Rights. The student body passed the bill in November and it is now being brought before the faculty for a vote. ACC recommended approval by the faculty since there were parts that involved faculty. Andy opened the floor for discussion. The faculty was being asked to support the Student Bill of Rights. A vote will be advisory. President Studley recommended not asking for a vote today since the material had just been received by most. By letting it lie over until the next meeting it would allow for clarifying questions.

A comment was raised regarding students' personal or electronic mail rights. Leo Geoffrion explained that the e-mail privacy policy adopted by IRC in 1999 and approved by All College Council in 1999 does give full privacy, therefore, what is in the Student Bill of Rights is not different from what already exists in college policy. A suggestion was made to correct the grammar in the title which Andy approved on behalf of ACC.

A procedural question was raised as to whether a motion had actually been made.

MOTION:

Pat Oles, on behalf of ACC, introduced a motion for the faculty's support of a Student Bill of Rights being adopted as College policy. (See Attachment F.) The motion will lie over until the April 4th Faculty Meeting.

MICHAEL ARNUSH – Resolution addressing Zero Percent GSA

Michael began by thanking everyone for his or her input. He further expressed that he had many individuals contact him to express their gratitude for his articulating what they think but which they are uncomfortable, unable or unwilling to express. He thanked Terry Diggory for his substitute motion.

MOTION:

Michael then read the Resolution into the record. (See Attachment G.) A question was addressed as to why the resolution only deals with GSA and not benefits. Benefits were not included because presently the fiscal recommendations that have come from the Budget and Finance Committee to President's Staff did not include recommendations about benefits and it would be premature to include reference to benefits at this time. The motion was seconded.

TERRY DIGGORY – Substitute Resolution addressing Zero Percent GSA

Terry explained he intended to express the spirit of Michael's resolution but in a way he felt would be more productive.

MOTION:

Terry read the Substitute Resolution into the record. (See Attachment H.) Terry further explained the differences between the two Resolutions. The motion on the substitute resolution was seconded. President Studley opened the floor for discussion of the motions on the floor. Discussion ensued regarding the two motions. A proposal was made to withdraw both motions in order to allow Dean Joseph to address financial matters and allow Karl Broekhuizen to provide financial answers. There were comments on both sides regarding withdrawing the motion.

MOTION:

A motion was made to table both motions and have them lie over until the April 4th Faculty Meeting.

The motion was seconded. A verbal vote was taken which was inconclusive. A show of hands was requested. The motion was passed with a majority voting in favor. The motions will lie over until the April 4th meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS

There was no other business.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

JOANNE DEVINE:

• Joanne invited everyone to participate in Senior Week Symposium to be held Tuesday, May 13, the title of which is "Mediated Society: The Role of Media in Creating Social Structures." An e-mail will be re-sent on Monday to everyone.

PHIL BOSHOFF:

• There will be a follow-up to the Shades of Gray Conference on April 1 at 8:00 p.m. The Fifth Annual Honors Forum Lecture will be Tuesday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in Davis with Michael Arnush as the speaker delivering, "War and Peace, Lessons from the Past, Blueprints for the Future." Honors Forum Development Workshops will be offered with information forthcoming. Wednesday, April 30 from 11:00 to 5:00 p.m. Phil asked that a moratorium be called on all committee meetings in orderto allow students to attend Academic Festival.

MARY LOU BATES:

• Mary Lou invited the faculty to a reception sponsored by Office of Admissions and Student Aid to be held at the Faculty Staff Club.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:02 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Colleen M. Sleezer
Executive Secretary
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Dean of the Faculty