Faculty Meeting Minutes
October 2, 2015
Gannett Auditorium
MINUTES
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
DOF/VPAA Breslin asked if there were any corrections to, or comments regarding, the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held September 11, 2015. Hearing none, he announced the minutes were approved.
DEAN OF THE FACULTY AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS' REPORT
DOF/VPAA Breslin read a statement acknowledging that a number of individuals expressed serious concerns, both publicly in various venues and in private, about some of the decisions that have been made and, in particular, about the decision-making process itself. Because these concerns speak directly to our ability to work effectively as a community, DOF/VPAA Breslin acknowledged them. He stated that the strength of any community is directly dependent upon its ability to contemplate and discuss openly, honestly, and meaningfully, those issues that affect the community's well-being and success. The strength of the community is also built on trust -- trust in each other to do our work to the best of our abilities as well as trust in the fairness and effectiveness of our processes and procedures. DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that over the past month or two, he has heard concerns about the College’s decision-making process, about the steps the President and Cabinet have taken to enhance our work around diversity and inclusion, about the recent changes in our health care and retirement investment programs, and about recent changes in our communications division. While reasonable people can agree or disagree about the wisdom of these decisions, DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that he believes those were the right decisions because they will make the College stronger and serve all of us well. Somehow, though, that seems less important right now placed alongside what he believes to be the bigger issue—the issue of process.
DOF/VPAA Breslin acknowledged that the administration should have managed the decision-making process differently and consulted with the appropriate bodies. Consultation and transparency are the most important ingredients in any decision-making process and, indeed, in the sustained health of the community. It is clear that the administration has sometimes forgotten that and, thus, has failed to live up to the standards we have set for ourselves. DOF/VPAA Breslin recognized that concerns had been raised about the lack of consultation especially with the Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure (CAPT) when the President added two members of the Cabinet, namely a Vice President for Communication and Marketing and a new Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity. DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that he believes these are the right decisions and is happy to discuss why they are essential to supporting the College and all of Academic Affairs. However, focusing on the wisdom of the President's decision to add two vice presidents does not and should not overshadow the important process-oriented issues.
DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that he has apologized to the President and acknowledged that when the President informed him that he was making these appointments he should have suggested that he consult with CAPT. While he deeply regrets not doing this, he explained that he reviewed the Faculty Handbook, in particular the clause in Part V, Section 1(B) on page 501, that refers to the President’s cabinet. The last sentence of that clause reads "the composition of the Cabinet is determined by the President and may be altered by him or her in consideration of the evolving needs of the college." In reading that clause, DOF/VPAA Breslin believed that the President has authority to alter the composition of the cabinet, and in fact, he was supportive of the decision to add new voices on cabinet. However, DOF/VPAA Breslin explained that there is also a sentence in the Faculty Handbook, Part II, Section 2(F)(2) that reads "the administration shall consult CAPT to determine which administrative personnel decisions the committee judges to require faculty representation" DOF/VPAA Breslin admitted that he erred and that he should have put more weight on this sentence in advising the President with regard to how we should move forward. At that time, he believed the President should and would consult with CAPT when he starts a national search for the permanent Vice President for Communications and Marketing just as he would consult with CAPT when he commences the search for the next Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs. Faculty ought to be, and will be, on those search committees, and CAPT should be consulted.
With regard to the Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that he honestly saw this position as an extension of an already-existing position. The Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU) had recommended a chief diversity officer, and the President felt comfortable imbedding the responsibilities of that position in an established position in his office. In some sense, he thought the President was fulfilling the wishes of CIGU, a sub-committee that has solid faculty representation. In retrospect, DOF/VPAA Breslin conceded that he should have advised the President to consult with CAPT given the importance of this position to the entire community. For that reason, DOF/VPAA regrets that he made a mistake in not pushing the President to consult CAPT, and he apologized to the faculty.
Even as he acknowledges with regret that we should have proceeded in a more-consultative fashion, DOF/VPAA Breslin wants to make it clear that he and the Cabinet do value the community and recognize that mutual trust has been harmed. The administration will recommit to engaging in the appropriate levels of collaboration and consultation. He assures every member of this community that the leadership team cares deeply about this College and everyone in it. The decisions made might not always be popular but they are always what the administration believes is in the best interests of the College - always.
Concluding his remarks, DOF/VPAA Breslin spoke about the issue of trust. Ultimately, he said, trust is fragile. It is a delicate and yet critically important component of what we do here. Our community rests on many things, among the most important is the trust the community has in the administration and that students have in the faculty, and so on. When we jeopardize that trust, it hurts everyone. DOF/VPAA Breslin went on to say that one of the proudest moments he had in his five years as DOF/VPAA and in his 17 years at the College is when FEC brought a motion to the faculty floor to suspend faculty observers at board meetings. While it was in the context, very smartly, of lowering faculty workload, it also said something about the ways in which the faculty saw the administration—that we were doing something right and that we established the trust that was necessary to make things as smooth as possible in a very complex institutional organization. DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that the fact that that trust has been jeopardized is heartbreaking for him. At the end of the day, these are important decisions, and we make them in a way that is timely and consultative but, sometimes, we make errors. For that, on behalf of the President and the cabinet, he apologized for the mistakes that have been made and he recommitted the Cabinet to building the trust of the faculty.
Thereafter, Michael West, Vice President for Administration and Finance and Treasurer, read a statement indicating that the College is adjusting its health plans to address increasingly dynamic national health care trends that are driving up costs for providers and participants, with estimated national trends showing increases in health care of 6 to 10 percent, pharmacy at 11 percent, and specialty drugs at 19 percent. The College is trying to keep costs and future increases more manageable for both employees and the College, while at the same time adding college-subsidized dental plans with upgraded options providing employees with the ability to obtain affordable dental care, and offering a more comprehensive wellness program that will expand over the next few years and be available to all college employees regardless of the plan you choose.
After a review of five possible vendors, Skidmore selected MVP to administer its plans. MVP has a large network of regional and national primary care providers, along with options for specialists and hospitals expanded through their partnership with CIGNA. MVP offered the college a very good match of networks of hospitals and physicians—a 99 percent match for hospitals and a 95 percent match for physicians with a 98 percent composite rate weighted average. MVP is well-recognized in the market place as a third party administrator, and they had the most competitive price; employees enrolled in either plan will see cost increases of 3 percent or less compared to this year's rates. VP West indicated that he recognizes the thought of health care plan changes can be concerning and assured everyone that the administration will do everything it can to make sure these transitions go smoothly.
VP West addressed the communication recently sent by Barbara Beck, Assistant Vice President and Director of Human Resources, outlining the changes in our health plan this year. He stated that the Skidmore College PPO and EMO plans are our plans, specific to the college. They are self-insured, meaning the college funds the actual costs rather than paying higher premiums for traditional or community-rated insurance, although the College does purchase what is known as a stop loss coverage of $250,000 for any loss greater than that.
VP West reminded everyone that the new plan year starts January 1, and open enrollment usually starts in November. Because of the impending changes, the administration has issued this information approximately a month earlier than prior years. Regarding the notifications, the College received recommended rate information from our broker on Friday, September 25. The information was analyzed and a decision was finalized, issuing a notification to the community on Tuesday, September 29. Concerning the overall schedule, VP West indicated that final recommendations for our plan were received on August 4. His office reviewed these complex recommendations and sought additional information and clarification, giving direction to the broker and Barbara Beck on August 17. He briefly informed cabinet on August 22 of upcoming changes and the issue discussed at Cabinet’s retreat on September 1. VP West started the process of informing the IPPC Budget and Finance Subcommittee on September 4 at its first meeting of the year and he updated IPPC at its first meeting on September 11. On September 18, he informed the IPPC Budget and Finance Subcommittee of the selection of our third party administrator and IPPC at its meeting on September 25. At their meeting on October 2, he responded to IPPC questions and concerns about these changes.
VP West assured everyone that the purpose of conducting an RFP for our health plan and third party administrator was to truly find the best solution and provide the best possible support for the faculty and staff of the college. The administration views the RFP process and plan changes, including the selection of the third party administrator, to be administrative decisions and not as a major policy change. Additionally, VP West stated that the College is most challenged in striving to meet the requirements of the affordable care act, the upcoming Cadillac tax of 40 percent in 2018, various mergers occurring in the industry, including AETNA Humana, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and CIGNA, various scheduling issues, and more. Additionally, Federal and state laws and regulations and other mandates over which the College does not have control may possibly require some changes in the culture at Skidmore.
In concluding, VP West offered his apologies to the faculty, staff and their families, as well as to President Glotzbach, the Cabinet, Barbara Beck, and members of the IPPC, for any harm that may have been caused by the announcements. He pledged to work much more closely with the IPPC Budget and Finance Subcommittee and the full IPPC on these and similar matters.
Following these reports, the floor was opened for questions and comments.
- Appreciation was given to both DOF/VPAA Breslin and VP West for acknowledging that the faculty’s trust in the administration has been harmed as a result of the lack of communication. A larger issue was raised concerned whether there is an issue in the relationships with the different divisions at the institution that is preventing adequate communication and that Skidmore is developing an increasingly corporate culture. Addressing these concerns, DOF/VPAA Breslin stated that there appears to be a very significant misconception that Academic Affairs has a lesser voice on Cabinet given the members added to Cabinet. DOF/VPAA Breslin assured everyone that this is not the case and that the other members of the Cabinet understand and support the importance of academic affairs and the academic mission.
- A concern was expressed that neither greater attentiveness by IPPC faculty representatives, nor improved communication between the administration and faculty is sufficient when it comes to significant changes in benefits. Rather, the last significant change in benefits involved direct faculty/staff participation in planning as well as fora for community feedback, and that should serve as a model for future benefits planning.
- With regard to the change in Skidmore’s health care provider and MVP having the most competitive rates, VP West discussed the disruption analysis as part of the response to the RFP. While proposals from some companies provided a greater savings to Skidmore, the disruption was higher. If Skidmore were to stay with the current providers, employees would have incurred an 8 to 10 percent increase in their health care costs. With MVP, employees will see a 3 percent or less increase in their current health care costs and the college is saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. VP West also briefly discussed the upcoming Cadillac tax.
- Concern was made with regard to faculty travelling for extended periods of time all over the world and they would have issues with their insurance coverage. VP West stressed that Skidmore is self-insured—the plan with MPV is not an HMO—and that coverage outside the immediate area is covered through MVP’s CIGNA network.
- Suggestion was made that when important information is made through email, such as the changes to the health care providers, that the important information is detailed upfront and not embedded in the middle of an email.
- Brief discussion was held about the possibility of some employees being forced out of the network. In this case, it might be possible to approach a physician to see if they would be willing to join the network.
- Discussion was held on the decision to eliminate the communications division and the loss of positions. Michael Casey, Vice President for Advancement, detailed the reasons for the decision to eliminate the communications department, noting that the department had been under review for quite some time.
- A faculty member noted an observation that there appears to be a different set of principles for administrative hiring than faculty are asked to apply for faculty hires, noting specifically the Dean of Special Programs, the Registrar, the Tang Director and the CDO were hired without inclusive searches.. DOF/VPAA Breslin responded that the recent appointment for the vice president for communications and marketing is for an interim position and, as he previously stated, a national search for a vice president for communications and marketing will be done; faculty will be involved, and it will be an inclusive search. DOF/VPAA Breslin also acknowledged that hires for the Dean of Special Programs, the Registrar, the Tang director, and the CDO were made without inclusive searches, and he indicated that he was pleased with his appointments.
- Discussion was held on the president’s appointment of the chief diversity officer, in particular that the faculty feel the appointment was made in violation of the language in the Faculty handbook. While he could not speak for the President, DOF/VPAA Breslin indicated that he believed the president was influenced by CIGU’s report and their recommendation. He further indicated that he supported the decision because he strongly believes in the need for a partner when it comes to issues of social justice, diversity and inclusion, while recognizing his own ineffectiveness and inabilities to do this important work. When the suggestion was made for a CDO, he was excited about someone who could help me move the college forward in that particular area.
OLD BUSINESS
On behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee, Professor Denise Smith read the following Motion that was introduced at the last Faculty Meeting (see attached):
MOTION: The Faculty Executive Committee moves that the 2015-2016 Faculty Handbook be adopted. The following link takes you to the 2015-2016 Faculty Handbook (showing tracked changes) as well as handbooks from previous years: https://www.skidmore.edu/dof-vpaa/faculty-handbooks.php
There being no further discussion, the Motion was voted on and passed by majority vote.
NEW BUSINESS
On behalf of the Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure, Professor Mehmet Odekon introduced the following Motion (see attached):
MOTION: The Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure proposes the following change to the Faculty Handbook Part One, Section VIII, Article E.5.c.i (Procedures for Tenure) and Part One, Section XIII, Article F.2.a.vii (Procedures for Promotion):
Current Language: Full-time faculty and those holding shared appointments in the department concerned (in the ranks defined in Part One [Faculty Rights and responsibilities], Article VI [Appointments to the Faculty], Sections A [Tenure-Track Appointments] and E [Non-Tenure-Track Appointments], number 2b [Artist- or Writer-in-Residence]) who are in at least their third year of full-time service at Skidmore;
Proposed Language: Full-time faculty and those holding shared appointments in the department concerned who are in at least their third year of full-time service at Skidmore;
There were no information questions or discussion concerning the Motion. Thus, the Motion will lie over until the next meeting.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
A Committee of the Whole was held to discuss campus climate. Professor Denise Smith, as Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, was appointed as chair of the Committee of the Whole. A 15-minute time limit was set. Based upon robust discussion, the time limit was extended to allow everyone who wished to speak to do so. At the conclusion of the Committee of the Whole, Professor Smith rose and reported that a discussion on the topic of campus climate was held.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- On behalf of the Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP), Professor April Bernard announced that CEPP has received a proposal from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science to divide into two departments. Professor Bernard indicated that CEPP will review the proposal and will then bring it back to the faculty for discussion and vote. Professor Bernard also reminded everyone that CEPP is seeking faculty feedback on the proposed general education curriculum and encouraged everyone to respond to the October lunches poll.
- On behalf of the Faculty Development Committee, Professor Greg Pfitzer announced the deadline for nominations for the Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Lectureship Edwin Moseley is October 16, 2015.
- Ian Berry, Dayton Director of the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, invited everyone to a reception at the Tang immediately following the faculty meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:01 p.m.
Executive Administrative Assistant