LA&S ASSEMBLY

(January 28, 2004)

Liberal Arts and Sciences Assembly
Minutes for January 28, 2004

Sally Turner, Moderator, welcomed the faculty..

Minutes of the September 26, 2003 LA&S Assembly meeting were circulated and approved with a correction; namely, Betsy Yanik was elected to the Vice President’s Advisory Committee as the Natural Sciences & Nursing representative (moved by Amy Sage Webb and seconded by Karen Smith).

Turner asked General Education Council candidates James Starr, Janet Borst, Amy Sage Webb and Gary Holcomb (absent but his comments were presented by Turner) to introduce themselves briefly prior to voting. Amy Sage Webb was elected to complete a three-year term that ends May 2006.

Interim Dean Sobieski’s remarks focused on six items:
First, he announced that his “name is in the pool” for the current dean’s search. Regarding the budget, LA&S had requested approximately $600,000 which he prioritized to $200,000 to cover the replacement of faculty and student laboratory computers that weren’t on the CTECH non-supported listing. Beyond that, he prioritized some departmental requests on a rotating basis from last year, so all departments receive some funding.

Also tied to the budget were six sabbatical requests from LA&S. All six sabbaticals were approved, and there will be an attempt to identify part-time contract funds to meet sabbatical needs. Sobieski also clarified that the anticipated increase in our budget requires that ESU come up with unfunded mandates which amount to almost a million dollars. The impact on the LA&S budget is uncertain, and “that is why part-time positions are being scrutinized in great detail.”

Next, Sobieski addressed financial aid and student attendance. He explained that due to changes in Federal loan policies in recent years, ESU is liable for loans that students receive prior to the start of school even when they do not attend classes and drop out (e.g., $180,000 last year). He estimated that this year the amount will be approximately $80,000. Faculty were asked to track student attendance and complete the business office forms “because the longer a student attends classes, the more the student becomes responsible for repayment.” Dwight Moore and Marvin Harrell expressed the desire for greater communication between the Registrar’s office and Financial Aid regarding student non-attendance forms. Jorge Ballester suggested that faculty’s signatures on student non-attendance forms declare the faculty as “preparer” of the document rather than “responsible for” its contents.

The dean used overheads to inform faculty about performance agreements (PAs) which are struck between the Regents’ universities and the Board of Regents and legislature. These agreements make ESU responsible for goals related to one or more institutional directions. All Regents’ schools have to address articulation seamlessness, and in all, there are six Regents goals. ESU must have at least three PAs, and the Strategic Planning Committee has chosen five that the dean has shared with chairs. This year PAs require the university to:
*expand elementary education program at KCKCC
*expand the number of bachelor’s students who have had one or more “mentored” educational experiences
*continue and further ongoing efforts to provide access and recruit students from diverse ethnic backgrounds
*develop programs to insure the academic success of first generation college students
*improve university information systems through the Title III grant.

Sobieski asked for continued faculty understanding of the complexities of the math lab experiment which is undergoing evaluation.

Finally, Sobieski reminded faculty about the LAS teaching, scholarship and service awards that will be given at the end of the semester.

Turner presented the Sabbatical Merit Pay Proposal and a discussion by the Assembly membership ensued. A number of issues (e.g., role of departmental FRC document; merit increase based on the College or candidate) were considered. Eventually the proposal was amended and approved (moved by Webb; seconded by Elaine Henry). The approved policy reads as follows:

All faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who have had sabbaticals during the period of evaluation under consideration and who have submitted an Annual Accumulative Addition are eligible for merit pay. Departmental FRC documents in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will articulate how merit pay increases will be considered for faculty who have had sabbaticals. Departments that do not have such a policy to determine how merit will be awarded to faculty who have had sabbaticals will award faculty who have had sabbaticals at least the candidate’s average merit score over the previous two evaluation periods.

Turner introduced the Vice President’s Advisory Committee proposal (moved by Webb; seconded by Philip Heldrich) and asked Ron Keith to provide the Assembly with the history behind the proposal along with amendments he was proposing. Keith explained that the 2000-2001 dean’s advisory committee was charged with drafting a procedure for electing LA&S representatives to the newly established Vice President’s Advisory Committee, and these practices weren’t officially approved at the time. Keith began to explain the first of two improvements in the form of amendments. The first amendment (moved by Keith; seconded by Harrell) related to allowing nominations from the floor of the Assembly. After faculty discussion, it was moved (Henry) and seconded (Harrell) that the proposal should go back to committee for further review and input by LA&S faculty.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Myrna Cornett-DeVito
Secretary

 

Last Updated April 24, 2007