Meeting Minutes
ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES
March 5, 2007
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Academic Senate, held on March 5, 2007 was called to order at 3: p.m. by Kirtly Jones, Senate President. The meeting was held in room 115 C. Roland Christensen Center.
Roll:
Kirtly Jones (Senate President), Dan Adams, Stephen Alder, Michael Bastiani, Cynthia Bert, Paul Bernstein, Susan Bratton, Arthur Brothman, Richard Brown, Lyle Campbell, Peter Crane, David Derezotes, Gary Ellis, Gene Fitzgerald, Leslie Francis, Michael Free, Andrea Goldstein, Peter Goss, Jessica Griffith, Charles Grissom, Ray Gunn, Douglas Hacker, LaVar Harline, David Hillyard, Jan Hobson, Brooke Hopkins, Paul Hu, Russ Isabella, Kenneth Jameson, Charles Jui, David Kieda, Mike Kirby, Jacob Kirkham, Kacee Kniazava, Thomas Kontuly, Howard Lehman, Richard Lemons, Janet Lindsley, Karl Lins, Janis Louie, Zheng-Rong Lu, Mary Lucero, Daniel Medwed, Sanford Meek, Erin Miedema, Joey Mortensen, Lex Newman, Gema Guevara, Gerado Okhuysen, Richard Paine, Karen Paisley, Lester Partlow, Brian Patrick, Kathy Pope, Paul Roberts, Jan Robertson, Edward Rubin, Barry Shultz, Magel Senbel, Mikhail Skliar, Bruce Smith, Sandra Smith, Gerald Spangrude, Shonn Tanner, Michael Timberlake, Robert Wendel, Gage Williams, Joanne Yaffe, Mary Youngkin
Excused: Loris Betz, Robert Glasgow, Nancy Lines, Peter Trapa, Sharon Weinstein
Ex-officio: Robert Flores, John Francis, Paul Mogren, Susan Olson, David W. Pershing,
Others: Ann Floor, Dustin Gardner, James Graves, Stayner Landward, Margaret Landesman, Robert Newman, Joyce Ogburn, Steve Reynolds, Liz Tashjian, Phyllis Vetter
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the February 5, 2007 Academic Senate meeting were unanimously approved.
Request for New Business
There was no new business.
Consent Calendar
The resignations, retirements, faculty appointments, auxiliary, and limited term appointments, appearing in Appendices I dated February 20 and March 5, 2007 received approval to forward to the Board of Trustees.
Executive Committee Report
Joanne Yaffe, Executive Committee Secretary, summarized her written report of the February 14, 2007 Special Executive Committee meeting and the February 20, 2007 Executive Committee meeting.
Report from Administration
President Young reported that the recent legislative session, financially speaking, was not a bad year for the University. Highlights of the session included:
- 3.5 percent cost-of-living increase
- 1.5 percent for faculty retention and recruitment
- Increased operating and maintenance funds for buildings
- Increases for fuel and power (usage is down but cost is still on the rise)
- Funding to continue the digitalization process for KUED to expand the broadcasting footprint of KUED and KUER; and also expansion of media as part of the curriculum by providing the potential for more digital channels on both stations
- The final installment of funds for the Nursing and Engineering initiatives
- Discretionary money for enhancing and expanding student advising
- Funding to expand a digital media program
- $1 million in ongoing money to create two or three graduate programs on the campus of Dixie State University in St. George.
$14 million ($10 million in one-time money and $4 million in ongoing money) off-budget funding received to enhance research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and $13.5 million off-budget funding to complete the renovation of the Nursing Building and to build a chiller plant for the Health Sciences campus. All totaled, the U received $21.6 million in additional ongoing money.
Permission to bond for a new Student Life Center was approved while the bill that would have repealed the in-state tuition break for undocumented students who otherwise met the residency requirements failed; modifications were made to in-state tuition requirements, shortening the number of credit hours needed and the amount of time students need to be in the state to qualify.
The concealed weapons issue was modified to only allow student to request not to be housed with someone with a concealed weapons permit. Also, the Federal lawsuit brought by the University has been dropped.
President Young expressed appreciation to all who were up on the hill working on behalf of the University.
Report from ASUU
Jacob Kirkham was happy and surprised to report the ‘eleventh hour’ approval of the bonding for the Student Life Center and called it a February to remember for the students. The Rock the U raised $50,000 to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute with still two weeks remaining to raise their goal of $90,000.
ASUU elections are in full swing with nearly 200 candidates funning for different positions. Final election will be next week.
Notice of Intent
- Elizabeth Tashjian presented information on modifications to the parental leave policy for the academic campus, which was first approved last year. Most of the changes are only minor clarifications of language and dates. One additional change allows for a birth mother to receive an extension on the tenure clock but the language remains gender-neutral. A motion was made and passed unanimously to move the proposed changes to the parental leave policy to the debate calendar today.
- Following a lengthy discussion on revisions to policies on faculty appointments, the Senate will move these changes to the Debate calendar for the next Senate meeting.
Debate Calendar
- Parental Leave Policy modifications. These changes were passed unanimously.
Information Items
- Curt Larsen, Student Programs Manager at the Bennion Center, presented information on proposed changes to the center’s Service Learning Scholars Program which includes creating three emphases for scholars to choose from, academic, community and campus; a requirement for scholars to attend workshops; and to provide opportunities for student interaction. Curt also is requesting that an advisory board be created to administer ongoing assessments and address policy changes. A motion to accept the changes was unanimously approved.
- Marriott Library Director, Joyce Ogburn reported on the exorbitant increase in costs for journal subscriptions. Even though the research within the journals is paid for by taxpayers, tuition, federal grants, and foundations, non-U.S. publishers control ownership, access and use of the research. The journal price increases are resulting in a lack of public access to the research. Over 100 U.S. institutions of higher education have put forward resolutions. The following resolution was introduced to the Senate floor by Mary Younkin, Senator from the University Libraries:
“Whereas scholars share an interest in the widest possible dissemination of their research; and
Whereas business practices of some journal publishers have resulted in intolerable and unsustainable cost increases and subsequent loss of access; therefore
Be is resolved that, to respond to the growing crises in scholarly publishing and communication, we ask David Pershing and Lorris Betz to ensure that over the coming year university-wide conversations occur to develop courses of action for the Senate, faculty, libraries, and administration.”
The resolution passed unanimously and Ogburn encouraged senators to invite a librarian to talk with them and their colleagues about the emerging trends in scholarly communication.
New Business
There was no new business.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 pm.