THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE Faculty Senate Minutes October 31, 1977 The Faculty Senate met on Monday, October 31, 1977, at 3:30 pm in RL1 with Dr. Browning, chairman, presiding. Members present: Dr. Browning, Dr. Andrade, Mr. Bernhardt, Dr. Boland, Dr. Bruce, Dr. Cole, Dr. Farzanegan, Dr. Gillum, Dr. Howard, Dr. Perry, Dr. Riggs, Dr. Shoaf, Dr. Squibb, Dr. Stern, Dr. Walker, Dr. Wilson. Visitors: Dr. Bergemann, Mr. Blowers, Mr. Coyle, Dr. Coyle, Dr. Kramer, Dr. Otti, Dr. Rosenblatt. Dr. Browning announced that he had a written request from Dr. O'Donnell to be excused from the meeting due to a doctor's appointment. Visitors were recognized and were granted speaking privileges. The minutes of the May 3 Senate meeting were reviewed and approved as published. Dr. Browning said there had been a change in the Senate agenda. Dr. King, since he was going out of town on Tuesday, November 1, not to return to UNC-A as Acting Chancellor, had decided not to attend the meeting today. Dr. Highsmith is back in town and is seeing his doctor this week as to his medical status. Doctors permitting, he plans to be back in his office on Monday, November 7. Dr. King extended his apologies to the Senate and wished it well. Dr. Browning waid that Chancellor King had accomplished several things during his stay on campus. A number of jams have been broken loose concerning the new Management-Arts building. Also, activity concerning the location of the Forestry Service on campus has moved ahead. Another item of interest is that apparently Dr. King had a rather pointed discussion with Chancellor Robinson of WCU concerning the joint programs that should be fruitful from our point of view. Dr. Browning said he was not sure just where and when this would receive itself. He said he understood that Dr. King had an opportunity to meet several of the faculty. All in all, Dr. King seemed to be kept pretty busy while he was here. Dr. Bruce moved the following resolution concerning Dr. King: "That the Faculty Senate express a heartfelt thank you and appreciation to Dr. King for his service to UNC-A." The resolution was seconded by Dr. Cole and passed unanimously. Dr. Browning stated that there had been some Senate activity this fall even though it had not met formally. Most of the activity has centered around committee assignments and the amendements to the Senate Constitution. He said that the revised Constitution had been circulated to all faculty. Next on the agenda were reports from the Senate committees. Dr. Walker said he did not have a formal report at this time. The Academic Policies Committee has met only once to take care of the extension of incomplete grades. He said there had been no submissions for curriculum changes. Dr. Cole, reporting for the Institutional Development Committee, said that this committee had met several times concerning its advisory role to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs with regard to new faculty positions and priorities. This work was completed last week and Dr. Cole said he was in the process of writing a letter to the Vice Chancellor regarding activity on this matter. He said that faculty priorities were not rank ordered. IDC felt the following departments had very strong needs for additional faculty members: Management, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, and Chemistry. He stressed that these were not in rank order but that it was felt that other departments did not have as strong a need for additional faculty as these five. The next item of business the IDC will take up will be the revision of the five-year plan. Dr. C ole said it was his understanding that the five-year plan submitted last February would be published within the next month or so and it would be the responsibility of the IDC to review the plan and look at where we should go from there. The tentative agenda for IDC for the remainder of the year is as follows: (1) In November, the five year plan. Chancellor King indiciated that he felt very strongly taht WCU would not teach undergraduate courses in Asheville at some time in the future and that it was evidently something that the revised five-year plan would speak quite pointedly to. There is a potential here for quite an incrase in enrollment if UNC-A were to take over all the WCU undergraduate courses. Chancellor King also expressed his opinion that he saw UNC-A playing a real role as an undergraduate institution but he did not feel we wuld get a graduate program until we grow in numbers. (2) Summer scool programs and salaries. (3) Evening school registration procedures, particularly for non-major students. Dr. Browning asked for any questions concerning the work of the IDC committee. Dr. Farzanegan said he appreciated the work being undertaken by IDC but he asked why IDC was in charge of the five-year plan revision. Last year this was done by the Academic Policies Committee. Dr. Cole explained that last year APC dealt with the five-year plan and also the program and course revisions. It was decided this year that in order to take some of the load off APC the long-range planning would be handled by IDC. Dr. Farzangegan asked how this occurred. Dr. Browning said it happened in the Executive Committee. The main reason was to reduce the workload that was overwhelming for APC last year. Dr. Wilson, chairman of the Faculty Welfare Committee, reported that this committee had met twice. The tentative agenda for the year is as follows: (1) Revision of the faculty handbook. Dr. Wilson said this would be done in cooperation with the Vice Chancellor's office. The handbok has not been revised in a number of years. This revision would also include something with reference to a Code of Ethics. Also, included in the handbook would be a description concerning the responsibilities of the institutional committees. Dr. Wilson said any suggestions regarding the handbook would be appreciated. (2) The definition of a faculty member as described in the Senate Constitution. There are several full-time faculty members with ranks of "visiting" or "lecturer" and according to the Senate Constitution these faculty members are not allowed to vote in faculty elections and are not considered as regular faculty in the sence that ranked persons are. They are not lecturers or visitors in the same sense that they were a few years ago when lecturers or visitors only taught on a part-time basis. This matter would involve an amendment to the Constitution. (3) General university assistance for faclty growth such as travel, page costs for publication, secretarial assistance, etc. (4) Some kind of campus community form, something that would enhance faculty intellectual life and promote community relations. (5) The motion in the Senate agenda regarding TIAA tax sheltered annuity. Many insurance companies have such plans but instituting a plan would require the cooperation of the Business Office. Dr. Wilson made the following motion: "That the TIAA CREF supplemental requirement annuity plan be made available to the faculty in view of the fact that TIAA provides the alternate retirement program for UNC-A faculty." Dr. Squibb seconded the motion. Dr. Stern asked for a brief summary regarding the supporting program. Dr. Wilson said it was a plan that individually you contract with TIAA so that money is withheld from your pay before any taxes are deducted and no tax is paid on that particular money until you retire and receive the money. The motion passed unanimously. Dr. Wilson asked for any questions regarding the agenda of the Faculty Welfare Committee. He brought up one further item regarding Senate minutes from other institutions. He had received, as secretary of the Senate, copies of Senate minutes from Appalachian State University and East Carolina University and also a request from the institutions for copies of the UNC-A minutes. He asked for any objections to send the Senate minutes to these two instittions. No comments or suggestions were made and it was decided that our minutes would not be sent. Dr. Browning asked for any new business. Dr. Walker distributed copies of a resolution concerning personnel files which he said had been discussed a good bit last spring and this fall (see attached). He said that several people had asked him to propose something on this order and he felt it might best be accomplished in the form of a resolution. He moved that the Senate consider the resolution for adoption. Dr. Browning asked Dr. Walker if, before this was received as a formal motion, he wanted to discuss the rsolution or if he wanted the Senate to act on it. He said he would recomend that the Senate discuss the resolution since the Senate is bound by the Constitution to list on the agenda items that might require action. He asked Dr. Walker to summarize the purpose of the resolution. Dr. Walker said that apparently this resolution, which is based on a regulation applying to public school superintendents, seemed to be a progressive move in the area of personnel policies, something that it would seem desirable to have at UNC-A. Dr. Bruce asked, for clarification, if Dr. Walker had made a motion to adopt the resolution. Dr. Walker replied that he only wanted to submit the resolution for discussion, to be acted on at a later meeting. Dr. Shoaf asked if the resolution would get on the agenda for the next meeting without a motion. Dr. Browning replied that it would if it was the wish of the Senate and if the Senate would advise as to which committee should respond to the matter. After discussion, Dr. Browning said he would receive this resolution as a request from Dr. Walker that the Senate, in some way, consider the matter of personnel files. He said the Executive Committee would find out what the current policy is regarding personnel files and would send a written statement to Dr. Wilson asking the Faculty Welfare Committee to consider whetherthe current policy is adequate and whether or not this resolution would improve faculty status. He asked the Faculty Welfare Committee to be sure that it understood how this resolution would mesh with the University Code. He also asked the committee to be prepared to report back on this matter at the next meeting of the Senate. He asked Dr. Walker if this met with his approval. Dr. Walker said it did. Dr. Browning asked for any objections from other Senators. There were no objections. There was discussion concerning the next meeting date and it was decided that the next meeting would be tentatively set for Thursday, December 8, at 3:30 pm. Dr. Browning asked that if faculty had any work regarding curriculum changes to please present it to APC as soon as possible. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm. APPROVED: Jack Wilson Jacquelyn Peterson Faculty Senate Secretary Secretary