Faculty Policies Committee Minutes,
Present: Michelle
Benedict, Barbara Coleman, Bill Dodd, Gordon Eisenman, Cliff Gardiner, Jim
Garvey, Andy Hauger (chair), Jeff Heck (secretary), Donna Hobbs, Bill Reese,
Sabina Widner
Agenda items: Old Business
1. Full-Time/Part-Time Faculty Ratio – Dr.
Sam Sullivan, VPAA, presented his work toward allocating faculty positions on
campus. He handed out a spreadsheet with calculations that determine the
minimum required number of faculty to cover required classes within each
department, reviewed the handout, and requested comments and ideas. The
formulas do not include some influencing factors, such as differences in
quantity of time required between classes to provide support, grading, etc. For
example, honors and graduate-level classes generally need smaller class sizes
because more time is required to evaluate the work of each student.
The initial
work showed that while many departments have the correct number of faculty,
many require additional positions. Each department will be expected to provide to
Sullivan the additional factors that affect the evaluation, such as
accreditation limits on class size. The final work also will include
recommendations on use of part-time faculty, full-time temporary faculty, and a
category of employees only recently approved by the BOR for use at ASU, senior
lecturers. These lecturers will be non-tenure track employees who will be
eligible for promotion. Sullivan seeks a balance between the stability of
full-time permanent faculty and the flexibility of temporary and part-time
faculty.
Bill Dodd
noted that Learning Support is unique in having many full-time permanent
faculty who are not tenure-track. He requested that the percentage of
non-tenure track, part-timers, lecturers, etc. (which must be no more than 10
percent of the total faculty), not include these learning support personnel. Michelle
Benedict noted that the spreadsheet needs to use optimum class size numbers and
number of faculty, not the current ones, because we’re already stretched thin
from cuts during the past two years.
2. Minutes of
3. Retirement Benefits Survey of New Faculty
– The FPC reviewed results of a survey of new faculty about the retirement
benefits available at ASU. Survey comments indicate that individual time and
attention are needed for new faculty to understand their options and make good
choices for their situation. The full results of the survey will be available
to the committee in two days. Andy Hauger will contact Peter Basciano from the
Business unit to set up a time for him to meet with the FPC to discuss possible
recommendations. The FPC will forward the survey in mid-January, with comment
and a charge, to the Employee Benefits Committee for review and for them to generate
recommendations.
4. Retention/Graduation Study – The
committee reviewed the final version of the Retention and Graduation Report.
Some suggestions for changes were made, which will be compiled by Jim Garvey by
Tuesday. He will distribute a copy of the report to all committee members; Andy
Hauger will carry a copy to President Bloodworth.
Meeting
adjourned:
Next Meeting: