Faculty Policies Committee Minutes,
Present: Michelle
Benedict, Tom Crute, Gordon Eisenman, Cliff Gardiner,
Jeff Heck (secretary), Marc Miller, Bill Reese (chair), Katherine Sweeney, Wendy
Turner, Donna Wear, Janice Whiting
Minutes from
OLD BUSINESS
1. Email Policy – Gordon Eisenman and Bill Reese reported that Faculty Secretary Charles Jenks will place the most recent email policy into the Faculty Manual based on our recommendation, and that he may begin work on the organization of the manual, but that he will not be changing policies within it. Cliff Gardiner will develop a recommendation on placement of the email policy to be shared with the FPC and discussed at the next meeting.
2. Free Speech Policy – Cliff Gardiner noted a second section with the Jaguar Handbook that the FPC needs to consider in relation to free speech issues on campus. Bill Reese will review the section, forward copies to the FPC, and it will be considered at the next meeting.
3. Louis K. Bell Award – The Louis K. Bell Alumni Award, given annually, was promoted annually by the inscription of the winner’s name on a plaque placed in Reese Library until 1996, when it was determined there were insufficient funds to continue the inscription. The plaque was given to Gerald Thompson, the 1996 winner of the award. Bill Reese developed a draft letter which Jeff Heck will modify for the next meeting, requesting renewed funding for the inscription and that it be displayed once more in the library.
4. Faculty Governance –
A. Publication of Committee minutes and
End-of-Year reports to the Web:
Marc Miller and Wendy Turner distributed a third revision of a proposed amendment to the Faculty Manual related to committee reporting. After committee review, Wendy Turner moved that the amendment be accepted as read, which the FPC approved unanimously. (Read proposed amendment [Adobe Acrobat format] [HTML format].) Cliff Gardiner reported that the Committee on Committees will meet to discuss a letter to be sent to all committee chairs at the beginning of the year detailing their responsibilities, including those relating to publication. The FPC chose to table the issue of requiring committees to publish their agendas.
B. Departmental Visits –
Request that Curriculum Changes Be Done Digitally
The FPC may choose to recommend that curriculum changes be submitted to curriculum committees in electronic format, to make subsequent distribution easier and less expensive. Following experimentation with currently published Adobe Acrobat interactive forms, Tom Crute determined that the full version, not just the reader, was needed for anyone wishing to produce interactive forms to the Web. Bill Reese spoke with Cathy Barner, Assistant Director for Support Services at Information Technology Services, who will research this issue and report to him.
5. New Faculty –
Jeff Heck will reformat and distribute an unofficial version of the organizational chart. Suggestions for additions should be prepared for the next meeting.
6. Faculty Lunchroom
–
At the suggestion of Fred Barnabei, Vice President for Business and Student Services, ASU Food Services will offer a monthly faculty luncheon in Washington Hall, now through the end of the year at least. Following discussion of an option for arranging an additional buffet luncheon at Forest Hills Grille, the FPC chose to reserve the option for future action depending on the success of the Washington Hall luncheon.
7. Campus Solicitation
Policy –
Book Vendors – Fred Barnabei reported to Bill Reese that the bookstore policy changed. Instead of one vendor for book resales, there will now be five or six. The effect should be to slightly lower prices of used books for students. An separate concern is the rapid rate with which booksellers publish new editions. Marc Miller noted that sellers publish a new edition each time the used book market becomes saturated and they lose the possibility of new book sales. Other issues concerning the broader campus solicitation policy remain.
8. Employee Benefits
–
The FPC sent a letter approved at the most recent FPC meeting from Bill Reese to Employee Benefits concerning sick leave and other issues. Reese also located Board of Regents’ policies concerning sick leave and forwarded them to Cliff Gardiner, who sent them to the Employee Benefits Committee and will send them to the FPC. One possible concern is that sick leave accrual benefits TRS retirees but not ORP retirees. It was also noted that employees who never take a sick leave day in their careers may be turned down for retirement benefits. Employees must show usage of their benefits during their careers.
9. Innovative
Institutional Budgeting –
Marc Miller and Katherine Sweeney distributed a draft Statement on Development Activities, to be considered at the next meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
All other agenda items were deferred. Meeting adjourned at 5:16 p.m.
Next Meeting:
Allgood Hall, Dean’s Office Conference room, within the N210 suite