December 2009

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
December 11, 2009

Attendance: Andrew Czaplewski, Jackie Berning, Peg Bacon, David Moon, Jim Null, Pam Carter, Suzanne Cook, Gayanne Scott, Morgan Shepherd, David Anderson, Josh Dunn, Christina Martinez, Dorothea Olkowski, Tom Napierkowski, Andrea Hutchins, Bob Durham, Amanda Sinclair, Roger Sambrook, Mariyam Thohira, Don Morley, Ron Fitz

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from November 13, 2009 meeting by Jim Null
Seconded by Bob Durham
Motion passed unanimously

Reports of Visitors:

Peg Bacon:
Chancellor Shockley-Zalabak is currently in Norway attending the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which is the concluding event of the 8th Annual Public Services Summit held in Stockholm, Sweden, which she attended as one of 300 people invited from throughout the world to participate.

The Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Enrollment Management search committee is bringing four candidates in for campus interviews on the following dates: January 4th and 5th, January 7th and 8th, January 11th and 12th and January 14th and 15th.  Enrollment is looking good – up 5.3% for Spring.

We continue to face budget cuts from the state as a result of worsening state fiscal conditions, including UCCS’ share of a federal stimulus shortfall estimated at $1.5 million for 2010-11.  Stimulus funds are not going to be enough to sustain us and we are now faced with the potential for a steeper than expected financial “cliff effect.”  The Academic Innovations Teams, consisting of five task forces, are all currently meeting to help address these budget issues and may provide long-term benefits to the university’s budget.

Gayanne Scott:
The state budget took another $145 million cut, with another cut coming for higher education.  State funding for UCCS may decline from a high of $22.9 million in 2008 to possibly only $10 million at the end of 2011.  The December 18 state revenue forecast will be pivotal to future funding decisions.  It seems that we keep hitting new bottoms and the Chancellor will be talking about a mini-cliff effect.  We will have better numbers in January, so be sure to go to the upcoming Chancellor forums during the spring semester addressing the budget as new information becomes available.

The Event Center is progressing on schedule for the January 22, 2010 grand opening and the Science building renovation is also on schedule for an August 2010 re-opening.

Officer Reports:

President’s Report
Report attached

Vice-President’s Report
No report

Past President’s Report
No report

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report:
EPUS recommended approval of the UCCS Academic Ethics Code and endorsed, with a few suggested modifications, the Administrative Policy Statement on the Roles and Responsibilities of Department Chairs and the Administrative Policy Statement on Adopting Standards for the Intercampus Transfer of Students Among the Three General Campuses.  They will be working on FRPA in the spring (Scholarly Reports).

Personnel & Benefits:
The Salary Grievance Policy will be discussed in the Motions.

Faculty Advisory Committee on the Budget:
Bob Durham said that UBAC will meet on 12/17/09, but the state revenue figures will not be available until the following day, 12/18/09.

Minority Affairs Committee:
Report attached – MOSAIC graduation was nice.

Women’s Committee:
FAWC distributed fall mini-grants; better channels are opening with CU system.

Non-Tenure Track Faculty:
Report attached – Boulder has a 3-year contract for NTT faculty.

Academic Computing:
No Report

Library:
Committee is working on improving library services and welcomes input.

Intercollegiate Athletics:
Women’s soccer team went to the playoffs; faculty is encouraged to attend the 01/08/10 basketball game in the new Event Center (soft opening).

Sustainability:
Report attached

PRIDE:
There will be a week of activities planned for spring semester.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

None

MOTIONS

1. The Personnel & Benefits Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends approval of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Salary Grievance Policy for Faculty.  (passed unanimously)

1. The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends approval of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Academic Ethics Code.  (postponed until February 2010 meeting)

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Andrea Hutchins
Seconded by Tom Napierkowski
Motion passed unanimously

Meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.