December 2010

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
December 10, 2010

Attendance: Peg Bacon, David Moon, Pam Carter, Morgan Shepherd, Peggy Beranek, Katie Kaukinen, Amanda Sinclair, David Weiss, Rita Hug, Bob Durham, Rebecca Webb, Rory Lewis, Sheri Trumpfheller, Christina Martinez, Julaine Field, Michele Companion, Daniel Worden, Barbara Frye, Lonnie Schaible, Charlie Shub, Ron Fitz

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from November 12, 2010 meeting by Pam Carter
Seconded by Bob Durham
Motion passed unanimously

Reports of Visitors:

Andrea Cordova:
An informational update on Commencement, which will be held on Friday, December 17 at 2:00pm at the World Arena, was given to the Assembly.  On Tuesday, December 14 from 9:00am – 2:00pm, caps and gowns may be picked up in the University Center.  This is the first semester that sustainable regalia will be offered and if selected, be sure to hold on to it and not turn it in after the ceremony.  There also is a new location for faculty to convene this semester, so be sure to carefully review the recent e-mail from the Chancellor’s office regarding Commencement.

Pam Shockley:
We are continuing to work with the ISIS system on resolving technical issues with registration.  We are now experiencing problems that are not happening across the entire system.  However, the grading system seems to be working fine.  Please be sure to contact the appropriate ISIS system personnel if you experience any problems and let them know.

Spring enrollment is currently off from where it should be – there are approximately 1600 students sitting in shopping carts, not realizing that that is not the final step to register.  Nearly 61% of our students have never purchased online, so they are not familiar with the process.  Due to this situation, it is very important for deans, associate deans and department chairs to monitor courses over the break and make adjustments as necessary.  We need to communicate with students to inform them of the correct registration procedures.  Although there is no financial impact to register, it is misunderstood that they must “buy” and “pay,” so they assume that by sitting in the shopping cart, they are registered for the class but will not need to pay yet.

The timing on the budget for spring was presented in November and will be laid out early in the year (February 2011).  The major concern is to avoid disproportionate cuts to CU as what happened in 2002-03 where CU took 40% of the cuts.  Assuming that we will get our enrollments where they need to be, we should be able to get off of the cliff in a stable manner without any anticipated additional budget cuts at this time.  The budget plan will be presented to the campus in a budget forum.  Since the state budget is $1 billion in the red, planning is the best strategy.

The update on the e-mail policy is that a website is being created for a list serve for informal discussions.  A set of expectations of usage for the website will be created along with an agreement to follow those policies.  The advisory group and Chancellor will adjudicate the policy.  A suggestion has been made to post Monday morning notices on all campus events instead of daily announcements so everyone can plan out their weekly schedules better.  This is a revision of an old policy and not a new policy.

Peg Bacon:
Theatreworks and VAPA music programs are currently being presented that are very entertaining and worthwhile to see, so try to attend those if possible.  We are in the process of developing the university within budget constraints, focusing on recruitment and retention.  Weekend University, which contains at least 10 courses, is now being offered to increase class accessibility and online education.  The General Education Taskforce goals were presented to the faculty and were passed by a 93% faculty vote.  The next phase is curriculum alignment, which will start in January.  The President’s Fund for Humanities received seven submitted proposals from UCCS and all seven were funded.  The Sustainability all-campus read for next fall has been determined (No Impact Man by Colin Beavan) and the connection will be made across campus disciplines.

Susan Szpyrka:
Solar panels were installed in Centennial Hall.  Fire alarm testing will start at the beginning of spring semester.  Remodeling of the first floor public spaces in the University Center will start in the spring and be completed by fall orientation.  There is an exciting speaker series being offered with the first guest speaker, Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream, presenting on April 7 in Gallogly Events Center.

Mark Malone:
Faculty Council has been very busy.  Regent Kyle Hybl spoke to the group concerning several issues, including the issue of campus morale.  The dependent tuition program at UCCS is a well-received benefit and will be expanded to other campuses.  The timing of non-tenure track faculty issues is questionable due to the economy.  The effort to reduce and consolidate the number of university policies has been effective – 210 policies have been reduced to 94.  It was discussed that suggestions made to save campus money be encouraged and rewarded individually.  It was also determined that the instructor workload issue at CU Denver was not a multi-campus issue.  While also attending Regents meetings, it was noted that the regents approved transfer policies from other institutions.  They are also regrouping the committee on intercollegiate athletics.  University communications are being examined and an ad-hoc committee is being created to review this topic.

Robert Bode:
As Director of Financial Aid, the importance of tracking students who receive financial aid was illustrated.  There are federal attendance regulations established for financial aid students and grant money is based on those attendance records.  It is imperative that grade/attendance records are accurately recorded and documented so that it can be determined if students have actually earned financial aid.

Officer Reports:

President’s Report
Report attached

Vice-President’s Report
No report

Past President’s Report
No report

Reports of FRA Executive Council:

Don Morley:
Not present – no report

Tom Napierkowski:
Not present – no report

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report:
Report attached; added Professional Practice section to FRPA; Student Academic Ethics Code will be reviewed by FRA in the spring; new chair is Andrea Hutchins

Personnel & Benefits:
Have not met this month

Faculty Advisory Committee on the Budget:
Report attached

Minority Affairs Committee:
Report attached; working on spring activities

Women’s Committee:
No one present – no report

Non-Tenure Track Faculty:
Report attached

Academic Computing:
No one present – no report

Library:
The future of the library has been discussed as students meet and group with new technology.  Apple’s movement to replace hardcover books with I Pads for students was also discussed.

Intercollegiate Athletics:
Our home basketball team beat the defending national champions; academic honors have been attained by some student athletes

Sustainability:
No one present – no report

PRIDE:
No one present – no report

OLD BUSINESS

(See Motion #1)

NEW BUSINESS

(See Motion #2)

Accommodation for Religious Observances Policy (document attached) was discussed.  The purpose of this policy is to increase awareness of other religious holidays, beliefs and observations.  It is generally believed that stating the class rules at the beginning of class each semester so that students know the rules and regulations is necessary.

MOTIONS

a. Correct misspelling of “PERFORAMNCES” at top of page 6
b. Correct misspelling of “INTRNAL” on item C on page 8
c. Change last heading of table on item C to “Status

1. The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends approval of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Faculty Report of Professional Activities (FRPA) (document attached).  (motion passed unanimously to approve use of form with corrections noted below)
2. Faculty Representative Assembly endorses the Civility in Use of University Email Policy (document attached).  The discussion clarified that an advisory committee will be formed to review possible violations of this policy and make recommendations to the Chancellor.  (motion passed with all but one vote, which was an abstention)

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Amanda Sinclair
Seconded by Michele Companion
Motion passed unanimously
Meeting adjourned at 2:09 p.m.