FAC091198

September 11, 1998

Attendance: Tom Zwirlein, Richard Blade, Paul Harvey, Douglas Swartzendruber, David Fenell, Ramaswami Dandapani, Tom Napierkowski, Don Morley, Doris Carey, Mark Malone, Robert Carlson, Harlow Sheidley, Paul Sondrol, Rex Welshon, Mary Beth Chambers, Mary Hagedorn, Diana Cooke.

Guests: Chancellor Linda Bunnell Shade, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John Pierce, Vice Chancellor for Student Success Pam Shockley, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic and Multicultural Affairs Lynda Dickson, University Relations Director Susan Martz, Athletic Director Randy Cubero, Jim Henderson, PESA President Jan Tharp, Ron Fitz of the Silver & Gold Record.

I. WELCOME - TOM ZWIRLEIN

Zwirlein welcomed everyone to the 1998-1999 Faculty Representative Assembly and thanked everyone for coming. For the first time, all the positions on the Faculty Representative Assembly are filled this fall.

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

It was moved and seconded to approve the May 8, 1998 Faculty Representative Assembly meeting minutes. Motion passed.

III. COMMENTS FROM THE CHANCELLOR - CHANCELLOR LINDA BUNNELL SHADE

The Chancellor expressed her appreciation to Douglas Swartzendruber for a wonderful job leading Faculty Assembly last year. The Chancellor has met with Tom Zwirlein about faculty issues and she looks forward to working with him.

Progress has been made with faculty governance with increased mutual respect. The Chancellor is committed to balance process about making decisions with timely decision making.

We have important policy developments to bring to our campus this year. As we grow we need to rely more on policies rather than year to year policy making. The impact of large first time freshmen classes will be noticeable around the campus.

The Chancellor wants to continue the campus forums. There were two last year.

The Chancellor wants to work on discussions on faculty salaries. The Chancellor is committed to the issue of the lack of quality of the faculty course questionnaire.

A major task this year will be how to operate with the University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC), to see how UBAC functions, and to see when UBAC can deliver decisions so we are not always in a catch up mode. Cleve McDaniel, the new VCAF, has lots of good ideas on improving how we do business on campus.

The budget process will also be reformed by a commitment by the President and the Regents called the Integrated Resource Management which will be implemented in conjunction with the TLE so that campus budgets will be related to strategic goals. It will not be accomplished in one year as it will be a long process but it is one that is long overdue.

When the books were closed last night, we came in at about 4 % enrollment growth.

The Chancellor will be working with Tom Zwirlein and Faculty Assembly on issues that primarily surround the Regents and the President’s office which will include TLE and external issues. The Chancellor will rely on John Pierce to work on the academic and salary issues.

The August 23^rd article in The Sunday Denver Post was very positive about our campus. Zwirlein said we had also been recognized in the US News and World Report.

The Chancellor said the library construction ground breaking will probably start the middle of October. The capital request for this year is the remodeling of Main Hall and Cragmor Hall and for an addition to the Engineering Building.

There was an article in the Gazette about the sports complex and the Chancellor has received positive comments about it from the community.

Parking was a mess the first week and the Chancellor appreciates everyone’s patience. We had some surprises. We had not sold enough HUB permits to students. We obviously have some issues around these dirt parking lots. It would take $100,000 to gravel the lots and then it would be two weeks during which the lots could not be used. The good news is that students are coming to campus and staying all day. The engineering lot will be closed any day now. We have hired two new police officers.

IV. COMMENTS FROM THE VCAA - JOHN PIERCE

Dr. Pierce wanted to reiterate his thanks to everyone. He has just finished his first year here and he has learned a lot. An ongoing task is to create the academic infrastructure to support the changes to the campus. We moved a long way towards that goal last year and this year we will be finishing up a lot of those things we started and get them into place and start a few new things. Dr. Pierce thanked the Representative Assembly and all the faculty who helped make things happen.

We are moving on the core curriculum process. The committee was formed late last spring and has co-chairs designated. They will soon be having the first meeting of the fall and the Chancellor will be there to charge the committee.

In response to the initiative from the Representative Assembly, the Computing Task Force has been formed. They have met all summer.

Next week a task force will be meeting to examine the roll and structure of continuing education on our campus. There will be representatives from all the colleges and Kathleen Beatty is chairing the task force.

We should soon receive the final report on sponsored programs.

There is a TLE implementation process with a large committee with Sue Mitchell, David Moon, and Peg Bacon as tri-chairs. When the TLE implementation documents come out, they will be presented to the campus community in various formats for response.

We are going to explore the development of new faculty minority process with Lynda Dickson. The stimulus for that came originally out of the Faculty Women’s Committee. We are going to develop a model that responds to the needs of women for retention, faculty of color, and junior faculty.

We are looking at changes in the budget process. We are continuing to work on different models for salary allocations internally.

As you know more growth is anticipated and we need to work carefully on planning not just for the numbers but the location of the numbers.

Parts of the Master Plan will include facilities and the TLE implementation plan.

Dr. Pierce introduced Jim Henderson from CC who is working with the Chancellor.

V. COMMENTS FROM THE INTERIM ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AND

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS - LYNDA DICKSON

Dickson sees the interim position as a challenge and an opportunity. It is a challenge because it is possible to have a commitment to diversity. We need to make sure our growth reflects the diversity in the state and the nation. Dickson is looking forward to contributing to the development of strategies that allow us to do that in a way that does not offend the people who are already here.

Zwirlein said one of the areas where we can specifically help Dickson is when Dickson forms the search for the AVCAMA, we work with her in identifying faculty members willing to work on that committee. Also, Dickson is looking for two faculty members to service on the EDGE Diversity Plan Committee. The EDGE diversity plan needs to be completed by end of the semester.

VI. COMMENTS FROM THE INTERIM UNIVERSITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR - SUSAN MARTZ

The University Relations Office is making an effort to feature faculty and their accomplishments. They are promoting within the campus and community who we are and what accomplishments we have made. A system wide brochure on TLE called "What’s In It For Me" will feature students.

VII. COMMENTS FROM INTERIM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR - RANDY CUBERO

Cubero is a former dean of the Air Force Academy and his field is foreign languages. He played football at the USAF Academy. Cubero finds the athletic program here to be a budding program. We are part of 15 schools in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. We have ten sports (men and women’s basketball, men and women’s tennis, men and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, women’s fast pitch softball, men’s soccer, and men’s golf). We have six full-time employees to coach these sports. Everyone does double duty.

The biggest problem Cubero sees is the need for money for salaries and scholarships. The future looks bright with the institution growing so hopefully the money will be increasing for the athletic program. It would be nice to have a sports complex or arena. Right now our signature sport is basketball and our seating capacity is only 200.

Cubero has found here an extremely high quality of student, and therefore a high quality of student athletic. We are going to advertise the exemplary student athlete which is defined as:

1) Dedicated to education

2) Play by the rules (rules understood and adhered to)

3) Pay something back to community (community minded projects)

4) Refine morale and ethic consequences (do the right thing)

5) Abuse free (zero tolerance; sanction for first offense)

Napierkowski observed that he sees a need for a radio station on campus.

Shockley said that it is already technically (infrastructure) possible.

Cubero mentioned upcoming fund raising events. On September 25^th is the Golf Classic at the Cheyenne Mountain Golf Club. On September 26^th there will be a dinner auction and Theo Gregory put together some wonderful packages.

VIII. COMMENTS FROM VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT SUCCESS - PAM SHOCKLEY

Enrollment will be up about 4.5%. Freshmen class is up 18%. We have 713 first time freshmen. Housing is relatively full and we have reservations for next year. We have the lowest number of behavior incidents.

IX. PRESIDENT’S REPORT - TOM ZWIRLEIN

Zwirlein thanked Douglas Swartzendruber for all his support and help during the transition. Zwirlein is finding out that being Faculty Assembly President is a lot of work but at the same time enjoyable. Zwirlein sees a collaborate effort taking place on campus between administrators, faculty and staff. In the years past there were times when there was not the greatest relationships between the groups but as we grow we are going to have to try to work together. As we grow there will be challenges but also a lot of fun.

There is going to be a faculty focus group on development of copyright ownership policies on October 27^th, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. There are only 25 slots and we have been asked to submit some names to talk about this issue. Dr. Pierce said it is especially relative to those of you who are creating course material and have concerns about issues of whether they belong to you or the world.

Winterim regulations have been approved by Dean’s Council. You should hear about those from your deans.

We are looking at university policy on multiple means of evaluation. The university policy was approved several years ago. The system wide web site is on our Faculty Assembly web site. We might have the Personnel Committee look at the policy. Don Morely is chair of the Personnel Committee.

Zwirlein attended the August All Staff Advisory Council meeting. They will be needing faculty representation on the Colorado Pay for Performance system which will be implemented in 1989.

Someone had indicated that there is a need for more vending machines in Columbine. Dr. Pierce said the architects did not allow for enough room to more than one vending machine on each floor. With the population of students in Columbine, the vending machines are empty almost as soon as they are filled.

Zwirlein said the Chancellor stated she is looking for more faculty input for various university wide forums. She is planning on having them on Friday afternoons. Zwirlein thought of a forum on the direction of Computing Services on campus.

The Faculty Council meeting was last Thursday. Ramaswami Dandapani, David Fenell, and Gerry Oleszek are the Faculty Council representatives. Mark Malone is on system wide EPUS. David Fenell is on system wide Budget with help in representation from Richard Blade and Tom Zwirlein.

Mike Martin has been working hard with the President. Part of their agenda is to look at faculty workloads and awards this year, what needs to be done to insure faculty are properly awarded. There is going to be a task force from Michel Dahlin’s office, David Groth’s office and the President’s office to look at this.

The system wide Budget Committee is going to work with David Groth’s office to conduct a comprehensive study of peers and how we are doing in terms of compensation relative to our peers. We feel we can answer two out of three questions—where are we now in terms of salary relative to our peers and where do we need to get? The one we may not be able to answer is how do we get there? At least there is a recognition that throughout the CU system that faculty salaries are problematic. We will get a lot of support from our local Personnel Committee and Steve Chambers of Institutional Research to gather this information.

FCQs are being looked at. The system wide student organization and the Faculty Council EPUS will be looking at the FCQs. Malone mentioned that EPUS created policy 6-8 years ago but it was not implemented.

Personnel and Benefits is looking at faculty retirement with phased retirement options. One option for tenure faculty is a three year phase retirement at 50% workload and salary.

Leaf and Associates have been hired to look at the medical benefits package. Charlie Shub is our personnel representative on Faculty Council. There will be a campus forum about medical plan problems. Mike Martin will contact Zwirlein about when that will occur.

Michel Dahlin along with faculty input from our campus is looking at the non-tenure track issue and the faculty Bill of Rights. For us the biggest issue will be if any changes are made in non-tenure track position and salaries, where do you come up with the money. The second thing they will be wrestling with is what do you do with non-tenure track faculty who are somewhere between teaching an occasional course and full-time non-tenure track faculty. The non-tenure faculty teach a lot of courses for us and provide a valuable service and it is time we take a good look at what we do for these people.

Zwirlein said Michel Dahlin announced there will be $25,000 for retention of women and minorities.

At the next Faculty Council meeting the recommendations on privilege and tenure will be discussed.

It would be appreciated if you could transmit electronically the minutes of the committee meetings to Diana Cook the week before the Faculty Representative Assembly meeting.

X. COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. EPUS - TOM NAPIERKOWSKI

Napierkowski said EPUS has two major items. One is the post tenure review policy which is in a holding pattern right now. This summer we had to have something on professional plans to Central by July 13^th. The committee met and came up with a fine response. Right now they are waiting for the document to be reviewed by the faculty and administration. If this first one is well received, then they have done a good beginning. Paul Harvey will get the document on the Faculty Assembly web site.

The second is the system wide non-tenure track committee (Napierkowski is a member) which is addressing the needs of full-time instructors and honoraria (lecturer). We have full-time instructors who work 4-4 and lecturers who work on a course by course basis. They are looking at everything from working conditions (no copy machine and offices) to salaries, titles, etc. What are the implications for tenure (will they replace tenure and tenure track hard to come by). We will need money if we make meaningful adjustments, which we need to do. Instructors from Boulder teach 3-3 and sometimes 3-2. The reps from Boulder say they have all the money they need.

B. PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS - DON MORLEY

The faculty evaluations of administrators has been done and turned over to Zwirlein. Zwirlein will go over the Chancellor’s evaluation with her and then the Chancellor will pass them on down the line before they are published. The evaluations will be shorter next year.

The committee will work on the retirement options covered earlier in the meeting.

The internal audit for the health benefits is completed. It said we do not have the expertise to run a self-insured plan. The next phase is the external audit. Premiums will go up again. Preliminary figures show dental going up 30%, CU Gold up 18%, CU Select up 7-14%, and Kaiser up about 20%.

Last year the Personnel and Benefits Committee was insistent that we retain a benefits officer on this campus. ASP seems to indicate a different picture.

C. BUDGET/UBAC - RICHARD BLADE

Blade provided a handout giving a report on budget activities. We are going to have another tight financial year. UBAC assumed a 6% increase in enrollment and it looks like the enrollment increase will only be 4.5%. Shortfalls due to growth are a lot better than shortfalls due to declining enrollment. If there is a good year to have a tight budget, then this is the year to have it because we have a new VCAF who is committed to multi-year and strategic budgeting.

D. WOMEN’S - HARLOW SHEIDLEY

This Sunday is the Women’s Welcoming Reception.

E. ACADEMIC COMPUTING POLICY COMMITTEE - DORIS CAREY

Carey provided handouts. The committee needs help finding out what the other campuses are doing regarding dealing with e-mail. Dr. Pierce and Zwirlein will try to find out.

Dr. Pierce mentioned there is a Y2K task force with Jerry Wilson. They are assessing what all the potential issues might be. You will be hearing more about this issue and it is important that everyone pay attention to this issue.

Surveys have been sent out by Sharon Stevens of the Teaching and Technology Center. Please encourage your colleagues to fill these out. Sharon has been very responsive and helpful to faculty. When we were struggling most with support and training was when decisions were made without faculty input. Training design is important and Sharon is excellent on design of training and she is responsive.

XI. OTHER BUSINESS

Zwirlein asked if the committees could e-mail Diana Cook with the makeup of the committees. We need to know if you have any openings on your committees.

The Professional Plan Implementation Guidelines, Policy of the CU the Springs EPUS Committee, and approved July 14, 1998, was discussed. Zwirlein commended the committee for working this summer on the document. There was discussion about the word "approval" in the third and seventh bullets on the second page. It was decided to change the third bullet word "approval" to the word "evaluated." It was decided to change the seventh bullet word "evaluated" to the word "reviewed" and the word "approval" to the word "evaluation." Zwirlein asked everyone to review the documents and make suggestions to Tom Napierkowski. The document will be discussed again at next month’s Faculty Representative Assembly meeting.

XII. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 p.m.