February 2012

February 2012

February 2012

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING

February 10, 2012

Attendance: Peg Bacon, Brian Burnett, Katie Kaukinen, Andrea Hutchins, Amanda Elder, Tom Napierkowski, Jeff Spicher, Monique Dooley, Morgan Shepherd, Pam Carter, Rebecca Webb, Michele Companion, Suzanne Cook, Hilary Smith, Beth Kumar, Barbara Frye, Christina Martinez, Edgar Cota-Torres, Mary Bethe Neely, Tabatha Farney, Ron Fitz

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from December 9, 2011 meeting by Andrea Hutchins
Seconded by Michele Companion
Motion passed with 16 in favor, no oppositions, and 1 abstention

Reports of Visitors:

Pam Shockley:

Provost Peg Bacon has announced her retirement, effective July 1, after 34 years of service to the university.  Assembly members are asked to submit four suggested Search Committee names to the Chancellor by the end of next week.  David Moon will serve as the Interim Provost and there will be a national search.  A campus celebration for Peg will be held before classes are finished for spring semester.  The campus Strategic Planning Search Conference held on February 8 had a very good turnout.  There were 650 total participants for both conferences held on this topic with about 1500 input items.  This entire process is moving quickly.  The Faculty Representative Assembly will need to review the entire plan within ten days and give their feedback.  Formal feedback is due by February 20, 2012.  The Regents are comfortable that we are growing our plan and thinking strategically.  The budget cut is $1.5 million, as we thought.  Applications for fall 2012 are up 200%, with a high-quality pool.  We are currently 1800 applications ahead of last August.  There are possible concerns with multi-year contracts for non-tenure track faculty due to fiscal constraints.

Brian Burnett:

The state budget is improving and our budget cut is $1 - $1.5 million.  The budget cut to Financial Aid may possibly be rescinded.  It is important to remember on the Strategic Plan that we put in what we can afford.  By 2020, we will be a $250 million enterprise.  In the Facilities Master Plan, we will be adding the construction of a greenhouse to produce organic vegetables for our own kitchen.  We will be breaking ground on three new buildings in the next several months:  4/23/12 - 2 new dorms west of Columbine; and, 6/21/12 - Lane Center groundbreaking across from Lowe's.  No other business in this area of the state has as many Lead-certified buildings as we do.  Memorial Hospital negotiations started yesterday and the vote should be done by this summer.  If things go as planned, it will become a CU branch medical campus with non-profit health care.

Peg Bacon:

The transition plan for the Provost office is good and comfortable.  The LAS Dean search has resulted in six candidates coming to campus - be sure to try to meet them and see their campus presentations and send in your feedback.  The Academic Affairs strategic plan contains four goals addressing campus climate, research, faculty and staff, and collaboration and partnerships.  The campus strategic plan can be found on the Chancellor's website.  Please take some time to review it and send your feedback.

Officer Reports:

President's Report

Report attached

Vice-President's Report

Report attached

Past President's Report

Not present - no report

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report:

No report

Personnel & Benefits:

No report

University Budget Advisory Committee:

We are looking at a much smaller budget cut.

Faculty Minority Affairs Committee:

Report attached

Women's Committee:

Report attached

Non-Tenure Track Faculty:

Report attached

Academic Computing:

Report attached

Library:

By March 1, the Library will have a final run of 2 pods working as social media-free zones.

Intercollegiate Athletics:

No one present - no report

Sustainability:

No one present - no report

PRIDE:

Report attached

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

The Attributes and Abilities of a CU Grad document (attached) was presented to the assembly for discussion along with directions to please send comments to Mark Malone by February 16, 2012.

The Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee presented information regarding House Bill 12-1144 "Employment Contracts Non-tenure-track Professors" (attached) for discussion and requested a motion of support (see Motion 1).

Andrea Hutchins told the assembly that it has been discovered that none of the Faculty Representative Assembly Committees have bylaws on record, except for the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee.  These committee bylaws are required as stated in the Bylaws of the Faculty Assembly, therefore, all committees need to develop their bylaws by the end of this spring semester.  Please forward committee bylaws to the Executive Committee.

MOTIONS

  1. Motion to support Colorado House Bill 12-1144 "Employment Contracts Non-tenure-track Professors" (attached).

(passed unanimously with no oppositions and no abstentions)

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Amanda Elder

Seconded by Michele Companion

Motion passed unanimously

Meeting adjourned at 1:25 p.m.