May 2013

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
May 10, 2013

Attendance: Brian Burnett, Mary Coussons-Read, Andrea Hutchins, Mandi Elder, Katie Kaukinen, Jeff Spicher, Bob Durham, Tom Zwirlein, Craig Elder, Monique Dooley, Morgan Shepherd, Pam Carter, Rebecca Webb, Christine Robinson, Suzanne Cook, Curt Holder, Carla Myers, Anna Kosloski, Christina Martinez, Edgar Cota-Torres, Laura Marshall
 

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from April 12, 2013 meeting by Bob Durham
Seconded by Morgan Shepherd
Motion passed with 17 approved and 1 abstention
 

Reports of Visitors:

Brian Burnett, Senior Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance:
The budget is about to go to the CU Board of Regents for next year. It will be formally voted on at their next meeting on June 20 and June 21 at CU Boulder. They have already approved a 3.1% meritorious salary pool for faculty and exempt professionals, as well as a state-mandated increase of up to 3.6% for classified staff. We will also be working this summer and fall with Personnel & Benefits regarding faculty pay structure and adjustments for equity. The new academic office building will open next summer. Changes have recently been announced with the CU Foundation. They formally reported to the system CU Foundation and now they will be aligned with each of the campuses. It was discovered that our peers were much better in fundraising than us and their fundraising operations were more controlled by the campus. CU Foundation staff will transition to UCCS employees at the beginning of the fiscal year. There will not be any impact to our budget at all. This move will help in our need to step up our fundraising efforts. The $4.7 million Long Bill was signed for the construction of the new VAPA building on North Nevada. In time we will ask for more state funding. The community college bill seeking four-year degrees at the community college level was not passed. The 2+2 programs have been very successful in boosting our partnerships in achieving these same goals.
 

Mary Coussons-Read, Provost:
Academic Affairs is wrapping up for the academic year. Promotion & Tenure cases for the year are done. Vice Chancellor's Review Committee (VCRC) will be meeting for an appreciation lunch next week for their service this year. The non-tenure track faculty contracts are still up in the air and currently stuck at the system level. We anticipate that we will be using a number of those contracts. The relationship between UCCS and the non-tenure track faculty is strong and we're committed to doing our best to secure that relationship long-term. Language options are being discussed in general and on the termination process. We are in the process of redesigning the Provost website and we're seeking faculty feedback on the site and its contents, including resources and link to governance. We want to know what kinds of resources you'd like to see. We want it to be a faculty hub of information and resources with perhaps a calendar focused on faculty events. In the Fall, we'd like to have open faculty coffee meetings to meet with the Provost.
 

Officer Reports:

President's Report

Vice-President's Report
Still trying to fill vacant committee positions

Past President's Report
Katie Kaukinen will be on sabbatical next year
 

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report

Personnel & Benefits

University Budget Advisory Committee

Faculty Minority Affairs Committee

Women's Committee:
No one present - no report

Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Academic Computing

Library

Intercollegiate Athletics

PRIDE

Misconduct in Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities:
No one present - no report
 

OLD BUSINESS

None
 

NEW BUSINESS

     Motions:

1. EPUS - Course Forgiveness Motion
   The EPUS committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly moves that the Faculty Representative Assembly approve sending the attached policy to the faculty assembly for approval or denial. (Motion did not pass with 8 in favor, 10 opposed and 0 abstentions)
   
   Note: Before final vote, there was discussion followed by a motion on amending the wording of the second bullet item under ‘Be it resolved’ in the policy to read: “Course Forgiveness must occur within two years of taking the original course.” (Previous language: “Course Forgiveness must occur within one year of taking the original course.”)
   (Motion passed with 13 in favor, 4 opposed and 1 abstention)
    

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Mandi Elder
Seconded by Pam Carter
Motion passed unanimously
Meeting adjourned at 12:57 p.m.