October 2011

October 2011

October 2011

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
October 14, 2011

 

Attendance: Peg Bacon, Brian Burnett, Andrea Hutchins, Katie Kaukinen, Amanda Elder, Tom Napierkowski, Don Morley, Bob Durham, Jeff Spicher, Monique Dooley, Julaine Field, Pam Carter, Rebecca Webb, Suzanne Cook, Kevin Landis, Hilary Smith, Rita Hug, Edgar Cota-Torres, Trellis Moore, Janet Sauer, Dave Anderson, Rory Lewis, Corinne Harmon, Janel Owens, David Moon, Ron Fitz

 

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from September 9, 2011 meeting by Amanda Elder
Seconded by Rebecca Webb
Motion passed by majority vote - 17, opposed - 0, abstention - 1

 

Reports of Visitors:

Pam Shockley:
Faculty who need to order regalia for the Fall Commencement ceremony on December 16, 2011 must sign up to do so right away so that the order can be placed on time.  Please pass this information on to your colleagues.  The legislature is currently trying to get agreements in Higher Ed on spring cut allocations.  The fact that we continue to be in demand and perform well should put us in good position.  We should be able to sustain the next wave of cuts and be able to move forward with modest investments and faculty/staff raises as planned.  An area of increasing concern is the discussion surrounding the ability to obtain 4-year college degrees at community colleges, especially due to limited resource availability as a result of state cutbacks and support.  This practice has been initiated in several states and, consequently, we have launched three 2+2 degrees in criminal justice, business and nursing with the community colleges.  This initiative on our part will demonstrate to state officials our intent to be creative in developing successful collaborations for more effective use of limited available resources.  This seems to be a likely development in some areas, but community colleges are aware of the fact that they don’t really have the resources to offer quality programs in all areas.  The Chancellor has recently been on two outreach trips to southeast Colorado and Grand Junction, meeting with parents of UCCS students who have received very positive feedback from their children regarding their overall experience here at UCCS.  A very rewarding visit was made to Swank High School, where their graduating class of 24 students has 12 students attending UCCS.  They have the most Kane scholars per capita throughout Colorado and for the last ten years 97% of their graduates have gone on to 4-year colleges.  Our reputation is very positive throughout the areas visited and we are known as the most welcoming campus in Colorado, which is equally as important as our high academic standards.

 

Peg Bacon:
The strategic planning effort is underway with a campus forum being held on Thursday, October 20, from 8am – 1pm.  All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend all or parts of it since it is very important to gather as much input as possible.  People will be able to participate by going to different stations.  We are also moving forward with our initiative of reinventing general education and thinking more coherently about it.  Please plan to attend the General Education Taskforce Faculty Retreat on Friday, November 18 from 8:30am – 2:00pm in the Lodge.  The keynote speaker is Dr. Paul Gaston, who is renowned in the field of general education.

 

David Moon:
The Faculty Information System, which we’ve partnered with CU Boulder to bring to campus, is currently in the implementation process.  The FRPA report component will go live this year with an anticipated delivery date of December 15.  Faculty FRPA reports are due in February and will be able to be completed online as a result of this system being operational by then.  Another item to point out is that a new system research misconduct policy went into effect July 1, 2011.  Currently there is a case pending on our campus, which is being handled by the faculty Research Misconduct Committee.

 

Brian Burnett:
Only one other college system (community colleges) are giving raises to their faculty and staff, so we are very fortunate to be able to provide that for our faculty and staff, which was not an easy task to push for approval.  We are still trying to gain approval of a non-base building award for our classified staff, which is completely governed by the state, so we are unsure of that possibility.  All CU campuses and the system met their goals so that they were able to receive raises.  We are securing an architect and contractor to build new student dorms just west of Columbine, which will add 200 additional beds.  We are scheduled to break ground in the spring.  We are also scheduled to break ground next summer for the new Academic Health Services Center, which will be located on the north Nevada corridor.  The state budget still continues to be weak, with an expected $60 million cut for Higher Ed.  There is also discussion about cutting state financial aid by 50%, which is another cut we will need to backfill so that it doesn’t adversely affect our enrollment.

 

Officer Reports:

President’s Report
Report attached

Vice-President’s Report
No report

Past President’s Report
No report – not present

 

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report:
Report attached

Personnel & Benefits:
Report attached

Faculty Advisory Committee on the Budget:
No report – has not met yet

Faculty Minority Affairs Committee:
Report attached

Women’s Committee:
Report attached

Non-Tenure Track Faculty:
Report attached

Academic Computing:
Report attached

Library:
Report attached

Intercollegiate Athletics:
No one present – no report

Sustainability:
Report attached

PRIDE:
Report attached

 

OLD BUSINESS

Discussion on proposal for Library Committee (Regular Standing Advisory Committee) – (see attached proposal and Motion 1)

 

NEW BUSINESS

Discussion regarding lunches being provided at Faculty Assembly – it was noted that we are the only assembly group in the system that has lunch provided at their regular meeting.  It was suggested that the money spent on lunches be used for other purposes.  Katie asked that comments and suggestions be e-mailed to her regarding this issue.

 

MOTIONS

  1. Motion to ratify charge proposal for Library Committee – (proposed by Pam Carter, seconded by Rebecca Webb;  voting results: approve – 17, opposed – 0, abstain – 1)
     
  2. Motion to suspend the rules to vote on a non-agenda item (see Motion 3) – (proposed by Bob Durham, seconded by Amanda Elder; passed unanimously)
     
  3. Motion stated as follows:  “In compliance with APS 1007 as approved by President Benson, after review by the CU-System EPUS Committee, and made effective on July 21, 2011, the UCCS Faculty Assembly Executive Committee moves that the UCCS Faculty Assembly amend its bylaws by adding to Section VI, Committees, Sub-Section A, Standing Committees, the following committee: Misconduct in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.”  It was also noted that there is a case pending.  (proposed by Tom Napierkowski, seconded by Bob Durham, passed unanimously)

 

 

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Tom Napierkowski
Seconded by Don Morley
Motion passed unanimously

Meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m.