October 2012

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING

October 12, 2012      

Attendance:  Pam Shockley, Susan Szpyrka, David Moon, Katie Kaukinen, Mandi Elder, Jeff Spicher, Bob Durham, Craig Elder, Kathy Blair, Monique Dooley, Pam Carter, Rebecca Webb, Christine Robinson, Suzanne Cook, Curt Holder, Andrea Wenker, Carla Myers, Anna Kosloski, Barbara Frye, Christina Martinez, Edgar Cota-Torres, Laura Marshall, Jackie Berning    

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:  
Motion to approve the minutes from September 14, 2012 meeting by Pam Carter
Seconded by Bob Durham
Motion passed unanimously     

Reports of Visitors:   

Pam Shockley, Chancellor: The campus Strategic Plan and the Facilities Master Strategic Plan have been approved by the Board of Regents.  There is a campus forum coming up in November to discuss the campus master plan and there are several exciting developments, one of which is a VAPA center, which will be a great creative addition to the university and is appealing to the community.  There appears to be a positive outlook to the state budget - revenues are up.  We might have a modest increase in our allocation next spring with a possible $700,000 increase in our budget, which may be only one-time money.  However, there are federal budget troubles whereby Pell grants are threatened.  Forty-eight percent of our freshman class is on those grants.  We have one of the lowest income freshman classes this year.  If Pell grants get cut, we will suffer.  The possible down-sizing of the military is another concern, as we have 900 military students here.  We need to keep an eye on these economic dynamics.  On a more positive note, we do have plans for 7 new undergraduate degrees, 4 new masters degrees and 1 new doctorate degree, which will be determined by proper academic process.  Please encourage your colleagues to think collaboratively about strengthening our position.     

Susan Szpyrka, Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance: We are starting to work on the 2013-14 budget.  The governor's budget is due November 1 and they may be proposing a merit pool increase for Classified staff.  This could also mean a new range of raises for Classified staff may be coming from the state.  The bonds on the new academic office building, the extension to the Recreation Center and new parking garage all sold yesterday at a rate of 3.46, which is very favorable.  The new parking garage is a $23 million project, the Rec Center extension is an $11 million project and the academic office building is a $12 million project.  Berger Hall will be closed December and January for remodeling and technology installation.  Clyde's new outside patio is under construction and will open soon.  The Lane Center construction will start next month.  Parking Lot 12 will come off-line and Lot 15 is being built to replace that loss.  We appreciate Faculty Assembly's help in getting faculty participation for our committees.  Neil deGrasse Tyson will be our guest speaker at 7pm on April 17, 2013 at the Gallogly Events Center.    

David Moon, Interim Provost: The CCHE Master Plan for the state, which the CDHE regulates and acts as a bargaining agent for, has adopted a set of goals that seem to be incomplete but acceptable.  They are asking us (Colorado institutions of higher ed) to maintain our efficiency and in return, they will go back to an earlier year's level of funding before the cuts.  They are doing this by attaching metrics to specific categories and we are able to set those metrics, which we will need to propose and get from system to CDHE prior to voting on November 1.  The performance funding doesn't kick in until and unless we get back to that benchmark level of funding.  We are doing the best we can to ensure that we are putting forth the correct metrics for our campus.  The timeline is short but we are at the beginning of the process.  There is a lot of publicity concerning the rise of massive open online courses and we are halfway through shifting from offering these courses as graduate level only to include undergraduate level also.  We are also supporting faculty to make these changes as well.  Although we are not sure what demands will happen in this arena, we will keep doing the work necessary and getting prepared.  The Online Task Force is working diligently on these issues to ensure that they keep us in ready mode.      

Officer Reports:   

President's Report  - please have committee bylaws drafted and ready for approval by April 2013  

Vice-President's Report
No report  

Past President's Report
No report         

Reports from Standing Committees:   

EPUS Report   

Personnel & Benefits   

University Budget Advisory Committee   

Faculty Minority Affairs Committee   

Women's Committee

Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Academic Computing   

Library:
No one present - no report  

Intercollegiate Athletics   

Sustainability   

PRIDE:
No one present - no report  

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

OLD BUSINESS   

None         

NEW BUSINESS   

     Motions:  
   
    1.    The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends that faculty, who have Fall 2012 graduating students with a scheduled Friday final, provide alternate final exam dates for those students, so they may attend graduation.  (Motion passed with 16 in favor, opposed - 0, abstention - 1)  
   
     2.    The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends that Admissions & Records investigate different final schedules that would eliminate the conflict of graduation and Friday final examination for fall semesters and provide recommendations to the Faculty Assembly Representative Committee by December 1, 2012.  (Motion passed unanimously with 17 in favor, opposed - 0, abstention - 0)  
   
     3.    The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly supports the premise of a unified general education presented by the General Education Task Force and as Phase II has been properly vetted, recommends that it be put forth for a vote to the faculty.  (Motion passed with 15 in favor, opposed - 0, abstention - 2)  
   
     
     For Discussion:   
     
     1.    The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly requests that the topic of course forgiveness be put on the next faculty assembly agenda as a discussion item.  

    Comments:  There was much discussion on both sides of this issue.  A comment was made that there are ways now to withdraw and get around this without grade forgiveness.  Steve Collier, president of SGA, presented the Student Government Association's point of view and reasoning for high support of course forgiveness and plea to Faculty Assembly.  Get feedback to EPUS.  Get more feedback from the colleges.  What do the alumni think?       

Adjournment:  

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Pam Carter
Seconded by Christina Martinez
Motion passed unanimously
Meeting adjourned at 1:37 p.m.