October 2015
October 2015
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
October 9, 2015
Attendance: Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Mary Coussons-Read, Terry Schwartz, Nina Polok, David Moon, Barbara Prinari, Bita Rivas, Mark Malone, Tom Zwirlein, Rhonda Glazier, Jay Dawes, Kerry Peterson, Jill Bradley-Geist, Barbara Frye, Monica Yoo, Pam Carter, Bret Windom, Ceil Malek, Suzanne Cook, Ann Amicucci, Stephen Carter, Leilani Feliciano, Valerie Brodar, Stephanie Spratt, Anna Kosloski, Norah Mazel, Dave Anderson, Emilie Vrbancic
Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:
Motion to approve the minutes from September 11, 2015 meeting by Pam Carter
Seconded by Anna Kosloski
Motion passed with 14 in favor, 0 opposed and 1 abstention
Reports of Visitors:
Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Chancellor:
The system-wide ELP Workshop session is on our campus today. One year and one month from now is when the HLC comes to campus for our ten year accreditation visit. As a result of the new criteria, the visit will be much less interactive with the campus, however, we will need to keep the campus faculty, staff and students well informed because there will be important data being collected during their visit. Normally 2016 is when we would take a mid-Strategic Plan review in the Fall (our current Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Regents ends in 2020), but we are now moving that up to the Spring because of the HLC visit. So we will be reviewing the elements of our Strategic Plan in Spring 2016 for any possible changes. We will also be working on compression market adjustments again this Fall, including on the staff side. Homecoming is today and will be combined with our ongoing 50th anniversary celebration – there will be a march at 3pm down to the soccer field and a tailgate party. At 5pm the women’s soccer team will be playing Colorado Mesa and the men’s soccer team will be playing South Dakota Mines at 7:30pm. Then at 9:30pm we will have the first-ever fireworks display along with the lighting of the bonfire. Faculty are invited and encouraged to try to attend these events. We have determined that we must develop our leadership and directors and any others who are interested, and have created our own professional development program called the Leadership Academy directed by Nina Polok. We are using our own resources to develop these types of courses and the first course is called Understanding Yourself as a Leader, which is highly interactive and will be held on November 19 and 20. There are five open slots left to sign up for this course. We will also be repeating this course again in the Spring as well as adding additional expanded courses during that time. The President’s online initiative funding for course development is forthcoming and will be about $700,000 over the next 3 years. There will be separate funding for technology. In the next 2-1/2 years, we will have 77 degrees online within the University of Colorado system. Right now we have more degrees online than CSU Global. We are up 22% in high school concurrent enrollments.
Mary Coussons-Read, Provost:
The non-tenure track faculty multi-year contract policy is approved and ready, and Terry Schwartz will be issuing up to ten new ones this year for a total of eighteen contracts. Letters of Intent will also be issued. Terry will be working with the colleges on other policies, such as the campus-wide salary grievance policy and the international student travel policy, which have both been started. We have three new degrees – two new bachelor degrees and one new master’s degree. We are working on how to retain students better and ways to do that. Communication is important – make sure you use Faculty Assembly to represent your college as a 2-way process; by representing your college here in assembly and by representing the assembly back to your college. I will be on 50% FMLA starting 10/19/15 until 2/1/16. While I will be off campus, I will be working on two major grant projects: 1) Institutional Transformation Grant to the National Science Advance Program, which deals with advancing women faculty in STEM programs and will eventually transform into all faculty; and 2) Strong Communities with the Kempe Center, which forms community partnerships with the university in support of child welfare. Please let me know if you are interested in working on either of these projects. The Academic Affairs team (Terry Schwartz, David Moon, Kee Warner, Venkat Reddy, and Kelli Klebe) are ready and able to offer support in my absence.
Susan Szpyrka, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance:
The Village at Alpine Valley, the newest student residences and dining hall, was initially opened this past summer and the rest of the project will open next summer for a total of 1640 beds for student residences next Fall. The new Roaring Fork dining hall is very impressive with spectacular views of Pikes Peak and the city. Next summer the Lodge will close for renovation. With the increase in dining space, an initiative to encourage faculty dining experiences with students will be developed. The UCCS Ent Center for the Arts construction is in progress and the retaining wall is going in. The project is scheduled for completion in January 2018. The Recreation Center expansion will be ready for phased openings starting over the holiday break. They hope to be open in January 2016. The Student Health Center and University Counseling Center will be moving over to this location. We have put our Engineering building on the capital construction request for funding list. Our current building has been open for almost 30 years and is not efficiently operational due to its age, but unfortunately we are not on the list this year. However, we will continue to place this building on the list each year. Our 2017 budget needs to be ready for review with tuition and fees by March and April of 2016. There will be minimal base funding in 2017; our growth is changing and shifting. We are adding some new athletic programs for Fall 2016 – baseball for men, Lacrosse for women and expanding track and field for both men and women. Finally, there is a search going on for an Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, a position which has been vacant for two years. We hope to have someone in place by Spring of 2016.
Raphael Sassower, Philosophy Department Professor:
A chapter of AAUP (American Association of University Professors) has been started at UCCS. Although it is not a union, this organization is as close as faculty get to having an organized association. If interested, please contact Raphi.
Officer Reports:
Vice-President’s Report
No report
Past President’s Report
Not present; no report
Reports from Standing Committees:
EPUS:
There is a new International Travel Policy being reviewed by EPUS, which will be brought to the assembly next month. CU Connections is sending out a survey to determine how information is received.
Personnel & Benefits:
Meeting will be next Thursday – they will be discussing the split for uncompensated merit between tenure track and non-tenure track faculty. A survey poll was distributed to the assembly members.
Faculty Minority Affairs Committee:
Not present; no report
Non-Tenure Track Faculty:
Survey results attached
Library:
Not present - no report
Misconduct in Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities :
No report, has not met yet
Reports from Representatives:
A. College Policy Documentation
1. Most LAS and EAS policies are on their websites, but may need updating.
2. COE has a committee reviewing their policies.
3. COB has all of their policies on Blackboard.
4. Library has very few policies.
5. An inventory should be done on what policies are posted out there.
B. October Conversations at Clyde’s
1. This month’s date is Monday, October 26, 4pm – 6pm.
2. Monica Yoo and Barbara Frye are coordinating.
3. Sign-up sheet is being circulated – please commit.
OLD BUSINESS
A. CU Timmerhaus Discussion
1. Get feedback from his other presentations – what is he hearing
NEW BUSINESS
None
Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Pam Carter
Seconded by Dave Anderson
Motion passed unanimously
Meeting adjourned at 1:51 p.m.