Executive Committee Report given at the Nov 26, 2007 University Senate Meeting

Steering Committee of the University Senate and Faculty Advisory Committee to the University President

Members:  President Leland, Vice President Gormly, Doug Goings (SoB),  Bill Richards (Library)

Officers:  Secretary: Chris Greer (SoE), Vice-Chair: Kendra Russell (SoHS), Chair: Craig Turner (SoLAS)

 

SUMMARY (an approximation to what was shared orally at the November 26 University Senate meeting)

DETAILS  (providing more comprehensive information for each of the individual committee meetings)

  1. Since the October 29, 2007 meeting of the 2007-08 University Senate, ECUS held two elected faculty workshops (Nov 1, Nov 8), and one joint meeting with the Standing Committee Chairs (Nov 15)
  2. Throughout this report, the following acronyms may be used.
  3. On November 1, 2007, the elected faculty members of the Executive Committee (ECUS) met and

                                                         i.      a draft resignation procedure for individuals to resign from University Senate or one of its committees.  Kendra agreed to prepare another draft for review at the Nov 8 meeting.

                                                       ii.      the Presidential Appointees issue (five Presidential appointee positions on committees but six Presidential Appointees to the University Senate).  This discussion led to a proposal that (a) the number of Presidential Appointees to the University Senate be reduced from six to five (b) these five appointees be the Presidential appointees to the five standing committees (APC, CAPC, FAPC, RPIPC, and SAPC) and (c) the sixth Presidential appointee become instead a thirty-seventh elected faculty senator and be realized as a third university at-large elected faculty senator.  Craig agreed to prepare a draft of this for review at the Nov 8 meeting.

  1. On November 8, 2007, the elected faculty of the Executive Committee met and

                                                         i.      the second draft of a resignation procedure formalizing the process for an individual University Senator to resign his/her position on the University Senate including the committee on which he/she serves or for a non-Senator to resign his/her position from a University Senate Committee.  Several suggestions were made including

a.       notification of resignation should (1) be in writing (2) ideally originate from the individual resigning and (3) be sent directly to the Chair of the SubCommittee on Nominations (SCoN)

b.      theChair of SCoN would (1) inform the SCoN membership of the resignation and (2) arrange for a replacement to be named in the same manner of the original election, selection or appointment. 

c.       Kendra agreed to incorporate the suggestions to the draft and prepare a new version for review at a future elected faculty workshop.

                                                       ii.      noted that adjustments to the Elected Staff Senators section would be postponed pending the results of the ongoing discussion regarding this matter within Staff Council.

                                                      iii.      noted that the adjustments to Selected Student Senators section are informed by the Student Government Association (SGA) and involve

a.       adjusting the calendar for submission of the procedure and selection results to support the preferences of SGA as well as align better with the SGA officer election calendar.  The selection process, eligibility criteria, and results are proposed to be due on March 31 rather than the current deadlines of Dec 1 for procedure and Feb 1 for results.

b.      broadening the term “bylaws” to “governance documents” as some of the details are housed in the SGA constitution rather than SGA bylaws.

                                                     iv.      began discussion of the Administrative Committee issue, and agreed that the Executive Committee should get out of the business of registering administrative committees.  Tentatively proposed the deletion of the administrative committee section of the bylaws and that a companion resolution promoting a university-wide committee registry to promote transparency and access be simultaneously submitted as a resolution for University Senate consideration.  Craig agreed to attempt to capture the discussion in a draft that would be reviewed at a future elected faculty workshop.

  1. On November 15, 2007, the Executive Committee met jointly with Standing Committee Chairs and
  2. The next meeting of the Executive Committee is an elected faculty workshop scheduled for Thursday, November 29, 2007 from 9:30-10:45 in the President’s Conference Room.