Executive Committee (ECUS) Report

given to the University Senate on September 28, 2009

submitted by Karynne Kleine

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

Voting Members:  President Leland, Provost Sandra Jordan, Tanya Goette (CoB), Craig Turner (CoAS), Christine Zuger (Library)

Non-voting Member: Deborah Vess (ex officio non-voting, 2008-09 ECUS Chair)

Officers:  Secretary: Dean Baker (CoHS), Vice-Chair: Ken McGill (CoAS), Chair: Karynne Kleine (CoE)

Routine business (little discussion):

• Reviewed draft of 31 August University Senate minutes
• Finalized the draft agenda for 28 September University Senate meeting
• Met with Standing Committee Chairs on 18 September 2009
• Communication on Curricular Matters
• On-line Motion Database -- Jay Lancaster continues recoding ; this new version is being tested and is anticipated to be ready to go “live” no later than the end of the Fall 2009 semester and possibly as early as mid-October
• Fall Meeting of University System of Georgia Faculty Council advocates at the Macon Center tentatively scheduled for 13 November 2009

Steered:

• Updated language in Academic Affairs Handbook [incorporating BoR policy on tenure at appointment] to FAPC as an informational item
• Facilities (Classroom) Usage and Common Meeting Block recommendations to APC for its review and consideration
• Draft Grievance Policy and Draft Telework & FlexTime Policy received from Vice President Pete Shields to RPIPC for review and consideration

Non-routine business (some discussion):

• ECUS Operating Procedures finalized
• Retreat follow-up: Reviewed recommendations from the "Nature of University Senate Meetings" session. Standing Committee Chairs and members of the Executive Committee agreed:
  • to place committee reports on University Senate meeting agendas in decreasing order by the number of motions to be presented by the committee,
  • that committees could and should seek feedback [as needed] from University Senate on "continuing” matters on its agenda,
  • to name recognition of University Senators (Specifically: Presiding Officer to recognize by name a University Senator desiring to speak at meetings), and
  • that the 2009-2010 Governance Retreat Planning Committee will review the remaining retreat feedback.
• 2009-2010 Apportionment of elected faculty senators to academic units finalized:
  • No change from 2008-09: 34 of 37 elected faculty senators apportioned as: 2 Library, 5 CoB, 5 CoE, 4 CoHS, and 18 CoAS.
  • Continue to have three at-large elected faculty senators
• 2009-2010 Subcommittee on Nominations: Agreed to appoint ECUS members, Standing Committee Chairs, the Staff Council Chair, and the Student Government Association President (the minimal membership called for in the University Senate Bylaws) to the Subcommittee on Nominations. Christine Zuger was appointed to chair this group
• Shifting of responsibilities to Provost’s Office to improve communication:
  • The Electronic Suggestion Box, once monitored by ECUS, has made the transition to University Suggestion Box. The University community should expect an E-mail to this effect soon.
  • A single encapsulation of the agendas for the Standing Committees (SC) will come out monthly via E-mail from the Provost’s Office each Wednesday preceding the SC meeting date
• ECUS Action Tracking

Upcoming ECUS meetings:

• Wednesday, 30 Sept. [Overflow], 7 Oct. [Regular], 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the President's Conference Room
• 16 Oct. [Joint meeting with Standing Committee Chairs] 12:30 p.m.- 1:45 p.m. in the President's Conference Room

Christine Zuger will now provide a report from the Subcommittee on Nominations.