Council of University System Faculty

CUSF Meeting of October 18, 2004

Council of University System Faculty

Minutes -- 18 October 2004

Hagerstown Center

Present: SU Dave Parker; TU Martha Siegel; UMB Steve Jacobs; FSU Kim Rotruck; FSU John McMullen; TU Pat Alt; TU Jay Zimmerman; UMUC John Gustafson; UMUC Adelaide Lagnese; UMBC Jonathan A. Peters; UMCP Martin Heisler; TU Doug Pryor; USM Gertrude Eaton; USM Irv Goldstein; UMB Dave Hardcastle; SU Harry Womack (alternate); UMCES Court Stevenson; UMCES Ray Morgan; UMCP Frank Alt; FSU Marci McCLive; UMCP Bill Stuart; UMBI Rose Jagus; SU Mike Garner; UMBI John Collins; UMCP Vincent Brannigan; UB Lee Richardson; UMES Emmanuel Onyeozili; CSU Alcott Arthur; UMB Paul Thut

Shortly after 10:00 we were welcomed to the FSU Hagerstown Center by JoEllen Barheart who introduced Dr. Dave Warner, the Executive Director of the USM Hagerstown Center. This Center is expected to open in January, and the FSU Center will move into it. Dr. Warner presented a PowerPoint show illustrating the design and construction of the new center. Third- and fourth-year undergraduates and graduate students will be served here. Most will be adult learners. Expectations are to increase total enrollment by fifty to seventy-five which will be added to the approximately three hundred and fifty currently students served at the FSU Center. 

The Agenda for this meeting was approved.

A motion to approve the minutes of 20 September was made, seconded, and passed. Dave Parker took minutes for this meeting.

Lee Richardson announced that the proposed changes to the ART document were unanimously approved by the Educational Policies Committee on 28 September. If approved at the 22 October meeting of the Board of Regents, they will go into effect on 1 July 2005.

Irv Goldstein presented the USM report with support and comments from Gertrude Eaton.

1. The E&E report is in final draft form and will be made public on Friday at the BoR meeting. Cliff Kendall chaired this committee of the Regents. In it, there are questions about utilizing the facilities of four institutions in a different or expanded manner. The report notes that the USM can absorb about 20% of the expected baby boom echo (about 700 each year). Part-time vs full-time students is not an issue with the Regents.

      Q. Are they included in the time-to-degree analysis?  Irv doesn’t think so. 

                                  1. Is raising the graduation rate a USM goal?  Irv answered that it’s a good idea in general, but it’s an institutional
                               concern, not a System one.

                                2. The Sloan Foundation supports professional degrees in the Sciences.  The AAAC will hear about this on the day                                   after this meeting.

                                3. The Distance Learning Committee will begin meeting soon.

                                4. The budget remains in limbo.  The determination of tuition rates at the USM institutions will again be
                               postponed, this time until the December meeting of the Regents.

                                 5. The State plan is going to public hearing.   Most concerns have been addressed.

                                 6. The Financial Aid Task Force draft report is out.  It states that the State has obligations to a variety of different
                                     types of students.  Merit vs need-based aid is an issue.

Vince announced that the meeting with Senate Chairs and the CUSF executive committee would be on 5 November, rather than 15 November as appeared in the agenda.  It will be held in Adelphi, and Brit Kirwan will attend.

The department chairs meeting will likely be in January on the same day as the CUSF meeting.

Martha Siegel announced that the Ombudsman Committee proposal would be worked on over lunch, and the resulting proposal handed out when we reconvened.

Martha Siegel expressed frustration that the System has been unable to reserve a room and day for Student Research Day in Annapolis.

Vince Brannigan again remarked about the importance of the meeting with Brit Kirwan and the Senate Chairs.  The situation is very unsettled in Annapolis, and we need to develop a capability to react to developing situations.

Irv Goldstein noted that the Regents had two major roles last year:

                                         1. Defending the USM to the Legislature, and

                                         2. Developing the E&E Report so that we can show the Governor that we are doing our part.

Several institutions expressed surprise that the Regents’ Faculty Awards Nominations were due on 1 November.  Apparently a later day had been announced and circulated.

The meeting adjourned for lunch and committee meetings.

Lee Richardson reconvened CUSF at 12:50.

Frank Alt reported for the Administration and Financial Affairs Committee.  On their agenda:

                                                1.         Creating a sick bank for faculty.  Is it possible?

                                                2.         Investigating the cost of healthcare plans.

                                                3.         Comparing salary levels vs peers, campus by campus.

                                                4.         Preparing a detailed explanation of the differences between retirement plans.  Can full disclosure
                                                 be provided to faculty at the time of their appointments?

                                                5.         Reviewing campus budgetary processes.  Are there models for each campus?

Vince reported for Academic Affairs.  The following motion regarding the E&E report was made by Vince, seconded, and passed unanimously:

“CUSF urges the Board of Regents to express its commitment in the E & E Report both to shared governance and to the utilization of the collective academic judgment of the faculty in attempting to meet the institutional financial goals.  The long-term academic reputation of the University must not be sacrificed to short-term political or financial goals.”

Note from Dave Parker:: There were three paragraphs of preamble which I don’t believe were part of the motion.

Martha Siegel reported that CUSF will be asked to create an Ombudsman Committee to assist faculty across the System when they feel their institutions have violated System or institutional policies.

            Lee Richardson adjourned the meeting at 1:30, and most of the members were taken on a tour of the new USM Hagerstown Center, conducted by Dr. Dave Warner.