Executive Committee

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting Agenda

Date: Monday, November 20^th, 2023, 10:00 AM -- 11:30 AM.

Location: 226 Davee Library

Online (Zoom) link: http://tiny.cc/faculty-senate-meeting

1. Call to order.
2. Chair report.   
   1. The “Leave of absence” and “Special Elections” drafts will be on our next agenda (Logan and Kellen are still working on them).
   2. The chair’s suggested edits to Part 9 of Section 3.2.6.2 Organizational Structure of the Faculty Senate of the F&S Handbook will be placed on our agenda again in December or early January.
   3. The chair attended the Shared Governance Leadership meeting on November 6^th, 2023. A report was sent to the Executive Committee in this email.
3. Officer reports.
   1. Report on the special elections and the referendum on the new structure of the Senate.
4. Committee chair reports.
   1. Kellen will report on the Mental Health Break initiative.

5. Approval of old minutes (11/06/23).
6. Business.
   1. Motion to appoint the following faculty members to the Search and Screen Committee for the Director of Admissions position.
      1. 1. Mark Gillen (CEBAH)
         2. James Cortright (CAS)
   2. From the APP, motion to review and evaluate a program change in Agricultural Studies (CAFES). Documents are available here.
   3. From the APP, motion to review and evaluate a program change in Conservation (CAFES). Documents are available here.
   4. From the APP, motion to review and evaluate a program change in Sociology (CAS). Documents are available here.

1. 5. Discuss the following proposal containing language for the Search and Screen Committee for Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

1. 6. The floating compensation for a committee chair. Discuss how to award it this academic year. Last year’s was awarded to the Chair of RAR. It was not awarded for 2023-2024 and it would be ideal to decide something for 2024-2025. At some point, the provost suggested combining the money with what currently remains unused funds (25% of a position equivalent to ADA) and making a more appealing offer to a potential FS assistant (close to 38% of equivalent ADA).

1. 7. Discussion on reducing the number of Faculty Senate committees. Kellen wrote:

“I think when you add it all up, that is a considerable amount of people power at an institution that has repeatedly talked about how stretched we all are and whether the conversation should be had on whether some committees can be rolled in together or eliminated. Obviously, some of these have the same person serving on multiple, such as the provost, but then you could also have a discussion would their time be better spent on other things if not serving on so many committees.

In total below, Faculty Senate has a total of 268 committee spots to fill each year and that does not include university wide, senate ad hoc committees, college committees or dept committees.”

VII.    Adjourn.

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee acts as the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees to make recommendations for faculty membership on Faculty Senate standing committees and Faculty/Administrative Committees and to designate chairs of the Faculty Senate standing committees [Constitution, Article VI, Section D; Faculty By-laws Article II, Section E.].