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Governance Minutes Archive

February 2, 1990

                                        Minutes

 

                            COMMISSION ON FACULTY AFFAIRS

 

                                   February 2, 1990

 

 The meeting was convened in the Newman Library Board Room at 1:30 P.M.

 

 PRESENT:  L.A. Eng, F. Baumgartner, E.F. Carlisle, D.A. de Wolf, J.C.

           Duke, Jr., B. Kuster for J. Hasselmann, H.M. Kriz, J.D. McAlister,

           C.E. Polan, A. Woodson-Robinson, G.R. Thompson (guest).

 

 ABSENT:   H. Doswald, R. Sorensen.

 

 

 I.     AGENDA

        The agenda was adopted, with some changes in order of business.

 

 II.    MINUTES

        The minutes of the January 19, 1990 meeting were approved with minor

        changes.

 

 III.   REPORT FROM EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE

        Dr. G. Rod Thompson, Chair of the Employee Benefits Committee

        commented on and answered several queries concerning a summary of

        faculty fringe-benefits (prepared by L. Eng after consultation

        with Doug Martin).  He then addressed himself to a list of written

        questions posed to him by J.C. Duke, Jr.  Among the latter's

        concerns were:

        a) the connnection between the rise in rates of health coverage and

           the mode of administration by Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the

           University as part of the self-insured State of Virginia.

           Response: there is no connection; rates go up everywhere.

        b) Differences in benefits packages for faculty, administration and

           staff.

 

           Response: see Summary of Benefits.

        c) Information on perquisites.  Response: not available.

        d) Lack of sabbatical leaves at other Virginia peer or other

           institutions.

           Response: doesn't know.

        e) Benefits package at other Virginia or peer institutions.

           Response: the results of a survey have been received.  Some

           obvious errors in the data have prompted the Benefits Committee

           to try and verify the data before release.

        f) Has there been an increase or decrease in faculty/administration

           benefits?

           Response: decrease.

 

        Dr. Thompson stressed that the major problem lies in the unbridled

        increases in the cost of health care.  He also noted the problems

        with the impending transfer of the Cost Awareness program into the

        Key Care program.  One of these problems is that Montgomery Regional

        Hospital might not be a participating health-care institution.  He

        noted that the Benefits Committee will meet next on March 9 at

        2:00 PM in the Pamplin Hall Board Room.

 

 IV.    JANUARY 22 MEMO FROM PROVOST REGARDING TENURE

        Dr. Carlisle referred simply to the memo, attached to the Agenda,

        which states that a tenure policy does exist at VPI & SU and that the

        administration expects to observe it.

 

  V.    CFA RESOLUTION 1988-89 D

        This resolution, regarding mainly the introduction of a fixed term for

        chairs/heads and directors, and inclusion of appropriate wording to

        that effect in the Faculty Handbook, was accompanied by a January 16

        memo from the Provost giving at some length his thoughts on the

        conditions of appointment and evaluation of these academic leaders.

        After some discussion, a motion to send the Resolution back to the

        University Council was approved.  Some ex post facto discussion

        centered around the issue of evaluation, possible limitation of

        successive terms of appointment, and possible conflicts between deans

        and faculty regarding appointments of heads/chairs.  Dr. Duke raised

        some points about the difficulties inherent in temporary

        administrative positions for research faculty and possible

        inequities in that use of faculty positions.

 

  VI.   The meeting was adjourned close to 3:00 pm.

 

 

  Respectfully submitted,

 

  David A. de Wolf

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