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January 24, 1992

 

                    Commission on Faculty Affairs

                              Minutes

                   January 24 1992, 1:15-2:30 P.M.

                         400-D Burruss Hall

 

  Present: M. Amos (for C. Schwertz), H. Bonham (for R. Sorensen),

  E.F. Carlisle, D. de Wolf, J. Falkinham, P. Hyer, C. McDaniels,

  M. Murray, W. Williams

 

  Announcements: J. Falkinham announced that (1) the geographical

  transfer policy has been adopted by University Council, (2) grievance

  policy will be presented to University Council at its next meeting,

  (3) grievance procedures are being put in final form for presentation to

  the Faculty Senate by L. Geyer, B. Crittenden, and D. Hasselman, (4)

  policy on Research Faculty appointments is going to University Council,

  (6) J. Wolf wants names of three CFA members willing to serve in the

  selection of Alumni Distinguished Professors (M. Murray and W. Williams

  volunteered to serve; M. Amos suggested the C. Schwertz would likely be

  interested in serving on the ADP selection committee).

 

  Agenda was adopted with the addition of Parental Leave Policy

  as item (9) under Old Business. (See Agenda attached.)

 

  Minutes of December 13, 1991, had not yet been circulated to

  CFA members; they will be considered at the next meeting.

 

  The remainder of the meeting was devoted to considering which of the

  nine items under Old Business the Commission wished to address this

  semester and to setting a schedule for taking them up.

 

  The Commission agreed to consider the following items at its February 7

  meeting: (1) Procedures for handling course evaluatons, (2)

  Encouragement and Rewards for University Service, and (5) Publication

  and Ownership of Technical Results. With respect to (1), Falkinham will

  secure and circulate the report of the ad hoc committee on course

  evaluation together with current procedures in the various colleges.

  Copies of the University's Funds for Excellence proposal will be

  circulated as a basis for discussion of rewards for University service.

  Proposals by D. P. H. Hasselman regarding publication and ownership of

  technical results were distributed to CFA members in the fall.

 

  The Commission agreed to take up item (3) Initiative on Full-Time

  Non-Tenure Track Instructors at its March 6 meeting. A paper considering

  various proposals and making recommendations on the matter should be

  available from the Provost's office in advance of that meeting. It was

  suggested that a group of faculty especially concerned with this

  question should be invited to the March 6 meeting to present their views

  and discuss the Provost's recommendations.

 

  The Commission set no dates for consideration of item (6) Definition of

  "Faculty" and "Extension Faculty", item (8) Procedures for Approved

  Faculty Search, or item (9) Parental Leave Policy. These will be

  scheduled later.  With respect to (6), P. Hyer pointed out that

  Extension Agents and other Professional Administrative Faculty have no

  representation in the Faculty Senate. The question for CFA, she

  suggested, is whether a subcommittee of CFA on Professional

  Administrative Faculty should be established with authority to hear

  grievances? P. Hyer also advised the Commission, re item (9), that the

  Women's Subcommittee is considering whether a statement clarifying

  present policy on leave without pay should be prepared for inclusion in

  the Faculty Handbook?

 

  The Commission agreed that item (4) Racial Harassment Policy is a dead

  letter, given the recent decision of the Federal District Court for the

  Eastern District of Wisconsin striking down such a policy adopted by the

  University of Wisconsin as violative of First Amendment Rights on

  grounds of vagueness and overbreadth. With respect to item (7)

  Insulation of Promotion and Tenure Procedures from Incomplete

  Investigations (of alleged faculty misconduct), there was general

  agreement that no policy is needed. The Commission decided, however, to

  invite an interested faculty member to address the matter at a future

  meeting.

 

  The Provost announced that his office is working on suggestions for

  changes in the Faculty Handbook -- e. g. adopting a loose leaf format --

  and wishes to work closely with CFA in preparing these suggestions.

 

  The meeting adjourned at 2:30 P.M..

 

 

 

                                                William H. Williams

                                                Secretary

 

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