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Governance Minutes ArchiveNovember 11, 1992
Minutes COMMISSION ON RESEARCH November 11, 1992 206 Sandy Hall 3:30 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: T. Brandon, P. Edwards, P. Eyre, J. Johnson, H. Kriz, J. Lee, R. Lytton, A. McNabb, R. Olin, P. Rasnick, E. Stout, J. Tank, J. Wightman, T. Wildman MEMBERS ABSENT: H. Doswald, J. Eaton, C. Flora, E. McNeil, M. O'Brien, J. Pinkerton, R. Reneau, P. Scanlon INVITED GUESTS: F. Carlisle, D. Shelton 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Dr. McNabb announced that Dr. Carlisle would be arriv- ing at 4:00 and that prior to his arrival the other agenda items would be addressed. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 28: Dr. Lee motioned approval. Dr. Stout seconded. A correction was suggested in the fourth item of Per- ceptions of the Research Mission of the University by Dr. Edwards. Minutes were approved. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Dr. Olin motioned approval. It was seconded. Dr. Lee asked that an addition be made to the agenda - report of progress in the search of a Vice Provost. Agenda was approved as amended. Dr. McNabb said one search committee meeting had been held, at which they talked about desirable credentials of candidates and the progress of the search. The committee will meet again next week and begin to look at the applicants and nominees soon with those activities continuing into the new year. Anyone who knows of good candidates should consider nominating them and encourage them to apply. 4. TERMINATION PROCEDURES FOR RESEARCH FACULTY: The Commission approved the content of a policy on Termination Procedures for Research Faculty. The question of format needs to be resolved and the document will be put in resolution form for University Council from which it will be distributed to Faculty Affairs. Dr. Stout motioned approval of the termination procedures for research faculty as written. Dr. Lee sec- onded. Termination procedures were approved. 5. PERCEPTIONS OF THE RESEARCH MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY - DR. CARLISLE: Dr. Carlisle provided the membership with several handouts including a SCHEV news release and summary articles arising from that news release. He discussed some of the recommendations that the State Council has agreed to and will take to the legislature and pointed out that newspa- per summaries of the recommendations have led to some over- simplifications and misunderstandings. He mentioned the general obligation bond passing and that we would receive $45M in renovation and construction funds. We are being authorized to construct buildings that will support research as well as instruction. Dr. Carlisle re- ferred to his open letter in the Spectrum. That was his way of initi- ating and introducing discussion on campus about our circumstances within the state and our situation in relation to research universities across the country. External circumstances are changing fundamentally. He does not feel we are in the bust part of a boom and bust cycle that at some point will bring back millions and millions of dollars to uni- versities and restore us to where we once were. We remain critically important to society and the state as an instructional, research and land-grant institution. Somehow we must fulfill this complex mission in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Our task is to rede- fine our mission and identity in a way that recognizes reality and at the same time recognizes our and the state's long term interest. What is happening here is no different than the kinds of challenges that are happening across the country. In response, we have gone on to develop a project called the Faculty Reward Project, which engages faculty, students and staff from across the university in answering three basic questions: What are our responsibilities? How do we properly fulfill them? How do we recognize and reward faculty achievement? The first question is not ours alone to answer as the legislature, the State Council, parents, and the public generally pay more attention to higher education. Dr. Carlisle hopes that from extensive discussion of how to meet our missions we will have a statement or proposal that will meet our new challenges in times of growing demands and growing conflicts. He outlined his attempts at orientation to point out the values to stu- dents of being in a research university. Our research, scholarship and creative programs teach students very directly; a research university has a role in undergraduate education. It is not the primary role of research but it is a great benefit. The primary role of research is to discover and create, which enriches the intellectual life of the uni- versity, informs through outreach and public service, and supports eco- nomic development in the state, in addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Carlisle also discussed the importance of not focusing on teaching vs. research but on asking deeper questions ___ about defining our responsibilities and developing and changing in the light of those responsibilities. The last part of his remarks were de- voted to specific questions posed by members of the Commission. He said he would be pleased to come to another meeting for further dis- cussion. 6. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 5:05PM. FMAM/php
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