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Governance Minutes Archive

April 25, 1991

         VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE and STATE UNIVERSITY

                       Faculty Senate Retreat

 

                           April 25, 1991

 

 

  Announcement:  May 15 Cabinet Meeting at CEC

 

  The following agenda was presented to the Senate:

 

       1.   Task Force on University Governance

       2.   Frequency of meetings

       3.   Public information officer

       4.   Summer meeting(s)

       5.   Speakers for programs

       6.   Efficient and timely communication

       7.   Debating items of substance

       8.   Constitution and By-laws

       9.   Committees and commission membership

       10.  Off-campus extension

       11.  Minority representation

       12.  Special admissions

       13.  Use of name committee

 

  The following represent a brief summary of comments and consensus

  conclusions:

 

       A.  Mixed results on twice a month senate meetings.

       B.  Many were in favor of closing senate meetings at a set

           time.

       C.  Departments should be asked to post senate minutes in mail

           room or distribute by E-Mail.

       D.  Humor/Graphics could be added to better communicate with

           faculty.

       E.  Need a method to maintain summer contact.  Could involve

           alternates, but no consensus was reached.

       F.  Program Speakers and Issues:

 

           1.  What is public service?

           2.  Invite area legislators and key legislators such as

               Delegate Cranwell.

           3.  Develop a dialogue with speakers instead of being

               talked to.

           4.  Director of Admissions, Chairman Board of Visitors

 

       G.  All faculty should have individual access to computer

           mail.

       H.  Constitution out of date

 

           1.  A committee to revise bylaws should be appointed.

           2.  Reduce the number of items in the bylaws and make it

               more generic in reference to new university

               constitution.

           3.  Revise voting method if constitution is changed.

       I.  Need better feedback from commissions.  Senators should

           police themselves and resign if they cannot or will not

           participate.

       J.  Off-campus extension faculty [These groups are appointed

           by command and not collegiately, and they were changed

           from classified to administrative faculty position.] - How

           should they be handled in terms of access to Senate

           Committees of Reconciliation, Ethics, etc.

       K.  How to handle needs of research associates and

           post-doctorates?

       L.  How can faculty senate encourage more minority

           representation?

 

           1.  Transferable vote

           2.  Dialogue of cabinet with Afro-American and other

               minority groups

           3.  How to reach out and encourage without creating

               "positive" discrimination.

 

       M.  Admissions in general including the role of faculty in

           admissions and special admissions should be on the agenda

           for next year.

       N.  Use of University name has become a concern and the

           president has asked the senate to supply two names to

           serve on a name use criteria committee.

       O.  Lobby:

 

           1.  Should the faculty senate hire its own lobbyist to

               look out for faculty interest?

           2.  Educate the legislature about what faculty do.

           3.  Do we want to be involved in legislative information?

               How would it work? Would it work?

           4.  Faculty should be more involved in SCHEV.

           5.  Work through parents of Tech students.

           6.  Invite legislator to campus and share ideas with them.

           7.  Can not expect others to do our work.

           8.  Form a task force to look at this?

 

       P.  Concern was expressed over problems of cost to faculty and

           access to in the following areas:

 

           1.  Computer

           2.  Communications

           3.  Library

 

       Q.  Funding and competitive access to graduate students is a

           continuing concern.

 

 

 

  Respectfully Submitted,

 

  L. Leon Geyer

  Secretary

 

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