Minutes

Faculty Assembly of the University of North Carolina--115th Meeting February 16, 2001--UNCGA Building

I. First Plenary Session (10:30 a.m. to noon)

A. Welcome and Call to Order

Chair Howell called the meeting to order at 10:40 a.m. with a warm welcome for everyone present.

B. Announcements and Introductions

Chair Howell asked new members to stand and be recognized. He reviewed the agenda and offered to remind people who may have forgotten their committee assignments.

He encouraged delegates to consider running for one of the positions on the Executive Board.

C. Approval of Minutes of November 17, 2000

Chair Howell decided to postpone action on the minutes of the November 17, 2000 meeting which were not posted on the Faculty Assembly Web site on time for delegates to read them prior to the meeting. They will be approved at the next meeting.

D. Chair’s Report

The Chair began his report by sharing his thought about his tenure as Chair or the Faculty Assembly, with the hope of drawing attention to the significance of the Faculty Assembly. As he reflected, he noted that he was:

· sometimes tired of his work with the Faculty Assembly, e.g., going to the Board of Governors’ meetings. Though he has learned a lot, he had reached his limit.

· tired of going to meetings here at the General Administration, though they were interesting and useful.

· tired of doing all the reading about higher education and keeping up with news about schools in the UNC--it was also losing its appeal.

· planning Faculty Assembly meetings and doing the business of the Assembly and that this work had also lost its appeal.

· receiving a fairly large volume of e-mail from faculty throughout the system, and had also lost interest in getting them, for some time now.

He further noted:

· He has spent considerable amount of time visiting the campuses and this has made him aware of the discrepancies on the campuses. While chairing a search committee in his department at UNCG, he has spent a lot of time thinking about how higher education was not what is was when he started his career. He now realizes that he has missed having the time to focus on his other academic roles--teaching and research.

· Some of the issues that he sees in his department are the same ones that the Assembly is dealing with. For example, two people who were hired on tenure track in his department came with rather weak teaching skills, but with great research skills. They would not have survived without a teaching/learning center, but not all campuses have them. Another has a small child and commutes, another is the primary caretaker for her mother who lives in Virginia. These pressures seem greater than those he was experiencing years ago.

· His unit has lost an excellent researcher to a campus that offered $20,000.00 more. They are now trying to convert a temporary potion to tenure/track because they think it is better for quality assurance.

· The UNC system will need to hire about 600-1000 new faculty, each year. These projections are mainly based on retirements. Many of us, have opportunity to mentor the young people who will become the new professors. They are in our doctoral programs now. The examples that we exhibit for them will have some influence on their decisions.

· These days, interviewees are younger, and they walk in with a disk instead of a pile of handouts. They expect to see the technology that will allow them to use their electronic presentation. UNCG is fortunate to have this technology, but not all campuses do. New hirees into tenure track positions often are younger, and many have small children and a working spouse, and they expect that the university will be able to assist with the employment of the spouse. Several years ago that was not necessary.

· These are all issues that the Assembly deals with everyday. When he questions why the Faculty Assembly should exist, these things remind him of its value and the importance of having us all work hard and help to make the university a better place for those who are here and for the 20 year-old applicants who are knocking on the door.

E. Presentation by President Molly Broad (11:00 a.m. to noon)

Chair Howell extended a warm welcome to President Broad, and asked her to speak with the group.

President Broad started with the bad new--the state’s growing budget deficit and the implications that it holds for the University. She noted that more and more court decisions have been costly for the state. Each week has brought millions and millions of dollar of budget shortfall. Fiscal analysts are anxious that it will keep getting worse. There is a $791m deficit in the current year’s state budget. The Governor has decided to create a $1b escrow fund so we will be prepared.

The President’s Office has been working with the Governor and staff to decide on an appropriate share that the University should provide. The University has been asked to make no position freezes; there are no across-the-board prohibitions. We have taken a 2% of appropriations one-time cut, and each campus has been given the flexibility to decide how to make the cuts, and to do so in such a way that they will bring the least harm to the campus. Campuses can decided if they will cut their repair and renovations budget.

Continuing challenges include:

· preparing for increased enrollment,

· faculty salaries not measuring up at a time when we need to do much hiring,

· continued concern by the legislative leaders about what the next year will be. It will not be until April before we see what the budget picture will be like. Bob Samors will talk more about our agenda with the Federal Government. There will be even greater need to access Federal dollars to support UNC programs.

Other updates:

· Last week a search was launched for a Chancellor for WSSU and two new Chancellors have been installed at ECU and NC Central. Both bring tremendous experience to their positions.

· The General Administration has been very hard at work since November 7, 2000 to manage the bond program--the most ambitious ever undertaken in higher education in this country. There is need to make sure that the over 300 projects will be managed well and that time schedules will be met.

· The General Administration is committed to doing everything necessary to bring in the bond program on time and within budget. So far, they have been successful in getting the Building Commission’s support for special consideration. The first 30 projects have been exempt from the traditional bidding process for sub-contractors. Instead, a construction manager will work with subcontractors to bring in the projects on time. $129m in projects have already signed contracts and some have been started. Most of these projects have come in under budget.

· The Board of Governors has given its support to a new initiative to improve and sustain minority presence in the University system. The initiative requires each of the sixteen campuses to include in its strategic plan, strategies to ensure a welcoming climate, as well as racial and ethnic parity in measures like retention and graduation.

· Each campus needs to manage enrollment and retention to ensure that minority students will enter and graduate from their institutions. Each campus is required to develop a strategic plan, stating its programs and it how it will implement these programs to achieve this goal.

· Need to work more effectively with high schools and community colleges, to improve access to financial aid, etc. They have received funding for Pathways, and will soon begin reaching out to middle school students, to help them decided on jobs in which they are interested, and what courses to take to be prepared for entry to the UNC system. They have also received a Gear Up grant to work with school districts that have at least 50% of their children on a federal lunch program. The grant will provide recruitment and mentoring to help these students prepare for higher education. Need-based financial aid will be a critical part of achieving access goals.

· The Institute for Coastal Studies will be set up at Roanoke Island. The Board of Governors has given approval for planning. An expert group worked with the five campuses that have marine science programs. This institute will help the University of North Carolina to secure federal funds to support marine science.

· Campuses will now be fully funded to bring their infrastructure to functionality. More than 50 support services have been identified--advising, registration, financial aid, etc., that students need. Some services are now available on the Web, in some areas; the goal is to have all services integrated over the Web. They will be implemented in phases, and phase two will be available by June 2001.

Questions

· Delegate Joe Ferrell, UNCCH asked whether discretionary funding is at risk. He had not read that, but had read something about zero-based funding. The response was that we have to wait and see how that plays out. It would be very discouraging news after the flexibility we have had, to use resources to respond to our varying needs.

· Delegate Fleming Bell, UNCCH, asked whether there was a chance that there would be a reduction, temporarily, of state contributions to retirement benefits. The response was that it is unlikely that that will happen. Ken Grogan noted that the reduction in contributions to retirement contributions will not affect the optional plans.

· Delegate Jose D’Arruda, UNCP, asked whether projected positions for enrollment increases will be affected. When can we start advertising for new position? When will the money be coming to the campuses so we can start recruitment? The response was that the money for current enrollment increases are already at the campuses. Funds will continue to flow to the campuses based on the increases, if enrollment growth is fully funded. The expectation is that it will be fully funded.

· Delegate Jeff Passe, UNCC asked about the role of the Faculty Assembly and how we can contribute to the governance of the University. President Broad responded that the Faculty Assembly’s role is very important, but that she needs to think more about it and talk to Faculty Assembly leaders. There is need to see the Assembly more active in identifying important policy issues and their impact on our campuses.

· Delegate Carl Hughes, FSU, asked about the role of faculty in the selection of Chancellors. President Broad responded that, by statute, faculty, are required to serve on the committee. She encourages Search Committee chairs to include people who are broadly representative of their campuses while ensuring that committees are balanced in gender, disciplines, etc. The role of faculty is absolutely essential. Faculty usually discuss the requirements for academic leadership as the position statement is being prepared.

There are issues of confidentiality--discussions are confidential, in the room, so candid discussions can occur. Protecting individuals who we have been recruited into the process--prospects or nominees. As the committee enters final phase, the Committee must decide whether it will bring finalists to the campus or keep them confidential to the very end. There is need to decide early enough to be able to tell candidates what it will look like at the back end.

Follow-up question: If the administration appoints the faculty, can they be representative. The response was that the administration does not make the appointment, the Board of Trustees does, in consultation with the Faculty Senate.

One delegate noted that faculty input to search committees is often futile, because the committee has made up its mind and nothing is fed back to faculty. There should be criteria for who goes on committee and whether input obtained at public meeting are in fact used.

President Broad noted that feedback comes in the form of the leadership statement and position description. She would be loathed to give guidance about who should participate; this should be a campus decision, not to be set by the President’s Office.

The President was commended for her handling of a Chancellor search. The delegate noted that he had participated in providing testimony for the search and he and his colleagues felt that their views were considered and included.

· Delegate Philip Bromberg, UNCCH, asked how will the marine center work in terms of funding, governance, and other existing facilities. “What is this new overarching center and how will it coexist with the other centers, and how will it be funded?”

The project will be funded by Federal and state support, will have resident and visiting faculty; it will be a collaborative center, attached to the President’s Office. Administrative support will come from ECU.

Senior VP Bataille noted that Chapel Hill has been involved in developing the proposal for this inter-institutional center. It is a way to leverage what we are now doing, not to compromise what is being done on each campus.

· One delegate asked whether the mention of tourism as part of the marine center reflects a new focus on economics. There is an increased reliance on the University to participate in economic development.

Delegate Sue Estroff, UNCCH noted that the study of tourism is a large, active, and multidisciplinary academic area. One of the visiting staff from the General Administration agreed, noting that this is exactly right; the significant academic value was the focus, not the commercial value.

· Delegate Gill Harp, WSSU, noted that it is good that we can go without the traditional bidding process for the first buildings. If this goes well, can we do it for the others? President Broad agreed; “yes.”

F. New Academic Affairs Staff (Senior VP Gretchen Bataille)

· Snr. VP Bataille referred to a new organization chart and introduced the following staffers:

- Betsy Brown, Assoc. Vice President, Faculty Support.

- Bobby Kanoy, Assoc. Vice President, Access & Research.

- Larry Mayes, Asst. Vice President, Program Assessment.

She invited delegates to meet and talk with these new members of her staff.

· She briefly reviewed the Doctoral and First Professional Program guidelines, of January 2001. A handout was provided to delegates. Snr. VP Bataille stated that she would welcome comments on the guidelines.

· She also reviewed the Revisions in Minority Presence Plan, memorandum of December 21, 2000.

· She also noted that Memorandum 409 (Intellectual Property) and Memorandum 410 (Long-range Planning) are on the Web.

Questions/Answers

· Chair Howell noted that seven campuses were focus growth institutions, and asked how the growth has been and to what is it attributed. The response was that it is attributed mostly to consultants and money. Fayetteville State University did not see an increase in enrollment; Pembroke saw a 20% increase in its freshman class.

· Another delegate asked whether faculty will have input in buildings and how much input will we have? The response was that there probably will be a building committee, including crucial faculty. It is very important that faculty be involved at the beginning. We could invite facilities people to attend senate meetings to talk about what is being done.

· One delegate suggested that we might have an ad hoc committee on surviving the building boom. At UNC-Chapel Hill, they have the facilities people on their senate agenda at each meeting, and it will continue to be there in the future.

· Delegate Neufeld of Appalachian State noted that building people often think they know how to do it, so it is important to assign someone, with release time, to monitor them. They did not have one at Appalachian State during a science building construction and it caused all kinds of problems. Delegate Bell, UNCCH, also emphasized the need to do this.

Chair Howell introduced Peter Petschauer from Appalachian State University, former Chair of the Faculty Assembly, who was attending the meeting, as an alternate. We then broke for lunch.

II. Lunch and Presentation on UNC’s Washington Office, Robert Samors, Assoc. VP Public Relations (Noon to 1:15 p.m., Boardroom)

During lunch, Associate VP of Public Relations, Robert Samors, talked about services that are available to UNC researchers (pursuing funded projects), through the Washington, D.C. Office. He shared his contact information, as follows:

Available services include:

· Office space when visiting Washington, D.C.

· Help in scheduling meetings for researchers visiting the capital.

· Information on opportunities in Washington.

· Assistance in raising the profile of our institutions.

Opportunities in Washington include:

· Increases in Federal support for research and development

· Budget surpluses

· Agency HBCU/MSI programs

· New Administration/New Congress

Challenges include:

· Tax cuts

· The economy

· New priorities

· The profile of our institutions

His handout included the UNC 2000 Federal Agenda (updated on January 31, 2001) as well as the 2001 Federal Agenda.

III. Standing Committee Meetings (1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.)

Chair Howell gave a short break after which the committees went directly into their meetings.

There was a slight change to the agenda. The Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee and the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee decided to meet in the Board Room--combined meeting with Senior VP Gretchen Bataille.

IV. Second Plenary Session (3:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

A. Presentation on Faculty Benefit Issues by Ron Penny, VP Human Resources (3:15 to 4:00)

Chair Howell called the meeting to order at 3:22 p.m. He introduced VP Penny and thanked him for coming to speak with the Faculty Assembly.

( 38 delegates seated)

VP Ron Penny’s Comments

He has visited thirteen of the sixteen campuses and he thanked everyone for their hospitality to him during his visits. He noted that he is keenly aware of the contribution that faculty make to the state of North Carolina.

His presentation focused on faculty benefits:

· Benefits need to be portable and relevant to the needs of the people being served.

· WellPath’s latest announcement, that they are discontinuing service to several counties is of significant concern to many of our campuses. Announced that they are leaving 13 counties in the state and will impact some of our campuses. Their very abrupt decision to withdraw by March 12 as now extended to March 31, 2001. The state’s legal posture is that:

1. There has been a breach of contract, so they pursued the case in superior court. However, the Judge decided that they should go through an Administrative Legal Hearing, which tends to move slowly. There will be several payroll deadlines between now and March 31 and payroll needs to know what deductions to make. The State is still exploring appropriate responses to WellPath.

2. There have been violations of regulations of the Department of Insurance. WellPath left the 13 counties, dropping only state employees, while keeping business groups. Typically, 180 day notice is needed prior to pulling out of a coverage area--Federal and state law.

Immediate impact on employees:

· Employees will be transferred to the State Health Plan or other options (all employees will be covered)

· Deductible year starts when employees are transferred, without credit for funds spent. New deductible year is July 1. Money spent in WellPath will not be a part of the deductible for the State Plan. Therefore employees will start a deductible year in April, and then another in July.

· Special cases formerly reviewed by WellPath might be reconsidered by State Health Plan, in light of plan coverage. Present WellPath doctor may not be a costwise provider, so may cost more than employee expected to pay.

VP Penny asked delegates to send him their stories, noting that it helps when he can tell the story of people who have to pay more money because of this drastic change. It also helps him to talk with the State Plan, citing real life situations. They provide him real opportunities to advocate for employees. Stories can be sent to rpenny@northcarolina.edu.

Questions/Comments

· Delegate Neufeld thinks the state should be obligated to pick up any extra costs that result from this break in coverage.

VP Penny noted some problems with the State Health Plan and indicated there is expected to be about a 22% increase in premium, plus other changes that will negatively impact state employees.

VP Penny noted that VALIC has discontinued some of its funds and that notices have gone out to ORP participants who have those funds.

Because of the budget emergency, during February to June, employer contributions to the state retirement plan are being placed in a reserve account. This will not impact defined retirement benefits. Emergency provisions do not apply to ORPs.

· Delegate Morrison noted that HMOs pulling out is affecting faculty and staff. He asked whether the state can do anything to stem this tide. The response was that the General Administration is considering some options. There is need to encourage the legislature to put more money into health plans and have more cafeteria style program.

· Delegate D’Arruda noted that a few years ago a committee of the Faculty Assembly asked that the sate put more money into health benefits for families. He wanted to know what had happened to that request? The response was that it is still on the table; still being worked on.

· Delegate Passe wondered what will faculty raises look like next year? The response was that the General Administration is asking for six percent, plus additional funds to bring some employees up to par. But, this might not be a good year. Other benefits being pursued include immediate vesting, and expanding optional retirement systems.

· One delegate noted that faculty, staff and state employees are all on the same plans, and asked whether we are working together on the problems we face. The response was that we are all saying the same thing, but have not met yet--still working as separate voices as some have more enemies.

· One delegate asked whether we should try to be a separate group. The response was that it may not be good, as we may have more risk--members are older and more knowledgeable about health care issues.

B. Committee Reports (4:00-5:45)

The presentation of committee reports started at 4:07 p.m. Chair Howell asked presenters to help us stay on time. He reminded us that we needed to elect a nominations committee, and encouraged everyone to consider participation, both on the nominations committee and also for service next year.

1. Budget (Carl Hughes, FSU)

Committee Chair Hughes started by drawing the meeting’s attention to the slide presentation handout, Management Flexibility. A copy of report was given to the Secretary and Chair.

Items discuss:

· Lack of Web master is affecting the committee’s ability to share information and many of the pages still have errors, even in people’s names.

Snr. VP Bataille asked that information for the Web be sent to her or to Lisa Adamson, including the minutes of meetings. She asked that corrections be sent to her and she will see that they are made.

· Ken Grogan, Assoc. Vice President for Finance participated in the committee.

He reinforced and expanded on Presidents Broad’s earlier discussion regarding the UNC budget requests before the Joint Appropriations Committee of the NC General Assembly. The current estimate of UNC’s share of the $791 million shortfall is $32 million. No hiring freeze is planned. In the 1990-91 budget year UNC lost approximately 400 faculty positions and about 1200 SPA positions.

· Previous attempts to initiate “zero-based budgeting” have not materialized. The meaning and impact of a “modified zero-based budget,” proposed by the Chair of the NC Senate and the House Budget Committee are not clear.

· Efforts will be made to retain the budget flexibility that began in 1991. If retained, this would assist greatly in making up for the $32 million reversion.

· Governor Easley is to outline his legislative agenda in his State of the State speech on Monday night, February 19, 2001. His budget recommendations will be presented to the lawmakers the first week in March.

· There was some brief discussion regarding fringe benefits for faculty, especially in relation to retirement benefits and the economy.

2. Faculty Development (Richard Swanson, UNCG)

Delegate Hanson presented the committee report.

· The committee is reviewing sabbatical across the country, for peer institutions. This project is still in progress, but there is a statute about sabbatical leave, on the UNC site. The committee will explore what the system should pay for such leave, and whether sabbaticals should go to only tenured people, etc.

· Alternate delegate Petschauer updated the group about the Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC).

· Delegate Venable updated the group on efforts to share seminar speakers with all UNC campuses. Technology-related issues will be passed on to the Technology Committee.

· Dr. Peter Petschauer, Appalachian State University is hosting a Chair Workshop on March 23-24, 2001. It will involve department chairs from Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and North Carolina A&T State University.

3. Planning and Programs (Ali Kahn, ECSU)

Delegate Rosenburg gave the committee report. For part of the committee meeting, the group joined the Academic Freedom and Tenure committee and the Faculty Benefits and Welfare committee in meeting with Snr. VP Bataille.

· Associate Vice President Donna Benson discussed long range planning. The Faculty Assembly will be involved in the planning process. This discussion will continue at the April meeting.

· Approximately 235 degree programs are reviewed each biennium. Some do not meet the criteria for enrollment. During the last review, seven programs were discontinued.

4. Faculty Governance (Henry Ferrell, ECU)

The committee report started with a motion:

· Motion: That the Faculty Assembly Chair explores ways to ensure faculty input into the new construction, in the University. Motion passed.

Resolutions:

1. The resolution was first passed under the Petschauer regime and was being brought again now.

Faculty Chair Involvement at Board of Trustee Meetings

WHEREAS, under The Code of The University of North Carolina each Board of Trustees shall promote shall promote the sound development of its institutions and help maintain performance at a high level of excellence in every area of endeavor; and

WHEREAS, under The Code the chancellor shall ensure establishment of appropriate procedures within the institution to provide members of the faculty the means to give advice with respect to questions of academic policy and in institutional governance; and

WHEREAS, at several universities with The University of North Carolina the Faculty Chair is invited to speak regularly in open sessions of the Board of Trustees;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Assembly requests that the President of the University require of chancellors that they ask the Boards of Trustees to provide Chairs of Faculty Senates/Councils the opportunity to serve as ex officio non-voting participants, on the Board of Trustees.

It was noted that some campuses already have this privilege. All should have it--not a member, but a participant. They do not have to be included in closed meetings.

With a friendly amendment by Delegate Veit, the resolution passed

2. This resolution also goes back to the Petschauer regime.

Review of the Professional Performance of Administrators

WHEREAS, assurance of effective teaching, research, creative activity, and service functions within The University of North Carolina requires interdependence between faculty and administrators; and

WHEREAS, it is important that administrators sponsor university objectives and retain the confidence of the faculty; and

WHEREAS, many campuses of The University of North Carolina do not currently have accountable systems of review of professional performance of administrators that include faculty involvement; and

WHEREAS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools requires periodic review of effectiveness of administrative leaders;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Faculty Assembly recommend to the President of The University of North Carolina to support substantial faculty involvement in the systematic and open review of administrators on all campuses of The University of North Carolina.

With a friendly amendment, this resolution passed.

3. This is also an edited version of an earlier resolution. The resolution was edited to move the first two “Whereas” to the bottom (edited version shown).

RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THAT THE CHAIR OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA BECOME AN EX OFFICIO, NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

WHEREAS, the magnitude and rate of change that we will experience on our campuses will continue to increase and it is imperative that policy makers understand the impact of policies at the campus level, and

WHEREAS, the faculty voice, currently not officially heard by the Board of Governors, is one of the several critically important perspectives in the matters of the University, and

WHEREAS, it is important that policy considerations of the Board of Governors be informed by someone who is intimately familiar with the possible impact of said policies at the campus level, and

WHEREAS, General Statute 116.7, “General provisions concerning members of the Board of Governors,” (b) states in part “From and after July 1, 1973, no member of the General Assembly or officer or employee of the state or of any constituent institution or spouse of any such member, officer or employee may be a member of the Board of Governor.” and

WHEREAS, General Statute 116-6.1 “Student member of the Board of Governors,” states (a) “…the person serving as president of the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments of his designee shall serve ex officio as a member of the Board of Governors. This student shall be in addition to the 32 members elected to the Board of Governors,” (b) “The student member shall have all right and privileges of membership except that he shall not have a vote.” and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that President Broad, through the Board of Governors, requests that the General Assembly take legislative action that enables the Chair of the Faculty Assembly of the University of North Carolina to become an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board of Governors.

The resolution passed.

Other matters:

· The committee is working on resolution relating to the selection of Chancellors. They think Faculty who serve on these search committees should be elected, and the short list of candidates should be made public. Committee Chair Ferrell asked delegates to send him other suggestions.

· Committee Chair Ferrell informed the Faculty Assembly of the death of Sal Nerboso, of Western Carolina University, one of the first delegates and one who had made significant contributions to the Faculty Assembly.

· Alternate delegate Petschauer informed the Faculty Assembly of the death of Jimmy Smith, who was the Chair of the Mathematics Department of many years. He had also served as Chair of the Faculty Senate at Appalachian State University and was a delegate to the Faculty Assembly. He was a statesperson par excellence.

5. Academic Freedom and Tenure (Robert Morrison, ECU)

The session started as a joint meeting with Faculty Benefits and Welfare and the Planning and Programs committee. The meeting discussed post tenure review, phased retirement, tenure and promotion procedures, and fixed term faculty issues.

· Post Tenure Review. A project, funded by the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) is currently being done. It is considering possible relationships between phased retirement and post tenure review. Concerns about post tenure review also include dissatisfaction with peer reviewers not being trained--no clear standards on what is excellent and what is deficient. Numbers on post tenure review are not yet available, but soon will be. It will include total being reviewed, number deficient, and number excellent.

· Discrimination. There is no evidence of discrimination based on age, gender, etc. The Faculty Assembly will monitor for punitive actions and remediation.

· Phased Retirement. We are now in the third year of a five-year pilot and the General Administration will be making recommendations to the Board of Governors. It will probably not be an up or down recommendation. Should we be encouraging phased retirement when we need to hire more people. The system will need about 1200 new faculty by 2010--hiring that many that year.

· Fixed Term, Non-tenure. The committee will be meeting with Associate VP Betsy Brown to study the issues--trends, numbers, roles, and issues that they may have, such as pay and benefits. The discussion will also review issues for the institutions and issues for the UNC system.

· Tenure and Promotion. There is need for consistency throughout the sixteen campuses--need for system-wide conversation. There needs to be more consistency throughout the system. The committee suggested that campuses review NCSU’s model to see if it can be adopted for their institution. Faculty Senates will be asked to do this.

Questions/Comments

· Delegate Corwin noted that UNCC has voted to remove the category “Excellent” from its post tenure review policy, and this has helped. Committee Chair Morrison acknowledged that there is great disparity in how the post tenure review process is applied throughout the sixteen campuses.

6. Faculty Benefits and Welfare (Don Lisnerski, UNCA)

The committee meeting started as a joint session with the Planning and Programs committee, and Academic Freedom and Tenure committee.

Further, the committee meeting reviewed and summarized benefits available on our campuses. They considered daycare benefits which are subsidized on some campuses, and disability leave policies. They will make recommendations at the next meeting.

Questions/Comments

· Delegate Rosenberg asked the committee to come up with a resolution, at the next meeting, to support issues that are so important to us--health care, sabbatical, daycare, pay, spouses and families, etc.

· Snr. VP Bataille suggested that the Faculty Assembly pass a motion of support for President Broad’s efforts to improve the benefits to faculty and staff in the University of North Carolina.

· Motion: (Ask KH for the final wording of the motion)

The Faculty Assembly recognize the financial situation of the state but, nevertheless, wishes to support the efforts of the President in improving the the benefits for faculty and staff in order to retain and recruit faculty and staff and maintain the quality of personnel in the University of North Carolina system.

The motion was moved, seconded and passed unanimously.

7. Ad hoc Technology (Jose D’Arruda)

Committee Chair D’Arruda reported that:

· The committee had been invited to meet with the Teaching/Learning Committee and with Technology Collaborative, to have a system-wide technology activity at the end of the semester. They have money to do workshops. The date proposed for the workshop is May 23-26. Each campus will be sending people to the retreat. This committee will plan for a retreat next year May--2002.

· The Committee would like the Faculty Assembly to consider making it a permanent committee. Robin Render is seeking input from this committee on where to go with technology.

· At the next meeting they will try to have a representative from the Teaching/Leaning Committee to come to speak with them--at the April meeting. People wishing to attend the workshop should check with their campus teaching/learning committee.

· Delegate Rosenbaum mentioned that delegates can download information about the TLT from their Web page.

It was announced that Jose D’Arruda had been named Science Educator of the Year for North Carolina. Fellow delegates applauded his accomplishments.

Chair Howell asked the Governance Committee to address the issue of the Ad Hoc Technology Committee becoming a standing committee.

C. Report of Nominations Committee on April Ballot

The slate of officers for the upcoming elections (April 2001) was shared by Nominations Committee Chair Claxton. Chair Howell encouraged greater participation and encouraged diversity on the committees.

Nominees (as at April 4, 2001)

Chair - Jeff Passe, Alan Rosenburg

Vice Chair - Dick Veit

Secretary - Ralph Lee Scott

Chair, Governance Committee - Henry Ferrell

Chair, Faculty Development Committee - Beryl McEwen

Chair, Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee - Don Lisnerski, Norman Coates

Chair, Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee - Mary Adams, Paul Williams

Chair, Budget Committee - Barbara Moran

Chair, Planning and Programs Committee - Dan Noland, Steve Lilley

D. Old Business