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Faculty Senate Minutes

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

President Richard Veit called the meeting to order at 2:30.

Roll Call

Absent were: Adams (Nursing),  Bartl (Biology), Blundo ( Library Comm.), Clifford (English), Dodd (Biological Sciences), Earney (Accounting & Business Law), Hackney (Biological Sciences), Lawson (Economics & Finance), McCarthy (History), Moss (Provost), and Smith (Earth Sciences).

Approval of Minutes:  The September minutes were approved.

Individual Reports:

1. Chancellor James Leutze reported as follows:
• The General Assembly is still in session with no full budget approved yet.  Two items of interest for UNCW are potentially at risk.  First, the General Assembly is talking about using funds now used for repair and renovation for technology. Second, the Senate has not approved funds needed for the construction of our new Education Building. We hope that they will do so soon.  Faculty will see merit increases and bonus reflected in the October paycheck, as well as retroactive payment to July.  If they have not already been notified, faculty will hear this week on the amount of their raises.
• There have been some questions from faculty as to why the Provost Search Committee includes four administrators. This is justified by the fact that  the provost is acting chancellor during the chancellor's absence from campus, and all other vice chancellors then report to the provost.  The majority of the committee is faculty, and faculty have the predominance of votes on the committee.

2. President of the Senate Richard Veit reported as follows:
   • The post-tenure review policy requires faculty to provide SPOT results for the last five years.  The Office of Institutional Research, which currently provides a summary of SPOT question 16 for RTP candidates, will now provide the summary for the last five years for faculty undergoing post-tenure review.
   • The university now offers a number of online courses. Dick Ward will report on the progress of these courses at the next Senate meeting.

3. Faculty Elections Officer Ann Crawford reported as follows:

• Barbara Waxman (English) was elected to the Committee on Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion.  In response to questions from faculty who asked why they never received a nomination ballot for the recent election, she explained that the vacancy on the committee was for Division I and thus nominations only came from that division.  The final ballot was sent to the entire faculty.

4. Faculty Assembly Delegate Dan Noland reported as follows:

• Representatives from all 16 faculties will gather on November 5 in Chapel Hill to formulate a policy on intellectual property and copyright issues.

Committee Reports:

1. The Faculty Welfare Committee presented a  report on faculty short-term disability issues.  A motion to suspend the agenda to allow an immediate vote on motions was approved without dissent.  The following motions then carried:
    
   1. Whereas the University of North Carolina at Wilmington offers at modest cost a UNC system-coordinated supplemental disability insurance plan provided by Liberty Mutual designed for faculty participating in the State retirement system (TSERS), and
              Whereas the supplemental program for TSERS participants implemented in 1996, with a current participation rate of 25% of eligible faculty, is a discretionary, but underutilized benefit of great value to the other 75% of eligible faculty who tend to have been employed by the University for longer periods of time, and
              Whereas there is an open enrollment period available October 19—November 13 for those TSERS participants who have not enrolled in the Liberty Mutual plan who may do so without being required to provide medical evidence of insurability as would ordinarily be required,
              Therefore, be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate urges all TSERS participants to review now the status of their disability benefit policies and strongly urges those who are not members of the Liberty Mutual Voluntary Supplemental Group Disability Insurance Plan to seriously consider taking advantage of the open enrollment period. (Motion 99-2-5, carried without dissent)
        
   2.         Whereas the University of North Carolina at Wilmington offers at very modest cost a UNC system-coordinated supplemental disability insurance plan provided by TIAA designed for faculty participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP), and
              Whereas the supplemental program for ORP participants, with a current participation rate in excess of 95% of eligible faculty, is a discretionary benefit of great value to remaining eligible faculty,    
              Therefore, be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate urges all ORP participants to review now the status of their disability benefit policies and strongly urges those who are not members of the TIAA Group Long-Term Disability Plan to seriously consider enrolling now even though medical evidence of insurability will be required for faculty employed by UNCW for more than 31 days.
      (Motion 99-2-6, carried without dissent)
       
   3.         Whereas the Provost and the Faculty Welfare Committee recognize the need for a clear and fair campus-wide procedure for handing requests for extended time away from work due to disability, and
              Whereas Section VII.D.4 of the Faculty Handbook entitled "Disability Coverage" does not address any salary continuation plan during the 60-day exclusion period before the commencement of benefits under the North Carolina Disability Income Plan (which covers all employees), and
              Whereas the Provost has outlined a salary continuation proposal designed to provide among faculty—temporarily disabled including disability related to childbirth—equal treatment and consistent administration of university benefits and to provide to affected departments the resources to continue class coverage and other duties of disabled employees,
              Therefore, be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate commend the Provost for his attention to the need of a salary continuation policy, and
              Be it further resolved, that the Faculty Welfare Committee assist the Provost in the further refinement of a salary continuation policy, for eventual approval by the Faculty Senate, that will provide in the case of an approved leave the following:
      1. informal, collegial coverage of responsibilities of the absent faculty member for an initial period not to exceed two (or some other number to be determined) weeks.
      2. after two (or some other number) weeks, formal notification of the absent faculty members status to the Human Resources Department by the department.
      3.   
         1. subsequent salary continuation for the faculty members at a 100% level of base salary for the ensuing 60-day exclusion period of NC-DIP (or end of the disability which ever ends first) including employees with less than 1 year of service.
         2. salary continuation at a 50% level of base salary for periods of 61-90 days of disability for employees with less than one year of service.
      4. and also subsequent to (2), funding from the Provost or Dean to the department to recruit temporary faculty to cover the duties of the disabled faculty member.
      5. This policy does not affect the status of departmental negotiations between faculty and departmental chairs concerning work schedules and assignments or leaves without pay. (Motion 99-2-7, carried without dissent)
          
2. The following motion by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee carried:

   That a policy be developed by the Building and Grounds Committee, with input from faculty and ratification by the Faculty Senate, on the use of the University Common for public functions, and that the policy specify what restrictions, if any, should be placed on amplified microphones and amplified music, both at times when classes are in session and on weekends/holidays, and, if the policy should permit noise levels that might interfere with the normal use of adjacent faculty offices, classrooms, or parts of Randall Library, that affected parties, including faculty in the affected offices, be given timely prior notice of functions that might render their workspaces unusable.  (Motion 99-2-2, carried)

3. The following motion from the University Curriculum Committee carried:

   That the following courses be approved as Basic Studies courses:

   1. GRN 101: Introduction to Gerontology, in Category G (Interdisciplinary Perspectives)
   2. P&R 233: African Religions, in Category C (Humanities)

   and that the designation "EGNL" be approved for laboratory sections to accompany EGN courses.  (Motion 99-2-3, carried)

Old Business: None

New Business

1. The following motion from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures was referred to the University Curriculum Committee:

        Whereas a goal of the Basic Studies requirement in foreign languages is that UNCW students attain a certain level of proficiency in a second language, and
        Whereas a realistic target level is at an intermediate level of proficiency in that language,
        Therefore, be it resolved, that the University waive the language requirement for entering students who place into the 300 level or above of a foreign language.  (Motion 99-2-4, referred to the Curriculum Committee)

Announcements

1. Chairs of Senate committees would meet immediately following adjournment.
2. The Symposium on Wilmington in 1898 will take place on October 23^rd and 24^th.  The event is free and open to the public.  Faculty and students are encouraged to attend.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

Submitted by: Raymond L. Burt