Meeting Minutes
Minutes of October 27, 2006 University Coordinating Committee Meeting
Present: Charles Webber (Chair), Atheni Asihel, Anthony Barbato, Gerry McDonald, and Rebecca Stolz
Also Present: Lorraine Snyder
Absent: John Frendreis and Dow Scott
Chuck Webber opened the meeting at 2:00 p.m. and reviewed implementation to date of the Shared Governance Task Force Report recommendations. He welcomed Unified Student Government (USG) President Atheni Asihel to her first meeting as a member of the UCC.
Chuck then requested that the chairs of Faculty Council (FC), Staff Council (SC) and the USG share their plans for reconstitution of the University Policy Committees (UPCs) this term. Gerry indicated that the FC plans to do a combination of appointments and elections for faculty seats on UPCs , and that time constraints this term necessitate more appointments than elections. Additionally, Gerry noted that the FC would like to invite faculty who currently serve on a UPC to serve out the duration of their term. Seats that will be vacated by faculty who served beyond their terms (at the request of the UCC during the review) will be filled by appointment.
Gerry added that there is concern in FC regarding individuals at the assistant dean level or above serving as members of UPCs and indicated that the FC feels that these administrators are ineligible to serve in faculty seats on the UPCs. It was determined that additional clarification was needed regarding whether anyone holding an administrative position was currently serving on a UPC.
Rebecca offered that SC would also like to invite staff who currently serve on a UPC to serve out the duration of their term. Seats that will be vacated by staff who served beyond their terms (at the request of the UCC during the review) will be filled by appointment, as the SC is also not prepared to run an election in a constricted time-frame. There are approximately 6 staff seats available.
Atheni indicated that the USG would prefer to run elections for all undergraduate students seats on UPCs. There are approximately 10 student seats available. She added that she will consult with the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Provost regarding filling graduate student seats on the UPCs.
It was agreed that individuals coming ont o a UPC this fall will serve until June 2009, thus slightly extending their terms from 2 years to 2 ½ years.
Chuck indicated that the Budget and Finance UPC has been meeting this fall and is requesting that faculty and staff who currently serve on that UPC might be available to serve until June 2007. UPC chair Bill Laird indicated in a memo to Chuck that it takes a significant amount of time to bring UPC members up to speed on budgetary issues and that the UPC has already begun some long-term discussions that would be stalled should that committee be reconstituted mid-year. Gerry responded that he will consult with the FC regarding the faculty who serve on that committee.
Lorraine indicated that she is working on a revised draft governance charter that incorporates the changes that Father Garanzini and the Faculty Council agreed upon in recent discussions. The revised charter will be sent to Father Garanzini and the UCC for review later this month.
Gerry highlighted the importance of including in the revised charter that all UPC discussions and policy proposals be sent concurrently to the President and the UCC in order to ensure transparency and communication.
The next meeting date was tentatively scheduled for November 30th at 2:00 p.m.
11. Chuck adjourned the meeting at 3:45 p.m.