January 10, 2025
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Madison Hall President’s Conference Room & Zoom Webinar
Senators Present: Huiwang Ai, Aaron Bloomfield, Jennifer Greeson, Juliet Hatchett, Jim Lambert, Alicia Lopez Opere, Andy Pennock, Lisa Colosi Peterson, Brian Pusser, Sue Saliba, Jim Savage, Jeri Seidman, Jessica Sewell
Ex-Officio & Guests Present: Maite Brandt-Pearce, Brie Gertler, Melissa Riley, Sandra Pai, Ken Kipps, Nina Tripp, Abby Self, Peter Hallowell
Call to Order: Jim Lambert called the meeting to order at 2:03 PM.
Welcome (Jim L., Jeri, Michael K.) Jim reminded everyone to check out the Faculty Senate LinkedIn page.
Review/approval of draft minutes from 12/06/24: motion by Brian Pusser, seconded by Jeri Seidman.
Provost’s Office update:
Brie stated that there’s a working group looking at revising teacher evaluations. They’ve spent time researching core questions to be used. EXCO asked to have the slides ahead of time so they can have time to ask questions. EXCO would like the committee to consider the timing of the evaluation.
Student Council passed a Resolution for Ramadan accommodations. Council wanted the University to mandate items.
Maite stated that there are two weeks left to gather comments on Promotion & Tenure Policy. A seven-day reminder will be sent out.
PROV-004 review in a few weeks. A request for items to address in the policy will go out shortly.
Discussion and suggestions on how to get through Faculty Senate meeting agenda. Suggestions included reducing the number of items, having committee chairs send their reports for distribution ahead of time, cut people off if they start to go over their allotted time, don’t invite both President Ryan and Provost Baucom but alternate them, and send issues to committees for work then provide a link to the work the committees are doing.
Motion on Provost Policy 004
I move that PROV-004 should be revised to incorporate the following protocols:
-
In year six, an AG faculty member would be subject to a selective review by the school P&T committee.
-
The result of the review would be a recommendation (a) to reappoint with promotion, (b) to reappoint without promotion, or (c) to not reappoint.
-
If the faculty member was reappointed (with or without promotion), the employment commitment defined in the current PROV-004, section IV.D. would be earned.
-
If the faculty member was reappointed without promotion, the faculty member could seek promotion in a later year.
-
There will remain 12-month standards of notice after a non-renewal.
Motion passed with a vote of 31 For, 26 Against, and 9 Abstaining.
Institutional Neutrality Policy: Discussion on whether this applies to Center Directors, Faculty Senators, visiting faculty? Should the Faculty Senate or a committee take this up as an issue for discussion?
Ad Hoc Committees: Discussion about creating ad hoc committees to review By-Laws, and discuss Governance, Representation, Appointments, and Communications. After discussion, EXCO agreed to ask for two ad hoc committees: 1) Representation and Governance and 2) By-laws. Since each Senator is already placed on a committee, Senators would volunteer and work on two committees. Committees will work for the Spring semester and then bring their results to EXCO. If the work needs to be extended, the committee could ask for more time.
Committee Reports:
AAC: No report
FRRRW: No report from Chair. Committee member stated John Kosky is looking into a hospital bill that was brought to the attention of the committee.
Policy: Committee is working on the P&T policy review in addition to several other policies due this week. BOX is linked to the Policy committee on website.
DEI: No report.
Grievance: Peter Hallowell will serve as Chair of the committee through June. There are multiple cases underway moving toward resolutions.
Finance: Adam Daniel, Vice Provost of Administration and Planning, and Michael Phillips, Associate Vice Provost for Budget and Financial Planning, met with the Committee to review the budget. The committee may meet with Julia Smith, Executive Director for Federal Relations at a future meeting.
RTS: worked with OSP on some issues. The committee plans to meet again at the end of January.
BOV Rep: No report.
Athletic: No report as there hasn’t been a meeting since November.
Faculty Senate of VA: No report as the meeting was postponed due to the water issues in Richmond.
Carla Williams is scheduled for the February meeting: people are hearing about a lot of changes in Athletics, but no one understands what’s happening. Could her office send a summary before the meeting? Senators’ questions are: where do student fees go? Is the University moving toward treating student athletes as employees? Would like to not only what is happening but why.
UVA Chairs Summit: Jim Lambert will attend. Kim Acquaviva goes as a member.
Nominating committee: Statements from BOV Faculty Senate representative will take place at the January meeting. At the meeting the committee will also announce the need for Chair-Elect, Faculty Senate of Virginia, and EXCO At Large candidates.
The School of Data Science will host the January meeting. President Ryan and Provost Baucom will be there.
Agenda for January 24
President Ryan and Provost Baucom 45 minutes (1/2 time for questions)
Approval of minutes 2 minutes
Faculty Representative to the BOV 5 minutes
Update of Senate Resolution on PROV-004 2 minutes
BOV Representative Candidate statements 15 minutes
Ad hoc committees on Bylaws, Representation/Governance 12 minutes
Discipline working group 15 minutes
Free expression programming update 5 minutes
Standing Committees 10 minutes
Virginia Higher Education Advocacy Day update 2 minutes
Reception to follow at the SDS Corporate Commons 4:00 PM
Look ahead: Carla Williams, Greg Roberts, and Brie Gertler for February 14.
Jennifer Greeson stated that since the upcoming meeting is at the end of Inauguration week, people will have lots of questions about the new Administration. FS should consider handling faculty senate business first then have President Ryan and Provost Baucom come to speak at the end.
Rouss Robertson, Garrett, Medical Education, and the Nursing School Auditorium mentioned as locations for future Faculty Senate meetings.
Brian Pusser motions to adjourn, Jim Savage seconds. All in favor. Motion approved, meeting adjourned.