2:00 PM
President’s Conference Room, Madison Hall & Zoom
Senators Present: Huiwang Ai, Aaron Bloomfield, Lisa Colosi Peterson, Jennifer Greeson, Juliet Hatchett, Michael Kennedy, Brad Kesser, Jim Lambert, Alicia Lopez Opere, Andrew Pennock, Brian Pusser, Eric Ramirez Weaver, Sue Saliba, Jim Savage, Jeri Seidman, Jessica Sewell, Brian Wright
Ex-Officio & Guests Present: JJ Davis, Brie Gertler, Ian Mullins, Steve Farmer, Melissa Riley, Wynne Stuart, Kim Acquaviva, Walter Heinecke, Davis Taliaferro
Review and Approval of Minutes
Jim Lambert stated that he had received requests to attend the EXCO Faculty Senate meetings and provided the zoom link to members of the public. As a note, meetings are recorded to assist in transcribing the minutes only. Brian Pusser thinks the Faculty Senate should discuss and vote on whether meetings are public or not.
New Business
Steve Farmer, Vice Provost for Enrollment
Brie Gertler introduced Steve and mentioned the Virginia College Advising Corp (VCAC) that Steve oversees which consists of sixty college advisors spread throughout the Commonwealth at under resourced high schools to encourage and prepare students for college. Steve mentioned that UVA is trying to open the door to a larger pool of students than in previous years and VCAC is one way of doing that. He’s also tried to improve the welcome they get and encourage them to come visit UVA.
Steve then addressed the issue of halting student guided tours. For some background, tours were stopped during covid. In 2021 – 2022 academic year, started to hear some concerns about the experience we were offering our guests. They were not only regarding the student led tours but parking and admissions. Student led tours being independent of university admissions used to be the norm, but times are changing. There were guest experiences where tour guides asked for tips or guides were dismissive of questions from the group. There have been concerns about the guide group not being able to fill all the tour guide vacancies and guides not showing up for their tours. Steve understands that it is hard for volunteer leaders to handle 130 volunteer guides. There have been issues with negativity on the tours. After January and February of 2024 where there were Saturdays where 100s of guests showed up and there were no tour guides. The guides were told that this would lead to ending student guided tours, but they continued and took the summer to review. Idea they came back with was to take a semester off and review and regather. When the improvement plan is done, they will be back in the Spring. Student leaders have been terrific in working to improve the tours. It is the intent to restore the guides. The guides are not independent of the University, the agreement is that they are a special status organization, and they are delegated a function, and they agree to perform that function and work with advisors within the University. There are paid interns in Admissions that provide tours and fill in for tour guides when they don’t show. The volume of requested tours is just too high. Steve clarified that he is not speaking about the suspension of historical tours. Those tours are a function of the Rotunda.
Davis Taliaferro, Leader of Student Guides: The guides are active and engaged in working with the university. The guides were aware of the concerns in the summer but thought they would give tours in the Fall. During covid, they lost office hours which meant there was a person available to host a tour if the scheduled tour guide didn’t show and they are working on bringing that back.
Some suggestions from EXCO were to offer the guides as work-study or have admission write letters of commendations for guides to help build their resumes.
Michael Kennedy BOV report:BOV first scheduled meeting on Thursday and Friday, September 12 and 13. Agenda has been published. Michael is on Building & Grounds, College at Wise, and Academic and Student Life.
Review and Approval of August EXCO Minutes edited by Jim and others.
Motion by Jim Savage
Seconded by Aaron Bloomfield
Review and Approval of annual committee reports – four committee reports: DEI, Finance, Grievance, and Policy
AAC will be voted on next time.
Motion by Jennifer Greeson
Seconded Jessica Sewell. Approved committee reports will be attached to the May 2024 minutes for the archives.
Provost Report – Brie Gertler
Religion, Diversity and Belonging Report Plans for Implementation
There were 31 recommendations from the task force. Some were underway and others they have decided to take immediate actions on, leaving the final set for action later. No recommendations that will be ignored.
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Available space on grounds for prayer and meditation that are close by and convenient. They are starting by assessing what exists then find where there are areas where places are lacking. What are the needs: is open for drop in or reserve, what are the rules – no technology or silent. There are national and international standards like an airport chapel, but does it serve everyone equally well.
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Food – is there food available, does it need to be enhanced or better communicated.
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EOCR has been updated, guidance for faculty, clearer guidance for students. A template has been created for students to use.
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Provide student orientation training regarding the university’s discrimination and harassment policy. President Ryan currently meets with local faith leaders and will meet more frequently but a suggestion is to investigate expanding it.
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Help the UVA community to learn skills for constructive dialogue. Karsh Institute is already hosting dialogue dinners.
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Provost providing funding for new hires: five faculty members in religious traditions and cultures, conflict resolution, history of religious conflict, political and economic dimensions of religious conflict.
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Not specific task force recommendations but senior leadership is taking actions on designating a victim’s advocate and coordinator within police department who is experienced in handling religious intolerance, and designating a lead to work with EOCR to work in partnership with HR, Student Affairs, the Provost Office, and the Health System
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Committed to renew our fact bases which means take more surveys, get more data.
The new EOCR page has a calendar for all holidays on it.
Follow up to EXCO meeting in August where Jim and Jeri reminded President Ryan that the senate called for an independent and external report. Emails between Jim and President Ryan. Jim will forward these emails to EXCO. Members raised concerns that handpicked faculty members cannot be independent.
AAUP Correspondence and Ian’s response was discussed on the topic of faculty disciplinary policy as well as student protest policy. The letter was addressed to President and Provost and EXCO was cc’d. The faculty senate should respond to it and document what EXCO and the Policy Committee did over the summer with the new policy.
Staff senate will come to October EXCO meeting.
Standing committee reports:
Finance: Jennifer Greeson stated their first full meeting will be next Friday by zoom and they’re talking about understanding the university financial model and how it’s being dealt with in SOM.
AAC: Sue Saliba said that Monday’s meeting is cancelled because IRA team is not ready. They will meet in two weeks.
RTS: Huiwang Ai stated they had their first meeting. They discussed what their priorities are. They discuss religious accommodations from the teaching aspects especially for large classes and what they need resource wise to accommodate students. They will discuss Rob’s document. They will also compare UVA to peers globally approach in terms of scholarship and faculty governance and explore more connections with them.
FRRRW: Brian Kesser stated the committee is meeting on Wednesday. He has asked everyone on the committee to think about and present what attracted you to UVA and what keeps you. Hoping to have a seminar during Open Enrollment on the healthcare plans along with dental and vision benefits. Childcare RFP has issued a request for pricing to companies to bring childcare under one roof and will discuss to set goals for the year.
DEI: Eric Ramirez Weaver stated they will meet on October 2. They are working with Rachel and Emily on “dead” names and the need to eliminate them due to interface problems. Reviewing the Religious Diversity Task Force recommendations.
Maite asked for five senator volunteers to form an ad hoc working group on Faculty Discipline/Suspension/Termination Policy. The five are: Jennifer Greeson, William Brady, Aaron Bloomfield, Natoya Hill, and Matt Hedstrom.
Due to time constraints, EXCO is skipping revision of Handbook.
Agenda for full Senate meeting:
EXCO could give 5-minute report about Steve Farmer’s visit.
Invite one- or two-SOM senators to talk, signatures are anonymous, so we don’t know if any signed.
FRRRW committee should take up SOM issue.
Policy Committee
The new VP of Research is coming in October. Could we request slides ahead of the meeting so the meeting could be questions and deliberation?
Motion to Adjourn: Sue Saliba
Second: Jessica Sewell
Motion Passes.
Meeting Adjourned.