March 15, 2007
Loyola Marymount University
Faculty Senate Minutes
March 15, 2007
Collins Center
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Present: Cynthia Becht, Sonny Espinoza, Véronique Flambard-Weisbart, Vicki Graf, Paul Harris, Gary Kuleck, Blake Mellor, Damon Rago, Nina Reich, James Roe, Jonathan Rothchild, Sue Scheibler and Seth Thompson
Excused: Najwa Al-Qattan, Jeffrey Davis, Charles Erven, Yvette Lapayese, Chun I. Lee, Mel Mendelson, Ed Mosteig, Liz Murray, Jennifer Offenberg, K. J. Peters, Ralph Quiñones and Rhonda Rosen
President Graf called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. She began the meeting with a reflection on peace taken from the Irish Jesuits website.
I. Approval of February Minutes – President Graf
It was moved and seconded to adopt and approve the minutes of February 1 and February 15. The minutes were approved unanimously.
II. ESOF Committee Report – Michael Mills
- ESOF recently met with CAO Rose, Rebecca Chandler and Fr. Lawton. ESOF’s concerns include the following:
• ESOF feels like the game has been changed on faculty without consultation. Traditionally in years past, ESOF made recommendations based on the CPI. The language of compensation was changed by Administration so that what was once termed “general increase” is now called “fixed merit.” This change has created a disconnect from the CPI. The new model is based on market factors.
• Comparator schools have been selected for academic comparison, not for salary comparison. ESOF will look into assembling comparator schools based on salary and will continue to note CPI and graph disparities between tuition and salary increases and the CPI.
• The result of this change is that LMU is changing the composition of faculty. Faculty may come to LMU as a first step, but will not be able to be retained.
- President Graf and Michael Mills met with Bob Windsor, faculty representative on the Board of Trustees Finance Committee, to discuss the Finance Committee meeting. The discussion at the Committee meeting was very open and positive regarding faculty compensation.
- It is important that Academic Affairs support faculty compensation and make it a priority.
III. Core Curriculum Committee Report – Matt Dillon
- Matt passed out an Addendum to the Core Goals and Outcomes document in its formative stage. He reported that the Core Curriculum Committee forums were not well attended, but that the people who did attend had substantive comments to make. Faculty have been the most invisible element so far in focus group attendance. Student Affairs and the Library have been actively engaged in the discussions.
Senators discussed the CCC report, the addendum document, and how the Senate might provide assistance with the initiative. Senators were encouraged to go to their constituencies to get input and build enthusiasm. The Core Curriculum Committee will ask department chairs to get this issue on their meeting agenda. Overall, senators expressed how pleased they were with the CCC’s approach, involving everyone and discovering commonality. Matt emphasized that he would like LMU to approach the Core Curriculum process as a student-based learning organization.
IV. Updates – President Graf
- Children’s Center Update – Nina Reich and President Graf
• On Monday, March 12, the Children’s Center had its first meeting since administrative changes went into effect. There still seems to be a high level of frustration felt by parents and it will take a while for the trust to return.
• Rebecca Chandler is working to resolve the issues with the Children’s Center. She is meeting with each Children’s Center staff member. The Center currently is dealing with a staph infection that resulted in one child’s hospitalization. Notice of the infection was not communicated appropriately.
• President Graf encouraged the Senate to continue to funnel reports, comments, etc., to her so that the conversation can be kept going with Human Resources.
- Early Tenure and Promotion Policy
• The Early Tenure and Promotion Policy has been adopted by the Deans’ Council.
• Ballots will be sent via campus mail next week to all full-time faculty to cast their votes. The process has gone smoothly.
- Evaluation of Deans and the CAO
• The Faculty Senate Executive Board met with CAO Rose and requested the status on preparing the reviews for the CAO and Deans. CAO Rose indicated that the evaluations should be disseminated to faculty in the next few weeks.
- Ethos of LMU Community Task Force
• The Ethos task force is co-chaired by Linda McMurdock and Vicki Graf. There will be new community guidelines in place by the time of the New Faculty orientation and the Academic Convocation. The task force is drafting language to include on syllabi and websites.
- University Comprehensive Benefits Committee
• The draft document was discussed with Rebecca Chandler and she will do further work on the draft.
- Housing Policy
• President Graf attended a Board of Trustees meeting during which Fr. Lawton made a commitment to look at options to improve the housing policy.
• CAO Rose will be chairing a committee to look at options to improve the policy.
• President Graf encouraged the Senate to send her comments and/or ideas.
- Faculty Senate Elections – Damon Rago
• Last year 75% of the faculty senators were eligible to be re-elected to their seats. This year there are only 20% eligible. The Senate will have many empty seats this year. Please get constituencies involved.
- Faculty Senate Executive Board Elections
• President Graf encouraged senators to put their names forward if they are interested in serving on the Executive Board.
• It has been suggested to hold elections at the end of the last regular Senate meeting, inviting the new senators to join at that time.
• The Senate was reminded that a by-law of the Faculty Senate states that it must meet on the last day of the semester.
It was moved and seconded to amend By-Law No. 3 as follows:
LMU Faculty Senate BYLAW Amendment 3/20/07
BYLAW No. 3: [Constitution Article I, Section G; and Article III, Section C,]
(New text is in boldface, text to be removed is struck-out.)
After the annual Senate elections have been completed and candidates and University faculty have been notified of the results, but before the completion of the Spring semester, the sitting Senate Executive Committee will call a meeting of both the newly elected, current and the continuing Senators for the sole dual purpose of the completion of spring semester business and of the election of officers (Executive Committee) of the new Senate. The ordinary meeting time and day for this meeting will be 2:45 p.m. on the Friday of the last week of classes at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester, before final examination week. Only the new and continuing Senators will be empowered to vote to elect these officers. The election of officers will be conducted by means of secret written ballots. The Elections Committee will tally the votes and immediately report the name of the winner of each office, but not the tally. However, if any Senator (or faculty member or librarian eligible to hold a Senate seat) wishes to know the tally, s/he has the right to privately ask the Chair of the Elections
Committee, who will provide that information. Furthermore, any Senator (or faculty member or librarian eligible to hold a Senate seat) may inspect the ballots in the company of the Chair of the Elections Committee, who will keep the ballots available for four months after the elections had been held.
Just the new BYLAW
After the annual Senate elections have been completed and candidates and University faculty have been notified of the results, but before the completion of the Spring semester, the sitting Senate Executive Committee will call a meeting of the newly elected, current and continuing Senators for the dual purpose of the completion of Spring semester business and the election of officers (Executive Committee) of the new Senate. The ordinary meeting time and day for this meeting will be 2:45 p.m. at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester, before final examination week. Only the new and continuing Senators will be empowered to vote to elect these officers. The election of officers will be conducted by means of secret written ballots. The Elections Committee will tally the votes and immediately report the name of the winner of each office, but not the tally. However, if any Senator (or faculty member or librarian eligible to hold a Senate seat) wishes to know the tally, s/he has the right to privately ask the Chair of the Elections Committee, who will provide that information. Furthermore, any Senator (or faculty member or librarian eligible to hold a Senate seat) may inspect the ballots in the company of the Chair of the Elections Committee, who will keep the ballots available for four months after the elections had been held
- Submitted by James Roe
Motion passed unanimously.
- Budget message. The Senate discussed the Budget message recently sent to the campus, and how it will affect faculty, staff and students. Comments included concern over the increasing disparity between student tuition and faculty salary, and the fact that Administration is looking only at market comparisons and not at how faculty are affected by day-to-day living. The Deans have made a statement on how equity will be distributed. Senators were encouraged to ask their Deans for that statement. The Deans’ Council Meeting minutes for February 13 have not been posted yet. A request was made to formalize outreach by Senators to their constituencies.
It was moved and seconded that the Faculty Senate request that Administration undertake an analysis of faculty and staff salaries at LMU to assess the degree, if any, of gender disparity and to bring the results to the Senate for discussion.
Motion passed unanimously.
-Campus Climate Study. President Graf shared the results of the study and reminded Senators that the results were also available on ManeGate under the University Announcements tab. CAO Rose will be invited to come to the Senate to discuss the response to the Survey.
-Faculty Senate Survey. The results were presented to the Senate. Results will be collapsed and the summary will be sent to Senators.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
Submitted by: Cynthia Becht
Prepared by: Rosa Calderon