Present: Bible, Caverly, Deduck-Evans, Ford, Glassman, Horne, Lyman,
Middlebrook, Pascoe, Sawey, Stedman, Swinney, and Weller. Absent: Hunter
and Winek.
Guests: VPSA James Studer; Profs. Sam Tarsitano (Biology) and Terry Tilton
(Geology); Edna Rehbein (President's Office), J. Stewart Driscoll
(San Marcos Daily Record), Brad Nations (ASG), Mike Moore, Sandra Akridge.
CONTENTS:
60 STUDENT FEE PLAN (Guest: VPSA Studer)
37 MEDIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
38 RESEARCH COMMITTEE
a. REVISION OF STANDING RULE
b. PLANNING FOR THE FY97 CYCLE
50 ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FACULTY (Dunn Letter)
32 PARKING (Makowski and Burnett Letters)
53 OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
56 CWIS TASK FORCE DRAFT (Prof. Sawey)
57 TASK FORCE ON ROLE OF ATHLETICS
58 NASA GRANT (Tarsitano Letter)
02 SENATE MINUTES OF 10/18/95
NEW ITEMS
The meeting was called to order at 4:05, Chair Swinney presiding.
60 STUDENT FEE PLAN (Guest: VPSA Studer)
The discussion centered on the Genderal Use Fee.
Plan 1: $16. per SCH (up from the current $13.) to replace the spend down
in reserve funds. Plan 2: $21. per SCH to provide faculty/staff raises
of about 5%. Plan 3: $23. Per SCH for non E & G infrastructure (e.g. parking,
nonacademic building repair, etc). VPSA Studer noted the increases are caused
by the Legislature deciding to cap funds to higher education and allow
universities to increase student fees to cover needs. Traditionally fee funds
have gone to the Board of Regents in November so that registration materials
for students and financial aid packages could be prepared on time. The
Regents will want to see the thinking of the faculty and student groups
involved and the President needs their recommendations.
Brad Nations (ASG) stated that students were concerned about the
haste of the decision, without time to inform students and get more opinions.
They were also concerned that the increase to $21 might not end up in
faculty/staff salaries, which ASG generally agrees is important. ASG
may vote next week to postpone presenting fee changes until the February
Regents meeting. VPSA Studer responded that the funds for Plans 1 & 2
were dedicated to those uses as advertised, and only Plan 3 (the extra $2)
is undecided regarding infrastructure and Strategic Plan Initiatives.
Our "wish list" on this last area runs to $80 million over the next few
years, so priorities will have to be given careful consideration.
After an hour of discussion the following motion and two
amendments were adopted. The Senate recommends Plan 3 with two caveats:
(1) that because of the short time for consideration, students must be
informed in the fall class schedule and in the Daily University Star
regarding why the increase is necessary and where it is going, and that in
the future more lead time be given for fee change consideration;
(2) that these revenues are very carefully spent, even more important
since we are being forced to fund ourselves rather than from the general
State coffers with a broad tax base.
Following is the Senate's memorandum to President Supple on
this subject:
"On Wednesday, the Senate endorsed the Student Fee Plan which you
discussed with us at PAAG last week. It is our recommendation that you
seek approval of the plan in its entirety, including all three levels in
the General Use Fee, at the Board of Regents meeting next week.
"We do have, however, a couple of caveats. First, we believe that the time
allotted for feedback on this proposal from appropriate constituencies was
too short. This is particularly true with regard to students. Therefore,
we recommend that a full rationale and explanation of the fee increases be
published in the Star and in the fall schedule of classes, so that each
student may know prior to registration next year exactly why and how much
fees are being raised.
"Second, we urge that especial care be taken to assure that these new
revenues are spent wisely. We realize that such a recommendation may
lack operational precision, but the underlying thought we believe to
be sound. As the cost of education is borne less by an impersonal state
taxation system and more by the students we serve, the imperative for
sound accountability, in our opinion,increases.
"On behalf of the Senate, I would like to thank you for giving this
academic community the opportunity to comment on the fee plan. We know
that you did not have to do this. The size of the increases in fees,
however, and the new departure in the financing of higher education
which they represent, made consultation the right course of action.
If this plan is approved, our general fee will stand at $23.00--$9.00
below next year's permissible maximum. One suspects there may be
recommendations for additional increases in the future. The Senate
hopes that this year's consultation will serve as a precedent for
that future, i.e., that significant fee increases will be discussed
on campus before they go to the Board for approval, except, perhaps,
with somewhat more lead time.
"Thank you for your consideration."
37 MEDIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Senate passed a motion accepting nominees to replace Prof. John McGee
(Finance & Economics). The appointment will be announced.
38 RESEARCH COMMITTEE
a. REVISION OF STANDING RULE
b. PLANNING FOR THE FY97 CYCLE
RTA'd due to lack of time to discuss.
50 ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FACULTY (Dunn Letter)
RTA'd.
32 PARKING (Makowski and Burnett Letters)
A provision in the new parking policy would establish a number of
twelve-hour restricted areas within the Red Zone to provide parking for
faculty who teach night classes. The Transportation and Parking Committee
is currently working on implementation of this provision. Establishment
of the twelve-hour restricted zones should solve the problems of which
Profs. Makowski and Burnett complain. RTA'd until additional information
is available.
53 OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
The Senate agreed to accept as a draft for consideration the Sam
Houston policy (which is a copy of the Regents Rules, with a form for
faculty to submit). The Senate will be looking it over closely and suggest
that CAD might want to do the same. If any major questions surface, then a
committee can be appointed to adapt it to our needs.
56 CWIS TASK FORCE DRAFT (Prof. Sawey)
The essence of the Task force report lies in how to handle things
that go out on the Internet. RTA'd until we have more time to discuss.
57 TASK FORCE ON ROLE OF ATHLETICS
The Senate moved to appoint Prof. Horne to the Task force,
because he is enthusiastic about athletics but is sensitive to its role
in the University as a whole.
58 NASA GRANT (Tarsitano Letter)
Profs. Tarsitano and Tilton explained that their three-year contract
with NASA which was signed off on by the Pres., the VPAA, Sponsored Projects,
the Dean, and their Chairs was cancelled this year by the University.
They stated that this not only stops their research, but loses
funds for students and equipment and endangers future funding for SWT
from NASA. NASA currently has contracts with only 15 universities around
the country. Letters of support have been received from NASA but nothing
has been done in two months or so to address reinstatement by the University.
It would cost the University about $15,000 over the next two years to
provide the matches required by this grant, but we would come out ahead,
they note, in funds received and in possible future grants.
A motion passed that Prof. Swinney discuss this with Ombudsman Laird
to determine if collegial mediation has been pursued or if a grievance has
been filed. Senators seemed to feel that Senate intervention would be
inappropriate if proceedings had been initiated under the grievance machinery.
02 SENATE MINUTES OF 10/18/95
The minutes were approved with the addition of guests
Profs. Sue Biederman (Director, Health Information Management)
and Greg Marshall (Respiratory Care Program).
NEW ITEMS
(1) The ballots for Piper Professor and tenure-track
representative will be distributed October 26 and are due back Oct. 31.
(2) A motion was passed re faculty nominees to appoint to
the Transportation and Parking Committee to fill a vacancy created by
Denise Ronan's leave of absence. [Prof. Bill Peeler, Theatre Arts,
has accepted the Senate's invitation to be our nominee to fill that
vacancy and thisrecommendation will be forwarded to EVP Mike Abbott.]
(3) A subcommittee for General Studies has brought forth
a proposal to eliminate the International Perspective from GS requirements.
The Liberal Arts Council has voted to keep the perspective. A copy of
the proposal will be e-mailed to the Senate. While revision of the range of
courses is always always under consideration, it appears that eliminating
the entire International Perspective flies in the face of SWT's Strategic
Goals 2000 regarding preparing students for a diverse society and a global
economy.
(4) Should the University Council membership be reevaluated?
Its 44 person membership is a little unwieldy and makes it difficult to
get a quorum. We modeled after UT-Austin, which has since reorganized.
The meeting adjourned at 6:01.
Ramona Ford
Secretary
