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June 30, 2004 Minutes

Members present—Chair Stone, Senators Sawey, Peeler, Gillis, Gay, Sorenson, Warms, Rao, Hazelwood, McGee, Bell-Metereau, Brennan, James, Montondon

 

Guests: Roseanne Mandziuk, Nancy Nusbaum, Lawrence Estaville

 

Chair Stone called the meeting to order at 3:05.

 

Report on Campus Plan:

 

I.    National firms were interested in our master planning.  We chose a firm from

Austin, but they have national links. 

 

Nancy Nusbaum discussed “hot button” and other issues, including the concept of bringing the quad “look” out to the edges of campus.  Two students from every academic department were invited to participate, and about six showed up.  The facilities planning committee is trying to get as broad participation as possible.  Ms. Nusbaum outlined the calendar for participation by different academic units and community groups.  Information will also be available on the web and at the student center in the conference room for the visitor center.

 

Senator Bell-Metereau asked if the barren space by library will be considered, and Ms. Nusbaum said that this was even in the architect’s presentation as a problem area.

 

There was not a desire to go strictly Spanish colonial nor a desire to see boxy brown.  They received lot of negative feedback on boxy brown and the Mitte building was also mentioned. 

 

The dean suggests that the president be housed in Old Main.  She wasn’t opposed or in favor, and she wasn’t sure everyone could fit there.  Parking for visitors is a concern. 

 

Four projects will be put forward:

1. UG academic center 47.7 mill (U college, Dean of Liberal arts, advising, anthro, psych, SLAC, core courses) 2.  $45 mill deferred maintenance (theater, chill plant, etc.) 3. $50 million Performing arts center 4. $45 million Round Rock center

 

II. Work Life Task Force Report

 

Dr. Roseanne Mandziuk reported on the results of the Work Life Task Force.  72 and 52 percent of staff and faculty respectively responded to the survey.

 

Recommendations cover three categories.  Campus-wide, specific faculty, and then staff. 

Recommendation to add a work life coordinator, perhaps in human resources, or independently or in a provost office.

 

Have a work life advisory council.  They would review and recommend, report to provost.

 

Create temporary Employee pool.  Compensate for staff absences due to work life related reasons such as professional educational development programs, absence for illness, etc.

 

Family friendly policies, such as suspending the tenure calendar for birth, family care, personal needs, etc. or active service modified duties.  These would need to be funded on a regular basis, rather than taking it out of departments or other faculty members’ duties.

 

Faculty stress and equity issues were another set of major concerns.  Female faculty members reported feeling more stress and a need to choose between work and personal life, particularly among tenured faculty.  Elder care was another major concern for everyone, along with child care, ill child care, and low income subsidies.  Coordination of summer activites could be another responsibility of a coordinator.

 

Dr. Mandziuk said that it would be good to have senate support for the recommendations.

 

Senator Sawey asked if this assumes heterosexual married couples, and Dr. Mandziuk said not it was not exclusive.  He also asked where the money would come from, and Dr. Mandziuk said the new provost Perry seemed supportive of these proposed policies.

 

III. Online Senate Voting System and Faculty Participation in Faculty Senate

Senator Sawey demonstrated a potential online senate voting system.   We would

need for everyone to have a Texas State account, and once it was in the database, we would be able to enact the electronic voting system.  He discussed the possibilities of hacking the system, but he said it was unlikely that anyone would care that much.

 

Dr. Estaville said that any method would be better than the one we have now.

He said that he and three others did not even receive a ballot in the last vote. He also asked if there would be a disinterested party to maintain this outside the senate, and Chair Stone said that the teller system was automatic.

Senator Sawey wrote the scripts and Dr. Estaville asked how these could be checked and who would maintain it over time.  This would be difficult to check, but it lives on a linux system; it could be maintained by Milt Nielsen.

 

Three people have volunteered to work on the faculty participation in Faculty Senate committee: Barbara Metzler, Lawrence Estaville, Carlos Guttierez.

Michel Conroy, Mary Brennan and Bill Peeler are the Faculty Senate members of the committee.  Chair Stone suggested having representation from those people

in favor of the amendment.  

 

Senator Hazelwood moved to accept this, suspending the rules of the senate, but Senator Bell-Metereau suggested it would be better not to suspend rules and vote, but to wait until the next meeting to vote, given the controversial nature of the issue.

 

Margaret Vavarek volunteered to participate; Stone sent a second email calling for volunteers, with no further response.  Chair Stone suggested Jennifer Forrest as a liaison to participate, and he asked if he should pursue her. Senators asked who might have unique knowledge of special situations.  Several senators suggested that we would want to involve Education as well, and Chair Stone suggested involving Ev Swinney.

 

Chair Stone called for Mace bearers.

 

Faculty Senate minutes were approved.

 

By July we should have the survey work completed.  Chair Stone asked senators to think about who should go into the committee on committees.

 

Submitted by Rebecca Bell-Metereau 7/22/04.