Oct 27, 2004 Minutes

Present: Chair Stone, Senators McKinney, Brennan, Warms, Hazlewood, Montodon, Shah, James, Homeyer, Rao, Sawey, McKinney, Warms, Bell-Metereau, Fleming, Hazelwood, Montondon, Shah, James

Guests:  Jim Summers, Charles Johnson, Ms. Inglet, University Star Reporter

 

Chair Stone called the meeting to order and mentioned that our tuition increases are substantial.  We are still not as high as U.T., but we’re higher than our sister schools, because they do not have enough enrollment.

 

We have a report from the faculty senate of Texas A & M-Kingsville, regarding their vote of no confidence in the president and provost.

 

The coordinating board is working on a new tier structure in Texas, which will determine expectations in terms of enrollment, evaluation.  The top tier is A & M and UT. Emerging institutions include UTSA, but the second tier does not include Texas State.  We are ranked in the third tier, with doctoral institutions, with two levels below us.

 

Senator James asked about the impact on faculty, and Chair Stone said that it affects undergraduate enrollment and other issues, but not necessarily funding.  We have been a third tier institution for the last thirty years. 

 

The coordinating board website maintains administrative cost per student for all institutions.

 

Our chancellor will be an associate chancellor and will be responsible for architecture.  Salaries for presidents are listed.  One president refused the raise, but the other six took the raise.

 

Questions about TCFS: 

 

Piper selection recommendations;

Senator James moved and Shah seconded the recommendation to accept Piper recommendations from the committee.

 

Joint senate and CAD meeting:

November 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 is the proposed meeting time.  Proposed items may include the following: Conflict between scholarship over teaching and service. 

Target graduate enrollments. 

Round Rock. 

Curriculum revisions across disciplines and schools.

Resource management during transitional periods.

Chair evaluations and faculty feedback.

 

Equity Study:

Joe Meyers said that the last salary adjustment was more of a market study than an equity study.

 

Back in the 90s the university looked at gender equity, bringing in an outside expert to help the university develop an initial model.  Multiple regression was used to predict salaries of white males and then they applied the same model to females and minorities.  The differences between predicted and actual salaries was then rank ordered and standardized.  Faculty were then rank ordered in terms of how far below or above they were from the expected salary for years in rank.  Other factors were discipline, administrative experience, degree level, and it only included full-time faculty on at least half-time teaching.  The deans looked at those the furthest below expectation, and in consultation with chairs, they made salary adjustments.  It took into account internal variations in salaries in different disciplines.

 

In this latest market adjustment cycle, much of the money went to just a few people, and Chair Stone suggested that the amount was fairly random in some cases.

 

Joe Meyer thought that the median rather than the mean should be used in the market model next time. 

 

Senator James said they looked at years in rank in their department and added that into the market adjustment model.

 

Senator Fleming asked if the old equity formula would fit the goals of the current administration, but Joe Meyer did not know.

 

Senator Sawey suggested that this be placed on the agenda for PAAG.

 

Pending Grievance in Health Professions:

After making clear that the senate has no decision-making role in the process, the chair began discussion on the closed session on the pending grievance.  The senate is concerned with monitoring the process.

 

Representative to the Chair Evaluation Committee:

Senators James and Homeyer moved and seconded that Senators Sawey, Bell-Metereau, and Stone be suggested as possible members, with Senator James as an alternative, if the time set does not work for these three, passing unanimously.

 

Senators Bell-Metereau and Hazlewood moved and seconded to have Senator Brennan suggested for the AVPAA Enrollment Management Search Committee.

 

PAAG Agenda Items:

Quality of life report (balance of teaching, research, and service) Parking (green space by CCC) Environmental issues on campus Next Market study committee selection and philosophy Decision on assistant VPAA Organizational chart Health plans – negotiating one as good as the UT and Texas A & M, which are independent (our membership in ERS is legislated), any future changes Status of proposals for academic certificates (how many courses are needed, completion goals and rates for evaluation)

 

New Business:

Curriculum Committee is looking at college review groups and how these would be

selected.  This would entail more involvement at an earlier stage.   Currently

the Council of Chairs in some schools can vote a faculty proposal down before it even gets to the Curriculum Committee.  Senator Shah described the business model and said that he had sent this to the curriculum committee.

 

Minutes for September 1 were approved. 

 

Meeting adjourned 5:55.

 

Minutes submitted by Rebecca Bell-Metereau.