Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Council
February 26, 2003
Excerpts
Present: S. Barber, D. Kaiser, J. Mohan, M. Montgomery, J. Mutti, R. Osgood, M. Schneider, J. Swartz.
The meeting came to order at 4:20 in the Nollen House Conference Room.
The minutes and excerpts of 2/19/03 were approved.
President's Remarks
The President made no prepared remarks. D. Kaiser asked him whether the budget was adopted by the Trustees as proposed. The President noted that it was. D. Kaiser asked if the budget for next year includes any new positions under the diversity initiative. The President stated that there were four positions moved from the Fund for Excellence to the base budget but that there are no additional funds for this purpose, but noted that should a department find a strong diverse candidate he would work hard to bring that position into the base budget in order to make that appointment.
M. Montgomery asked whether there was discussion of the Schneider-Montgomery faculty salary disparity model by the Board of Trustees during this recent meeting. The President responded that there was no related language in the budget that they approved. This led J. Mohan to remark that the next steps are the responsibility of the Budget Committee. The President stated that the next step would be for the Faculty Budget Committee to make a recommendation to the Dean and then to him.
Dean's Remarks
The Dean noted that he had received a report from Charles Cunningham who recently attended the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Physicists. He noted in his report that this was a valuable first step in establishing a network of contacts which could be used for recruiting new faculty. The Dean mentioned that he believes this minority recruitment strategy should be considered by other departments.
The Dean updated Council on the status of faculty searches.
He noted that Council had received a document from the Convocation Task Force presenting alternative models for managing the convocation schedule which will go to the faculty for discussion.
The Dean asked M. Montgomery to report on his presentation plans for the next faculty meeting. Montgomery stated that he would talk about MAPs and other forms of independent study in terms of the significance of the loss of courses in the curriculum and increase in class size. He thanked Gerry Adams for providing the data. J. Mutti asked whether the Curriculum Committee has information that shows that independents are a reflection of holes in the curriculum. The Dean responded that the Committee has not studied this.
The Dean noted that applications for off-campus study next year are down slightly. He remarked that he did not know if the current world political situation was influencing student decisions. He noted that the fact that applications for Grinnell in London fall semester program were down by half was of particular concern.
Status of Library and Physical Education Faculty
M. Schneider led this highly spirited discussion by reviewing a succession of documents relating to the issue of eligibility of library and physical education faculty for promotion to full professor with tenure. He noted that this issue has been raised on a number of occasions over the past few years and it is time to settle it. He noted at the outset that he plans to abstain in the case of any votes regarding the Library promotion policy because of the appearance of personal conflict of interest.
The President offered a method of analysis of this issue involving examining 1) the document which was contemporaneous with the original change of policy (1982 memorandum), 2) the actual practice since that change in policy, and 3) the language of the faculty handbook on this point. He concludes that there is a substantial argument that tenure is not possible for faculty in the Physical Education Department and Library who was not tenured on the date of the original change in policy. He believes that the language in the faculty handbook on this point needs clarification.
M. Schneider argued that the 1982 document does not represent the only major change in policy on this issue offering a memorandum dated July 2, 1996 drafted by then Dean Charlie Duke regarding library faculty and one dated February 21, 1996 regarding physical education faculty as superceding the 1982 document.
After a lengthy debate of the issue M. Montgomery stated his desire to bring this to the faculty for discussion and vote. The President suggested to Council that whatever the sense of the faculty on this issue the resolution of the matter will require a proposed clarificatory change in the faculty handbook. The procedure for this is that the Faculty make a recommendation to the President and the Board and the President, if in agreement, recommends approval.
D. Kaiser moved, M. Montgomery seconded, that Executive Council request the Faculty Organization Committee to draft appropriate language clarifying the eligibility of library and physical education faculty for promotion to full professor with tenure. Members of FOC should consult with the Executive Council with respect to their intent.
The meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m.
Secretary
Karen Wiese