Minutes of January 21, 2004
I. The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. (46 Senators present).
II. The minutes of the November 19 meeting were approved.
III. Report of the Executive Officer – Mickey Byrd. Written Report. Attachment 1
IV. Reports of Senate Committees: Permanent Committees:
A. Committee on Committees: Terry Clement, Chair. No Report
B. Ways and Means Committee: William Rieck, Chair. No Report, but are beginning to do housekeeping on what has been done in response to Senate recommendations
C. Academic Planning and Development Committee: George Thomas, Chair. No Report
D. Governmental Concerns Committee: Christian Okoye, Chair. No Report
V Reports of Special Senate Committees
A. Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Faculty: James McDonald, Chair.
B. Ad Hoc Web Site Committee: Jack Ferstel, Chair. No report.
C. Ad Hoc Committee on the Faculty Club: Joe Riehl, Chair. Written report. Attachment 2
It was suggested from the floor that the hotel complex being constructed near the Cajundome might have some potential for containing a faculty club.
D. Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Student Housing Concerns. Karl Volkmar, Chair
F. Ad Hoc Committee to Revise Dismissal for Cause Procedures John Greene, Chair. .
VI. Reports of University Committees
A. Curriculum Committee: Paula Broussard, Chair. Written Report. Attachment 3.
B. Faculty Grievance Committee: Ron Heady, Chair. No Report
C. Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee: Melinda Oberleitner, Chair.
D. Library Committee: Allan Jones, Chair. No Report
E. Committee on Academic Affairs and Standards: Lewis Deaton, Chair Written Report Attachment 4
F. Parking and Planning Committee: William Dudley, Chair. No report
G. Student Evaluation of Instruction: James Flaitz, Chair. No Report
VII Unfinished Business
VIII New Business
Lewis Pyenson addressed the Senate on the need to investigate the problems of sexual harassment on this campus. He proposed that within the Senate there be a commission on the status of women at the University. It should study the problem and report back to the Senate and see what additional action should be taken. It should contain no one above the departmental level.
Sen. Byrd: This is a motion that an Ad Hoc committee to this effect be established.
Question: Can staff be included. Pyenson: Fine, but does the Senate have authority to investigate staff.
Question: There was a committee on sexual harassment. Sen. Byrd: The purpose of that committee was to establish policy, this would be more information gathering.
Pyenson: Wants this committee to be separate from policy, and to go back 7 or 8 years and see what has happened, e.g. number of major professors by sex.
Question: Is there something about the existing policy that is lacking?
Pyenson: Nobody knows the extent of the problem. We need statistics, interviews, documentation.
Sen. Dorwick: Procedures go back far beyond the recently written policy
Sen. Gentry: Should be a committee on Sexual Harassment rather than status of women, which includes many other issues. The committee should put out a survey, but having an investigative commission is extremely ambitious.
Gentry: The EEO Office collects data on pay levels, etc.
Extensive discussion
Sen. Byrd asked that the matter be tabled or that the question be called.
Sen. Gentry proposed changing the scope of the committee to sexual harassment of women, covering faculty, students and staff , which would do a survey and offer educational training. Seconded. Passed.
Sen. Pyenson: Proposed second committee on Status of Women. Seconded. Passed
Sen. Gentry: There is not enough time allotted to turn in grades. This affects the quality of final exams. Since in the future faculty will be putting in their grades themselves, it would be an opportunity to increase Moved that Executive Officer on the topic of getting the length of time allowed for grading. Seconded. Passed.
Se. Dorwick: We need to investigate treatment of sexual minorities. Move to establish an ad hoc committee on sexual orientation and gender identity. Seconded. Passed.
Sen. Greene. The Faculty Forum is now online.
Sen. Gentry: Moved to urge President Authement not to dismiss classes when there is no emergency. The Executive Officer should write a letter detailing instances and the problems involved. Seconded. Passed
Sen. Gentry: At the next meeting she will present white paper on deterioration of the library collection due to inadequate climate control.
X. The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Flynn
Senate Secretary