University of Louisiana at Lafayette

September 18, 2002

I. The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. (57 Senators present).

II. The minutes of the April 17, 2002 meeting were approved.

III. Report of the Executive Officer -- Wilmer MacNair. The Executive Officer introduced the new senators for 2002-2003 (Attachment #1) and discussed the role of business as it affects economic development and profit. He said that universities should have a broader mission than just financial profit.

IV. Reports of Senate Committees: Permanent Committees:
A. Committee on Committees: Terry Clement, Chair. No report

B. Ways and Means Committee: William Reick, Chair. No Report.

C. Academic Planning and Development Committee: No Report.
The Executive Officer was asked to call a meeting of the Academic Planning and
Development Committee and ask the Committee to elect a chair.

D. Governmental Concerns Committee: Christian Okoye, Chair. No Report.

E. Faculty Senate-Faculty Advisory Council Committee, Harry Bruder, Chair.
Senator Bruder reported that efforts were being made to provide system assistance to Grambling University. He noted that cross-institution programs seemed favored and that rumors were circulating about changes in the System tenure policy (Attachment #2).

V. Reports of Special Senate Committees
A. Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Faculty: Lewis Gale, Chair. No report.

B. Ad Hoc Web Site Committee: Jack Ferstel, Chair. No report. Senator Ferstel asked committee chairs to submit reports in electronic format.

C. Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Grievance Procedures: John Greene, Chair. Senator Greene indicated that he would be meeting about Faculty Handbook revisions, to clarify the mediation process/procedures regarding when a faculty member can be dismissed for cause.

D. Ad Hoc Committee on the Faculty Club: Paulette Hebert, Chair. No Report.

VI. Reports of University Committees
A. Curriculum Committee: Paula Broussard, Chair. Senator Boussard said the committee had handled approximately 100 course changes and submitted a written report (Attachment #3).

B. Faculty Grievance Committee: Nancy Coghill, Chair. No report.

C. Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee: Melinda Oberleitner, Chair. No report.

D. Library Committee: Allan Jones, Chair. No Report.

E. Committee on Academic Affairs and Standards: Lewis Deaton, Chair. Senator Deaton submitted a written report (Attachment #4).

F. Parking and Planning Committee: Lucian Gastineau, Chair. No Report.

G. Student Evaluation of Instruction: James Flaitz, Chair. No Report.

VII. Unfinished Business

Proposed meeting dates for the year were circulated with the September 2002 agenda:
September 18, 2002 January 29, 2003
October 16, 2002 February 19, 2003
November 20, 2002 March 19, 2003
April 16, 2003

Motion 2002-09-01 (Gentry, H. Bruder) recommend that it should be the duty of the Grievance Committee to bring to the attention of the administration and Faculty Senate any patterns that they may discern from time to time, so that the administration and Faculty Senate might attempt to provide remedies or improvement to procedures that might reduce the incidence of grievances. Patterns regarding the same administrators being the subject of grievances should be brought to the attention of the administration only.
Friendly amendments: (H. Bruder, Greene) change "duty of" to "subsidiary responsibility of"; (Kelly, C. Bruder) insert "suggesting weaknesses in policies or procedures" after "patterns." Approved as amended; recorded as unanimous.

Senator Gentry asked that the March 2002 report, "Recommendations of the Sub- Committee on Procedures of the Joint Faculty Senate-AAUP Committee on Grievance Process" be circulated with the September 2002 minutes to facilitate future discussion (Attachment #5).

Motion 2002-09-02 (McDonald, Ferittel) to remove from the table the proposed university code of conduct regarding the treatment of adjunct faculty and have the ad hoc committee on adjunct faculty consider the draft, consulting with adjunct faculty on campus. Approved.

The Executive Office was requested to met with the Ways and Means committee to draft language for consideration of change of the constitution, regarding motions 04-03 and 04-06 from the 2001-2002 Senate year.

Senator C. Bruder responded to the March minutes regarding book request procedures:
A letter has been sent to department heads indicating that each department must have a textbook liaison; that textbook requests must be submitted electronically to be posted on the university website; that no special treatment may be given to any vendor regarding book orders and changes; that individual faculty may call the bookstore and ask about stock.

VIII. New Business

IX. The meeting adjourned at 4:54 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet A. Bridges
Senate Secretary