University of Louisiana at Lafayette Faculty Senate

Minutes of January 25, 2006

I.  The meeting was called to order by Executive Officer, Byrd at 4:03 p.m. (53 senators present).

II. The minutes of November 16, 2006, approved, moved/seconded by Senators Berekley/Greene.

IV. Report of the Executive Officer – Mickey Byrd

                (Attachment B).

V. Reports of Senate Committees: Permanent Committees:

A. Committee on Committees: Steve Knouse, Chair.

                No Report

B. Ways and Means Committee: William Rieck, Chair.

                No report

C. Academic Planning and Development Committee: George Thomas, Chair.

                No report

D. Governmental Concerns Committee: Durga Poudel, Chair.

                No report.

E. Faculty Senate-Faculty Advisory Council Committee: Harry Bruder, Chair.

                Senator Bruder stated that there are two major concerns at the state level.  Promoting LSU policies to quickly short circuit routes to employee termination is being attempted. FAC is in direct contact with the VP of the system regarding this.  The second concern is the civil emergency policy for intervening and removing people from classrooms secondary to endangerment and/or threats. (Attachment C).

VI. Reports of Special Senate Committees

A. Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Faculty:  Need chair person.

                No report

B. Ad Hoc Web Site Committee: Jack Ferstel, Chair.

                No Report.

 

 

C. Ad Hoc Committee on Dismissal for Cause Procedures: John Greene, Chair.

                 Senators Greene and Dorwick moved and seconded that edited document ‘Procedures for Dismissal for Cause and Imposition of Major Sanctions,’ be approved.  Motion passed unanimously. Senator Gentry moved that this approved document be sent to the president. Motion carried unanimously.

D. Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Student Housing Concerns:

                No report.

E. Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Harassment: Judy Gentry, Chair

                Senator Gentry has additional information and will have a meeting.

F. Ad Hoc Committee on Status of Women: Sharon Ridgeway, Chair

                No report.

G.  Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity: Phebe Hayes, Chair

                Jennifer Hightower reported on the mentoring program to be established and the Activities planned for Black History Month (February). (See attachment D).

                Ms. Hightower also reported on concerns related to an article, “Honoring a Lie,” written by John Hinson and published in the Vermilion on January 18, 2006.  The article alleges Martin Luther King to be dishonorable and protests having a Martin Luther King national holiday.  Ms. Hightower, Senator Wooddell and others wrote letters of protest and Senator Wooddell’s letter was published in the January 25, 2006, Vermilion.

Senator Wooddel proposed the resolution for the Senate to protest this defamation article. 

 

Whereas, the Faculty Senate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,

along with the citizens of the United States generally honor and celebrate

the life and work of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and

 

Whereas, the legacy of Dr. King is especially important to much of our

University family that has been the victim of vicious language and worse

 acts, and

 

Though we support Mr. Hinson’s rights under the first amendment

 to the Constitution and would not censor him in any way,

 

The assembled Faculty Senate of the University of Louisiana

 at Lafayette does publicly express in the most forceful terms,

that the comments of John Hinson in his column in the Vermilion

dated January 18, 2006, are alien to this body and we do not wish

 to be associated with them.

Resolution passed unanimously.

 

 

 

H.        Ad Hoc Committee on Campus Trees Preservation-Lewis Deaton, Chair

No report.

VII. Reports of University Committees                          

A. Curriculum Committee: Paula Broussard, Chair.

                        No report.

B. Faculty Grievance Committee: Jim Underwood, Chair

No Report. Senator Byrd announced the appointment of Senator T. Clement to fill a vacancy on this committee.

C. Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee:

                        No report.

D. Library Committee: Allan Jones, Chair.

                        No report.

                Questions asked regarding library hours.  Senator Flynn provided the following:  Library hours on Friday are 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday 10a.m. -2 p.m., and Sunday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Keith Dorwick presented the following resolution: 

 

Resolved, that the President and the University Administration

re-consider the importance of the library to the academic mission

of the university and extend its hours of operation without further

cuts in the library budget, particularly on Friday afternoons to

allow faculty and student research to be completed in a timely manner.  

Seconded by Jack Ferstel and passed unanimously.

E. Committee on Academic Affairs and Standards: Lewis Deaton, Chair

The committee has met, approved three waivers of residency rule and three overloads; and denied one overload.  Approved Comm. 212 as meeting the Board of Regents' requirement.  A sub-committee was appointed to examine the drop deadline and consider moving it to an earlier semester date.

F. Parking and Planning Committee: Joey Dudley, Chair.

                No report.

G. Student Evaluation of Instruction: James Flaitz, Chair.

                No report.

H. Academic Technology Committee Keith Dorwick, Chairman

                The committee has met twice and the chair has met with Dr. S. Landry and Dr. C. Bruder.  Two (Intellectual Properties and Technological Literacy) of the documents are being revised before further action. Two were returned for additional work.  Dr. Landry requested a five year plan for Distance Learning and that is being done. The major project and the one on which the Task force is working on Moodle.

 

VIII. Unfinished Business:  None

IX. New Business: None

X. Announcements: None

XI. Other: None

XI. Adjournment:   

                Senator Byrd, Executive Officer, adjourned the meeting at 4:58 p.m.

 

Mary B. Neiheisel, Secretary

Faculty Senate