UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Faculty Senate
Approved Minutes
14 January 1998
1 and 2. Call to order and of Roll
The regular meeting was called to order by Suzanne McGill,
Chair, at 3:00 p.m. in Library 5. The Secretary called the roll:
Present:
Allison, Arata, Bell, Broadus, Chryslee, Cronwell,
Davidson Shivers, Dilsaver, Donovan, Engebretson,
Evans, Foster, Frederick, Rain, Haywick,
Honkanen, Isom, Izenberg, Kulkarni, Labbe, Lally,
Langan, LeDoux, Matthews, McAfeç, McGill, McIver,
Moak, Moore, Mulekar, Parker, Rodgers, Sauer,
Sweet, Swint, Sylvestre, Thurston, Tucker,
Van Haneghan, Vetroky, Vinson, Wesston, c. Wilson,
G. Wilson, Zhang
Absent (excused):
Ardell, Aucoin, Ballard, Brandon, Broadus,
Cromwell, Daughenbaugh, Dorman, Douglass, Fruh,
Hams, Honkanen, Kulkarni, Martin, Simpson, Yeoman
3. Completion of Pendinq Business
Minutes of the regular meeting of 12 November 1997 will be reviewed for
approval at
the next meeting on 11 February 1998.
4. Report from the Chair
Suzanne McGill invited Renee Harper, writing lab supervisor, to review the
recent
history of the EH 010 exam, currently required of transfer students who
seek credit
for EH 101 taken elsewhere. This task consumes about one half the time and
labor
of the current staff of the writing center and the utility of the exam is
debatable, so Harper
would recommend eliminating the exam to allow the writing center staff to
devote a11
its efforts to tutorial and small group assistance of student writers.
Patsy Covey, interim senior vice president for academic affairs, was
invited to address
the same topic. Covey observed that the goal of the EH 010 exam is to
intercept students
with poor writing skills and direct them to re-take EH 101; this goal can
also be achieved in "W" and other writing courses, students from
which can be directed
to the writing center where staff time available should be douibled if the EH
010 exam
is eliminated. No other state university in Alabama uses an exam such as EH
010.
The articulation agreement may require USA to administer an EH 010 exam to
all students, not
just to transfers. Covey suggested that students not be allowed to register
for "W"
courses unless they have credit for EH 101 and 102, that this pre-requisite
be stated
in the bulletins and that students discovered to be enrolled without EH
101/102 credit
would be administratively withdrawn from the "w" course.
Covey was also invited to address other topics she felt would be of
interest to the
senate and took questions as well.
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Covey is representing USA at the state-wide meetings of the chief academic
officers
of state universities, which body is working on the articulation agreement
and has
expressed concern about faculty salaries in Alabama, which continue to be
noncompetitive. Covey discussed Fob James' proposal for a bolus of
continuing funding set aside for
a salary increment pool. McGill observed that, in order to obtain an 8.5%
merit raise
pool at USA, state funding would have to be increased 15.2%.
McGill asked for and received consensus approval that she send a memorandum
to the
president expressing thanks for the recent efforts that brought about a
salary raise.
McGill reported that the ad hoc committee to propose endowed professorship
guidelines
had made its report to the president who in turn would take the proposal to
the foundation
for approval.
McGill reported that the statewide articulation committee continued to
review requirements,
but their work was slowed down considerably by the volume of paperwork
submitted
regarding discipline-related issues.
McGill reported she attended the higher education budget hearings in early
December
in Montgomery, where legislators were asking if university administrators
represented
faculty opinion about across the board vs. merit pool raises. McGill said
she and
other chairs of faculty senates tended to support the latter.
McGill reported discussions with the deans about semester conversion/summer
term issues,
such as salary and schedule.
McGill reported that the search committee for the senior vice president for
academic
affairs would ask the president to approve inviting three candidates to
campus in
the next few weeks. The closing date has yet to arrive for applications for
the vice
president for medical affairs.
5. Reports of Senate Standina Committees
Planning/Development. Douglas Haywick reported about space in the new
coliseum (University
Center), where there may be as much as 12,000 square feet of classroom
space available,
the largest size to accommodate 130 students. Apparently structural
supports may limit the configuration of space. Also under consideration is
a 100 seat dining
facility. Noise levels in the arena may prohibit use of academic space at
certain
times.
6. Reports of Caucus Leaders
None.
7. Old Business
McGill proposed that the rules be suspended so the senate could consider a
resolution
offered today, to which the senate consented. The senate passed a motion to
eliminate
the EH 010 exam, 38 yea, 1 nay, 1 abstain.
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8. New Business
McGill proposed that the rules be suspended so the senate could consider
two resolutions
offered todays to which the senate consented; both resolutions passed
unanimously.
RESOLUTION
Whereas, both the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and the Employees
Retirement System
(ERS) have experienced significant gains earned by the Retirement Systems
of Alabama
(RSA) investments and the conversion from 'book value" to "market
place value" of
assets, and
Whereas, these gains will result in a significant decrease in required
contributions
to the RSA for at least the next five years, and
Whereas, the retirement matching dollars for all state four-year
institutions of higher
education come from the budgets of the individual state institutions,
and
Whereas, the State appropriation to the University of South Alabama was cut
7.5% in
1994 and has not been restored, and
Whereas, these cuts in funding have impeded the University's ability to
attract and
retain outstanding faculty and have forced the University to leave faculty
and staff
positions unfilled and to decrease funding in such critical areas as the
library,
technology support, laboratory equipment, etc., and
Whereas the retirement matching dollars could be used to address problems
created
by the recent cutbacks,
Therefore be it resolved that the Legislature of Alabama be advised of the
absolute
necessity of leaving in the budgets of individual state institutions all
retirement
matching dollars currently asppropriated to these individual
institutions.
RESOLUTION
Whereas, in recent years the state of Alabama has lacked adequate resources
to properly
fund higher education, and
Whereas, salaries of faculty at the University of South Alabama are below
the average
salaries of faculty at peer institutions in other states, and
Whereas, K 12 teachers, faculty and employees at two year institutions of
higher education,
and other state employees will receive salary increases this year via state
appropriations,
and
Whereas, salary increases at the Unviersity of South Alabama and other four
year isntitutions
of higher edsucatlon are merit based,
Therefore be it resolved that the Legislature of Alabama be advised to
increase funding
to the University of South Alabama to provide for salary increases
comparable with
the salary increases for teachers at two year institutions and K-12.
Specifically,
we request an 8.5%t salary pool increase for 1998. Moreover, it is
essential that the
current retirement funds now in our budget be retained by the institution.
(*Approximately
10.624 million
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dollars is needed to provide an 8.5% salary merit pool increase This
represents a
15.2% increase in funding from the State.)
9. Communications from the President
No communications were reported.
9. Adjournment
McGill adjourned the meeting at 4:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
T. Lally, Secretary