AU Steering Minutes

Senate Steering Meeting

04/08/2025 | Forestry Building, Rm 3315 | 3:30 PM

Present: Lori Eckhardt (Chair), Jaena Alabi (Secretary), Virginia Davis (Chair-Elect), Rachel Prado (Secretary-Elect), Lisa Kensler (Immediate Past Chair), Vini Nathan (Provost), Andrew Pendola (Rules Appointee), J. Brian Anderson (Presidential Appointee), Tom Leathem (Presidential Appointee)

Absent: L. Octavia Tripp (Rules Appointee)

Special Guests: Arishna Lastinger – Director, Parking Services; Patrick Reed – Executive Director, Intellectual Property Exchange; Matthew Hoch – Chair, Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee; Amit Morey, Member, Faculty Salary and Welfare Committee; Sunny Stalter-Pace, Secretary-Elect-Elect; Norman Godwin, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs

Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 3:39 pm by Chair Eckhardt.

Minutes from the March 4, 2025 Steering Meeting were approved by unanimous consent.

Agenda for the April 15, 2025 Senate Meeting was approved by unanimous consent.

Remarks and Announcements

Provost Nathan and President Roberts will each have a few remarks at the start of the April meeting.

Action Item Presentations

Faculty Salaries and Welfare Committee Report: Amit Morey shared the results of the committee’s two surveys about the experiences of international faculty members. The surveys asked about international faculty members’ experiences, including awareness of various support resources and experiences with the green card process at Auburn. After presenting an analysis of the survey results, Morey shared the committee’s recommendations and motion. Steering Committee members provided feedback on the presentation slides and asked for some revisions to make charts and graphs easier to read.

Jaena Alabi shared the slate of candidates recently approved by the Rules Committee. These candidates will be confirmed by the Senate during its April meeting.

Information Item Presentations

Arishna Lastinger previewed her presentation on parking changes. Lastinger shared that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the university hired a consultant to come to campus, meet with stakeholders, look at campus routines and habits, and make recommendations regarding parking on campus. The list of recommendations included phasing in several changes. One of those changes began around spring break this year and included offering some paid hourly parking options for visitors using the park mobile app. This fall, Phase 1 will begin by restructuring the parking zone system. The previous A- and B-zone designations will be retired and faculty/staff will now have the option of purchasing an orange zone pass (only for the Lowder Lot or the Library Deck) or a blue zone pass (for all other faculty/staff parking). The cost for an orange zone pass will be $270/year and a blue zone pass will be $100/year. These passes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Orange zone permits will be sold at 1.5 times capacity. After assessing this change, phase 2 will move forward in Fall 2026 and will affect the campus core, Ross Square, and the athletics complex. Steering committee members expressed some concerns that phase 1 changes would impede faculty members’ ability to move across campus to other areas easily, especially when carrying books, lab supplies, etc. A few clarifying questions were asked, such as whether two vehicles could be on one permit (which will not be changing this year) and how phase 1 would be deemed successful or not (it depend on the feedback provided to Parking Services). Faculty/staff parking registration will open at 8 am on August 1st.

Patrick Reed gave a presentation on Auburn’s technology transfer office, the Intellectual Property Exchange (IPX). Reed noted that the office’s focus is on maximizing public benefit. He outlined the technology transfer process and provided information on how proceeds are distributed. Reed shared that the office will soon have an updated website, express online invention disclosure, research materials disclosure program, a program for faculty to serve as innovation ambassadors, and Endeavor modules for NDA/MTA/DUA. Steering Committee members made some suggestions, such as clarifying abbreviations and providing examples of successful technology transfer projects.

New Business

Chair Eckhardt asked the Steering Committee to begin the process of establishing an ad hoc committee to review the faculty grievance process as outlined in the Senate Constitution. The steering committee agreed unanimously to move this forward.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:30 pm.

Mission

The Steering Committee acts on behalf of the AU Senate on matters requiring attention between meetings of that body and assists the chair of the Senate in setting the agenda for Senate meetings. In addition, it is concerned with the academic affairs of the University, with particular attention given to the need for developing and recommending policies under which these affairs are conducted. It works closely with other Senate committees to aid them in their assignments.