03.25.25 Faculty Minutes

The University Faculty Meeting Minutes from October 22, 2024 were approved by unanimous consent.

Remarks and Announcements

University Senate Chair: Lori Eckhardt

None.

President: Chris Roberts

Actions in Washington, D.C. are affecting federally funded extramural activity at universities across the nation. President Roberts and his team have made efforts to communicate directly with elected leaders to ensure that they are aware of the value of Auburn’s research programs and to advocate for policies and programs that allow the university to bring its research to bear for public good. In meetings with elected officials, President Roberts and others (including two Trustees) shared specific information about the importance of funding and the positive impact the university is having. Auburn has experienced some effects on its programs, but not as much as other institutions like Johns Hopkins or Columbia. Fiscal Year (FY) 25 year to date saw a drop of about 7% in the number of proposals submitted and a 12% drop in the value of proposals submitted, as compared to FY24. This is due in part to fewer funding opportunities being posted during this transition period. Given the situation, President Roberts encouraged the Auburn faculty to focus on two things within their control: 1) relentlessly submit to proposals that are available, and 2) be careful and judicious in use of current funds.

In terms of how the executive orders have affected programs here, Auburn has about 2000 active contracts and grants right now. The university has received specific guidance on about 40 projects, 15 of which received stop work orders or terminations totaling $6 million in funding (which is a small amount compared to Auburn’s overall portfolio). PIs should continue to work on the projects they have unless and until they hear from their sponsor or funding agency. If faculty do receive guidance from their sponsor, they should contact Tony Ventimiglia.

For the Fall 2025 semester, Auburn has received more than 62,000 applications. This is the highest number in Auburn’s history. The applicant pool included more than 12,600 Alabama residents, with every county in the state and students from all 50 states represented. The acceptance rate is likely to be about 46. The average GPA is 4.2 and about 32% of admitted students were from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

The Advancement team has worked with donors through alumni and Friends of Auburn to set an ambitious fundraising goal of $190 million. The team is at 71% of that goal, having raised $136 million. This is a positive indicator that people are supportive of what Auburn is doing. The university’s endowment funds are sitting at $1.24 billion with a five-year annualized return of 10.2%. This gives the university a sense of stability even in changing times.

The College of Education’s building is 100% completed at this point. Since the last faculty meeting, two new projects have been approved by the Board of Trustees, which have been made possible because of an increase in state funding through supplemental funds over the last couple of years. Those projects include a complete renovation of Comer Hall, and the College of Human Sciences will be building a new academic and research facility.

Mike Phillips, Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), will step back to the faculty in College of Agriculture. A national search will be conducted and the search committee will represent both Auburn and Alabama A&M Universities. The search advisory process will be chaired by Steve Taylor and Breckenridge Partners will help with search.

Provost: Vini Nathan

Provost Nathan announced that there will be 9 graduation ceremonies this year spread over 4 days from May 9 through May 12. The College of Pharmacy and College of Veterinary Medicine have their graduate ceremonies, which will be held on May 12; they will have their own graduation speakers. In total, there will be 5 graduation speakers this year. The Board of Trustees will recognize Ron Burgess, the former Executive Vice President, with an honorary doctorate at the College of Liberal Arts’ graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 11th . More information and announcements will be forthcoming.

The university has not had a comprehensive core curriculum review in some time. While revisions have been made over the years, there has not been a holistic review. That review will be led by Associate Provost Chase Bringardner. He and a small group of faculty have looked at the process other universities have used and have found a model in Vanderbilt. The Associate Provost at Vanderbilt has agreed to serve in an advisory process with us. A Steering Working Group and an Advisory Working Group are being seated. Those memberships will be made public to everyone. It will be a long, extensive, thoughtful process and Provost Nathan anticipates it will take 18- 24 months or more.

Questions

There were none.

Action Item

Vote on Motion made by Luke Oeding at Fall 2024 Faculty Meeting

Presenter: Luke Oeding, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

• Insert the clarification “(including non-faculty administrators)” into article 6, section 2 of the Faculty Constitution [note: Faculty Constitution should read Senate Constitution]: “A grievance may be filed by one or more faculty members affected; it may be directed against the action of one or more administrators (including non-faculty administrators) or other members of the faculty.”

Chair Eckhardt made a point of order indicating that the motion conflicted with the Faculty Handbook. Eckhardt stated that the motion asks for change to a provision in the Faculty Grievance Procedure, which is found in the Senate Constitution rather than the Faculty Constitution. Eckhardt noted that the Senate Constitution outlines a process for making changes to the Faculty Grievance Procedure: “The Steering Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the procedure and appointing an ad hoc committee as needed to make recommendations of any changes that might be needed” (Section 2.1: Constitutions, 2.1.2 University Senate Constitution, Article 6: Faculty Grievance Procedure, Section 9. Procedural Review).

Luke Oeding, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, made a point of order, stating that that conflict could be resolved by accepting the following friendly amendment: Prepend to the original motion the following, “The University Faculty request that the Faculty Handbook Committee provide a recommendation to the University Senate on a change to the Faculty Handbook:”

Chair Eckhardt conferred with the Parliamentarian and determined that the friendly amendment is still out order because the Faculty Handbook Committee is not responsible for making or recommending a change to the language of the procedure; that falls under the purview of the Steering Committee. Eckhardt noted that the faculty could vote to overturn the Chair’s point of order.

Matthew Hoch, Department of Music, objected to the Chair’s ruling. Roy Hartfield, Department of Aerospace Engineering, seconded.

In the discussion that ensued, Chair Eckhardt stated that the body cannot consider a motion that is in conflict with the Faculty Handbook. She noted that the Handbook provides a process for how the Faculty Grievance Procedure may be changed and this motion did not follow that procedure.

Luke Oeding, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, commented that instead of cancelling the motion by procedural elements, the body should amend the motion so that it is no longer in conflict. He noted that his goal is to get a discussion in the University Faculty so that the President and Provost may hear the University Faculty’s opinion on this matter.

Sara Wolf, Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology, stated that as Chair of Faculty Handbook Review Committee, she would welcome the opportunity to be a part of the discussion within whatever rules and regulations and boundaries would be appropriate. She noted that this topic would be worthy of a discussion and she expressed support for having a discussion as long as everyone knows the proper procedures.

Roy Hartfield, Department of Aerospace Engineering, expressed support for Luke Oeding and Sara Wolf’s comments. He felt it would be a mistake to cut out the voice of the faculty with procedural moves.

Hans-Werner van Wyk, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, suggested that the Steering Committee suggest a way forward that would allow faculty to have a discussion within the framework of the current statues, which would help to resolve some of the friction.

Should the Chair’s decision be sustained?

Voting results: 36 yes (57%) / 27 no (43%)/ 15 abstain (not counted in percentages) / 14 guest (ineligible to vote). The Chair’s decision was sustained.

Information Items

Auburn Achieve and Career Outcome Data Update

Presenters: Katie Boyd & Yvette Stone, Office of Academic Insight

Boyd and Stone presented an update on Auburn Achieve, the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Stone shared information on where the post-graduation outcome data come from, including the First Destination Survey (FDS), which is the last of the five modules in the Achieve the Creed course that students complete in Canvas during their last semester, as well as a six-month post-graduation follow-up process. Boyd discussed some of the trends in the data, including post-graduation satisfaction and earnings. Boyd also shared information on the Bright Ideas Seed Grant Program, which is how the QEP is operationalized. The Office of Academic Insight distributed $300,000 in 2024 through Bright Idea Seed Grants.

Academic Honesty Committee Report

Presenter: Mark DeGoti, Chair

Presenting on behalf of Academic Honesty Committee, Mark DeGoti shared a brief overview of the current academic honesty process, which is built on the four core pillars of honesty, respect, fairness, and responsibility. At present, there is one means of reporting academic honesty code violations and two pathways for resolution. One option is a facilitated meeting between the faculty member, the student, and a faculty representative from the Academic Honesty Committee. In this path, the professor determines the recommended sanction. If the student and faculty member do not come to an agreement, the case will go forward to the second option, which is an Academic Honesty Committee Hearing. In a hearing, the faculty member and student present their cases before a panel of members of the Academic Honesty Committee and the committee makes a determination and recommends a sanction.

Current sanctions include taking a course in academic integrity, a zero on the exam/project/assignment/paper, an F in the course, a notation on the student’s transcripts, suspension, and expulsion. The committee has proposed improvements to the reporting process and sanction options. Faculty-led reporting, where the student has no prior violation and both parties agree to meet without a facilitator, would include limited sanctions. Three new sanctions are also being proposed: resubmission of the exam/project/assignment/paper, a reduced grade on the exam/project/assignment/paper, and a reduced grade in the course. This will provide more flexibility for faculty. If the proposed revisions are approved, the changes would encourage better communication between faculty and students, develop a culture of remediation, and increase reporting and awareness. If approved, the revisions will be implemented in Spring 2026 with a pilot.

Questions

Sara Wolf, Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology, asked for confirmation that the academic honesty code is written and voted on by students the students. DeGoti confirmed that Student Government Association’s code of laws houses the academic honesty code, which is a chapter in that larger work. He shared that because the code has an impact across campus, it was felt that information on the proposed revisions should be shared more broadly with the faculty. He noted, though, that the SGA does have final approval. Chair Eckhardt encouraged faculty to share comments about the proposed revisions with Mark DeGoti or Virginia Davis, the latter as the Chair of the Policy Advisory Committee in the Senate.

AU Emeriti Organization

Presenter: Joseph Molnar, Professor Emeriti

Joseph Molnar, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, shared information on the Auburn University Emeriti Organization, which was established last April under the aegis of the Biggio Center. He shared information on some of the group’s activities, including hosting various speakers and helping emeriti faculty stay connected. The organization’s Steering Group includes Joseph Molnar, Jill Crystal, Stan Reeves, and Barry Burkhart. More information, including about the group’s next meeting on April 4th at 11:30 am, can be found on the group’s website, https://www.auemeritiprofs.org/.

There were no questions.

Announcement of New Officers

Presenter: Virginia Davis, Chair-Elect

Viriginia Davis, Chair-Elect shared the following results of the Officers election, which closed at 7:45 am on Tuesday, March 25th.

Chair-Elect:

• Jason Bryant received 237 votes (43.9%),

• Matthew Hoch received 113 votes (20.9%), and

• Luke Oeding received 190 votes (35.2%).

The Faculty Handbook states, “Should no nominee receive a majority on the first ballot there shall be a run-off election during the five days following the spring meeting between the two nominees receiving the largest number of votes on the first ballot” (Section 2.1: Constitutions, 2.1.1 University Faculty Constitution, Article 3: Officers, Section 2. Election of Officers). Since no candidate for Chair-Elect received a majority, there will be a run-off election between Jason Bryant and Luke Oeding. The results will be announced via email on Monday, March 31st.

Secretary-Elect:

• Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran received 225 votes (47.4%), and

• Sunny Stalter-Pace received 250 votes (52.6%).

• Sunny Stalter-Pace has been elected Secretary-Elect.

New Business

Lori Eckhardt, Senate Chair

Matthew Hoch, Department of Music, moved “that at the next University Faculty Meeting, consider the following statement: ‘The University Faculty affirms that faculty may grieve faculty or administrators (regardless of their faculty status)’ for discussion and vote at the Fall 2025 Faculty Meeting. This is not a handbook revision. This is a request for discussion.

The motion was seconded by Mitchell Brown, Department of Political Science.

Chair Eckhardt stated that this item will be on the agenda for the Fall 2025 Faculty Meeting.

Adjournment

Lori Eckhardt, Senate Chair

The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 pm by University Faculty Chair Lori Eckhardt.