AU Steering Minutes

Senate Steering Meeting

11/04/2025 | 107 Samford | 3:30 PM

Present: Virginia Davis (Chair), Rachel Prado (Secretary), Jason Bryant (Chair-elect), Sunny Stalter-Pace (Secretary-elect), Vini Nathan (Provost), J. Brian Anderson (Presidential Appointee), Jeremy Wolter (Presidential Appointee)

Absent: Lori Eckhardt (Immediate Past Chair), Andrew Pendola (Rules Appointee), Audrey Gamble (Rules Appointee)

Special Guests: David Miller, Ad hoc Committee for Faculty Grievance Policy Chair; Deidre Tilley, Parliamentarian; Sara Wolf, Handbook Committee Chair

Minutes

Chair Davis called the meeting to order at 3:31 pm.

Minutes from the October 7, 2025 Steering meeting were approved by unanimous consent.

Agenda for the November Senate Meeting was discussed. The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 

Remarks and Announcements

All remarks are still being developed.

Information Item

None.

Business Items

Calendar and Schedules Committee Report
Presenter: Karen Battye, Committee Chair Battye was not present. Briefly discussed the motion to approve the 2028-2029 academic calendar, which will be first on the agenda.

Faculty Handbook Committee Report
Presenter: Sara Wolf, Faculty Handbook Committee Chair Wolf presented information about the makeup of the Faculty Handbook and their work so far this year.

Ad hoc Committee for Faculty Grievance Policy Committee Motions
Presenter: David Miller, Committee Chair Miller presented the four motions the committee made in the October Senate meeting. Discussion on four separate motions and procedure to follow if senators offered amendments or amendments to amendments.

New Business

None.

Adjournment

Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 4:31 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.