04.20.21 Senate Minutes

Remarks and Announcements:

Donald Mulvaney, Senate Chair Remarks

The Chair introduced the elected officers of the Senate, the Senate Parliamentarian Al Gage and the Senate Administrative Assistant, Laura Kloberg.

The Chair then spoke briefly on the involvement and activities of elected officials in university governance over the past month.  He encouraged communication and input from faculty and committed to sharing faculty concerns through a productive and constructive relationship with University administration. The chair introduced and thanked the Senate Steering Committee members and the COVID Ops faculty representatives, Bob Norton and Danilea Werner, for their service.

Chair Mulvaney then moved to identify and recognize resilience and innovation at Auburn University during the COVID era.  The Chair recognized Danilea Werner and Kimberly Braxton-Lloyd for their efforts during the COVIC Pandemic.

The Chair then invited AU Administrators to make remarks.

Jay Gogue, Auburn University President Remarks

The President’s remarks centered on news from the Board of Trustees and across campus.

• The Masters of Architecture program has been paused due to COVID related issues.

• The Department of Foreign Languages has changed names to the Department of World Languages.

• The Department of Theater has been renamed the Department of Theater and Dance

• Ken Vines has been confirmed to replace Lloyd Austin on the Board of Trustees.

• Enrollment estimates for Fall Semester are that Auburn anticipates welcoming 4800-5000 freshmen to campus.

• Private giving to Auburn University is on track to meet goals for the year.

• Two buildings have been named on campus to honor the contributions of African-American members of the Auburn Family.

  • The former Tiger Residence Hall is now Bessie Mae Holloway Hall. Bessie Mae Holloway was an AU Graduate and the first female African-American Trustee for Auburn. She served on the Board for 15 years.

  • The former Eagle Residence Hall is now Josetta Brittan Matthews Hall.  Matthews was Auburn’s first African American graduate and first African American faculty member.

The President closed his remarks by thanking faculty at the end of an unusual semester.    

Question: Roy Hartfield. The link to the document discussed last month in the Senate is still  live. Dr. Hartfield inquired if it is still in force. VP Burgess responded that he would look into why the policy is still posted. He reiterated that the policy has reverted to what it was prior to the revisions that were discussed in the Senate.

Bill Hardgrave, Auburn University Provost Remarks

The Provost recognized the end of the semester approaching and thanked faculty for their work in helping the university be successful in a difficult time.

Question, Mary Sandage, Senator Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.  Sandage inquired on University efforts on retention of a diverse faculty and gave the example of a junior faculty in her department that was poached away by another University. She asked for a stronger effort at retention. The Provost responded by encouraging departments to contact the Provost’s Office when faculty are at risk of being recruited away so that the Provost can consider a response.

John Beckmann, Entomology and Plant Pathology.  Beckmann asked if administration has considered lifting faculty salary freezes. The Provost responded that there is no salary freeze in effect.  Faculty had no merit raises last year, but no decision has been made on the merit pool for the current year.

Action Items

Action Item – Voting on Nominees to serve on Senate Committees

Greg Schmidt, Senate Secretary

Schmidt presented names of faculty selected by the Rules Committee to serve terms on Senate Committees. Schmidt explained that the terms, unless otherwise noted, are for 3 years. He introduced Rules Committee members and thanked them for their services. He then called for a vote on the presented slate as a whole. No comments were made from attendees.

VOTE RESULTS:   56 total in favor, 2 opposed.

The slate of nominees was approved.

Action Item –  Establishment of a Senate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Ralph Kingston, Secretary-elect

Kingston presented the proposed revision to the Senate Constitution which would create a Senate Diversity Committee. He noted details on the proposed membership of the committee, the committee roles in organizing and communicating, and reporting DEI initiatives on campus along with serving to monitor and receive information from faculty and units across campus. He explained the reasoning behind the committee creation, the role and scope of the committee, and his expectations for the committee and its voluntary members. He closed by noting this proposal is a constitutional change and will require a 2/3 vote at this meeting to pass.

Question, Michael Stern, Economics:  Stern asked if the committee has representation from Athletics.  Kingston responded that for not the committee does not have an Athletics representative, but that as it moves forward, it could be changed to add additional representatives. Stern suggested that the committee be expanded to add an athletics representative or the Faculty Athletics Representative. 

VOTE RESULTS (requiring a 2/3 vote of the senate, 58 senators)

Total in Favor:  58

Total Opposed: 3

The action item passes.

Action Item – Proposal for 2023-2024 Academic Calendar

Robin Jaffe, Chair, Calendar and Schedules Committee

Jaffe introduced the 2023-2024 calendar as a consensus product of the Calendar and Schedules Committee. He noted selected guidelines that the committee considered when crafting the proposed calendar and compared it to the 2022/23 calendar.  The presentation gave information on the total number of teaching days for each semester along with ending and starting dates, holidays, break dates, study days, finals periods, and graduation dates.  As a product of a standing committee, this action item does not require a second.

VOTE RESULTS

Total in Favor:  59 in favor

Total Opposed:  0 opposed

The action item passes.

Informational Items

Informational Item – SACSCOC Reaffirmation

Dr. Megan Good, Director, Academic Quality & Improvement

Good discussed what is involved in reaffirmation and what is meant by a snapshot year in the institutional accreditation process. The presentation covered the work AU goes through to document compliance, the timeline for reaccreditation, and SACSCOC expectations.  Regarding the snapshot, Good noted that SACSCOC requires the institution to document and justify two standards; faculty qualifications and program assessment. She presented information on what will be required of AU and AU Faculty in providing snapshot evidence to SACSCOC. Good closed her presentation by giving contact information for Assessment at AU.

Question Duha Tore Altindag, Economics:  Altindag asked if faculty could have access to information submitted in 2012. Good aid that she would work with the Chair to see about granting access. Her office will use 2012 data where it can.

Questions: Michael Stern, Economics:  Stern asked about the 18 academic hours in teaching condition and its applicability to graduate teaching rather than faculty. Good responded that SACSCOC does not differentiate between faculty and GTAs in this respect. Stern reiterated that the 18 hours of academic should have been earned over the course of a maters program.

Stern then moved to a document on the AU website entitled A Policy on Minimum Teaching Qualifications for Instructors of Record, effective May 2020. He noted a line in the policy that seems to allow for credentialing of instructors without meeting SACSCOC guidelines.  Good responded that the guidelines allow for institutions to document professional experience as an alternative to academic coursework. Stern urged Good and her office to examine what appear to be contradictions in the policy. Good acknowledged the lack of clarity in the guidelines and noted that there are also detailed instructions that accompany the guidelines she presented and that together, the two documents provide a clearer picture on compliance. 

Stern closed by asking Good to whom she reports. Good responded that she reports to Associate Provost Norman Godwin. Stern noted that SACSCOC strongly recommends that those in her liaison position respond directly to the President.

Information Item - Report on Student Placement and Policy Updates.

Presenter:  Dr. Norman Godwin, Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness

Godwin gave a short presentation with an overview on placement outcomes for the 2020  graduating classes (Summer 2019, Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 classes).  He discussed the effort to collect data on graduating classes, the scope of data collection, and the findings of the collection. For 2020 graduates, Godwin gave placement data (where a graduate has received a job or acceptance into grad program) at the time of graduation and placement data 6 months after graduation. He also gave geographical and salary data. He noted the likely COVID effect on employment figures between the 2019 and 2020 graduates.  Godwin closed his presentation by noting the QEP focus on placement over the next 10 years.

Informational Item – COVID Resource Center Update 

Bob Norton, COVID Resource Center Faculty Representative

Chris O’Gwynn, Director, CRC

O’Gwynn discussed the nature of calls to the CRC and noted that there is a decrease in volume over previous months.  Auburn is continuing to administer Moderna and Pfizer vaccines while the State continues to lag nationally in vaccine rates. O’Gwynn discussed hospitalizations and projections for the summer.   Norton added campus clinic numbers for COVID testing, COVID-related calls, and total vaccinations delivered. Auburn is entering phase 3 of the vaccination program.

Informational Item – SGA “Did You Know Corner”

Stephen Sadie, SGA Treasurer

The Executive team is in goal setting mode and is focusing on Diversity and Inclusion.  The SGA has arranged for late-evening food trucks to be available in downtown Auburn.  SGA is conducting the Ring Ceremony for Spring semester, and is looking forward to in-person Camp War Eagle sessions in the Summer.

New Business –

None

Unfinished Business -

None

Adjournment

Chair Mulvaney adjourned the meeting at 4:57pm

Respectfully Submitted,
Greg Schmidt
Secretary, University Senate

Attendance