01.19.21 Senate Minutes

Remarks and Announcements:

Donald Mulvaney, Senate Chair Remarks

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

The chair then discussed the activities of senate leadership over the past month and followed with a call to the faculty to consider volunteering for service on University and Senate Committees. The Volunteering link was then placed into the Zoom chat.

https://cws.auburn.edu/Senate/Volunteer/VolunteerHome

Chair Mulvaney then moved to identify and recognize resilience and innovation at Auburn University during the COVID era.  The Chair recognized Dr. Fred Kam, Auburn University’s Medical Director, and then invited remarks from AU Administrators.

Jay Gogue, Auburn University President Remarks

The President discussed items on the agenda for the Board of Trustees meeting on February 5th including:

• Goodwin Hall recording studio construction approval

• Architect selection for Lowder Hall Finance Laboratory renovation

• Closure of the Agricultural Leadership Master’s Program

• Approval of Handbook Revisions recommended by the Senate.

The President closed his remarks with financial news noting funds received by the University in 2020 for Federal research grants and additional funding made available from the Supplemental CARES bill passed by Congress.

Ron Burgess, Executive Vice President Remarks

Gen. Burgess spoke on the COVID Operations Group and their decision-making process for extending the work-from-home window.  Decisions will be announced every Friday on extensions. The current return to work date is January 31, but it may be extended on Friday.

Dr. Fred Kam, AU Medical Director Remarks

Dr. Kam spoke on COVID vaccination progress at Auburn and on COVID therapy treatments available at the AU Medical Clinic. Auburn is in Phase 1C of the vaccination plan and is awaiting the next vaccination allocation from the State.  The next allocation will allow Auburn to complete Phase 1C.  Acute respiratory treatment is available at the clinic. Intravenous monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID has been approved to be offered at the AU Medical Clinic.

Bill Hardgrave, Auburn University Provost Remarks

The Provost announced that 21 campus monitors have been hired to review campus safety. AU administration is using the reports from COVID safety monitors to address problems that are identified.  Monitors will remain in place for several more weeks.

The floor was then opened for questions. Questions and remarks from Senators and faculty covered the following topics:

The conduct and framing of the recent special called faculty meeting, - Senator Tracy Witte (Psychology) expressed concern that a narrative has emerged in which a “small handful of disgruntled CLA faculty” were responsible for the contentious special meeting. Witte stated that this narrative undermines shared governance and belies both concern across campus over COVID decisions and mismanagement of special meetings by senate leadership. She closed by calling for improvements in communication from faculty leadership.

Usage and availability of vaccines going forward, - Luca Guazzoto (Senator, Physics) inquired to Dr. Kam about vaccine second dosage availability. Dr. Kam expressed confidence that the supply will be available but cautioned that the situation could change.

Social distancing and COVID safety in the classroom and across campus – Michael Stern Michael Stern (Economics) directed a question to Dr. Kam and President Gogue. Stern expressed concern over safety in face to face teaching situations and asked if students needed to maintain 6 feet of social distancing while in classrooms. Dr. Kam replied that faculty, as managers of their classrooms, can ask students to sit 6 feet apart, but because the university does not have a social distancing policy equivalent to the mask-wearing mandate, students cannot be compelled to observe social distancing in the classroom.

Purpose of campus monitors (enforcement or observation). Senator Susan Youngblood (English) inquired to the Provost if the campus safety monitors mentioned by the Provost were just observing or if they were also reminding people on campus when they were not compliant with the mask mandate. The Provost answered that the purpose now was just monitoring. The monitors are not enforcers. There is enforcement in Draughon Library and the Mell Classroom.

Faculty ability to change classroom modality in response to classroom situations - Tony Moss (Senator, Biological Sciences) asked if faculty could choose to modify modalities to respond to safety concerns in the classroom, including social distancing. The Provost responded that faculty have the authority to change modalities and offer remote options to help with density issues in the classroom.

Please see the transcript or the Panopto link for details.

Pending Action Item

Kamden Strunk, Chair, Faculty Handbook Review Committee

Strunk presented the Chapter 3 revisions that were deferred from the November meeting. These handbook revisions were reworked to address concerns expressed over the process by which Tenure and Promotion voting is conducted in Departments with fewer than three eligible voting faculty. The Department, in consultation with faculty, will need to select additional voting faculty giving preference to emeritus professors and then secondarily to faculty from closely related disciplines.  A majority of departmental faculty is needed to approve department head selections.

Questions and Comments on the pending action item focused on the appropriateness of the Handbook favoring emeritus professors over professors from closely related disciplines. 

Information Item: Resources available for Mental Wellness during COVID-19

Presenters, Ann Shore. Executive Director, Payroll and Employee Benefits and Patrick Johnston, Communications Specialist, AU Human Resources.

Shore gave a synopsis of resources available for mental health. She discussed AU’s Employee Assistance Program and changes made to programs since the start of COVID protocols. Changes include an increase in the number of allowed EAP calls for full-time employees, the creation of an EAP resource web page and the availability of therapy sessions for faculty and staff. She also noted HR Development courses available that focus on health and mental wellness and the thrive! communications campaign.  Shore closed by announcing upcoming webinars and Wellness Wednesday videos.

Information Item: COACHE Survey

Presenter, A.J. Good, AU Data Integration Specialist, Office of Institutional Research

Good presented the 2020 COACHE Survey for Auburn University. The presentation included comparison of results over time, against peer institutions, and against the national cohort. Also included was a discussion of response rates at Auburn and initiatives that have come from COACHE Survey findings. Good identified areas for improvement and discussed next steps for addressing the current survey results.

Information Item: “Did You Know? Corner” - Student Government Association statement

Presenter, Hays Kassen, SGA Vice President on behalf of Ada Ruth Huntley, SGA President

Kassen read a statement from SGA President Huntley. The statement expressed student thanks to both faculty and administrators for their efforts to provide students with learning experiences during the COVID pandemic. The statement also noted desire of many students for in-person learning environments and the commended effort the University has taken to offer both online and in-person learning.

New Business –

Susan Youngblood, Senator, English Department

Susan Youngblood offered suggestions for the use of the Zoom Webinar format in the future. Youngblood suggested finding a way to give attendees the ability to see raised hands and to better understand if questions and comments have been addressed. She closed by asking that for motions to be voted upon, Senate executives type out the motion and voting details prior to voting.  The Chair expressed appreciations for the recommendations and expressed a desire to explore how to implement them within the restrictions of the Zoom Webinar format or in another format.

Luke Oeding, Senator substitute, Mathematics and Statistics

Oeding spoke on the topic of the recent Called Special Meeting of the University Faculty and the rationale behind his objection to the motion of no confidence. 

Ed Youngblood, Faculty, Communication Studies

Ed Youngblood spoke on the topic of the recent Called Special Meeting of the University Faculty and expressed concern over the conduct of the meeting and the lack of discussion over the reason for the meeting. Youngblood expressed disappointment with how the meeting was run and how administrators and the SGA President were allowed to speak at the meeting.

Chair Mulvaney responded by explaining parliamentary protocol dictates how a meeting proceeds and that faculty executives must adapt as objections and motions from the floor arise. Mulvaney explained that parliamentary procedure allowed for faculty to object to a student speaking and that the point of order was upheld by the chair. Regarding Administration being allowed to speak at the meeting, Mulvaney explained that administrators have always spoken at previous faculty meetings and that when a point of order was raised against the Provost for speaking on the no-confidence motion that had not yet been tabled, the chair upheld the objection.

Unfinished Business – None

Adjournment

Chair Mulvaney adjourned the meeting at 5:10pm

Respectfully Submitted,

Greg Schmidt

Secretary, University Senate

Attendance