ABOUT

October 26, 2015 

Call to Order 

The October 26, 2015 meeting of the University Senate was called to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Ropp Center, Room 105, by President Patrick O’Neal. 

Roll Call 

Kim Barlow 

A quorum was met. Those absent without excuse or proxy are: Rhonda Boyd, Teresa Murray, and Teddy Allen. 

Approval of Minutes 

The minutes for September 2015 were presented for ratification; a motion to approve of the September 28, 2015 minutes as presented was made by Greg Schelonka and seconded by Shawn Trivette. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 

Business 

1. Guest Speaker – None 

2. President’s Opening Remarks o Senate Leader ship role • Constitution Policy 1302 

• Identify Taskable Items 

Senate Committees, Surveys, Your feedback from your personal interactions in your unit 

• Assist Implementation 

Identify resources. Strategy: Do we focus our energies internally or externally? 

How do we interact with the stakeholders? (Colleges, administrators…) 

Provide Perspective (“2 levels of leadership above”), Sense of Proportion 

• Follow – Up 

Outcomes: 

New polices or procedures *OR* Personal support 

o Budget Update • State budget for University flat for FY16 

$28.6M State Appropriations ($103,657 less FY15) 

$84.4M Self-generated (+$8.4M than FY15) 

$113M total operating budget (+~$10M from 2014-15) 

$15M (2012), $19M(2013), $24M(2014), $29M?(2015) Scholarships 

Already received word of impending budget cut on state funds 

Tuition/fees increase (+10%) 

• For FY16 budget: 

75% self-generated 

25% state funded 

o October APC Meeting • Highlights from September APC: 

Highest ACTs we’ve seen, more feeders, transfer students, Allie’s “Campus Connect” is a model for success, 

Brooks Hull is the new head of the Foundation (Will speak to Senate: Jan?) 

623 FTE Increase in Student 

New Drug Testing Policy 

Library: Watch the “Hunt Library Video”. This is our muse, how it functions, what it accomplishes. 

O’Neal: Faculty Survey, New Awards (inc. Staff), Hotel Planner, New Conversations about Fund Raising, Tuition Discounting 

o Follow-up from Last Meeting 

Raises: 2-4% (Still 1 S.D. below the peer-group mean*?) We could use a new kind of structure for raises (Tell story about “5k”) 

Civil Service got the standard raise (4%?) 

Work-life Committee: Needs a member 

Employee Survey: President Backs an external survey, more info later this week after meeting with Dr. TMM 

o Opening the Lid 

Tech is “cash poor” 

Louisiana underfunds Higher Education, and tuition is low 

There are underperforming units 

We are still down on a number of positions, and they are not easy to fill 

Some units are dysfunctional 

o Standardized Feedback (Ex: ULL Example) Salary Rank Compression* 

o Governor’s Election 

o Follow-up on Hotel Planner 

Senate Action: 

(1) University of Louisiana System Faculty Advisory Council. If functioning, bring to UL System Leadership. 

(2) Prepare a Brief for the Governor (Don’t need to go to State Travel Office: These are not “deciders”.) 

3. Business o Old Business 

• May 2015 Minutes – Vote to approve o There is no tally of votes on record (only a majority rule statement) for the Senate vote in support of Option 1 (unmodified M-11a) of the inclusiveness/antidiscrimination policy statement 

o Include the method of voting for 2015-2016 Officers and the Antidiscrimination Statement amendment 

• The amended minutes for May 2015 were presented for ratification; a motion to approve of the May 18, 2015 minutes as presented was made by Greg Schelonka and seconded by Leland Weiss. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 

• Amended language notes a closed ballot as opposed to a show of hands. Motion to approve amended language as presented was made by Shawn Trivette and Greg Shelonka. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 

• Work-life Committee members – Julie Rutledge o New  Mary Caldorera-Moore 

 Justin Kavalir 

 UNKNOWN – Library 

• Grievance Committee members – Julie Rutledge o New  UNKNOWN – Education 

 Must be Tenured 

• Treasurer’s Report – Jamie Hancock o President Guice may give consideration to funding 

• Guest Speakers – President Patrick O’Neal  Quality Matters (QM) – Pamela S. Morgan 

 Standing invitation to Pres. Guice each year 

 Foundation guest during Fall Quarter 

• 2nd Annual Unclassified Faculty and Staff Meeting  Pick a date • Suggestion for February or March – 4:00pm 

• Tuition Exchange Program  Marilyn Robinson’s email asking for a status report • Not well advertised 

• Pamela Ford 

o New Business 

• Committee Working Meeting  Choose areas of focus for 2015-2016 • Ideas for Committee Work 

Tech Distinctives 

Budget Advisory Committee 

Accumulating Resources 

Program Independence 

The Make-Up of Faculty 

 Work on Plans for implementation 

 Report back to Senate Floor on strategy 

o Other Business – None 

4. Voluntary Remarks – None 

5. Adjournment – The motion to adjourn was made by Julie Rutledge and seconded by Kathleen Heiden. The meeting adjourned at 5:05 pm. 

Kim Barlow, Recording Secretary