Did not meet. Bryon Clark and Ken Elder are working on the budget survey and it will be sent out.
Did not meet. Diane Dixon reported that the committee preference survey will be sent out after spring break.
Did not meet.
Brett distributed an email from Dan Althoff. It reported that nominated faculty have been notified by email and have until March 11 to submit a supporting statement to Ann Haycock. Hard copy notifications will be sent during the week of spring break. Senate voting will begin as soon as possible after March 21 and will be completed April 4. The results will be presented to the Senate on April 8.
Did not meet. Stan Alluisi reported that they will be meeting with VP Walkup regarding parking.
Brett showed the letter that he sent to Chip Weiner regarding the movement of the due date for assessment reports.
Brett showed email that he sent to the department chairs regarding summer teaching. He showed the Senate the responses that he received from eight chairs.
Brett also reported from his Faculty Advisory Council meeting with Tommy Beavers from OTRS. It was asked why OTRS does not use the year salary rather than the nine month contract. OTRS does use the year salary in figuring contributions. It was the Regent’s Supplemental Retirement that does not figure in summer salary. Brett showed a table comparing Oklahoma retirement with the neighboring states. Oklahoma rated rather poorly in comparison to the other states (second to last behind Kansas). He also showed a table of the other Oklahoma colleges. Some of the other universities pay 100% of the benefits while at SOSU the faculty has to contribute 7% of the first $25,000.
At the Forum of Shared Governance the administrations stated that they were doing a study of salaries and will have results in February. Wayne Jones made a motion that Brett request the result of the study of salaries. Wayne Dixon seconded. Bryon Clark stated that the President said that all new money would go to salaries. The Senate also wanted Brett to ask how salaries are going to be distributed.
Stan Alluisi reported on the graduation schedule. The schedule will be the same this spring. Next fall the schools will swap and the schools that are in the morning this spring will be in the afternoon ceremony.
Some chairs made a request that the Senate look at the exemplars that are in the Faculty Development Plan. Brett didn’t know exactly what they wanted done, thus he will inquire as to what exactly they wanted the Senate to look at. Ken Elder thought that a faculty committee should look at it next year.
Brett told the Senate that Connie Harshman, a reporter from The Southeastern, wanted to know if she could attend the Faculty Senate meetings. Stan Alluisi made a motion to allow the reporter to come to the meetings. Dan Benco seconded. There was considerable discussion. The motion was denied – 2 in favor, 16 against and 1 abstention.
Bryon Clark handed out a statement that he drafted to send to the administration regarding the strategic plan:
The Faculty Senate wishes to endorse the new strategic plan that is bing developed which emphasizes academic excellence at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Accomplishing the goals set forth in this plan will place Southeastern in an enviable place compared to our sister institutions in Oklahoma and peer institutions in the region.
However, the Faculty Senate has a cautionary note concerning the new strategic plan. Not all academic programs at Southeastern, or other institutions, have state, regional, or national accreditations available; these programs also may not have pertinent national benchmarks to compare themselves with. We are very supportive of programs seeking these types of external validations when possible, but do not wish to jeopardize other quality programs where no such options exist. We are confident that the administration will do everything possible to enhance the quality of all the programs regardless of availability of accreditation and/or benchmarking.
If you should have any questions, please contact us to discuss this matter further.
Dan Benco made a motion to send this to the administration and Wayne Dixon seconded.
Stan Alluisi made the motion to adjourn and Ken Elder seconded.
Diane Dixon, Faculty Senate Recorder.