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Faculty
Senate meeting: committees, parking
The Faculty Senate met Nov. 6 and was called to order by Anne Osbourne
Kilpatrick, DPA. The next meeting will be held at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Dec.
4, in the Administration/Library Building, room 107.
Meeting Procedings
Kilpatrick welcomed the senators. After the initial self introduction
by each senator, she outlined her goals to achieve for the year.
She emphasized that all senators belong to the senate committees and
tackle the various assignments and use the Faculty Senate meeting to report
the outcome of their various committee meetings. She mentioned two new
policies that have been approved by the MUSC Board of Trustees and inserted
into the Faculty Handbook, namely, the computer use policy and the policy
regarding visiting, emeritus and distinguished university faculty status.
She introduced her fellow office bearers of the Executive Council and
announced the appointment of Mary P. Mauldin as our Faculty Senate webmaster.
She reported that as faculty senate representative, she attended three
of four President’s Council meetings, while deputing Philippe Arnaud to
attend one on her behalf. Nothing of momentous importance to the faculty
happened during these meetings except for the tabling of the post-tenure
review policy document for future discussion by President’s Council.
The post-tenure review document, is a product of a Faculty Senate ad hoc
committee effort chaired by Philip Privitera and including members Subbi
Mathur, Jerry Webb, and Tom Higerd, ex-officio. This document was prepared
in response to concerns from the Commission for Higher Education that specifically
asked for a
reward system for successful faculty performance and in keeping with
Good Practices document. The document was approved unanimously by the Faculty
Senate and forwarded to the Deans’ Council. The Deans’ Council approved
it, after two meetings with the subcommittee. The document (with the omission
of the word permanent) represents the Faculty Senate and Deans’ Council
approved version.
Committee and job assignments (voluntary):
Governance Committee: Francine Margolius (Chair), Subbi P. Mathur,
Nancy McKeehan, Janice Hundley, Joli Cerveny, Betsy Pilcher, Gail Pashek
and Eberhard Voit
Faculty Affairs Committee: Subbi P. Mathur (Chair), Philippe
Arnaud, Dean Schuyler, Ramita Bonadonna, John Malley, Katherine Chessman,
Peter Kobes, Joann Sullivan, Janice Lage, Richard Hernandez and Timothy
Carter
Academic Affairs Committee: Philippe Arnaud (Chair), Barry Hainer,
Paul Gold, Jennie Ariail, DeAnna Cheek, Joan Olson, Tara Hulsey, Gary Gilkeson
and John Bosso
University Affairs Committee (Chair to be chosen): Mary P. Mauldin,
Kit Simpson, Sally Self, Terry O’Brien, Janice Hundley, Luis Leite, Benjamin
Saunders, Connie Best and Janice Lage.
Faculty Senate Retreat Coordinator: Subbi P. Mathur
Webmaster: Mary P. Mauldin
Liaison with Gender Equity Committee: This is a university committee
under the direction of Deborah Carson looking at various ways to improve
gender equity in the campus. The membership of this committee from the
Faculty Senate includes Connie Best, Deanna Cheek, Susan B. Tate, Kit Simpson
and Subbi Mathur.
Francine Margolius, chair of the Governance Committee reported on the
progress on revising the Faculty Handbook to bring it up to date on matters
relating to faculty welfare. She reported the progress on revising the
Faculty Handbook in phases beginning with board approved changes indicated
in Blue which can be found at <http://www.musc.edu/facsen>.
Subsequent phases will be indicated in yellow for editorial changes
only that do not change the meaning or essence of the document; green for
contextual changes that will need to be debated by the senate and then
board approved; and hot red for additions/deletions which will need senate
debate and then board approval. Variations in this approach may be necessary
as the revisions progress. Send comments and suggestions to Margolius.
Faculty Contracts Committee: This is chaired by Rich Hernandez
and meets at noon on every Wednesday. Its members are: Jennie Arial, Tara
Halsey, Louis Leite, Sally Self, Terry O’Brien, John Bosso and Tom Higerd,
ex officio. Kilpatrick encouraged the tenured senators to go for these
meetings. Hernandez mentioned that they are still working on the wording
of the faculty contract. They are supposed to come up with an acceptable
version by the end of December so that it can be placed before the Board
of Trustees’ February meeting. The committee has invited the business managers
of various colleges to present their viewpoints.
The approved document will be brought before the Faculty Senate for
its approval before it is forwarded to Deans’ Council. Faculty Senate
Retreat
Subbi Mathur announced that the Faculty Senate will hold its
annual retreat from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 in Basic Sciences Building
room 435. This year’s topic for the retreat will be: “Tenure: Quo Vadis?”
Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. Adrian Reuben, will lead the retreat
with the “Meet the Expert “ session and will provide insights. This will
be followed by input on faculty
tenure policies by MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., followed
by the deans of the various colleges. Faculty members with the wisdom and
experience relating to tenure will share their insight with plenty of group
discussion. The aim of this retreat is to come out with some focused outline
on tenure.
The Department of Arts and Digital Imaging
The Department of Art Services and Digital Imaging performs art
and digital services to MUSC. The department has run into financial deficit.
During a recent discussion at the Presidents’ Council, it was proposed
to remove this department. However, John Sutuski and John Runyon felt that
the department can be salvaged. Sutuski specifically requested the Faculty
Senate chair to appoint a sub-committee to investigate the financial status
of the department. Concerns were expressed on the floor that a department
that is so vital to the teaching, clinical and research missions of the
university is in danger of becoming extinct. A subcommittee consisting
of Carlos Selinas (chair), Deanna Cheek and Subbi Mathur will be responsible
for reviewing the financial status of the Department of Art Services and
Digital Imaging and make recommendations to the administration.
Parking Survey Report
John Runyon reported on the results of parking survey that was carried
out by Dan Lackland, Pam Ferguson and Lydia King. The survey was initiated
to gain insight into the following questions:
Where should the garage be located: Recommendation: Close to the college
campus. Only 25 percent of 1,098 responses showed dissatisfaction with
MUSC parking system convenience.
How much should be charged: Recommendation: MUSC should seek to minimize
parking charge increase in the future. 56 percent of persons in the parking
system are dissatisfied with the price.
What capacity garage should be built? Recommendation: 600 to 800 spaces
minimum. The current waiting list contains more than 1,300 names and requires
more than seven years to reach the desired end.
Other Announcements
Kilpatrick announced that the South Carolina Council of Senate Chairs
meets once every month in Columbia. This month the council meets at 4 p.m.
Nov. 16.
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