MUSC Medical Links Charleston Links Archives Medical Educator Speakers Bureau Seminars and Events Research Studies Research Grants Catalyst PDF File Community Happenings Campus News

Return to Main Menu

Faculty senate meeting minutes for January

The faculty senate’s unapproved meeting minutes for January are on the senate’s Web site at http://www.musc.edu/facsen.

Updates
  • Parking Committee—Rick Albenesius, DMD, senate president, will serve on the parking committee.
  • Proposed Policy on Standards of Conduct for Relationships with Trainees (students, residents, and fellows)—Albenesius reported that this proposed policy is scheduled to be reviewed by deans’ council. Prior to the review by the deans’ council, Albenesius and senate members that reviewed this policy will meet with Dr. Valerie West, associate provost for Education and Student Life, to discuss the senate’s recommendations.
  • State’s Administrative Fee for Its Optional Retirement Plan—During the senate’s August  meeting, Stewart Mixon, Office of the Chief Operations Officer, gave a presentation on retirement plans and insurance for retirees. There was a discussion about the 3.05 percent rate of the state’s administrative fee for its Optional Retirement Plan. At that time, a request was made for Mixon to follow-up with the state about the seemingly high administrative fee. Mixon sent a report that was presented to the senate during the January meeting.  Mixon’s report indicated that while the rate seems high, it is what is allowable by law and to amend this would take legislative action. The fees can be used in four areas only: (1) participant education regarding the merits and risks associated with selection of defined contribution plans versus defined benefit plans; (2) on-going investment education, where appropriate; (3) recordkeeping; and (4) monitoring contract compliance. The senate discussed the need to ensure new employees had extensive information regarding retirement options in order to make informed decisions.
  • Post-tenure Review for Faculty Participating in TERI Plan—Deans’ council reviewed procedures for conducting post-tenure review with faculty enrolled in the TERI  (Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive program) Plan. If a tenured faculty member is enrolled in the TERI Plan, they are not required to participate in the post-tenure review process. In addition, the deans added the following statement: “It is also understood that once post-tenure review of an eligible faculty member has been initiated, subsequent enrollment in the TERI program will not alter the established review process.”  Senate approved the procedures that will return to deans’ council and president’s council.
Committee updates
  • Governance Committee—Walter Limehouse, M.D., chair, reported that the board of trustees will vote on the amendments to the constitution during its February meeting. The committee is also determining changes needed to the faculty handbook.
  • Institutional Advancement—Swapan Ray, Ph.D., chair, reported that the Institutional Advancement Committee is compiling a list of all MUSC standing committees. Once compiled, a determination will be made as to which committees need senate representation.
  • Communications and Education Committee—Geoff Freeman, co-chair, reported that the welcome for new faculty was scheduled for Feb. 5. This event was held in the Institution of Psychiatry beginning at 4 p.m. Senators were encouraged to attend. A town hall meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20. Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D.,  will provide a State of the University address, and John Raymond, M.D., will provide an update on the quality enhancement plan. The plan is a critical component of the accreditation process, scheduled for review in March.
Guest speaker
Carol Lancaster, Ph.D., assistant provost for institutional assessment—Lancaster provided an update on status of the university’s accreditation process through the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS). An offsite team reviewed our documentation via a Web site during September.
 
Only five citations were noted by the committee, which is a small number compared with an average of eight to fifteen citations. An on-site team will visit the campus in March for the main purpose of reviewing the quality enhancement plan. Amy Blue, Ph.D., associate dean for curriculum and evaluation in the College of Medicine is chairing the development of the plan.
 
Additional information can be found at the MUSC SACS Web site at http://www.musc.edu/sacs.

Announcements
  • Apple Tree Brown Bag Session, Jan. 31 with guest speaker Gabe Virella, M.D., Ph.D., College of Medicine. The topic is “Development of Multiple Choice Questions: Rules, Expectations, and Limitations.”
  • Professor Peter Lake, Feb. 9. Charles A. Dana, chair and director of the Center for Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law. Topic, “Law, Policy, and Student Affairs in the Age of the Millennials, ” from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 302 Basic Science Building. The event is sponsored by the Office of Associate Provost for Education and Student Life and the Apple Tree Society.
 
The next senate meeting will be held at 7:45 a.m.  Feb. 13  in Gazes Auditorium. The agenda will be posted on the faculty senate’s Web site prior to the meeting.

Senators present
Basic Science: Hiroko Hama (executive committee), Denise Quigley, Cynthia Welsh
Clinical Sciences: William Conway, Andrew Gelasco, George Johnson, Brad Keith, Walter Limehouse (executive committee), Bonnie Martin-Harris, John Osguthorpe, Swapan Ray (executive committee), Sakamuri Reddy, Arthur Smith, Kenneth Vanek, Aljoeson Walker, Ira Willner, Rita Young . Excused: Tom Pope and Amy Ramsay
Dental Medicine: Rick Albenesius (executive committee), Joe Krayer. Excused: Ted McGill (executive committee)
Health Professions: Jennifer Horner (executive committee). Excused: Kathy Cegles
Library Science and Informatics: Geoff Freeman (executive committee), Mary Mauldin (executive committee), Peggy Schachte, Tom Smith (alternate)
Nursing: Sharon Bond, Nancy Duffy, Barb Edlund (executive committee), Sheila Smith
Pharmacy: Elinor Chumney, Patrick Mauldin (executive committee), Andrea Wessell
—Submitted by Mary Mauldin, Secretary to Faculty Senate
   

Friday, Feb. 9, 2007
Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.