Present: B. Altmann, E. Campbell, S. Clark, S. Cohen, L. Dann, J. Dawson , J. Earl, M. Epstein, P. Gilkey, J. Gray, J. Grzybowski, E. Housworth, R. Kellett, S. Kohl, S. Kolwitz, C. Lachman, D. Levi, E. Luks, R. McGowen, G. McLauchlan, P. Mills, R. Moore, G. Moreno, M. Paris, E. Pfeiffer, C. Phillips, L. Robare, D. Sanchez, N. Savage, A. Schneider, J. Schombert, P. Southwell, F. Tepfer, J. Terborg, N. Tublitz , M. Weiner

Excused: D. Conley, C. Gary, M. Hibbard, B. Jenkins, L. Blake Jones, D. Merskin, M. Nippold, T. Wheeler

Absent: L. Alpert, C. Brokaw, R. Davis, K. Helphand
 
 

CALL TO ORDER

The regular meeting of the University Senate was called to order by Senate President Peter Gilkey at 3:05 p.m. in 123 Pacific.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

The minutes were approved as distributed; however, at a later date Senator Jane Gray, biology, indicated that she was present for the October meeting, not excused as was listed. The secretary noted the correction and has amended the official minutes accordingly.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Senate President Gilkey presented a resolution, on behalf of the senators, wishing President Frohnmayer a speedy recovery from his recent illness and sending him a UO Senate T-shirt. The resolution met with unanimous approval.

Senator Gray raised a question regarding the faculty's access to legal counsel in matters relating to university business. She noted that in her own, earlier experience, when Peter Swan was the president's legal advisor, she could call him directly and he had provided her with some legal counseling. However, in a recent email exchange with current General Counsel Melinda Grier, Ms. Grier indicated that she is responsible to the president and the vice presidents, and that requests for legal counseling should be channeled through the appropriate vice president.

Senator Nathan Tublitz, biology, asked if Ms. Grier's job description was different from that of the former counselor, Mr. Swan. Ms. Grier replied that Mr. Swan had a dual appointment, both as a faculty member in the law school and as the assistant to the president for legal affairs. She suggested that perhaps Mr. Swan provided advice in his capacity as a law school professor. Ms. Grier's appointment as General Counsel to the University President is a 1.00 FTE appointment through the president's office. With the increased amount of litigation in recent years, it is truly a busy position. Her legal advice workload is consequently directed by the president and vice presidents as it is required to meet the needs of the university. Ms. Grier further clarified that as an employee of the state, requests for legal advice as an individual faculty member ultimately are handled by the Department of Justice, that is, the Attorney General's Office, but only after a request is made by the appropriate vice president. After some other discussion, Senator Gray pointed out that students have a student advocate they can contact directly, but the faculty must go through a vice president. Another senate member noted that the student advocate is not a state employee; rather, that position is part of ASUO and funded through student fees.

See Proposed Correction to the minutes amending the previous paragraph.

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY

Update on PEBB insurance benefits plan. President Gilkey announced that there had been a miscommunication and that Provost Moseley's update concerning PEBB benefits would be scheduled at a future senate meeting. However, President Gilkey shared information from the IFS Academic Council regarding the discussions concerning whether to continue health insurance coverage with PEBB or pursue other options. Further, he presented the text of a resolution recently passed by Oregon State's Faculty Senate that asked its administration to pursue other health insurance options.

Several senators noted that the new plan had effectively "reduced" benefits, especially in the cash back option. A suggestion was made to acquire an independent accounting of the amount of benefits reduction. Senator Chris Phillips, mathematics, indicated that he would contact the human resources office for relevant benefits information with the idea of preparing a resolution similar to that of Oregon State University.

NEW BUSINESS

Interinstitutional Faculty Senate (IFS) Elections. The Senate Nominating Committee reported that Mr. James Isenberg, mathematics, was the only nominee for the IFS representative position that becomes vacant when Senator James Terborg, business, completes his term on December 31, 1999. President Gilkey asked if there were any other nominees from the floor, and hearing none declared Mr. Isenberg elected by acclamation. He will serve a three-year term from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2002. Similarly, Senator Priscilla Southwell, political science, agreed to serve again as the IFS Alternate, a one-year term beginning January 1, 2000; with no other nominees she, too, was elected by acclamation.

Senate Agenda Survey Results. Senator Greg McLauchlan, sociology, reported on the results of the senate agenda survey that he circulated among the senators. He acknowledged that the response was somewhat "thin", but noted that the faculty salary issue was the top agenda item of those who responded. Other potential agenda items for the senate to address, as grouped by general area, included: diversity issues (such as increasing number of minority faculty, students and staff, diversity training availability, tenure success rate for protected groups); workload issues (such as increased amounts of administrative work resulting from decentralization, increasing workloads for department heads, results of committee work); and governance issues (such as reporting lines for faculty and administrative committees).

Senator McLauchlan revealed several other single-issue topics that were suggested as items the senate may want to address this year. Included were a corporate conduct code, faculty morale, poor condition of many classrooms, decreasing student enrollments, copyrights and royalties of faculty course materials, dependents of faculty members receiving staff rates for tuition, prohibitive mechanisms for getting and reporting on small monetary grants for "good ideas," and review of the administration.

President Gilkey thanked Senator McLauchlan for his work. He noted that it was a formidable list, but that a number of items mentioned were already underway as agenda items. During a brief discussion that followed, Mr. Dave Hubin, president's office, remarked that there are strong lines of communication among the senate, Faculty Advisory Council, and the administration to begin addressing these concerns. Senate Vice President James Earl, English, stated that he hoped the senate would think of itself as a forum for all faculty members to express themselves on issues of interest and concern, and not just a place for discussions among senators.

President Gilkey asked if there was any other new business. Senator Phillips gave notice that he would present a resolution similar to the Oregon State resolution concerning the PEBB benefits issues at the next senate meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

With no other business at hand, the meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
 
 

Gwen Steigelman

Secretary