1.
Approval of Academic Council meeting minutes from April 5, 2016
Dr.
Sam Abrash moved approval of the minutes of April 5, 2016. Dr. Bill Ross
seconded. With no further discussion, the minutes were approved by voice vote.
2.
Strategic Planning Process—Dr. Jan French
Dr.
Jan French, President of the Faculty Senate and Steering Committee Co-Chair,
updated Academic Council on the Strategic Planning Process. In particular, the
Strategic Planning Committee’s website was reviewed. Dr. French explained the
drafting process that has gone into the mission statement, the values statement,
the vision statement, and the themes, which will, in the future, become the
basis for charges to working groups. Following this brief presentation, there
was discussion.
Dr.
Sam Abrash offered his support for Academic Excellence as a value to be
featured prominently in the Strategic Planning Process going forward.
Dr.
Nicole Sackley disagreed with this idea, suggesting that if the University is
to keep something like Academic Excellence as a core value, perhaps Academic
Council might strive to come up with a different word and a more expansive
definition.
Dr.
Hugh West pointed out that, having been through this process on more than one
occasion, the working groups will flesh out the definition, and then come back
and revise after the work has been completed.
Dr.
Mike Kerckhove voiced his support for Dr. Sackley’s sentiment.
Dr.
Dan Palazzolo reprised his suggestion—first voiced at the Academic Council meeting
on April 5, 2016—that Academic Freedom and Intellectual Community might be
added to the values. Specifically, Dr. Palazzolo asked if Academic Council
might be able to reach a consensus regarding the importance of these values,
and thus recommend them, as a body, to the Strategic Planning Process Steering
Committee.
Dr.
Nicole Sackley suggested that Academic Council try to define these values
before voting to recommend them.
Dr.
Sam Abrash advocated voting to endorse the values of academic freedom and
intellectual community.
Dr.
Dan Palazzolo made a motion that Academic Freedom and Intellectual Community be
forwarded to the Strategic Planning Process Steering Committee, on behalf of
the whole of Academic Council, for consideration as values. Dr. Hugh West
seconded. Without further discussion, the motion passed by voice vote. [Following the meeting, Dean Skerrett and Dr.
French forwarded to the Strategic Planning Process Steering Committee this
recommendation from A&S Academic Council.]
3.
Approval of Modification to B.S. degree requirements—UAPC April 15, 2016
Dean
Skerrett reported that Dr. Jacque Fetrow, Provost, reported on April 15, 2016, that
the UAPC has voted to approve the Modification to the B.S. degree requirements endorsed
by Academic Council and approved by the A&S Faculty. The provost will
notify the Board of Trustees of the modification to the B.S. degree
requirements at the October meeting in 2016.
4.
DAC Spring Report—Dr. Jon Dattelbaum
Dr.
Jon Dattelbaum, Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, reported that DAC is continuing
its work in reviewing position requests this spring. [Dean Skerrett advanced position requests
endorsed by DAC to the provost for approval.]
Dr.
Dattelbaum also noted that Dr. Kathy Hoke will become Chair of DAC, effective
July 2016.
5.
Academic Continuity Planning—Brittany Schaal
Brittany
Schaal, Director of Emergency Management, gave a presentation on preparedness
and academic continuity planning. During her presentation, Ms. Schaal reviewed the
UR Ready Guidebook that allows a department to develop a Continuity of
Operations (COOP) Plan in case of emergency. Ms. Schaal PowerPoint presentation
about Academic Continuity is attached to the agenda and can be reviewed in
full. Ms. Schaal would like to work with
each department chair in Fall 2016 to develop an academic continuity plan for
each department.
6.
Contingent Faculty Reform Initiative—Dr. Vincent Wang
Dr.
Vincent Wang, Associate Dean, provided an on the implementation of Contingent
Faculty Reform Initiative (CFRI), which was launched by the School of Arts
& Sciences in Spring 2014. During his presentation, Dr. Wang reviewed the
main objectives of the CFRI, the strategies by which the CFRI objectives have
been worked towards, and the results thus far.
Dr.
Wang’s presentation is attached to agenda in full. Dr. Wang noted especially the reconfiguration
of several “chronic” term appointment into tenure-track positions and the
increase in compensation for term and adjunct faculty.
7.
Merit Outcomes & Salary Recommendations—Dr. Ben Broening
Dr.
Ben Broening, Associate Dean, gave a presentation on merit outcomes and salary
recommendations. He stated that the
Dean’s office is committed to transparency in allocation of merit scores and
systematic allocation of merit-based salary awards. The dean noted the importance of the increase
in promotion bumps this year and the ongoing commitment of the University’s
Budget Office to benchmarking faculty salaries by rank against reported
salaries of our peers (top 50 national liberal arts colleges). Dean Skerrett observed the importance of presenting
year-over-year data so that A&S faculty members gain a clear understanding
of how merit and benchmarking investments are made. In response to a request made last year, Dean
Skerrett presented data that compares average salary by gender and rank. She noted that the Dean’s office has strived
to achieve gender parity for male and female faculty members across all ranks
for individuals under fifteen years in rank.
8. A&S Faculty Dinner to celebrate
retirements and years of service—April 29, 2016, Alice Haynes Room, 6:00-8:30
Dean
Skerrett welcomed members of Academic Council to attend the A&S Faculty
Dinner at the end of the semester. During
the A&S Faculty Dinner, in addition to celebrating faculty members who have
achieved 25 years of service, we will celebrate the following faculty members,
who are retiring emerita/us: Suzanne Jones, David Leary, William Myers, Vincent
Wang, and Reed West.
Dean
Skerrett thanked the members of Academic Council for their contributions to
faculty governance over the past five years.
The
meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.
