2010-11 Faculty CouncilRegular Meeting

The University of Texas at AustinMain Building, Room 212

Monday, November 15, 20102:15 p.m.

I. Report of the Secretary. II. Approval of the Minutes.A. Minutes of the regular meeting of October

25, 2010.III. Communication with the President.B. Comments.C. Questions.

Agenda

IV. Report of the ChairA. Current draft of the criminal background check policy

from system 7.2 Current Employees. U. T. institution employees must report

to their supervisor in writing, within five business days, any criminal convictions, excluding misdemeanor offenses punishable only by fine.

B. Faculty Governance: Faculty survey in colleges that have not voted on their plans are

under way. Surveys are by secure log-in but data is collected anonymously.

C. Discussion on the budget and faculty involvement in budget planning and prioritization 1. Is there a standing faculty consultative committee on budget

planning and prioritization? 2. Is there formal discussion on budget planning and prioritization

issues with faculty, departmental budget or executive committees at their scheduled meetings?

Survey will begin before end of this semester.

IV. Report of the Chair.A. Sampling of Standing Committee priorities

1) Done: A-5 Faculty Welfare Committee, C-5 Faculty Building Advisory Committee, C-11 Research Policy Committee

2) Committee of Counsel on Academic Freedom and Responsibility (CCAFR) (Brian Evans, chair):a) All faculty are entitled to an annual review in writing from their

department chair (HOP 3.17)"The final results of the annual evaluation shall be communicated to each faculty member by the department chair. This communication shall be written and it shall advise the faculty member of any areas that need improvement.“ HOP Section 3.17, http://www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/h0317.html \

3) Faculty Welfare (Rayan Bagchi, chair)a) Changes in UT benefits for employees and retirees: is there a way

for the faculty to provide input into the decision making process that determines future benefits? Is there a way to keep the faculty informed of proposed and approved changes contemporaneously?

b) Increased teaching load for faculty: Shall we have different categories of faculty; who should have the right to decide who belongs to which category? Does the individual faculty member, have a voice in this? Does UT take ownership of the roles and responsibilities of UT faculty, or is it left to individual colleges and administrative units? Who guarantees fairness and transparency?

THECB Outcomes-Based Formula Funding

Closing the Gaps set a goal of awarding 210,000 undergraduate degrees and certificates annually by 2015.

Texas must award an additional 46,000 degrees and credentials annually by 2015 to meet the Closing the Gaps goal.

28% increase over 2009 fFrom http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/files/dmfile/OutcomesBasedFormulaFunding4.pdf

THECB accountability system: http://www.txhighereddata.org/Interactive/Accountability/ http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/download.cfm?downloadfile=0D1B7207-EAF6-BA13-F9936C79EEEFE82A&typename=dmFile&fieldname=filename

New ad hoc committee on “faculty accountability and productivity”

1) If we do not take the lead in developing appropriate “measures”of faculty performance, it will be dictated to us

2) If we do not take the lead in defining what “success” and “accountability” mean in higher education, they will be defined for us

3) This committee must work carefully with existing standing committees (e.g., CCAFR, Welfare, Admissions, Grievance), but a faculty driven focus on the issues of accountability and productivity are critical at this time

V. Report of the Chair Elect.

VI. Unfinished Business—None.

VII. Reports of the General Faculty, Colleges, Schools, and Committees—None.

VIII. New Business.A. Proposed Revisions to the Departmental

Budget Council Constitution and Authority in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (D 8456-8458).

CHAPTER 2 - ADMINISTRATION

Sec. 8. Budget Councils

All the full professors in a department conjointly, or all the associate professors conjointly in case there is no full professor, constitute the budget council of the department, each member being entitled to one vote, there being no seniority. No person on modified service [because of age] shall be a member of the Budget Council. The chairperson of the department serves as chairperson of the Budget Council. Responsibility for preparing recommendations for hiring, salary rates, promotion, tenure, renewal of appointment, or non-renewal of appointment rests with the budget council (or other departmental governing body) and the department chair.

Cont. on next slide.

D 8456-8458 cont.5. During the third or terminal year of operation

under any of the foregoing plans and not later than each third year thereafter, the departmental faculty members with tenure shall recommend whether to continue the existing organization, or propose a new organization, or to return to [the previous] a budget council system. This recommendation shall be forwarded by the chairperson of the department for the approval of the dean and the President. [The] If the department faculty members with tenure [may instead] propose modifications in the existing mode of governance for consideration by the department, this will be done in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 3.

Cont. on next slide.

D 8456-8458 cont.

CHAPTER 3 – FACULTY AND ACADEMICS

Sec. 3.17. Recommendations Regarding Faculty Compensation, Faculty Promotion, Tenure, Renewal of Appointment, or Nonrenewal of Appointment

Responsibility for preparing recommendations for hiring, salary rates, promotion, tenure, renewal of appointment, or non-renewal of appointment rests with the budget council (or other departmental governing body)[,] and the department chair.

A. Proposed Change to the Handbook of Operating Procedures Regarding the Systems Faculty Advisory Council Representatives from UT Austin (D 8459). D. Organization …

The Chair and the [Past] Chair Elect shall represent UT Austin on the UT System Faculty Advisory Council.

…

A. Resolution from the Faculty Rules and Governance Committee Regarding Conferral of Degrees (D 8460).

RESOLVED: In reference to the Handbook of Operating Procedures, Chapter III Faculty Council, A. Authority and Functions, and D. Approval of Degree Candidates, the Faculty Rules and Governance Committee recommends that the Faculty Council, by affirmative vote, delegate for the academic year 2010-2011 the approval or disapproval of all candidates for degrees to the respective deans. The Committee also recommends that at the Spring Commencement Ceremony the Faculty Council’s delegation of this approval or disapproval to the deans be announced by the Faculty Council chair prior to the presentation of the candidates for graduation by the deans.

IX. Announcements and Comments.A. The annual Faculty Council photograph will

be taken on February 14 at 2:00 on the south steps of the Main Building.

B. The annual meeting of the General Faculty will be held on February 14 at 2:15 in MAI 212 at 2:15.

C. The inaugural annual meeting of the School of Undergraduate Studies will immediately follow the General Faculty meeting on February 14 at 2:15 in MAI 212.

X. Questions to the Chair.XI. Adjournment.

The End