University of Southern Maine Faculty Senate

Meeting of March 16, 2007 (2 - 4 p.m., Alumni Reception Center)

 

MINUTES

 

Present:

 

Officers: D. Lynn (chair), T. Parchman (vice chair), N. Bouzrara (secretary);

 

 Ex officio: R. Pattenaude, J. Wood

 

Voting members : J. Andonian, H. Amoroso, Jr., K. Ashley, G. Caffentzis, S. Chinn,  E. Collom, E. Eagan, B. Edmands, D. Gilbert, M. Hamilton, C. Hammer,  J. Irish, P. Johnson, R. Kuesch, D. Lambert, F. Pavri, E. Raimon,  A. Whitmore

 

Non-voting members:  V. Tarbell

 

Guests: Christine, Holden, Gary Johnson

 

Absent:

 

Ex officio: B. Foster, D. Malhotra, P. Pitegoff, M. Rodgers, B. Shaffer, Z. VanZandt, B.L. Whitford,  J. Wright

 

Voting members:  J. Brunette, R. Chen, B. Clary,  L. Cole, L. Elliott,  V. Hart,   T. MacDonald,  L. Miller, C. Ostis, W. Phillips, S. Pollock, R. Swartz, C. Suscavage, D. Thompson,  L. Turesky,  J. Uzzi, T. Wagner, N. Wanderer, T. Ward, S. Waldrep, H. Fred Walker, E. Wiley

 

Non-voting members: A. Bossie, M. Menenzes

 

 

Summary:

 

 

Present

Absent

Voting members

21 (50%)

22 (50%)

Non-voting members

1 (33%)

2  (67%)

Ex officio

2 (20%)

8 (80%)

Guests

2

0

Total

26

32

 

 

2:01                1.  Call to order by Chair Dahlia Lynn.

 

2:01                2.  Introductions.

 

2:03                3.  Approval of minutes of  February 2, 2007 as amended.

Notes approved unanimously via voce.

 

2:05                4.  Reports (39 minutes)

a.      President Richard Pattenaude (24 minutes)

 

Items reported by President Pattenaude include:

 

-transformation of space on the Portland campus

(University Commons)

 

- Washington DC meeting with Maine delegation

                                                ( 2.5 million $ in earmarks)

                       

-funding requests for Bailey Hall, Glickman, LAC

 

-general operating budget, campus budget tight

            -unfilled faculty lines

-reduction of 30 positions on campus by July 1, then another look

 

                                    -Chancelloship

(increase quality and reputation of UMS which is undervalued, underappreciated, underfunded)

 

Questions included those by:

 

-D. Gilbert about the profile of the 30 positions.

-(9 professional staff, 13 classified staff.. 8 others)

-increase in number of professional staff in recent years, enrollment drop of 900 stuents, so looking at distribution of positions

           

                                    -E. Eagan about the hiring freeze

                                               (soft freeze, hiring slush, 72 positions reviewed, 27 unfilled

                                                positions filled if revenue generating, core to the mission, healthy

                                                safety issues)

 

                                    -D. Lynn about the budgeting of the demolition of the Steego Building

                                                ($ 1 million over budget but because of curtain wall, looking at

                                                  re-engineering the wall

 

President Pattenaude expanded on questons of space on the Portland campus explaning about the status of the White Houses and the plan over 10 years to return some of the houses to the affordable housing market.

 

-M. Hamilton about Portland Hall as affordable housing.

 (A house becoming an office generates an equal replacementneed for housing by the city. MECA, Andover and SMCC rent from US. The Portland Hall property carries 4 million $ in debt, developers would get federal $ if to make it part of affordable housing.  Plan to sit tight for a year and see what happens on Marginal Way, potentially sell Portland Hall for a residential Hall by University Commons)

                                   

                                    -S. Chinn on the sidewalks on Bedford Street

(maintenance is a co-funded USM-city project although the city is responsible for their condiion)

 

                                    -J. Irish on Bailey Hall and Aramark Kiosk

(moving to the student lounge, no reduction of lounge space, College of Education and Computer Services to swap spaces, computing to move into the library, and Academic Programs into the Computing Space, writing tutors into the library in Gorham as of late April)

 

2:29                            b. Provost Joseph Wood (11 minutes)

 

Comments by Provost Wood included:

 

-status report on Degree Programs (See document distributed.)

 

-7 action steps to enhance revenue and control costs

 

-plan for replacing computers on campus every 3 years with a phase-in period, laptops to be encouraged

 

-appointment of Rose Clary as the new director of Honors

 

-George Caffentzis and Blake Whitaker took swtudents to Washington,DC for poster sessions on science education, only Honors students from 28 universities, meeting with the Maine delegation about earmark requests

(student and faculty lobbying efforts)

 

Questions included those by:

 

-E. Eagan  asking why Women´s Studies name change was not on the list

(new name – Women & Gender Studies, name change going forward, final approval by Chancellor)

 

                                    -M. Hamilton about the Smart Grants and the Russian Studies program

                                                (Provost Wood waiting for a recommendation from the CAS Dean)

 

                                    Comment from President Pattenaude about the acting Presidency

                                                (Announcement  in next 2-3 weeks, 1 year appointment)

 

 

2:40                            c. Chair Dahlia Lynn (2 minutes)

 

                                    -election procedures, T. Parchman overseeing them

 

                                    -Executive Committee participated in the Organizational Scan

                                                insightful meeting in which faculty concerns and expectations were

stressed, direction of the campus, faculty role in searches for acting President and President

 

                                    -Committee on Academic Freedom...draft of the charge they have written

                                                G. Caffentzis to serve as chair

 

                                    -slate of officers to be proposed for Faculty Senate Elections

                                                T. Parchman (chair), N. Bouzrara (vice chair)

                                                H. Fred Walker (BOT representative)

                                            (Contact D. Lynn by April Senate meeting if interested in running for  

                                            officer position)

        

                                    d. No Report from Board of Trustees Representative Fred H. Walker

 

e.      No Student Body Report.

 

2:42                            f. Classified Staff Report from V. Tarbell

 

                                                -plans for the Classified Staff breakfast on March 27

                                                -by-laws to be modified

                                   

g.  No Part-time  Faculty Report

 

h. No Professional Staff Report

 

4.      No Old Business. 

 

2:44                5.  New Business

 

a.      USM Fiscal Report (CFO D. Campbell, Provost Wood) 

                                                            (65 minutes)

                                   

                                    -overview of sources of $ and uses (Campubell)

                                    -discussion related to faculty lines (Wood)

 

                                    -distribution and explanation of document “USM FY 2006 Revenue”

-          net revenue = tuition and fees – tuition waivers

-          non-credit pgorams (public service)

             ex.Lifeline, conferences, professional development

-          USM = increasingly tuition dependent

 

                                    No questions asked to CFO Campbell about Revenue document.

 

                                    -distribution and explanation of document “USM FY 2006 Expenses”

-          compensation package = 43 % of each salary dollar

-          80 % of budget taken up by salary &/ benefit package

-          in 2006, expenses = 3 million $ over revenue

-          need for financial stability (discipline, focus, attention to priorities, work together to achieve)

 

                                    Questions asked included those by:

 

                                    -D. Lynn about the funding formula and any potential adjustment

(not likely for a host of reasons, but new monies coming into the UMS could be distributed in a different fashion)

 

-K. Ashley about the impact of environmental issues (the greening of the campus, new buildings…)

 (cost containments, not savings, slower rate of increased costs,                            some success there)

 

                                    -J. Irish about whether faculty salary increases modify the document

                                               (no, since accounting adjustments at UMS had been done)

 

-M. Hamilton about 2 past energy projects (new windows in Bailey,         combined cycle power plant in Portland)

(Bailey improvements are a priority, funds for the Con-gen plan for the Portland campus were shelved when CMP rate changed, could see if an outside contractor would front the costs for such a plant, 10 year plan to move to a carbon-free university)

 

                                    Comments by Provost Wood  included:

                       

                                    -faculty 1/3 = FTE

 

                                    -down 900 students, so need to increase student numbers, lower costs

                                   

                                    -HR Report to system about 06 not yet released

 

                                    -action steps related to hiring freeze, cost containment

-          reduction in faculty lines by 10, attrition

-          juggling searches, number of vacant positions is up

-          faculty has been buffered in the past, but can’t do it anymore

-          clarification about numbers in Muskie (head count vs. people & FTEs)

-          If you include professional staff working on soft $, numbers are up there.

-          reduction in management group by 1 from 31 to 30

                                                                                    (professional, administrative)

-          conversion to new People Soft version

 

                                   

                                    Questions included those by:

 

                                    -B. Edmands abut the number of reductions in part-time faculty

                                                            (uncertain at this time, fluid)

 

                                    -D. Gilbert about instructional capacity and Gen Ed

(slight increase during transitional period, so part-time faculty needed at present but reduction after the phase-in period)

 

Provost Wood commented that positions are vulnerable because of resolving deficit. Post-tenure reviews and promotion increases will continue: He will look to faculty for input.

 

-J. Irish questioned on the document distributed “Summary of Faculty Positions FY 2005-FY 2007” as the changes do not seem substantial. He specifically wanted to know what happens if the data went back to 10 years.  Math has shifted from 19 posiions to 11.

    (more degrees are offered, individual departments have had losses)                              

 

H. Amoroso asked if any progress had been made with endowed chairs.

 (endowments tripled but still small, 15-16 million, second in UMS, people are interested less in endowed chairs than other gifts)

        

Only endowed chair is in Law School (1991)..  Capital campaign has 11 million $ in gifts.

 

P. Johnson inquired about the relationships with the community college and trnasfers into programs at USM, especially in terms of accredition requirements in programs such as Social Work and Business

 

                       

3:50                            b. Academic Policies and Procedures Report  (M.Hamilton)