University of Southern Maine Faculty Senate 

meeting of October 6, 2006 (2 - 4 p.m., 1 Payson)

 

MINUTES

 

Present:

 

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

 

 Ex officio: R. Pattenaude, Z. VanZandt, J. Wood

 

Voting members :  J. Andonian, K. Ashley, G. Caffentzis, R. Chen, B. Clary, E. Collom, E. Eagan, L. Elliott, C. Hammer (Roxie Black attending), V. Hart,  M. Vazquez Jacobus, D. Lambert, Suzanne Roy, V. Tarbell, D. Thompson, A. Whitmore, E. Wiley

 

Non-voting members & guests: A. Bossie (Jeremy Collette attending), S. Campbell, H. Fred Walker, B. Whitaker

 

Absent:

 

Officers: D. Lynn (chair)

 

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

 

Voting members :  H. Amoroso, Jr., N. Artz, J. Brunette,  L. Cole, B. Edmands, D. Gilbert, M. Hamilton, J. Irish, P. Johnson, R. Kuesch, L. Miller, C. Ostis, W. Phillips, S. Pollock, E. Raimon, C. Suscavage, R. Swartz, L. Turesky, J. Uzzi, T. Wagner, S. Waldrep, T. Ward

 

 

 

Summary:

 

 

Present

Absent

Voting members

18

20

Ex officio

3

7

Non-voting/ guests

5

0

 

 

 

 

 

2:04                 1.  Call to order by Vice-Chair Thomas Parchman

 

2:04                 2.  Introductions (3 minutes)

 

2:05                 3.  Approval of minutes of 9/8/06

            Notes approved unanimously via voce.

 

2:06                 4.  Reports

            a. President Richard Pattenaude (14 minutes)

           

President Pattenaude distributed a document outlining seven key items (also included in the September 8, 2006 Faculty Senate Meeting notes).  This document will be posted on the Faculty Senate web page.

 

President Pattenaude also noted:

 

(1)   the work of the task force organizing the art symposia

(2)   the drop in the retention rate, the increase in the freshman transfer rate (+ 2%), the large graduation class this year, the need to control costs & restore enrollments comments

 

2:20                                         b. Provost Joseph Wood (11 minutes)

            .

                        Provost Wood spoke about the role of faculty involvement in retention efforts, in attending to student needs. Significant data is available (per degree, per department). The Provost’s Office will be examining courses with fewer than 9 students.  The Admissions Office will be visiting 640 schools & fairs this year (double from last year).  An increase of 10 % in the cap for classes would deviate some financial problems.  Across the board cuts will follow if the budgetary problems are not resolved.

2:31                                         c. Vice Chair Thomas Parchman (3 minutes)

Vice Chair Parchman mentioned the flyer in Senator’s folders detailing the Faculty Senate Motion to Call a Special Meeting.  (October 13, 2-4 p.m., 302 Luther Bonney)  He then spoke about the October 5 meeting that he had with Chancellor McTaggart and Senators Bouzrara and Ashley, reporting on the Chancellor’s request for ways to approach the Maine Legislature for support. 

2:34                                         d. Board of Trustees Representative Fred H. Walker  (8 minutes)

Representative Walker’s report will be posted on the Senate web page.  He pointed to two issues: (1) the BOT’s biennium request for an 11% increase in the 1st year and 8% in the 2nd year and (2) their resolution about the impact of TABOR on higher education.  The Board of Visitors has endorsed this as well, and the advocacy group is preparing to make a statement. 

 

The next BOT meeting will be November 5-6 in Machias. Their agenda includes enrollments, financial report, and the chancellor search update.

 

2:42                                         e.  Jeremy Collette reporting for Student Body Representative Andrew Bossie (3 minutes)

Mr. Collette explained Opportunity Maine, the student campaign to obtain a referendum about tax credits for students who have student loan payments after graduation and who stay in Maine to work.  Their employer could opt to take the tax credit and pay the tax for their employee, or it could be given to the individual taxpayer.  They need 60,000 signatures to advance to the next stage. Materials will be available on campus and at the polling places in November.  See their web page at www.opportunitymaine.org .

The student organization has been meeting throughout the summer and will inform the Senate of their activities later.

 

2:45                                         f. Vernon Tarbell, Classified Staff Representative (2 minutes)

Their Senate is electing new senators and will be starting over.  They will have a more detailed report next month. Still no contract, although President Pattenaude reports that a tentative agreement has been reached.

 

2:47                                         g. Suzanne Roy, Professional Staff Representative (2 minutes)

The Professional Staff Senate has been identifying issues and working on clarifying their identity.  They are developing a website to keep their members informed.

           

            h. Part-time  Staff Representative

                        No report.

 

2:49                 5. No Old Business.

 

2:13                 6.  New Business

           

a. Retention, Student Success, Persistence  (38 minutes)

 

Susan Campbell distributed three documents (Supporting Student Persistence Toward Graduation, Student Success in State Colleges and Universities, Student Engagement Activities by Division)

which she then commented at some length on various items including:

 

-         the fact that perceptions of quality are not matched by persistence to graduation

-         retention vs. student success and persistence, a term she prefers to retention. 

-         information needed to improve the situation. (See in particular page 10 of the Student Engagement Activities by Division document.)

 

3:27                             b.  Symposium Workshop Update, Honors Update (33 minutes)

 

Senator Caffentzis reported on the 2 symposia, the 1st  (October 18th) on general issues, such as the definition of political prisoner and the relationship of art and dissention and the 2nd (November 15th) on issues which arose out of the art exhibit & general issues about the role of the university in controversial programming.  Senator Eagan reminded everyone that the art from the original exhibit was now at Ubu Studio (316a Congress). 

 

                        Senators Clary and Eagan encouraged people to attend the special Senate meeting on October 13th, pointing to the Faculty Senate’s need to address this important issue (academic freedom).   There will also be a teach-in (panel & film)  about Irak on October 19th.

 

                        Senator Caffenzis distributed an open letter to the Faculty Senate, which he then explained. He would like specifically to know what the appropriate way to shape a discussion of an Honors College at USM would be.  He mentioned the search for a Director of Honors (The search committee will be chaired by Mark Lapping.)  Discussion included comments on the financial situation at USM and the figures for the Honors College, the need to comply with the Governance Document or amend it)

 

 

            4:02     Meeting adjourned.

           

Respectfully submitted,

 

Nancy Erickson Bouzrara,

Recording Secretary, Faculty Senate