Minutes, Truman State University Chapter of AAUP
April 1, 2005, 4:30 pm
University Club

Meetings are open to all university faculty members.

Faculty present: Judi Misale (presiding), Martha Bartter, Marc Becker, Roger Festa, James Harmon, Sylvia Macauley, David Robinson

1) Minutes of March meetings were approved.

2) 2004 AAUP State of the University Report. We will post the results from this survey on the AAUP web page (http://aaup.truman.edu/2004survey.html).

3) Reports on President Dixon’s meetings with faculty. The president has continued with these meetings, with discussions focused primarily on changes in the division structure.

4) Report on Interim Dean Selection in Social Science Division. The VPAA proposed that with the retirement of the Social Science Division Head, the Language and Literature Division Head become the dean of both divisions with associate deans being named for both. The proposal, drafted without any faculty input, was problematic, and the Social Science Division rejected it in favor of an interim dean. The division drafted a list of seven candidates that has been forwarded to the VPAA. Social Science faculty members rose admirably to the challenge in defense of faculty governance. Hopefully this can become a model for more faculty participation in University governance.

5) Budget situation. There is the potential of a 10 percent budget cut across campus. The VPAA has said that we need to cut 23-37 faculty positions. Faculty are beginning to feel the financial squeeze.

6) Report on the creation of the David F. Gruber Leadership Development Award by the Missouri Conference of AAUP. David Robinson reported on last month’s state AAUP meeting at which the Gruber leadership award was created. Gruber has also been nominated for the national Tacey Award, the biggest and most prestigious AAUP national award. John Harms has written a report on state policy and the crisis of public higher education in Missouri that is available at organizations.smsu.edu/aaup.

7) University Club. James Harmon proposed that the AAUP chapter delegate a task force of Harmon and David Robinson to develop a plan for AAUP participation in governance of the University Clubhouse, and to introduce this plan at the May 2005 chapter meeting. The proposal passed.

Meeting adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Marc Becker, Secretary