Minutes, Truman State University Chapter of AAUP
December 10, 2003 9:00 a.m.
University Club

Meetings are open to all University faculty members.

Faculty present: Martha Bartter, Marc Becker, James Harmon, Wolfgang Hoeschele, Tom Marshall, Joan Mather, Elaine McDuff, Peter Rolnick

1) Minutes. The minutes of the November 20 meeting were read and approved.

2) Faculty Senate restructuring. AAUP celebrates the Board of Governors’ final approval of the restructuring of Faculty Senate! Remember that this whole process began with a set of AAUP-sponsored faculty fora a year or two ago, presided by past president Jan Saffir.

3) Faculty Senate Budget Committee. The Faculty Senate is in the final stages of forming a new budgetary oversight committee, with only members and terms yet to be decided. There are issues of the composition of the committee, including the role of administrators on it. AAUP could remind the Faculty Senate that the National AAUP does training sessions on faculty roles in university budgeting.

4) Representation at Division Head meetings. In the spirit of openness and transparency, faculty should have representation at Division Head meetings. This would facilitate communication and cooperation, including providing better dissemination of more accurate information. Perhaps Faculty Senate should send representation. Furthermore, Division Head meetings should have minutes that are publicly available and distributed.

5) Course load. We continue to hear rumors of course load increases. Questions raised and discussed included: Why are professors being asked to teach more classes when there are fewer students? How do the data justify this move? It seems to be based on rather arbitrary decisions about numbers. We also need to support the liberal arts mission, which means smaller writing enhanced and other classes which contribute to the educational process but do not necessarily increase a body count. Faculty are confused as to where our priorities and values lie, and are concerned that increases in load will compromise the quality of the education we provide to our students.

6) Protection of Tenure. Some general discussion about how local AAUP chapters have the responsibility to uphold tenure standards, but at the same time protect the provision of tenure for faculty.

7) Meeting schedule for next semester: Friday, January 30, 4:30 p.m. (day after January Conference); Thursday, February 26, 9:00 a.m.; Friday, March 26, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted by Marc Becker, Secretary