Minutes, Truman Chapter of AAUP
October 4, 2006, 4:00 pm
University Club
Meetings are open to all university faculty members.
Faculty present: Betty McLane-Iles (presiding), Martha Bartter, James Harmon, Diane Johnson, Elaine McDuff, Judi Misale, David Robinson, Peter Rolnick, Lynn Rose, Tom Stewart
1. Minutes of September 8 meeting were approved.
2. Last spring’s AAUP State of the University Survey. Judi Misale led us in an editing session on her summary analysis of the results, which noted many interesting trends and features. This updated analysis will soon be available on the main page of our chapter website. In late October, Judi and a small AAUP group will meet with President Dixon to discuss what we all can learn from this survey. This session could be particularly useful, in light of last spring’s Faculty-Senate-led evaluation of the Dixon, which was apparently decidedly negative.
3. Foreign-language capstone courses and Reading Day. The faculty involved in this issue expressed thanks to us for clearing up the fact that policy has not yet been passed through faculty governance. There is no need for further AAUP help, at least at this point. We shall monitor the situation.
Betty McLane-Iles reports: “The French faculty specifically asked for the input from AAUP at our last faculty meeting since they had heard it had been discussed, and the research done by members and conclusions underlined were discussed by Gregg Siewert and myself. I had also reiterated specifically that several members had given this their time and attention. I encouraged Gregg to share with the other faculty the memo we sent to him, which he has done recently. The matter is still being pursued, as there is a strong interest still in doing capstone presentations on Reading Day, and as our students find that convenient also. We are moving carefully and slowly though.”
4. The University Personnel Policy Committee (of the Faculty Senate) has produced a preliminary paper (not yet a decided policy or bill), and the committee will continue this work. From a university (or otherwise authorized) computer, you can view this working paper on personnel policy: http://vpaa.truman.edu/communications/PersonnelPolicies.pdf
Our AAUP chapter formed a committee to study the recommendations, in light of published AAUP policies, and our chapter may decide to make formal comments as the Faculty Senate and administration define the policy. Our committee consists of Kathryn Brammall and Dianne Johnson (both current Senate members), as well as David Robinson.
5. The University Sabbatical Policy Committee (a committee convened by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, we think) will likely to be asked to make recommendations on the future of our sabbatical program. Issues that have been raised at past AAUP meetings include the contract-requirement to remain at Truman for two years following the sabbatical year (one year seems standard elsewhere) and our 80%-pay level for full-year sabbaticals (50% is the usual case elsewhere). Several of us noted that, at Truman’s low salary-levels, a 50% rate would exclude nearly everyone from a full-year sabbatical, making the one-semester sabbatical (at 100%) the only workable choice. Members are asked to gather comments and information on these and other sabbatical issues and bring them to future meetings, or to communication their views to a member of our chapter who serve on this committee, Steven Reschly, sdr@truman.edu
6. New business and announcements.
At the request of an old friend of the chapter, Tom Guild, we collected signatures on a petition to add the name of Dan Murphy (Hanover College in Indiana) as a candidate for AAUP District IV Representative, whose area includes Missouri.
Marc Becker, our former chapter secretary, reports that his sabbatical work has already taken him to Latin America and to Africa. He has turned over maintenance of our chapter’s list-serve and website to David Robinson, current secretary. See Marc’s photos and reports at www.yachana.org/sabbatical
David Robinson hosted the fall meeting of the executive board of Missouri Council of AAUP at his home on September 23. Since the Mo-Council president, John Harms of Missouri State University, is term-limited, the exec board decided to nominate the current VP, Keith Hardeman of Westminster College, as president-elect. David Robinson was slated for nomination as the next VP of Mo-Council. The election of these new officers will take place at the annual meeting of Mo-Council, scheduled for St. Louis on February 24. David Robinson plans to give one of the keynote talks on the conference theme, tentatively entitled “Contingency, Collegiality, and Continuation of Tenure.” David was also asked to attend the October 10 meeting of the Missouri Association of Faculty Senates (MAFS), representing the Mo-Council of AAUP.
7. Adjournment, ca. 6:00 PM
Respectfully submitted by David Robinson, secretary