Minutes

Minutes, Truman Chapter of AAUP
April 3, 2009, 4:40 pm
University Club

Meetings are open to all university faculty members.

Faculty present: Betty McLane-Iles (presiding), Marc Becker (notes),
James Cianciola, James Harmon, Mark Hatala, Sylvia Macauley, Jason
McDonald

1. Minutes of March 3 approved as submitted.

2. Domestic partner benefits. TSU chapter will draft proposal to present to administration. Issues: how is Missouri law regarding marriage
written? Does it exclude allowing domestic partner benefits, or will
University administration use the law as an excuse to deny such
benefits? But president used financial concerns rather than legal issues to reject idea. Would be a non-issue if we had universal health care.

a. Need to do research to see what schools in Missouri or in neighboring states allow in order to build as strong of a case as possible.
b. What is exact wording of law?
c. What is policy toward heterosexual domestic partners (i.e., "common
law" marriages)?
d. What are the true cost concerns?
e. How much of these reasons are cover for homophobic attitudes?

Betty will inquire in benefits office what coverage is for civil unions.

We need answers to some of these questions before we proceed to the next step. Make it a faculty senate resolution (for next fall)? We are top
heavy now with associate and full professors that it might be easier to
push it through. We will have a May meeting for a progress report on
this effort.

A committee to work on this: David Robinson, Betty McLane-Iles, Bonnie
Mitchell, Monica Barron?

3. State of the University survey. We are still considering the
possibility of carrying out the survey for fall 2009.

4. Plans for next year, including meeting time. Marc will set up a
doodle poll for 7:30 am & 4:30 pm the first Thursday and Friday of the
month. We also need officers for next year, including a vice president
and secretary. Volunteers?

Adjourned: 5:37 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Marc Becker, secretary