Minutes, Truman Chapter of AAUP
April 13, 2007, 4:30 pm
University Club
Meetings are open to all faculty members.
Faculty present: Betty McLane-Iles (presiding), Martha Bartter, Roger Festa, James Harmon, Diane Johnson, Sylvia Macauley, Judi Misale, Peter Rolnick, Lynn Rose, Tom Stewart
1. Minutes of March 16 were approved.
2. Update on HB213 “Emily Brooker Intellectual Diversity Bill,” by chapter president.
Betty recounted that many things that she, David Robinson, Keith Hardeman (President of Mo-Conference), and many others in AAUP had been doing to oppose this bill. We have been fortunate that our local state rep and senator (along with many others) understand how harmful this would be. [About the time of this chapter meeting, the bill was “replaced” by the Senate Committee on Higher Education, and then the replacement bill was never brought to the Senate floor. Rep. Jane Cunningham might well bring this horror back, next legislative session.]
3. Response on our letter to President Dixon and VPAA (contingent faculty, their benefits).
No response yet. Our chapter president sent them a reminder email yesterday.
4. Discussion of administrative reorganization.
AAUP must plan for changes in faculty governance, making sure that a faculty senate (and perhaps other bodies) will represent the FACULTY. The issues are complicated, and AAUP policies here are very general, but we must look into them, and seek advice from chapters who have recently undergone restructuring. It would be good if AAUP could send recommendations to the current Faculty Senate by sometime in September.
An Implementation Committee has already begun work. The chapter meeting discussed chair selection and chairs’ duties. Members brought up further concerns: covering release time, how sabbaticals might be affected, whether more 4-credit courses might come forward, whether financial resources will be strained or stretched, etc.
Rolnick moved, and Harmon seconded the motion: The chapter should form a group to consider and discuss a recommendation on faculty governance to send to the Faculty Senate in September. Approved.
5. It was decided not to have any more meetings for the academic year, 2006-07, and no future meeting date was set. [That will be decided by the incoming officers.]
6. Election of officers for 2007-08 (all by acclamation):
President: Betty McLane-Iles
Vice-President: Judi Misale
Secretary: Marc Becker
Treasurer: James Harmon
Members at large: Lynn Rose, Sylvia Macauley
The chapter meeting was adjourned ca. 18:00.
Respectfully submitted by Diane Johnson, standing in for chapter secretary