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 (https://aaup.truman.edu/https://aaup.truman.edu/2004survey/).
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