Minutes, Truman State
University Chapter of AAUP
March 26, 2004,
4:30 p.m.
University Club
Meetings are open to
all University faculty members.
Faculty present: Roger
Festa (presiding), Natalie Alexander, Marc Becker, Martha Bartter, James Harmon,
David Gruber, Judi Misale, Peter Rolnick
1) Minutes. The
minutes of the February 26, meeting were read and approved.
2) Proposed Sexual
Orientation Policy. Faculty senate passed the resolution yesterday supporting
the inclusion of sexual orientation in the University’s Non-discrimination
policy. Now it goes to the Board of Governors. AAUP has provided a leadership
function on campus in supporting with process with our letter to the Board of
Governors, and President Dixon referred to the AAUP letter in her statement of
support of the resolution. We applaud their decision.
3) Representation at
Division Head meetings. AAUP has requested that in the spirit of openness and
transparency, faculty should have representation at Division Head meetings.
David Robinson replied to a memo from the VPAA denying this request. In
response we have received a second memo (available from David Robinson,
drobinson@truman.edu) reiterating his opposition because the agenda is not
always planned far enough in advance. The VPAA’s first memo suggests that
faculty might ask to attend when the agenda includes matters of interest; the
second memo states that the agenda will not be available. The VPAA memo requests
suggestions for improving communication. With electronic communications and
websites, minutes from the division heads meetings could easily be distributed,
either by individual division heads or perhaps more efficiently by the VPAA’s
office. At a minimum, under Missouri’s Sunshine Laws minutes of the meeting
should be made publicly available. Perhaps Divisions could request that their
Division Heads report to them on the content of this meeting.
Meeting adjourned at
6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
by Marc Becker, Secretary