Minutes

Minutes, Truman Chapter of AAUP
February 5, 2010, 4:30 pm
University Club
Meetings are open to all university faculty members.

Faculty present: Betty McLane-Iles (presiding), Martha Bartter, Marc Becker, James Harmon, Sylvia Macauley, Jason McDonald, Troy Paino

1. Minutes of the December 4 meeting were approved.

2. University environmental issues. Betty passed around copies of documents located by James Harmon and Diane Johnson:

http://eco.truman.edu/TSUSI%20intro_3.26.ppt

http://www2.truman.edu/~drobinso/TSU_Sustainability_Vision_Apr_22_09.htm

http://www2.truman.edu/~drobinso/TSU_Sustainability_Initiative.htm

It’s encouraging that our university is moving in a positive direction (unlike the University of Missouri). Michael Kelrick has a committee that used to meet monthly but now does not meet so frequently. Tim Baker from Physical Plant is one of the people we can consult with ideas and plans for increased efficiency. Physical Plant director Karl Schneider has consistently opposed energy sustainability issues; are there ways for the administration to put pressure on him to be more responsive to our concerns?

Too many classrooms have climate control issues. Jason: is there legislation that would require rooms to be kept at reasonable temperature? Jerry: Maybe OSHA has regulations that we could use? It appears that we need a new and better HVAC system, but do we have the money to save money?

3. Plans for future meeting with Troy. The next meeting is March 5 which is the Friday before Spring Break which may be a bad date. We will suggest 3 dates (February 26, March 19, March 5, in that order), and see which one he can make.

4. Election of a delegate (and maybe also an alternate) to State Conference meeting at UMKC, Saturday, February 13. Betty plans to go but needs transportation. Martha can be delegate with Betty as alternative if there are no other AAUP members who want to go. We will use chapter funds to pay for transportation.

5. New business from members.

a. Wolfgang’s introduction to the philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry at Troy Paino’s forum was quite effective.

b. Conversion of existing contingency lines to tenure track. A downside might encourage a shift to contingency lines and might undermine our position. Since there is a debate in AAUP whether this is a good idea, we might want to debate it internally before talking to the Provost about it.

c. More important issue to press than contingency lines is domestic partner benefits.

d. State of the University survey. Judi is still working on the report. Hopefully we’ll be able to finish the survey at our next meeting.

Respectfully submitted by Marc Becker, acting secretary