Report from Faculty Council
Fall General Faculty Meeting
October 25, 2007
Faculty Council Activities
• For Faculty Ballot:
– Revision of Representation Rules
– Revision to Grievance Procedure
• Fiscal matters
• Support of academic freedom
• Repositioning the University
– Reactions
– Initiatives
Amendment for representation
• Current Collected Rules (300.010.H):
The following divisions shall be entitled to
representation on the Council: College of Agriculture;
College of Arts and Science; College of Business
and Public Administration; College of Education;
College of Engineering; School of Forestry, Fisheries
and Wildlife; School of Health Related Professions;
College of Home Economics; School of Journalism;
School of Law; School of Library and Informational
Science; School of Medicine; School of Nursing;
College of Public and Community Services; and
College of Veterinary Medicine.
Problems
• A couple of divisions no longer exist.
• Several units have changed their names to
reflect expanded missions.
• Several new units (NSEI and Truman
School) have been formed and are
administered through the Graduate
School.
Proposed Language
• Representation on the Council will be
determined by division faculty numbers,
where a division is defined as an
academic unit headed by a dean who
reports, for academic affairs, directly to the
Provost. (To be effective beginning AY 0809)
Effects and Rationale
• School of Natural Resources reports to Dean of
CAFNR, so would be represented through that
body.
– CAFNR + SNR would have three representatives
instead of four, due to population.
• Other Schools (e.g., Accountancy and Music)
report to Deans and already are represented
through their colleges – consistency
• Future flexibility
– We don’t want to have a ballot every time a College
changes its name.
Grievance Procedure
• Grievance procedures adopted on a 3-year trial
basis. This is year 3.
• Procedures are working well, largely due to
committee members Profs. Mintz, Torres and
Youngquist
• Some changes recommended by Grievance
committee, being considered by Faculty Affairs
subcommittee (L. Rubin)
• Ballot this year, then send to Board of Curators
for permanent adoption
Fiscal Matters
• Collegiality
– Provost and Council Chair have hosted
faculty forums about budget and need to
balance it.
• “1% committee” to identify potential
savings
• Fiscal Affairs committee (J. Dow) looking
at compliance costs, which have increased
greatly, e.g., IRB up 60% in 5 years.
Academic Freedom
• Council directed Chair to send letters to
President Lamb and Board of Curators
commending them for their public support
of Academic Freedom in research and
teaching.
• Proposed language regarding “Intellectual
Diversity.”
– Respect for intellectual diversity has
historically been a given in the academy, but
others on the outside may not recognize this.
Suggested Syllabus Language
• “The University community welcomes intellectual
diversity and respects student rights. Students
who have questions concerning the quality of
instruction in this class may address concerns to
either the Department Chair or Divisional leader
or Director of the Office of Student Rights and
Responsibilities. All students will have the
opportunity to submit an anonymous evaluation
of the instructor(s) at the end of the course.”
Actions
• Adopted by Council and sent to Provost to
post on the website and communicate to
faculty, similar to ADA statement.
• Not mandatory for faculty to use
• An office and website for complaints are
mandated by Board action, and the
campuses are required to notify students
of these resources.
Repositioning the University
• Higher education, and MU in particular,
are being used as targets by political
forces.
• We could have a whole session on SB389
– Budget and tuition restraints
– Mandates that infringe on the constitutional
governance of the University
• Attacks on academic freedom
A few budget facts
• Missouri under-funds public higher ed.
– Ranks 47th to 49th of 50 states in funding per
income, number of students, population, etc.
– 50th in % increased funding since 2005
• (Source: Grapevine, Illinois State U.)
• By contrast, Missouri puts relatively more money
into private education (scholarships/vouchers)
– 33rd in amount per capita
– 60% goes to private colleges (4th in nation)
– (Source: NASSGAP 37th annual survey)
– No tuition restraint, transferability, etc., required.
MU is underfunded relative to other
state higher ed institutions
• Institution
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harris-Stowe
Lincoln
Truman
Southeast
Central
University Missouri System
Northwest
Missouri Western
MSU
Missouri Southern
MU
State $/undergrad FTE
$9,057
$7,006
$6,719
$6,469
$6,392
$5,402
$5,301
$5,282
$5,067
$4,941
$4,768
Source: MU Flagship Council
BoC 7/07 meeting documents
Clearly, this situation must
change.
How?
If deference, self-effacement and
simply doing our jobs were key,
we would be rich.
But we aren’t.
We must reclaim our identity as
the knowledge reservoir and
innovation engine for Missouri.
Proposal to drop the “-Columbia”
to restore our historic name is a
first step.
Other Steps Council has Taken
• Liaison with the MU Flagship Council
– www.mizzouflagshipcouncil.com
– Political Action Committee
• Outreach initiative
– Vast areas of the State have no clue about what we
do.
– How will we communicate our unique
accomplishments?
– We have some mechanisms, but they don’t engage a
large sample of the faculty.
A model, developed by faculty
• Our presentation to Board of Curators on
October 5 focused on outreach activities:
– Mentoring (Dr. Ellis Ingram, Medicine)
– Service to professionals (Dr. Debra Mason,
Center for Religion and the Professions)
– Saturday Morning Science (Drs. Bruce
McClure, Wouter Montfrooij, Marc Johnson)
• These are representative, not exhaustive.
Some activities that faculty can do
• Saturday Morning Science can be brought
to outstate areas
– Contacts through Science Teachers of
Missouri, present and former Curators, etc.
– Extension, Alumni Association, etc.
• Why not Saturday Morning Shakespeare?
Or Civil War History? Or .....
This is my personal agenda as
Faculty Council Chair
• Need gas money and maybe lodging
• Participation must be a positive factor in
evaluations of faculty.
• You will get a call or an email.
A Final Thought
• “If the game runs sometimes against us at
home we must have patience till luck
turns, and then we shall have the
opportunity of winning back the principles
we have lost, for this is a game where
principles are at stake.”
• Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor, June 4,
1798, after passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts