Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
August 30, 2006
Jonathan Loesberg called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
Present: Professors Loesberg, Weaver, Ahrens, Becher, Belson, Cochran, Flug, Forst, Gill,
Girard, Jacoby, Kim, Klein, Langbein, Mintz, Pike, Richardson, Sampson, Sha, Silvia,
Willoughby, Wisman, Yates, Dean Mardirosian, and Provost Broder.
Welcome and Introduction, Jonathan Loesberg
Professor Loesberg welcomed everyone to the meeting and mentioned that the Faculty Senate
has a new office. It is located in the Sports Center Annex, room 154. Additionally, there is a
conference room, room 151, available for the committees to meet.
Report of the Provost, Ivy Broder
Enrollment Update
There are mixed results for this fall enrollment. The enrollment for this summer was very similar
to the previous few summers with enrollments about 10% below budget. The Washington
Semester and Distance Education numbers were strong, but most other categories were below
budget. Since this has been the experience for AU for many years, it will be advisable to look at
how we budget, how we price, and the mix of programs.
Regarding the fall undergraduates, the new entering freshmen numbers have greatly exceeded
the target of 1,325, coming close to about 1,400. These freshmen are not only large in number,
but also have very strong qualifications.
Transfer students will likely exceed target of 375 students.
Mentorship students greatly exceeded the budgeted target of 30 students. There will be
approximately 109 mentorship students who are on the Tenley campus this fall, and in the spring
they will move to the main campus.
Additionally, abroad at AU has more than doubled its numbers from last year, with about 58
international students coming to AU.
The retention rate from freshman to sophomore is very good.
Graduate enrollment is the weak area, with across the board lower than targeted numbers.
Upcoming Budget Process
AU is on a two year budget cycle, and currently in the second year of the fiscal year 06-07
budget cycle. Last spring the faculty senate committee on instructional budget and benefits
recommended reviving the university-wide budget committee. Provost Broder supported this
proposal and President Kerwin approved it. The committee will probably have about three
faculty members from the various colleges, students, staff, and an associate dean. The committee
will start meeting very soon. The first part of the process will take place between now and the
November 2nd board meeting in which the budget guidelines and parameters will be developed.
Discussions will include ranges of tuition increases and budget priorities.
New Faculty Orientation
There is a very enthusiastic new group of faculty. Last Monday, there was great turnout for the
New Faculty Orientation, which was led by John Richardson and Haig Mardirosian. There were
twenty-two tenure-track faculty members hired, two with tenure, and sixty-four temporary
faculty members. Additionally, there were eight faculty searches that were not completed, and
many of those turned into temporary searched to fill the teaching needs for this year.
Some highlights of the awards won by the new faculty are:
Douglas Fox, chemistry: an Outstanding Doctoral Graduate Student Award from Michigan Tech
Douglas Fuller, SIS: a PhD from MIT, a Stanford Project on Regions of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Post-Doc Fellowship Award and a Fulbright Fellowship for Research in
Taiwan.
Sonya Grier, Kogod: a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Fellowship at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Simon Howell: a Melon Post-Doc Fellowship from Cornell and an International Excellence
Award from the University of New Mexico.
Philip Johnson: a Distinguished Teaching Award and a Robert Myers Teaching Award from the
University of Maryland.
Lewis Messiah, SOC: a McArthur Genius Award, Rockefeller Intercultural Awards, an Emmy,
Emmys nominations, and a Pugh Fellowship for the Arts Award.
Susan Shepler, SIS: a Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowship.
Brenda Worth: a Fulbright Hayes Dissertation Research Grant for Study in Buenos Aires.
Fernanda Nicola: a WCFIA Award on Justice, Welfare, and Economics from Harvard.
Student Awards
These awards reflect a vast improvement by the students and fantastic mentoring by the faculty.
There were eight Fulbright Scholars, one Rotary Scholar, one White House Fellow, two
undergraduate and ten graduate Borne Fellowships, and three SPA graduate students won Bryce
Harlow Awards.
Administrative Issues
President Kerwin concluded that Study Abroad programs should be supervised by the Office of
the Provost. The need for those programs is to get these programs more integrated into the
academic programs on campus.
Open Discussion
Professor Forst asked about the relative strength of the new freshman and mentioned that there is
a direct correlation between crime and freshman enrollment. Provost Broder believes that these
statistics are independent of each other. It seems that AU is going through a peak for
demographics in freshman, and the university is benefiting from these demographics. Many more
students are applying to more schools. Furthermore, there is an inverse relationship between
graduate enrollment and the economy because the opportunity cost of enrolling in graduate
school is much higher when there is a good job market and the economy is close to full
employment.
Professor Klein asked about the correlation of the number of students in the top 10% of high
school graduating classes and the retention rates above 90%. Provost Broder stated that the
retention rate was 87.5% freshman to sophomore and 89.1% last year. AU has become more
successful at retaining students as the quality of students has increased.
Report of the Chair, Jonathan Loesberg
The March, April, and May minutes were approved.
Grievance Committee
Two more people are needed for the committee because there have been resignations over the
summer.
Board Committees
All nominees were approved.
Search for Librarian
Professor Loesberg will send an email to the Senators with the list of nominees.
Presidential Search Committee
First, the voting will be extended to all full-time faculty and emeriti. Second, candidates may be
tenured faculty. The deadline for nominations is September 6th and for voting it is September
14th. The three members of the Search Committee will be three nominees who obtain the most
votes and also represent three different schools or colleges of the university.
Professor Klein and Professor Gill brought up the idea of expanding the search committee to
include tenure-track faculty as well. Provost Broder added that to be correct about the faculty
mix, the multi-year contract faculty members should be included. Professor Loesberg discussed a
new motion in lieu of what is already proposed for the search committee, in which there would
be three positions, two tenured and one open. After discussion, the Senate voted 16-5 in favor of
passing item 2 of the original proposal as is. It then passed the whole proposal unanimously.
Report of the Acting Librarian, Diane Vogelsong
The Library is launching a search for a new university librarian. The library comprises four
physical spaces: the 90,000 square foot Bender Library building, Anderson Computing Complex,
Music Library in the Katzen Arts Center, and the Washington Research Library Consortium.
There is infinite space on the web as well. In the current main building there are some space
limitations. Last year the Library hit the benchmark of one million volumes of books, and they
continue to acquire print materials at a steady rate. There are 280 public access computers at the
library, 130 are at Bender Library.
The library is aggressively transferring its journals to electronic format. Additionally, the library
is reaffirming its place as a meeting area. For example, the new created Mud Box Café is very
successful. Students are studying in different ways; they want to plug in their laptops and work
in groups. There is a need for more comfortable seating and better lighting.
Libraries are taking a leading role in information policy issues. This refers to the concept of the
institutional repository providing alternative forms of publishing and copyright access. Libraries
continue to be active in teaching information literacy. Finally, the library provides a learning
environment from which students can create their own learning environment.
The goals of the library are:
1. facilitating research, inquiry, learning, and creativity for all students, faculty, and staff
2. creating a physical and virtual intellectual crossroads on campus
3. building liaisons with consistencies throughout the university
4. incorporating and utilizing the best of emerging information technology
Open Discussion
Professor Richardson spoke about the library as a library and learning resources center. He added
that the students most require a kind of concierge service, in which some additional services that
students require is an academic support center and writing center. He would like to see a
comprehensive learning resources center that would create proactive services for the students.
Professor Jacoby asked where the library goes from here and what are the dollars involved. Ms.
Vogelsong replied that all of the possible changes and expenses are currently being discussed,
and that the main thing is that the university community is best served.
Professor Jacoby expressed that the greatest resource that the library has is the staff itself!
University Governance, Stephen Silvia
The purpose of the proposal is to suggest a procedure for determining faculty representation on
the Board of Trustees. The idea is to be consistent both with the newly amended university bylaws and faculty ad-hoc committee on governance report on governance (which the faculty
senate approved last April). The ad-hoc committee on governance originally suggested that there
be three faculty seats on the Board of Trustees and that those seats be delegated to the Chair, the
Vice-Chair and the Past Chair. The Board Reform designated two seats to faculty members. Thus
the ad-hoc Senate Governance committee proposes that these seats be filled by the Chair and the
Past Chair, with the Vice-Chair becoming campus representative.
Open Discussion
Ms. Mintz asked about the time table? She added that this may be one of the most important
issues that has come before the faculty senate, and thus, needs careful thought and deliberation.
Professor Silvia hopes that the three seats are filled by November 2nd when the Board has its
first meeting. Professor Jacoby stressed that it is important to take advantage of this opportunity
by putting faculty on the Board. Professor Ahrens mentioned that continuity is very important for
these Board positions. However, Professor Willoughby added that by putting faculty senate
leaders in these positions on the Board, it may be limiting and some people may not be happy
with those same people having cross-functions. Ms. Mintz mentioned that it would be nice to see
some other faculty members who are not necessarily on the faculty senate take those positions.
Professor Jacoby proposed an amendment to the current proposal that states: “the faculty senate
will review the experience of AY06-07 and reconsider the process for nominating faculty
trustees no later than February meeting of 2008.” Professor Loesberg counted the vote, of 21 to 0
passed, with 1 abstention.
Planning for Future Agendas
Professor Loesberg suggested that one item that will be on the future agendas will be the
Professor of the Practice. Provost Broder mentioned that the NCAA has requested that there be
some faculty members on the athletics committee. There will be a proposal coming up about this.
The athletic director would like the endorsement of the faculty senate.
Some additional items may include: retention reports, four-course load, faculty governance,
parking, when to elect a vice chair, and a two-year budget proposal from faculty.
For Good of the Order
Ms. Mintz has a resolution honoring the late Betty Bennett:
Whereas the late Betty Bennett served American University for many years in various capacities,
including Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Distinguished Professor in the Department of
Literature, and founding chair of the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa;
And whereas Dean Bennett made many contributions to the university as a whole and to the
senate by serving for many years as an official resource person to the body;
And whereas the senate benefited from her insights for many years;
This resolution honors her leadership and her memory.
The senate will place this resolution in its minutes and the chair will convey this resolution to the
family of Professor Bennett.
The meeting adjourned at 4:45.