Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
May 7, 2003
Patrick Kehoe called the meeting to order at 1:50 p.m.
Present: Professors Ahrens, Arneson, Brenner, Burke, Doolittle, Douglass, Fantie, Forst, Hakim,
Heintze, Jacoby, Jennings, Jernigan, Kehoe, Kravetz, Langbein, La Salle, Olmsted, Richardson,
Riddick, Riley, Rosenbloom, Rubenstein, Schaeff, Sha, Williams. Provost Kerwin, Dean of
Academic Affairs Broder.
Absent: Professors Irvine Belson, Loesberg, Streitmatter.
The minutes of the April 16, 2003 meeting were approved.
Remarks by President Ladner
Benjamin Ladner opened by expressing appreciation to the members of the Faculty Senate for
their work during the inaugural year of the new governance system. He said the agendas that the
Senate took on during the first year far exceeded what he thought might come out of a reinvigoration of the system. He also commended the members of the Governance Project Team
for the many hours they spent last year re-conceiving and re-organizing the system. And he
thanked the chair, Pat Kehoe, for his leadership over many years. Dr. Ladner said Professor
Kehoe’s commitment to leadership had culminated in his being the person who ushered in a
whole new direction for faculty governance and a whole new form of leadership for the Senate.
Dr. Ladner then commented on the university’s reaction to some of the extraordinary events of
the year. He noted especially the faculty’s dedication to the university’s mission of providing
uninterrupted education, even during times of crisis, such the war with Iraq. The faculty’s
unstinting commitment to the health and welfare of the students is to be praised, he said, adding
that the faculty had exercised good judgment in times when there could have been volatility
among various constituencies, on and off campus. The faculty had also provided contexts in
which world-changing events could be discussed.
President Ladner also praised the faculty for a number of specific accomplishments. Noting that
the quality of the university’s faculty had risen dramatically in the last decade, he said the
acclaim that is brought to the institution is the direct result of the faculty’s conscientious efforts
on a daily basis. He cited, as examples, the fact that several major teaching units, including the
Washington College of Law and the School of Public Affairs, continue to place highly in
external rankings, such as that done by U.S. News and World Report. The School of
Communication, he advised, had received a spectacular report from its re-accreditation review.
Kogod School of Business also received a glowing report as a result of its re-accreditation. The
university’s faculty, Dr. Ladner concluded, have placed the institution in a rarified atmosphere in
terms of its accomplishments, its identity, and its ability to recruit increasingly talented students.
President Ladner then outlined several initiatives that were being launched in the international
arena, noting the following:
• The university had received a grant to evaluate whether American University should participate
in rebuilding Iraq’s educational infrastructure.
• The university had also agreed to send a team to Nigeria to explore the possibility of assisting
higher education in that country. A similar team, which included faculty with expertise in Latin
America, was sent to explore the possibility of aiding Chile with its higher education system.
• In another endeavor, AU is continuing to provide what Dr. Ladner called “a safe haven” for
Israeli and Palestinian leaders to talk about the establishment of a fair election process in the
Palestinian sector.
The goal in all these initiatives, he asserted, is not simply to extend the university’s expertise in
the traditional academic sense, but to figure out how American can be helpful to like-minded
people in various countries and in various settings.
President Ladner then called for questions, and John Douglass, School of Communication, and
the incoming chair, asked about possible topics for the Senate’s agenda next year. President
Ladner offered the following as examples of hard questions the university will need to address.
• In terms of the cost of insurance and as a result of a whole new set of exclusions for travel
abroad, there may be a need for some sorting out of the university’s agenda, at the operational
level, to be sure that AU can fulfill its promise as an international leader. Dr. Ladner noted, for
example, the university would temporarily close the World Capitals Program in Beijing due to
the SARS epidemic. The program in Zimbabwe will also be temporarily closed because of the
violence in that region.
• Hard questions remain on the diversity issue, as institutions of higher education across the
country continue to try to grapple with the decisions that come down from the courts regarding
affirmative action.
• There will be increasing pressure to retain faculty in a competitive environment and, as a result,
a need for reconsideration of such issues as teaching loads and research grants.
• The tenure question is still a national issue, one that is being studied by two major
organizations in higher education.
Dr. Ladner also said there is a whole complex of issues to be considered related to institutional
leadership, policies, and decision-making.
Report of the Provost
Neil Kerwin’s report covered the following topics: the Graduate Program Review; the Middle
States process; the University College concept; the enrollments for the fall semester.
Graduate Program Review – Provost Kerwin reported that his recommendations to President
Ladner had been posted on the Provost’s web site. He said a general announcement about the
availability of those recommendations was sent to the faculty. The Board of Trustees will
consider the recommendations from the Graduate Program Review at their May meeting, in
whatever form President Ladner deems appropriate.
Middle States – A draft of the Middle States self-study report will be available in August. That
report will reflect two themes: (1) the characteristics of excellence, as defined by the Middle
States Commission; and (2) “Engagement,” the theme adopted by the university. The report will
be organized into several chapters, or sections, as follows: a discussion of mission, goals, and
objectives as spelled out in university documents since 1994; institutional resources; an
assessment of leadership, governance, and administration; a section on the faculty; institutional
resources for student learning; undergraduate education; graduate education; a concluding
chapter on engagement.
Provost Kerwin reported that the selection of a chair for the Middle States site visit team was
forthcoming. That individual will visit campus in the fall semester. The self-study document will
be made available for a period of public comment of at least 60 days in the fall. It is expected
that the Faculty Senate will actively discuss that document in one or two meetings.
University College – The Project Team assigned to develop concepts for the University College
had broken out into three sub-groups; each group was, at that time, working on a different
version of what form the University College may take. President Ladner and Provost Kerwin
were scheduled to meet with the project teams the following week to hear reports on their
progress.
Enrollments – Freshman enrollments for the fall semester stood at about 1315, running a bit
ahead of last year at the same time. The admit rate for the class was hovering in the 60 percent
range, as good a number as AU has had in at least two decades. Transfer numbers appeared to be
strong. The Washington Semester Program had 360 deposits. It was too early to tell what the
graduate enrollments will be.
Turning to other topics, Provost Kerwin reported that the Registrar’s office had produced several
binders of data on grade distribution, one of the items on the Senate’s agenda for next year. That
information will be delivered to Laura Langbein, School of Public Affairs, who has agreed to
take the lead for the Senate in considering the issues of grade inflation, as linked to student
evaluations of teaching.
Dr. Kerwin encouraged the faculty to attend the commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May
11th. He also announced that Alan Mandel, professor of Performing Arts and a former member
of the University Senate, would give a concert that evening at Greenberg Theater. On a final
note, he expressed deep appreciation to Pat Kehoe for his leadership and for providing an
indispensable link to the Senate from the Washington College of Law.
Report of the Chair
Pat Kehoe reported that the academic units had completed their elections for members of the
Senate and its standing committees. He welcomed those who were joining the Faculty Senate as
new members, and he thanked those who had served during the past year. He also noted that the
Senate had accomplished a great deal during its inaugural year, and he said he had written a
report to the Board of Trustees outlining some of the accomplishments. He said he specifically
noted two items: one, the work on the governance policies; and two, the strategic planning effort
led by Leigh Riddick, which was intended to focus the Senate’s agenda for next year and perhaps
for a few years to follow.
Election of a Past Chair
John Douglass, vice chair, nominated Jill Olmsted, School of Communication, to serve as past
chair for AY 2003-2004, to fill the gap created when Professor Kehoe retires from the university.
The Senate voted unanimously to elect Professor Olmsted as past chair.
Strategic Planning – To Consider Adding Diversity as
a Strategic Planning Item
Caleen Jennings, Department of Performing Arts, provided background information for the
faculty who were just joining the Senate. She reported that during the Senate’s discussion of
priorities for the next year, she had proposed that the Senate consider diversity and the
implications of that issue, as one of its agenda items. She said she had also proposed to create a
brief survey, in order to obtain data about how the Faculty Senate feels about considering
diversity as one of its priorities. The survey will be done in preparation for a fall meeting.
Senate Representation for Washington Semester Faculty
Katharine Kravetz, Washington Semester Program, noted that she had raised, at previous
meetings, a call for a dedicated seat on the Senate for Washington Semester faculty. She briefly
made the following comments in support of that argument: For professional development
purposes, members of the program’s faculty are assigned to academic units, which is of great
value. However, for administrative purposes, the Washington Semester is a hybrid. The students
are different. The location is different. And unless the Washington Semester is given a voice,
faculty in the program will lack adequate representation in the university’s governance system.
Professor Kravetz said she would therefore ask that the Senate revisit the issue next year.
Responding, John Douglass noted a dedicated seat may be something the Senate may want to
consider, if the Washington Semester is going to have a voice on the body.
Revision of the Faculty Manual
Bob Jernigan, chair of the Committee on Faculty Relations, introduced the proposed revisions to
the Faculty Manual. He noted that with one exception, the revisions were editorial, reflecting the
new structure of the Senate. One substantive change, he said, was the following passage in
section 6.b; that change was made in order to retain the language describing the right of the
Senate to set its agenda and create special committees:
The Faculty Senate serves to organize the work of the Senate, assigns matters to committees, and
prepares and presents the Senate agenda. From time to time, special committees can be created
by the Senate. Senate enactments are subject to review and approval or disapproval by the
provost, the president, and the Board of Trustees.
Jim Heintze, University Library, and Tony Riley, Department of Psychology, both indicated that
they wanted to suggest additional editorial changes. Professor Kehoe asked that they forward
those changes to the Senate office, so any minor editorial revisions may be incorporated as
appropriate.
The Senate voted unanimously to approve the recommendations from the Committee on Faculty
Relations to revise the Faculty Manual. The changes to the manual are appended to the record
copy of the minutes.
Remarks by the Vice Chair about Summer 2003 and the Transition to the Next Academic
Year
John Douglass began by acknowledging Leigh Riddick, Kogod School of Business, for her
efforts to help establish a forum for a discussion next year, with the strategic issues she helped
the Senate to identify. He reported that during the summer, the Steering Committee would work
with the Provost to develop an agenda to accommodate the items that were identified as
priorities, with perhaps the inclusion of the diversity issue. He also said he would like to see the
Senate schedule at least two town meetings, in order for the faculty to consider issues that are of
common interest, including grade inflation and teaching evaluations, and of course, the Middle
States self-study.
Professor Douglass then noted that the Senate had not voted for a vice chair, as called for at the
meeting. That vote will take place at the first meeting in the fall. He reported that Tony Ahrens,
Department of Psychology, had agreed to step in and assist in the role of vice chair over the
summer, as Professors Douglass and Olmsted meet with Provost Kerwin and President Ladner to
set the agenda for next year.
For the Good of the Order
Adding to the expressions of appreciation from President Ladner and Provost Kerwin, John
Douglass thanked Pat Kehoe for his service as chair of the Senate during AY 2002-2003. He said
he would miss Professor Kehoe’s service as member of the Committee on Instructional Budget
and Benefits, given his great institutional knowledge of benefits over many years.
Donald Brenner, Kogod School of Business, moved that the minutes of the meeting reflect the
thanks and appreciation of the entire body to Pat Kehoe for his work as chair of the Senate. That
motion passed unanimously by acclamation.
Roberta Rubenstein, Department of Literature, asked that the Senate also express appreciation to
Jill Olmsted for her work as chair during the transitional months. That was also approved by
acclamation.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.