May 12, 2011
University of Nevada, Reno
Faculty Senate 2011-12
Meeting Minutes
Meeting 1
Orientation:
Chair David Ryfe introduced himself. He apologized in advance for any social faux pas that he might make in the coming
year. As an academic he said that sometimes it was difficult for him to wear matching socks. He said that the stakes at
the university were unprecedented during this time and the university would change dramatically.
A document on authority and role of the senate was distributed to all senators in attendance.
Ryfe gave an overview of the senate, the process, the agenda, and the rules.
The senate then discussed Shared Governance and what that meant. Ryfe felt that shared governance was more a
conversation rather than decision making. He expressed concern that the faculty was not sure what the vision of the
university was and he would like to have that conversation with the senate. He would also like the senate to have that
conversation with the administration.
Discussion:
Hogan said that his remarks were inspiring, honest, and real. She has felt unprepared to make some of the decision that
the senate has had to make. She was also not sure of what to do with the information received at the senate. She was
also glad that Ryfe opened the door to envision the future.
Louis Niebur felt that the senate was a powerless body. Once a narrative was agreed upon, what power did the senate
have to act upon it?
Ryfe said that he felt that administration also needed help to clarify their vision. While they might not be open to selling
land, they might be more about if we were going to make the university wholly vulnerable to the forces of the market?
Administration was under considerable conflicting pressure.
Rafik Beekun asked why the senate was involved in curricular review; he felt that the senate had no impact at all?
David Zeh said that he felt that the senate had a large impact on curricular review, especially with the Curricular Review
Committee.
Rfye said that administration had been receptive to faculty. Administration had difficult decisions to make in a
compressed environment.
Leah Wilds said that Shared Governance was sometimes painful and that you want to have your best people involved.
There was more discussion on priorities and visions for the university. Ryfe felt that the senate was ignorant of at least
one-half of the budget information.
Visit with President Marc Johnson:
President Marc Johnson reported that the entire Curricular Review Process had been followed and that he was
accepting most of the recommendation of the Senate:
Recommendation on UNCE:
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension would be downsized beginning in Fiscal Year 2012, although it would
continue to maintain cooperative agreements with each Nevada county. State allocated funding through Cooperative
Extension would be $2.2 million plus enough funds to cover operating expenses. Fifteen county extension educators and
the statewide 4-H program would be maintained. Cooperative Extension would have sufficient state funds to meet
required matching of federal funds. A number of specialist positions would be maintained as augmented by county
funds. This scenario is in agreement with the Faculty Senate recommendations.
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March 24, 2011
Meeting 8
Recommendation on NBMG:
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology would be downsized beginning Fiscal Year 2012, although it would continue to
provide services to meet statutory requirements and serve industry needs. Funding provided through the University for
the Bureau would be $1 million. The faculty would become part of the Department of Geological Sciences and
Engineering and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology would remain identifiable with the director of the
Bureau/State Geologist reporting directly to the dean of the College of Science in similar fashion as the Nevada
Seismological Laboratory.
Recommendation on Theatre and Dance:
Department of Theater and Dance would continue. While the bachelor of fine arts in theater would go on hiatus, the
existing theater and dance majors and minors would continue with reduced staffing. Johnson said that FTE should not be
used for reduction. The Redfield Theatre would be kept.
Recommendation 4 French:
French would continue, offering a major and minor with reduced faculty staffing. The master of foreign languages and
literatures in French would cease in Fiscal Year 2012. French would keep the two tenured faculty and two or three RCUF
or lecturers and they would not look at cutting French again.
Recommendation on Special Collections:
Special Collections would continue, through utilization of grant funds. A plan to sustain Special Collections for the future
must be developed.
Everyone is the Humanities understands the value of Special Collections.
Discussion:
When units or departments merge together, the faculty in those departments need to work together to have one
common set of bylaws. This would need to be overseen by the deans. Johnson felt that the curricular review process
filled the required senate review of the reorganization process. It was pointed out that the senate was not actually
looking at the nuts and bolts of the reorganization during curricular review and Johnson said that the senate was
welcome to take a look at those reorganizations.
Johnson was thanked for taking the senate proposals seriously. There was some discussion of the issues of grants
funding salaries in UNCE.
Additional Recommendation 1: Laid-off tenured faculty should have priority over untenured faculty for other positions
for which they are equally qualified, with some accommodation for the need to retool when changing job
responsibilities.
Johnson accepted this recommendation with emphasis on “equally qualified.” The accommodation of retool was part of
AAUP guidelines. The equally qualified was not just by credentials from 20 years ago, but also in terms of competitive
productivity and that sort of thing.
Additional Recommendation 2: In general, non-tenured faculty positions should not replace tenured or tenure-track
faculty positions as a way of achieving cost savings, unless an academic program is being significantly downsized or
reduced to a service capacity only.
Johnson reported that the Budget Advisory Committee developed and they did not want to turn the university into a
teaching institution.
March 24, 2011
Meeting 8
Additional Recommendation 3: The possibility of voluntary separation packages should be offered to all faculty in
programs affected by curricular review, and proposals by specific individuals should be accepted if they are mutually
beneficial.
Johnson said that this recommendation sets it up as policy and this would make it an expectation of every program
under curricular review. The concern was that our accreditation standards require that if we downsize a program or
close a program we have a responsibility to get those students graduated and this could affect that ability.
Any CR proposal alternative that has a voluntary separation agreement component, we would consider it at that time.
Discussion:
Johnson said that there were two parts of the faculty senate, one was communications that would come to the senate
and then go to deans and administrators. The other part was the establishment of policy changes. The senate
recommends policy. The role of the senate was very important and many very intelligent people were hired to share in
governance. Universities did not need dictatorial presidents doing anything they wanted.. Some policies came from the
senate and some policies came from administration and were reviewed by the senate this enriched discussion in the
governance of the university and that was an important role.
Johnson asked the Executive Board about characteristics about an Interim Provost and the overriding theme beyond the
characteristics was that morale was tough and communication needed to be enhanced. There would be some type of a
Town Hall after the budget and written communication. If we do not have to do another round of CR then we need to
create an atmosphere of security and build communications of a positive nature.
Johnson thanked the senate for their participation in this process.
New Business:
Colleagues that have been terminated needed to be thanked for their service.
Please correct the meeting dates to reflect August 25, as the meeting date, not August 24, 2011.
Meeting Adjourned.