MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting
Emporia State University
5 Feb. 2013, Tuesday
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Preston Family Room, Memorial Union
I.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 3:30 pm
II.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ATTENDANCE:
Members Present:
James Aber; Gwen Alexander; Melissa Bailey; Lendi Bland; Heather Caswell; Julie
Cayton (replacing JoLanna Kord); Eric Conrad; George Durler; Deb Gerish; Art
Gutierrez; Marvin Harrell; Andrew Houchins; Matthew Howe; Carmen Leeds; Sheryl
Lidzy; Jerry Liss; Michael Morales; Ann O’Neill; Nancy Pontius; Kevin Rabas; Marian
Riedy; Roxane Riegler; Brooke Schmidt; Michael Shimeall; Manjula Shinge; Jessica
Stallings; Tanja Steigner; Jennifer Thomas; and John Wade
Substitutions: Dan Colson for Gregory Robinson; Mary Mitsui for Lynnette Schreiner;
Susan Anderson for Deb Larson for spring term; Harvey Foyle for Zeni Colorado
Absent: Giovanna Follo; Kevin Johnson; and Kim Simons
III.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Senator Durler moved to discuss the December 4, 2012 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes.
Senator Harrell seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously with
minor corrections.
IV.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
ASG President Brooke Schmidt
Schmidt indicated that she will be attending Faculty Senate for the semester, not her
substitutes. During the last meeting of the ASG Senate (January 31), several student
organizations requested recognition. Those discussions will continue this week.
Upcoming ASG events include: Higher Education Day on Monday, February 11, when
students will be meeting with state senators to discuss issues of concern including:
undocumented students, and conceal & carry rules. Schmidt indicated that Dean Lynn
Hobson will send e-mail about student absences to their faculty.
In addition, students will be lobbying at the Capital on February 19 during the Day under
the Dome. The students will be leaving at 6 am, transportation and food will be provided,
and will return that evening. Tyler Curtis, Alumni Relations, will lead a training session
on February 18 in preparation for the event for participants to speak with legislators.
ASG Elections are coming soon. If you would like to recommend students for elections,
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please forward their information to ASGpres@emporia.edu.
President Shonrock:
President Shonrock opened by thanking Faculty Senate for their continued service to the
University. The 150th year Anniversary Celebration of ESU is on Friday, February 15.
This will be an exciting event for all who participate.
Legislative Session: Governor Brownback has proposed a flat budget for the next two
years, consistent for this period. We need to try to maintain the funding that we have
now within the University. Program enhancements were recommended by the governor,
including: extra funding to KU, KSU, and PSU. Shonrock indicated that we are
expecting it to be a difficult session to find revenue for all of the proposed changes
requested. Regarding the KBOR initiatives: ESU is seeking legislative approval to either
transfer the Campus Apartments (on 12th street) to the foundation or to sell the property
so that the funds can be used to renovate the campus residence halls. In addition, the
foundation is seeking funds from alumni to improve facilities, as well as building
relationships with donors. The call center is looking for alumni to donate to departments
or areas, specifying the area for the donation.
Shonrock suggested that Faculty Senators attend to the Day under the Dome on February
19 to lobby for ESU to the legislators.
Capital Campaign: The foundation is launching the largest comprehensive capital
campaign for the institution.
Consultant’s (Bob Dreiwer) Report: The consultant, Bob Dreiwer, was asked to visit
with individuals across campus to gather perceptions in order to prioritize programs and
services for the college. Dreiwer was to ask about what is important to the institution and
to gather this information from his outsider’s perspective. Then Dreiwer was asked to
report that information, looking primarily at three areas: (1) What should we do with
additional resources? (2) What should we do with the same level of resources? (3) What
should we do if granted additional resources? Dreiwer was charged with being
aspirational with the understanding that he would be sensitive to all participants. In
response to the report submitted, President Shonrock wrote a summary of the data
gathered and shared that with campus. The themes which arose include: ESU Pride,
Quality, Recruiting Students and Faculty, Strengths, Retention, Mission, Budget, and
Alumni. Specifically: Do we want to grow or look differently? How does the
University want to grow? Continue to find ways to recruit and retain students for the
institution? Look at growth as a priority? Or is there a different direction we want to
take? The three takeaways Shonrock highlighted are:
1. Bias toward action: “We recognize that growth has great opportunities and we
will need to make reallocations to deal with growth.”
2. “Can do” attitude: “Keep moving forward.”
3. Anticipation.
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Questions & Answers:
Senator Gerish asked about Shared Leave for Maternity for faculty. She is concerned
about the way we handle maternity leave at ESU as a state institution compared to other
state institutions. President Shonrock indicated that he does not know how most state
institutions handle this situation, and he is happy to support those families here that need
it from our administration.
Faculty President Rabas asked about the possible budget shortfall and its impact on ESU.
President Shonrock indicated that the flat budget should be viewed as an opportunity for
growth, while looking for avenues to balance the revenues with the expenses. The budget
team will continue to work on the financial shortfall and will prioritize expenses in order
to meet the needs of the institution. It may mean making choices about what we are
going to do and how/where we are going to grow.
Senator Houchins raised a concern dealing with the accuracy of the data used for
submitting reports to administration, specifically about the Music Department report. He
stated that the report included inaccurate information, such as how many students are in
the department and how many FTE hours are spent with students. Houchins received
word that the report submitted to the deans was inaccurately reported, and the program
would not continue in the manner it has been. The department is most concerned about
the response to the report and the way it was forwarded to the Provost. Several concerns
about the report were mentioned. In response, President Shonrock expressed an apology
to Houchins for the image the report created and hopes to build the image. Shonrock
intends to “refer” the concern. Houchins apologized to Shonrock. “Nothing is more
dangerous than a rumor” (Shonrock). Misinformation is miscommunication. We are
working to avoid miscommunication, Shonrock said. Houchins was urged to email
Shonrock his concerns about the music department report in an attempt to improve
communication.
Senator Morales raised concerns about the accuracy of the facts and data included in the
consultant’s report (discussed previously). He indicated that at least three faculty had
reported inaccurate reporting in that document. In addition, if ESU is going to have a flat
budget for the next two years, then why are we spending money on initiatives, such as
enabling WiFi across campus? Other expenditures discussed included funding the
professional advisor hiring for the Student Advising Center instead of utilizing existing
faculty for those activities. In response to these concerns about expenses, President
Shonrock indicated that ESU needs to continue to grow and implement programs in order
to market to students and develop the numbers of the population. We’ll do our best to
reach students. We all need to be willing to listen and work together. Shonrock
encouraged Senators to provide input and feedback; asking for ideas in how to reach
students, to grow the University. The challenge is that things are moving rapidly. We
will need to find a balance between the process and the expectations of constituents.
Senator Durler inquired as to the reason General Assembly was moved to Webb Hall
instead of Albert Taylor Hall. To which, Shonrock indicated a preference for the
facilities and technologies available in Webb Hall.
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Budget & Finance: VP of Administration and Fiscal Affairs Ray Hauke; Associate VP of
Fiscal Affairs Diana Kuhlmann; and Controller Mary Mingenback
FSR12006: Faculty Affairs Committee Report: clarifying Administration’s policy
for expenditures from Restricted Use (RU) accounts
Senator Morales moved that the report be placed on the agenda at this point in the
meeting so those present from the Budget & Finance Committee would be included in the
discussion. Senator Harrell seconded the motion. Senator Steigner reported the purpose
of the report from FAC was to obtain clarification on the Administration’s policy for
expenditures from Restricted Use (RU) accounts. Associate Vice President of Fiscal
Affairs and Director Diana Kuhlmann addressed the Senate regarding the need for
clarification. A change in the procedure has been implemented as of January 1, 2013 for
the disposition of monies earned by or awarded to faculty for professional development
or restricted use purposes. The change in procedure complies with IRS regulations.
During the discussion of the report, Senator Riedy requested the policy be revisited to
apply to funds awarded prior to January 1, 2013. Vice President of Administration and
Fiscal Affairs Ray Hauke indicated that “we’ve talked extensively about revisiting the
policy.” The conventions under which professional development funds were earned at
the time, should govern how funds are disposed, either prior to 1/1/13 or post that date.
The financial managers would prefer to have a clean break and move forward with the
new policy.
Concerns were raised at the Restricted Use (RU) accounts would be raided for those
funds which were awarded prior to January 1, 2013 by accounting. Hauke indicated there
is no plan to take such action. The funds will remain in the RU account and may be used
by the individual. Riedy requested that materials purchased with the funds can be
considered as consumables, which are non-taxable. Another concern regarding the
purpose of the funds, whether for travel, books, or equipment was focused on the
disposition of the items purchased upon the employees’ departure from ESU. The policy
indicates that “anything purchased belongs to the institution, not the individual.”
Senator Liss asked for Budget personnel to further explain how they are disseminating
the information. Liss indicated the task force had spoken with Provost Council in
January about coming to Faculty Senate, after which the policy will be put forth to the
policy manual. They will work with deans, go to chairs’ meetings, and send e-mail
explanations to administrative assistants for.
Senator Morales asked about the procedural change: Will it be added to the University
Policy Manual or will it be permanently codified? Controller Mingenback indicated the
policy will be posted to the Business Affairs website.
Senator Steigner thanked the committee involved in preparing this report, including Mary
Mingenback, Diana Kuhlmann, and Ray Hauke, for helping with preparing the report.
Senator Morales indicated that this collaborative effort is commendable and should be
utilized in other situations.
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The question was called and the report was accepted: 28 in favor; 0 opposed, 0
abstentions.
Interim Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gwen Alexander:
Dr. Alexander reported that she will be visiting with all department chairs along with a
representative of Budget and Finance to identify ways to deal with the gap between the
revenue and expenditures. During these conversations she will be gathering information,
collecting data on historic enrollments, in order to deal with the financial gaps created by
academic affairs. Alexander wrote to Academic Affairs Faculty, Staff, Chairs, and
Deans, “The budget adjustments that need to be made over the next two years are
distributed over Academic Affairs (about 70%), Student Affairs (about 10%), and
Administration and Physical Plant (about 20%). University salaries account for 86% of
ESU’s total budget and 75% of that amount is for instructional salaries. That explains
why 70% of the adjustments must be made by Academic Affairs; however, I can assure
you that this is not an emergency that requires drastic measures.” Through this
information gathering process, Alexander asked that faculty address their concerns to
their department chairs, prior to her meeting with them, so those may be addressed.
Alexander’s goals through this process are to:
1) Be efficient in what we want to do.
2) Protect all faculty positions.
3) Involve everyone in the process.
Alexander responded to rumors:
 Everyone on this campus will be teaching a full course load, 18 for graduate courses
and 24 for undergraduate annually.
 One person will be hired as a Professional Advisor in the Student Advising Center, to
allow faculty to teach, not advice.
 The Noel-Levitz Report is available online for all to read. The report indicates that it
is very unusual for faculty to be enrolling students.
 We are working to increase enrollment in order to increase revenue so that we can get
back to the point where we are able to increase salaries.
 Growth makes the university attractive to all who visit campus. Therefore, measures
are being put in place to help grow enrollment. We need to be attractive at every
level – campus, faculty, course offerings, location, etc. ESU must be viewed as a
really good place to come to learn.
President Rabas called for a motion to continue the meeting past 5 pm. Senator Harrell made a
motion to extend the meeting for 15 minutes. Senator Steigner seconded the motion.
Agreement: 15; Oppossed: 11; and Abstentions: 2. The meeting was extended until 5:15 pm
Faculty President, Dr. Kevin Rabas:
Rabas indicated there would be an open house today in the new Faculty Senate office
space after the meeting (Morse Hall 205, south end)
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Post-Tenure Review: The task force is working on this policy, and it is moving forward.
Faculty of the Year Award: The Council of Faculty Senate Presidents and the Kansas
Board of Regents are vacillating over this award, which is currently in the KBOR
handbook. Senators Liss, Howe, and Rabas have suspended work on the policy until
further notice.
President Rabas requested support for Yali Huang, Chinese ESU student who was badly
injured while on campus. She is unconscious, but it looks like she’ll pull through. Her
family is here with her.
Professional advisors in the SAC office – further information provided in the future
Bob Dreiwer & President Shonrock reports – previously discussed in the meeting
V.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Faculty Affairs, Dr. Tanja Steigner, Chair:

To clarify, Senator Riedy will be permanently replacing Senator Andy Pore until
the end of his term.
Academic Affairs, Senator Andrew Houchins for Lynnette Schreiner, Chair:
 We will be reviewing the report on students who committed academic dishonesty.
 Honors College concerns are being discussed, and AAC will be distributing
additional information.
 Student Advising Center concerns were discussed: work needs to progress between
advisors and the mentoring advisors .
 In the future, the computer-generated banner messages will include a statement about
the source of the message.
Committee on Campus Governance, Senator George Durler for Dr. Zeni Colorado, Chair:
 Continuing discussion about Sodexo food service, which is being analyzed by Kevin
Coulson’s on-campus Marketing Class.
 Continuing work on the Administrator Evaluation Policy.
 Senators Riedy, Morales and Durler are working on the co-sponsored bill with FAC,
on Modifications to the Rules of Procedures for Faculty Senate Bills.
 Campus Committee Sunset Bill, several chairs have mentioned concerns. COCG is
conducting an inventory with Provost and Provost Council.
 The administrators being evaluated this year are: VP of Fiscal Affairs and Dean of U
Library. The evaluations should be completed by 4/15/13.
VI.
OLD BUSINESS:
 Capital Campaign Resolution: If you are interested in working on this resolution,
please let President Rabas know.
 Faculty of the Year Award: previously discussed
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VII.
NEW BUSINESS:
FSR 12006: Restricted Use Accounts Report (discussed previously)
VIII.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE SENATE:
Amy Sage Webb reads from her new book, Save Your Own Life (a collection of short
stories), Monday, 2/18, Preston Family Room (MU)
Wednesday, Follo, Gun Control: 3/13, 2-4 pm
IX.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 5:02 pm
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, 19 Feb. 2013, 3:30-5 pm, Preston Family Room (MU)
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