EC#5
Approved,.
September 26, Minutes
Indiana State University
Faculty Senate 2006-07
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Place: Hulman Memorial Student Union 227
Present: Chairperson S. Lamb, Vice Chair B. Evans, Secretary C. Hoffman
S. Davis, B. Frank, A. Halpern, J. Hughes, M. Miller, T. Mulkey
Ex-Officio: Provost J. Maynard
I. Administrative Report
1) The State Budget Committee is expected to release funds for renovation of University
Hall in October (~ $29 Mil).
2) CHE hearings on the Student Recreation Center should be completed in November,
and groundbreaking is expected in the spring. Costs have been reduced to approx.
$200 / sq. ft.
3) Parking garage groundbreaking is set for Oct. 23. Lot 3 (7th and Cherry) will close
after Oct. 20. Construction is expected to take 18 months; plans for alternate parking
at various locations are being developed. Because of concurrent construction of the
parking garage and the recreation center, 700 spaces will be lost.
4) The Federal Building will be handed over to ISU in Nov. 2008.
Current renovation, at federal expense, is being done with ISU in mind.
Architects are working on a plan for additional renovation immediately upon transfer.
An additional 12-14,000 sq. ft. will be needed for College of Business outreach components.
II. Chair Report
"Just a few words: I have recently spent an hour with Mr. Tim O’Neill [Interim President
of the ISU Foundation]. I thank Charles for all the legwork he has done on communication with
Kevin Hoolehan, paving the way for a more productive relationship with the Foundation. Tim
seems to aggressively desire a positive relationship with the faculty community and with shared
governance and wants to work for that goal. I find his openness to be extremely refreshing.
He wants to communicate. I find his supervisory style to be enlightened. I think our upcoming
meeting with Mr. O’Neill will be most positive."
III. Fifteen Minute Open Discussion
1) Possibility of additional multi-year appointments for special-purpose (non-tenuretrack) faculty
-- Many have been hired year-to-year for 10-20 years.
-- Quality and stability would be enhanced with multi-year contracts.
Provost: Deans can make such appointments, but doing so limits flexibility.
Appointments should include retirement benefits, but face budgetary constraints.
Purdue hires "contract faculty" with benefits. We might examine their practice.
2) Reorganization of Arts and Sciences – dean has distributed materials for discussion
-- Final decisions are not determined at the College level.
-- Faculty "primary authority" requires involvement of the Senate and its standing
committees.
-- Reorganizations require close faculty attention and should not be rushed.
3) 22 N. 5th St (Prudential Building)
-- Considerable negative comment being made in town.
-- ISU handling of the situation is "embarrassing."
-- Questions raised about actual "due diligence" having occurred.
4) Law School – Is Report complete ? Result ?
Provost:
-- President said that, based on the report, the initiative was not a bad idea but is
not appropriate at this time because of budget constraints.
-- Implementation would have required significant tuition increases.
-- Additional future exploration may occur if conditions change and funding can
be found.
5) President Benjamin – Performance review
-- Newspaper accounts reported that the Board did an evaluation during its
"retreat" (8/30/06), and Trustee Alley twice expressed the Board's support for the
president at the Board meeting on 9/22.
Questions: Did the 8/30 executive session constitute the expected "360 deg."
evaluation or is something more to come? How, and from whom, did the Board
gather its information?
Lamb:
-- The Board's intentions are unclear.
-- Is now less certain about if /how /whether the evaluation has occurred or will
occur, and considerably less certain of its value.
The Committee went into executive session (Frank, Hoffman 8-0-0).
The Committee came out of executive session (acclamation).
6) New campus Welcome Center
-- What amenities are being included?
-- Has the renovation exceeded its budget?
[no answers were forthcoming]
IV. Minutes #4 (9-19-06) – APPROVED as amended (Frank, Evans 9-0-0)
V. Old Business – none
VII. New Business
The Committee selected two faculty nominees for service on the TAFFY committee.
The meeting adjourned at 5:21 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
C. Hoffman, Secretary