Southeastern Louisiana University Faculty Senate
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Alumni Center
I.
II.
III.
Senate President Laverne Simoneaux called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
in the Alumni Center. Membership Secretary Mary Sue Ply called roll.
Senators absent were: Bancroft, Beard, Brown-Sandberg, Gibson, GonzalezPerez, Higginbotham, Kirkpatrick, Mark, Merckx, Mitchell, Neuerberg,
Smith, Urick, Valentino, and Weaver.
Minutes from the December 2005 meeting were unanimously approved.
Senator Simoneaux introduced the invited guests: Dr. Randy Moffet, Mr.
Michael Prescott, and Dr. Bea Baldwin.
A. Dr. Randy Moffett, President, Southeastern Louisiana University,
welcomed everyone back and said that he hoped the Spring semester
would not be as “trying” as Fall was. He went on to say that he had
come to inform the faculty about budget and enrollment issues.
1. With the restrictions that the administration set on travel,
maintenance, etc. we were able to get through last semester and
are reasonably optimistic that we will be OK for this semester.
Dr. Moffet and Dr. Crain met with Dr. Savoie and the Board two
weeks ago. There were no discussions of further reductions. The
administration will keep the current financial limits and
restrictions in place so as to reduce the impact on personnel. If
nothing dramatic comes up, we will be OK.
2. A current concern is that Spring enrollment is down. In the
wake of Katrina about 1550 students resigned. Mr. Soutullo’s
office has worked to stay in contact with them and to track their
rate of return. To date, only about half (700) have returned for
the Spring semester. The administration believes that more will
return by the Fall semester. About 400-600 of last semester’s
guest students have enrolled for Spring, but enrollment is still
down about 250-400 students compared to Spring 2005
enrollment. Current enrollment is about 14,200 students.
Fewer students impacts the budget, but by being conservative
and keeping the current restrictions in place we should be able
to manage.
3. The University is pushing for enrollment of 15,500 for Fall 2006.
We need more of the pre-Katrina students to return and strong
new freshmen numbers. This will be a challenge, but the
University will be increasing its marketing and recruiting efforts,
especially at schools that we have not traditionally gone to.
Southeastern will have television commercials airing on the local
channels (4,6, 9) in addition to the Southeastern channel. This
will be an aggressive and assertive campaign with the message
that Southeastern Louisiana University is “open, alive, and
moving forward.” The University will spend some extra dollars
on this effort to increase our visibility.
4 Dr. Moffet went on to say that next year’s budget is always a
“work in progress,” but never moreso than now. Discussions of
further reductions by state agencies have ranged from 8 to 10 to
20%. There are many unknowns at the state level; it is hard for
Baton Rouge (and therefore hard for us) to accurately predict
future income at this point. Dr. Moffett said that he knows
people panic at the thought of budget cuts, but he does not think
that they will be as severe as some of the worst case scenarios
that people are hearing about. Money will be coming into the
state for levee construction and from insurance payments,
although there is no way to predict the impact of these monies
on the state’s budget. We will be asked to “tighten up,” but
Dr. Moffett said that he does not think that things will be
as severe as some of the predictions. Dr. Moffet said that many
of us can remember when things were hard in the 1980s, and the
University was threatened with closure. But we came out of that,
and were stronger for it so we will also weather this challenge.
The toughest 12-15 months are ahead of us, but the
administration will do everything it can to minimize the negative
effects of this difficult time. No one can predict the future
because we have no basis of comparison for what has befallen
Louisiana.
5. Dr. Moffett noted that mention has been made of
restructuring higher education and elimination of program
duplication, etc. However, Southeastern has already done a
reduction of duplications so we are not a part of discussions on
realignment. There are going to be changes, but if the
administration foresees any negative effects for Southeastern,
it will ask for help from our legislators. Dr. Moffet said that he
does not expect this to happen.
6. In any event, the University must move forward. Life goes on,
and Southeastern does not want to lose its current momentum.
Our Vision 2010 gives us a blueprint for the future, and this will
be part of the message that we will present to the public. We are
well-situated geographically in one of the fastest-growing areas
of the state. Therefore, if we follow our vision and plan and get
through the next 12-15 months, the University will come out of
this and blossom. Faculty is a very important part of this
attitude. They must believe in this institution and what we do
here. Dr. Moffet said that the visiting students from last
semester (and their parents) told us that they liked what they
found here. They will be some of our best ambassadors to get
the word out about the Southeastern experience.
B.
C.
7. Dr. Moffet then opened the floor to questions. Senator Ply asked
if any federal monies would be coming to us as reimbursement?
Dr. Moffett responded that he does think some funds will come
to us. The administration is pushing the message of how we
helped our “guest” students and how much we also were affected
by our own displaced students and faculty. The administration
believes that this message is getting through so we hope to get
something to help offset our costs. About $95 million will be
coming to the state, but it is unclear how that money will be
distributed. The general assumption is that the bulk of it will go
“south of the lake” to help the New Orleans schools to recover.
But the administration is communicating the message that our
institution and our students were also heavily impacted, and our
resignation rate bears this out. So the hope is that some of the
money will be given to Southeastern. There were no further
questions.
Senator Simoneaux then made a motion to suspend the rules so that
she could introduce Resolution 2005-06-11. (see Addendum A).The
resolution congratulated Dr. Moffett for his recent hole-in-one on
the golf course. It also called for Dr. Moffett to follow tradition
and “buy a round for the house.” “The house” in this case was defined
as the Faculty Senate. Dr. Moffett joked that the hole-in-one has cost
him a lot of money so far. Commenting on the odds, he said that for
all the golf he has played he was “due one.” He added that the moment
was exciting, and that when the story made the papers, he assured Dr.
Clausen that he was on official leave at the time. Dr. Moffett thanked the
Senate.
Senator Simoneaux then introduced Mr. Michael Prescott, Interim Chief
of Police, Southeastern Louisiana University.
1. Mr. Prescott said that the search to replace Chief Marek was
sidelined by Katrina so he agreed to step in until a new chief
can be hired. He has been on the force since November 2003.
He is a Southeastern graduate, as is his son, and his wife
teaches here so he is pleased to be a part of the Southeastern
family.
2. The Southeastern police force is a 24-man department. 7 of the
officers have Bachelor’s degrees, 1 has a Master’s, and 2 are
on-track to graduate. They are all very experienced officers
who have had to undergo the same rigorous training as state
police officers. The safety of everyone on campus is their first
concern.
3. The department has named a special safety liaison officer. He is
available to meet with student organizations or to offer training
programs, such as RAD ( self-defense against rape). Faculty
can call on him to talk to any group about safety concerns.
4. One complaint the department has heard is that they “don’t get
the word out” so the liaison officer is an effort to better
communicate with everyone on campus. The department also
posts “Community Awareness” bulletins around campus and
has weekly broadcasts on KSLU. If anyone knows of a safety
issue that the campus should be aware of, Mr. Prescott asks
that they contact the police department so that it can
disseminate the information.
5. Mr. Prescott said that he knew everyone was concerned about
parking. Rob Spitzer has been put in charge of handling all
parking issues. There are four parking workers. The police
are not here to write tickets, but there are rules and regulations
that must be followed to avoid problems. There will never be
enough parking spaces for everyone; however, the Parking
Committee is designed to handle questions about tickets or
suggestions for improvements.
6. The police also give escorts late at night. They ask that
everyone carry some identification at night and on weekends,
especially to help the newer officers who are not yet familiar
with University personnel.
7. Mr. Prescott then opened the floor to questions or comments.
Senator Lewallen commented that he has found the parking
around Fayard to be much improved. Mr. Prescott said that he
was glad to hear that. Officers are posted at faculty lots for the
first 2-3 weeks of school, and he thinks that this has helped.
Senator Dassau asked if tickets are given when it rains? Mr.
Prescott said yes. The department has new equipment that
works in the rain, and the printed tickets do not smudge or run.
Senator Ply said that she wanted to compliment officers on their
handling of a recent problem with a student in DVickers who
was on the verge of hysterics. The officers were calm and
considerate and were able to control the situation quickly and
professionally. Mr. Prescott responded that he appreciated the
kind words. He added that everyone appreciates hearing
when they have done a good job.
D. Senator Simoneaux then introduced Dr. Bea Baldwin, Assistant Vice
President for Academic Affairs, Southeastern Louisiana University.
Dr. Baldwin had come to update the faculty on the new webpage project.
1. Dr. Baldwin said that one year ago the University received
money from the Board of Regents to hire a full-time coordinator.
Dr. Baldwin introduced her to the senate; her name is Amber
Layton. Dr. Baldwin said that although changes of this
magnitude require the work of many people, Ms. Layton is the
one behind the scenes doing much of the work. The
Southeastern website was last redesigned in 1996 so about
30,000 pages were outdated.
2. Phase 1 of the work has been completed. That is about 800
3.
IV.
V.
pages. Southeastern purchased new software to manage the site.
It keeps all the links and dates current and quickly identifies
outdated material. Most “glitches” have been smoothed out.
Some academic pages and the recruitment pages are up. Phase 2
will begin now. This will involve the training of the various
“content coordinators,” which is the new term for webmasters.
Amber will be holding orientation meetings with the
coordinators of the colleges and academic departments to
give them individual, hands-on instruction.
Phase 3 will be the administrative offices. Phase 4 will begin in
the summer. It will cover special projects, such as an interactive
calendar. Dr. Baldwin concluded by saying that anyone who has
questions or problems should feel free to contact Ms. Layton.
Old Business
A. Resolution on Dismissal of Tenure Track Faculty. Senator Williams
reported that the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee is
still working on this.
B. Changes to Faculty Handbook regarding “Procedures for Resolving
Faculty Complaints.” Senator Williams reported that the Professional
Rights and Responsibilities Committee is still working on this.
C. Changes in Committee Structure. Senator Coxe gave the report for the
Constitution and Bylaws Committee. (see Addendum B). Senator Coxe
said she was presenting the final copy of what the senate had already
voted on, and she asked Senator Ply to comment since she had done most
of the work with Senator Lewallen. Senator Ply said that she assigned
terms of 2-3 years so that both personnel and college representation
would be staggered. This will guarantee that the committees will
always have some experienced members serving. Senator Ply said that
the senate was voting on these new committee structures so that elections
can be held using these new term limits. The motion passed. The vote to
amend the bylaws to reflect these new committee structures was held at
the senate’s previous meeting.
New Business
A. Tuition Waivers for Out-of State Graduate Students. Senator White said
that she wants the University to consider a waiver of the out-of-state fees
for graduate students to make us more competitive. Many universities do
this, and Southeastern has lost out on bringing highly qualified graduate
students to our campus because we don’t. She said that she realizes there
are budget implications to this proposal, but these waivers are given in
other programs, such as athletics. Senator White was asking the senate to
consider a recommendation to extend this to graduate students. She
added that this could also help in the University’s efforts to have more
diversity in the student body. Senator Ply moved that this be sent to
committee. The motion passed. Senator Simoneaux sent the motion to
the Budget Committee for study.
B. Unacceptable Faculty/Student Relationships. Senator Simoneaux
VI.
presented this item of business. (see Addendum C). She said that three
different faculty members have expressed to her their concern about
amorous relationships between faculty members and students. There is
nothing in the Faculty Handbook which specifically addresses this issue.
Not having a policy in place leaves the University vulnerable to
litigation. Her hand-outs show examples of policies from other schools
and what the AAUP says on the subject. Senator Lewallen said that he
did not want to see the adoption of a “heavy-handed policy” because of
the problems inherent in trying to “rule on” the complexity of such
relationships. He continued that trying to define inappropriate
relationships could be a difficult process. He mentioned as an example
that his wife is a student here. Senator Ply said that the senate would
confine itself to the effects of these relationships on the campus at large
so that the issue is professional, not personal. Senator Ply added that the
senate would not write the policy. If the senate recommends that one
should be written, the Provost (if he agrees) would appoint a task force to
study the recommendation. A motion was made to send the matter to
committee. Senator Bostic added that the Southeastern AAUP will also
be discussing this issue. She invited everyone to participate as the group
looks at various policies to see how they apply to Southeastern. The
motion to send the matter to committee was approved. It was sent to the
Academic Committee.
Announcements
A. Senator Yeargain presented the BOS/FAC report.(see Addendum D). The
BOS met on December 9.
1.
At the meeting, it was stated that $6.5 million is owed by
displaced students to their schools. At present, there is no plan
on reimbursement.
2. Dr. Clausen recommended that all System schools become a
pilot for the Franklin Square Project, which is a national
program that addresses the behavior of fraternities and
sororities.
3. The update on the consent decree reported that the schools are
no longer under court supervision since the decree expired in
2005.
4. Southeastern presented 5 pages of Non-Classified Personnel
Changes. Included in this were the names of 67 instructors. Of
these 67, 61 were for 9-month appointments and 2 were for 4.5
month appointments. Senator Yeargain commented that these
are people who will not find out until later this year that they do
not have an appointment for next year.
5. At the January BOS meeting, approval was given for
Southeastern to amend Coach Roland’s contract.
6. Southeastern was also given approval to demolish Livingston
and McKneely Halls to make way for the new Student Success
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Center. The personnel in these buildings will temporarily
relocate to the former police station.
7. The Board also voted to uphold Southeastern’s process for
handling faculty grievances. They are, however, still studying
the Board’s function in the grievance process.
8. Dr. Clausen suggested delegating more powers (but not tenure
and promotion) to system presidents as a way to reduce
paperwork
9. A moratorium was placed on new degrees except for those
already on file.
Senator Kleiner had no SGA report.
Senator Simoneaux invited everyone to wear green and gold and attend
the men’s basketball game against Northwestern, which is being
televised on FOX SPORTS at 1 p.m.on January 21, 2006. Free
barbeque will be served.
As the meeting was ending, Senators White and Root surprised
Senator Simoneaux with a card and a bouquet of flowers for her
birthday.
Senator Simoneaux announced that the next meeting will be held on
February 1. New Business should be sent to the Faculty Senate
Executive Council by January 25, 2006.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:33 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rebecca Hite