2010-11 FACULTY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
The University of Texas at Austin
Main Building, Room 212
Monday, January 24, 2011
2:15 p.m.
Agenda
I. Report of the Secretary.
II. Approval of the Minutes.
A. Minutes of the regular meeting of December 6, 2010.
III. Communication with the President.
A. Comments.
B. Questions.
From Sue Heinzelman (associate professor, English)
One of the recommendations in the Gender Equity
report was that each college or school develop a
gender equity plan appropriate to its institutional
identity and that such a plan be posted on the unit's
website. Would you please let the Faculty Council
know the status of this recommendation: i.e., what
colleges and schools have posted a plan approved by
the Provost's office and what have not?
Posted Gender Equity Plans
Updated: January 24, 2011
IV. Report of the Chair: ad hoc committee on “Faculty
Excellence”
• Initial charge:
• to explain to the public what faculty productivity and accountability mean, how
they are currently assured, and whether the University is determining this
productivity in the best and most appropriate ways
• to suggest ways to facilitate faculty efforts to further improve the productivity
of both the faculty and the university
• to suggest ways to further improve data-collection and other methods for
assessing the productivity of the faculty and the university
• Membership
• committee will consist of approximately ten faculty members, and will elect its
own chair once it is formed
• term of service will be two years, but may be extended if deemed appropriate
by future FCECs
• Nominations for membership
• FC members will be asked to submit nominations
• nominees can be members of the FC or the University at large
• final selection of members will be made by the FCEC
IV. Report of the Chair: state budget & performance measures
Legislative Budget Board Summary of 2012–13 Legislative Budget Estimates – House, p.
110
TABLE 23: SELECTED PERFORMANCE MEASURES: EDUCATION, UT
2010 actual budgeted
2011
recommended recommended
2012
2013
Percent of First-time,
Full-time Freshmen
Who Earn a Degree
Within Six Years
80.2%
81.0%
82.1%
83.3%
Retention Rate of
First-time, Full-time
Freshmen After One
Year
91.7%
92.0%
92.0%
92.0%
6
IV. Report of the Chair: some bills filed so far relating to
higher education
Legislative bill tracker from Texas Tribune:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/texas-legislature/search-track-texas-legislation-in82nd-session/
Senate:
SB354 [many sponsors: Wentworth, Birdwell, Carona, Deuell, Eltife, Estes, Fraser, Harris, Hegar,
Jackson, Nelson, Seliger, Williams ]: Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the
campuses of institutions of higher education.
SB228: Relating to reporting requirements for institutions of higher education conducting human
stem cell research.
SB282: Relating to eliminating certain reporting, planning, student developmental, and other
requirements imposed on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or public institutions of
higher education.
SB29: relates to health care for postdocs and grad students
SB298: to eliminate set-aside of tuition for financial aid (?)
SB32 : Relating to the consolidation of related higher education programs governing tuition, fee
exemptions, and waivers respective to specific target populations. (maintains TA/RA in-state tuition
waiver)
SB36: Relating to methods for increasing student success and degree completion at public
institutions of higher education.
7
IV. Report of the Chair: some bills filed so far relating to
higher education
Legislative bill tracker from Texas Tribune:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/texas-legislature/search-track-texas-legislation-in82nd-session/
House:
HB86: Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher
education.
HB104: abolish THECB
HB136: Relating to restrictions on dropping courses at public institutions of higher education.
HB154: Relating to a prohibition against human cloning and regulating other uses of human tissue
by institutions of higher education; providing penalties.
HB33: Relating to measures to increase the affordability of textbooks used for courses at public
institutions of higher education.
HB459: Relating to temporary limitations on the total amount of tuition charged to a student by a
four-year public institution of higher education.
HB464: Relating to the determination of resident status of students by public institutions of higher
education. [“A person who is not authorized by law to be present in the United States may not be
considered a resident of this state for purposes of this title”], see also HB623
8
IV. Report of the Chair: survey to promote discussion of budget
and faculty involvement in budget planning and setting of
budget priorities
• Survey is underway, will close January 28
• apologies for the typo in question 7…
• 360 responses to date
• consulted by dean on budget planning and prioritization: ~80% NO
• discussion at college / school faculty meetings: ~60% NO
• discussion at departmental level: ~50% YES
• involvement in budget planning and prioritization : ~80% NONE to LITTLE
• should faculty be more involved: 76% YES
• 151 comments to date
• fairly typical observation has been roughly: faculty are informed of
budget concerns and decisions, but we are not consulted about what the
budget should prioritize
IV. Report of the Chair: state budget
• LBB Legislative Budget Estimates, 2012–13, January 11, 2011, submitted to the
82nd Texas Legislature, HOUSE VERSION
• [http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Bill_82/1_Recommend/Bill-821_House_Recommend.pdf ]
• LBB’s recommended baseline appropriations for the 2012–13 biennium: $156.4
billion
• $31.1 billion smaller than 2010-11 (16.6% drop)
• Total, UT-Austin Object-of-Expense Informational Listing, p. III-44
Expended
2009
Estimated
2010
Budgeted
2011
Requested
2012
Recommended
2012
Requested
2013
Recommended
2013
$367M
$391M
$365M
$383M
$342M
(-11% wrt req)
$374M
$343M
(-9% wrt req)
• includes special item support (e.g., MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE, MCDONALD
OBSERVATORY, COMPETITIVE KNOWLEDGE FUND [aka Research University
Development Fund: research universities receive $1 of state support for every
$10 external research grants], etc.)
• other possible cuts (if I read it correctly) in retirement contributions and health
care premium sharing
10
IV. Report of the Chair: state budget (from LBB-House)
Item
Salaries
and
Wages
Other
Personnel
Faculty
Salaries
(Higher Ed
Only)
Utilities
Debt
Service
Other
Operating
Capital
Expend.
Total
2009
expended
2010
estimated
2011
budgeted
2012
requested
2012
recommend
2013
requested
2013
recommend
$111M
$89M
$82M
$78M
$70M
$68M
$61M
1.7M
1.6M
1.5M
1.4M
1.4M
1.1M
1.1M
190M
196M
192M
150M
141M
153M
144M
0
9.9M
0
43M
43M
59M
59M
15M
14M
13M
23M
14M
23M
14M
49M
80M
76M
88M
72M
71M
64M
1M
0
0
0
0
0
0
$ 367M
$ 391M
$ 365M
$ 383M
$ 342M
$ 374M
$ 343M
Mary Knight, Associate Vice President and Budget Director is here to help
us understand what these numbers might mean…
11
2010-2011
APPROP
(Reduced by
5%)
2012-2013 HB1
Legislative
Budget Rec
01/19/2011
571.67
544.51
473.23
0.42
0.42
0.00
9.20
9.20
0.00
0.70
4.50
0.70
4.50
0.00
0.00
Subtotal Spec Prov and Supplemental Funds
14.82
14.82
0.00
Subtotal General Revenue, including 10-11
Supplemental and Incentive Funds
586.49
559.33
473.23
COMPARES 2010-2011 Appropriations to
HB 1 (01/19/2011)
Gross General Revenue Fund No. 001
(includes Texas Competitive Knowledge Fund
in each year)
Special Provisions and Supplemental
Funding
Special Provision - American Recovery and
Investment Act (ARRA - Law School Clinical
Program)
Supplemental 2010-2011 Bill - 2008-2009 Hold
Harmless (non-recurring)
Supplemental 2010-2011 Bill - Marine Science
Inst (non-recurring)
THECB - Incentive Funds (estimate)
2010-2011
APPROP
2012-2013
Compared to
2010-2011
ORIGINAL
Appropriaton
2012-2013
Compared to
2010-2011
%
REDUCED
%
Change Appropriaton Change
$ (98.44)
-17.2%
(71.28)
-13.1%
$(113.26)
-19.3%
(86.10)
-15.4%
V. Report of the Chair Elect.
V. Unfinished Business—None.
V. Reports of the General Faculty, Colleges, Schools, and
Committees—None.
VIII. New Business.
A. Proposed Changes to the Voting Rights of the General Faculty in the
Handbook of Operating Procedures (D 8512-8513)
CHAPTER 1 – FACULTY GOVERNANCE , Section I. GENERAL FACULTY
Authority and General Functions
{No changes to this section.}
B.
Membership
1. Voting members of the General Faculty shall consist of the following:
a. All professors, associate professors, and assistant professors.
b. All instructors and [lecturers] non-tenure track faculty who have had
a total of four or more continuous long session semesters of service
at these ranks at The University of Texas at Austin[.] and who meet
these criteria:
(1) are appointed at least 50% time as a faculty member at UT
Austin during each of those four continuous long session
semesters,
Cont.
(2) have their primary academic home at UT Austin and not another
c. Such officers as are designated in the UT System Board of Regents’
Rules and Regulations as being ex officio members of all institutional
faculties of The University of Texas System.
d. Such other officers as the Board of Regents, upon recommendation of
the president and the UT System chancellor may designate.
e. If a voting member’s appointment temporarily drops below the minimum
amount of time required for voting membership due to an approved
leave of absence without pay, the member’s voting status shall not be
affected.
[2.] [A faculty member shall have voting status only on the basis of half-time
employment or more at the University.]
[3] 2. Those faculty members designated in Section B.1 above shall retain their
voting status while on modified service or phased retirement, but not upon
full retirement.
[4] 3. Each voting member, of whatever rank, shall be entitled to one vote.
[5] 4. Nonvoting members of the General Faculty shall consist of the following:
a. All visiting professors, [and] visiting associate professors, visiting
assistant professors, and visiting Harrington fellows.
b. All instructors and [lecturers] non-tenure-track faculty who have served
for [less] fewer than four continuous long semesters.
c. All individuals holding [the] an emeritus title. [“professor emeritus” or
Cont.
“associate professor emeritus.”]
[6] 5. Non-voting members have the privilege of attending meetings with the right
to speak but without the right to vote.
{No further changes to this section.}
Section V. COLLEGES, SCHOOLS, AND DEPARTMENTS
A. Colleges and Departmentalized Schools.
1. The voting members of the college or school faculty are the same as for
the General Faculty (see Sec. I.B.l).
2. [Special] Dual titles such as professor of [home economics] human
ecology and education indicate voting membership in both colleges or
departments provided the faculty member holds a 50% appointment in
each unit.
3. Standing committees of the colleges and schools shall be appointed by
the respective deans, either annually or biennially.
4. Colleges and departmentalized schools may create more liberal voting
criteria provided the rules meet these minimal standards. These voting
rules shall be reported to the provost and Office of General Faculty and
reaffirmed or revised every three years. These rules shall operate for the
entire academic year and shall be determined prior to the start of a fall
academic year.
Cont.
B. Departments and Non-Departmentalized Schools/Colleges.
1. A faculty member shall have voting status in a department or nondepartmentalized school/college on departmental/non-departmentalized
school/college matters if:
a. He or she holds a full-time appointment in that department and holds
the rank of professor, [visiting professor,] associate professor, [visiting
associate professor,] assistant professor, instructor, or [lecturer] any
non-tenure-track title. The assignment of a faculty member to an
administrative post, released time for research, career development,
an endowed chair or such other activities as may be approved by the
president shall not jeopardize the voting status of the individual under
this provision. Or
b. He or she holds joint appointments in two or more departments[,] in
any of the ranks listed in subsection a. above; he or she holds joint
appointments in two or more departments in any of the ranks listed in
subsection a. above, the sum of which corresponds to full-time
appointment in the University, and [holds any of the ranks listed in
subsection a., above, and] the appointment in the represented
department constitutes at least 50% of that time.
[(1)] [the terms of the original appointment accorded the faculty
member voting status in the department or]
[(2)] [the joint appointment is subsequent to his initial appointment
and comprises at least 50% time appointment in the department
as detailed in the budget.]
Cont.
2. Non-Departmentalized Schools may create more liberal voting criteria
provided the rules meet these minimal standards. These voting rules
shall be reported to the Provost and Office of General Faculty and
reaffirmed or revised every three years. These rules shall operate for the
entire academic year and shall be determined prior to the start of a Fall
academic year.
C. Academic Centers.
A faculty member shall have voting status in an academic center on center
matters according to how the center determines its voting rights. These
voting rules shall be reported to the provost and Office of General Faculty
and reaffirmed or revised every three years. These rules shall operate for the
entire academic year and shall be determined prior to the start of a fall
academic year.
RATIONALE FOR CHANGE:
To clarify voting rights and to maintain equity in the voting rights for all non-tenure
track faculty who meet the criteria described in the original HOP for instructors
and lecturers.
2011 STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN THE
RESEARCH UNIVERSITY (SERU):
THE ULTIMATE STUDENT SURVEY
A project sponsored by
the Office of the President,
the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost,
and the Division of Student Affairs
19
BACKGROUND

Developed by UC-Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher
Education

Administered online in the UC from 2002-present;
large research universities outside UC began
participating in 2008

Focused on understanding student experience at
large research universities

Designed as longitudinal study using census of all
undergraduates
20
SPRING 2010 SERU PILOT RESULTS

21% of students answered initial questions
(n=7,365), however only 15% of students
persisted through the entire instrument

Representativeness
 Good
representation by ethnicity and college
 Over-representation of females
 Under-representation of Freshmen
23
SPRING 2010 SERU PILOT RESULTS

Website for results:
http://wwwtest.utexas.edu/seru/tool/ut.html
Areas covered include:








Time allocation
Academic and Personal Development
Academic Engagement
Evaluation of the Major
Cost of Education
Background Information
Campus Climate for Diversity
Family Education Levels
24
25
SPRING 2010 SERU SAMPLE
FINDINGS

91% agree* that they feel they belong at this campus

90% are satisfied** with their overall academic experience

86% are satisfied** with the value of the education for the
price they’re paying

86% say that faculty provide prompt and useful feedback on
student work (% “yes”)
*Agree = somewhat agree + agree + strongly agree
**Satisfied = somewhat satisfied + satisfied + very satisfied
30
PLANS FOR 2011

Launch date is Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Over 35,000 undergraduate students will be invited to
participate via email

Non-respondents will be re-contacted weekly


Response rates will be updated regularly and posted online


Some by contacts within Colleges/Schools
College Competitions planned
We hope to end data collection after Spring Break
31
RESPONSE RATE

Getting a much higher response rate is critical

Higher response allows us to drill down to the
academic program level

Higher response allows us to follow individual
students longitudinally through their UT careers
32
YOUR HELP IS IMPORTANT

Encourage your students to complete the survey

Mention the study to your colleagues and ask
them to tell their students

Ask about the college competition – keep track of
college response rates

Talk it up!

Contact us for results or for more information
34
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Website for 2010 results:
http://wwwtest.utexas.edu/seru/tool/index.html
Lauren Ratliff, Research Associate, Office of the President
Lauren_ratliff@yahoo.com
(512)232-8280
Gale Stuart, Ph.D., Director of Assessment, Division of Student Affairs
Gale.Stuart@austin.utexas.edu
(512)232-9608
Thank you!
35
IX.
Announcements and Comments.
A. Nominations for membership on the General Faculty
Standing Committees, today through February 11.
B. Breakfast with the President, January 27 at the AT&T EECC,
room 104, 7:00-8:30.
C. The annual Faculty Council photograph will be taken on
February 14 at 2:00 on the south steps of the Main Building.
D. The annual meeting of the General Faculty will be held on
February 14 at 2:15 in MAI 212 at 2:15.
E. The inaugural annual meeting of the School of
Undergraduate Studies will immediately follow the General
Faculty meeting on February 14 at 2:15 in MAI 212.
F. The next Faculty Council meeting will be held on February 14
in MAI 212 immediately following the inaugural annual
meeting of the School of Undergraduate Studies.
X.
Questions to the Chair.
XI.
Adjournment.
The End