The University of Oklahoma (Norman campus)
Regular session – May 9, 2011 – 3:30 p.m. – Jacobson Faculty Hall 102
office: Jacobson Faculty Hall 206
phone: 325-6789
e-mail: facsen@ou.edu web site:
http://www.ou.edu/admin/facsen/
The Faculty Senate was called
to order by Professor LeRoy Blank, Chair.
PRESENT: Adams
(0), Asojo (1), Atiquzzaman (1), Ayres (2), Baer (1), Bergey (0), Blank (0),
Bradshaw (1), Chang (1), Chapple (2), Chiodo (3), Deacon (0), Devegowda (3),
Hahn (1), Jean-Marie (2), Kosmopoulou (0), Lauer-Flores (0), Leseney (1),
Marsh-Matthews (1), McPherson (1), Minter (2), Morvant (1), Moses (0),
Muraleetharan (1), Palmer (1), Park (2), Ransom (3), Remling (1), Sadler (1),
Sandel (2), Stock (0), Strauss (1), Taylor (2), Vehik (2), Verma (1),
Wyckoff (1), Wydra (0), Xiao (3), Zhu (0)
ISA representatives:
Cook (1), Hough (1)
ABSENT: Cox-Fuenzalida
(3), Gramoll (3), Kimball (3), Morrissey (3), Moxley (3), Natale (1), Tabb (2),
Weaver (3), Williams (3), Yi (3)
Graduate College representative: Griffith (3)
[Note:
During the period from June 2010 to May 2011, the Senate held 9 regular
sessions and no special sessions. The
figures in parentheses above indicate the number of absences.]
________________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Remarks by Athletics Director Joe Castiglione
Announcements:
Schedule of Senate meetings for fall 2011
Summary of Speakers Service program
Search committee, College of Education dean
Student enrollment changes, Honors Council dissolution
Bike to Work Day
Faculty retirees
Faculty death
Senate Chair's Report:
Salaries, tuition
Copier/printer contract
Jacobson 102 renovation
Benefits: retiree health plan, phased retirement
Administrative salaries
Search, Vice President for Information Technology;
Budget
Faculty Advisory Council to the state regents:
textbooks, advising
Signage, student complaints
Privacy room
Resolution, wellness
Certificates of appreciation
Election, councils/committees/boards and Senate standing committees
Election, Senate Executive Committee
Resolution of appreciation to Prof. LeRoy Blank
________________________________________________________________________________
The Faculty Senate Journal
for the regular session of April 11, 2011 was approved.
Athletics Director Joe Castiglione
distributed copies of the Athletics Department annual report, which summarized
the 2009-10 progress and achievement.
Mr. Castiglione said he interacts with the faculty in a variety of ways. The faculty has representation on the
Athletics Council, which oversees and advises intercollegiate athletics and
advises the president on athletics matters.
He said he wanted to impress on the Faculty Senate that the Athletics
Department is running an operation that is transparent.
Among the several changes
that have affected the department since last year was the conference
realignment. Progress has been made in
the areas of academics, finance, and athletic achievement. Compliance has been a huge area of
improvement and growth. Academically,
progress continues in some of the programs put in place years ago, such as the
attendance policy, the academic review committee, and graduation/retention
initiatives. Each year there have been
increases in the graduation rate, retention, and grades. Thirty-three students received national
academic honors this year, seven entire teams earned honors in the 2009-10
academic year, and the men’s cross country team has already been recognized
this year as an Academic All-American team.
Sixty-seven student-athletes finished the fall semester with a 4.0
GPA. More than two-thirds – 400 of the
585 student-athletes – had a 3.0 GPA or better last fall, and 11 teams had a
cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. OU had
the highest academic progress rate in the Big 12 the last two years. The data for this year are due out soon. While still a student here, football
student-athlete Quinton Carter started his own foundation to serve the
community, was named by the American Football Coaches Association as a member
of the Good Works Team, and also was awarded the Wooden Citizenship Cup. OU has had four finalists in the six years
the Wooden Cup has been given, and Mr. Carter is the second student-athlete
from OU to win that award.
An area that is getting some
attention in the media is what institutions are doing to develop opportunities
to distribute video and other kinds of content.
The University of Texas has launched its own 24-hour, 7-day a week
station. OU is looking into that
endeavor as well. The Athletics
Department partnership with the College of Journalism has continued to
grow. Now almost 40 students are working
with the Athletics Department on a regular basis, doing video editing and live
event production. About 120 programs
come out of that one studio annually.
This is another example of the academic-athletic partnership.
In the area of finance, the
Athletics Department has balanced its budget for the twelfth consecutive
year. The department has emerged from a
period of time when it was stressed financially and required a loan from the
campus. At the end of this fiscal year,
the loan will be paid in full, almost 11 years ahead of schedule. The Athletics Department is committed to
remaining self-sustaining, meaning it does not depend on any appropriation from
the state, on direct institutional subsidies, or on student fees. OU is one of only 4-6 schools in the U.S.
that is totally self-sustaining and is very proud of that. Athletics is an integral part of the
institutional mission and does not want to be a drag financially on the
university. In the last few years, the
department developed an academic enhancement fee that comes off of sales of
home football game tickets. To date,
over $14 million has been contributed to the academic side of the University.
Support for other academic initiatives averages approximately $6 million
annually. The department faces budget
challenges, just like other parts of the University. Any funding available to the department would
not be possible without the success of the athletics programs, the outstanding
leadership of the coaches, and the private support of donors. A new residence hall will be completed
entirely with private funds. All of the
incoming student-athletes will be under one roof, although 51 percent of the
residents will not participate in athletics.
In other areas of finance, the Athletics Department is part of the
hiring freeze and is reassessing funding initiatives,
all to make sure the department is supporting its mission and helping the
programs to be successful.
Last year, we were the first
school in Big 12 history to produce a national player of the year in both
football and basketball. This year,
those same two individuals – Sam Bradford and Blake Griffin – were named Rookies
of the Year in their respective sports.
The department continues to see great improvement across the board in
athletic programs, which has been a goal.
This may be one of the best years for success across the board. Many sports are participating in the post
season. All nine spring sports were
ranked in the top 25 nationally. Mr.
Castiglione said he understands we cannot achieve those goals without the
support and leadership of President Boren.
The Board of Regents as well as the private sector also are very supportive.
This year for the first time, the department will surpass $20 million in
annual gifts from donors. To give back,
student-athletes have logged more than 1400 hours in service projects to the
community this year. The coaches and
staff had a day of community service in lieu of a holiday party and were
involved with Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, food banks, and visits to
hospitals. It is something they will
continue to do. The Athletics Department
works to improve its relationship with the campus, community, state, and fans
and strives to represent this University in the best possible way, with dignity
and class. Mr. Castiglione said he is
always proud, honored, and privileged to stand before any group as director of
athletics.
Prof. Muraleetharan asked
what was happening with the Justice Department inquiry into the BCS
championship. Mr. Castiglione said a
challenge to the BCS legality comes up annually. It typically has to do with automatic access
for some teams. Years ago, teams would
compete in bowl games and then the polls would determine the national
champion. With the BCS, theoretically
the two best teams compete head-to-head for the national championship. Since the methodology has been in place,
there have been adjustments. Challenges
typically are waged by legislators representing institutions that are not in
the BCS. Since the BCS, college football
has never been more popular. Football is
our economic engine and is vital to the existence of not only football but the
rest of our sports programs.
Prof. Sandel said he had read
that colleges would make more money if they went to a playoff system. He asked if there would be a financial
incentive to change the format. Mr. Castiglione
replied that a playoff might garner greater television rights, but it is hard
to say whether a college would make more money.
The vast majority of presidents and chancellors do not want a
playoff.
Prof. Chiodo asked whether
athletic clubs, such as rugby, are funded through the Athletics Department and
what the relationship is between the organizations. Mr. Castiglione said they are funded through
Student Affairs, and the Athletics Department has some basic interaction with
them but not much. The Athletics
Department does fund the spirit squads.
Prof. Minter asked about
tickets for sporting events for the faculty.
Mr. Castiglione said the faculty/staff rate for season tickets is about
20-25 percent off the general public ticket price. The department also offers a one-for-one
match on annual donations for seats in a priority section. Mr. Castiglione said he would love to have
more faculty and staff go to the games, including football and basketball.
Prof. Hofford noted that
Title IX has brought equality, access and opportunity for women in
athletics. Some teams are starting to
make money. He asked how the department
plans to continue to keep the teams vital and viable. Mr. Castiglione answered that football and
basketball are the only two sports that generate more money than it costs to
operate. A number of sports are building
attendance and generating more revenue.
Some sports are not necessarily spectator sports. Certain sports get a lot more attention in
the media. People like to say the
Athletics Department is in the business of winning, and of course the
department wants to try to have the best sports program possible. But really, the department is in the life
enhancement business. Student-athletes
have made choices to come to OU, so the department makes a conscious effort to
give the sports programs a chance to succeed.
That means hiring great coaches, building state-of-the-art facilities,
and providing full scholarships and the amenities. Title IX is the law but it also is the
institutional philosophy. There are
three ways an institution can comply with Title IX. We are moving toward proportionality, meaning
the ratio of our male and female student-athletes will be close to reflecting
the ratio of men and women on campus.
Because of the success of football, the department has the financial
means to make it possible.
Prof. Chapple wanted to know
what kind of infrastructure the Athletics Department has with local media. She said she was disappointed that, although
the women’s gymnastics placed third in the country, the story was buried on the
fourth page of the sports section of the local newspaper. Mr. Castiglione said he understands the
struggles that newspapers face financially, but it is frustrating not to get
better coverage in the hometown newspaper.
The Athletics Department has a robust media relations area, and the
department’s website is a dependable source for coverage of OU sports.
Mr. Hofford asked whether
students have free entry to non-revenue sports.
Mr. Castiglione said full-time students get in free. Prof. Hofford said the Athletics Department
might think about providing a card for faculty and staff that would get them in
free or for a modest fee and might encourage them to attend. Mr. Castiglione said he would look into it. The Athletics Department has had some special
nights at athletics events for faculty and staff. Prof. Strauss added that any perk the
Athletics Department could give to faculty would be appreciated. Mr. Castiglione said this was his twelfth
year coming before the Faculty Senate.
When he first arrived on campus, he asked for the opportunity to speak
to the Senate. He wanted to build a
relationship with the faculty and staff and wanted them to feel fully
informed. He said he looks forward to
sharing with the Senate in the next academic year. Prof. Blank thanked Mr. Castiglione for his
openness. He pointed out that Mr.
Castiglione had also met with the Budget Council and has been very transparent.
The regular meetings of the
Faculty Senate for fall 2011 will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Jacobson Faculty Hall
102 on the following Mondays: September
12, October 10, November 14, and December 12.
Summary of the activities of
the Faculty Senate Speakers Service for the past year: From May 2010 to April 2011, the Faculty Senate
office arranged for 48 faculty and staff to give 127 presentations to 79
organizations in 31 communities throughout the state. The Faculty Senate and the University
sincerely appreciate the members of the Speakers Service who share their
expertise and knowledge with the people of Oklahoma. Prof. Blank gave credit to Ms. Fallgatter for
coordinating the program and said the Speakers Services makes a huge difference
in how the people of the state view the University. He encouraged the senators to think about
joining the program.
The Faculty Senate Executive
Committee nominated three faculty members for the faculty-at-large position on
the College of Education dean search committee.
From the nominations, the administration selected Prof. Joe Rodgers
(Psychology) to serve. The search
committee will be chaired by College of Engineering Dean Tom Landers.
President Boren approved the
proposal for changes in policies governing student enrollment changes and the
dissolution of the Honors Council (see 4/11 Faculty Senate Journal).
The annual Bike to Work Day
for central Oklahoma is Friday, May 20 (see http://www.acogok.org/Newsroom/biketowork11.asp). It is part of
a national campaign to promote bicycling as a healthy and efficient
transportation alternative.
A list of the faculty who
retired during the past academic year is attached. The Faculty
Senate thanks these faculty members for their dedication and contribution to
our community.
The Faculty Senate is sad to
report the death on April 27 of faculty member Michael Langenbach
(Educational Leadership & Policy Studies).
The Faculty Senate executive
committee will be meeting with President Boren later this week to discuss the
general financial health of the institution, in particular, compression
problems, pay raises, and tuition.
President Boren has been talking to the students about tuition; it looks
likely that there will be a tuition increase.
The Faculty Advisory Council recommended a small raise to the state
regents, but no particular numbers were discussed. Everyone is waiting to see what the
legislature does. Prof. Blank said the
senators could send him agenda items that they would like the executive
committee to bring up with the president.
OU now has a contract
regarding copiers and printers. The
Faculty Senate executive committee is looking into the policy.
A renovation of Jacobson 102,
where the Faculty Senate meets, will take place over the summer and will
include videoconferencing capability.
The retiree health plan will
be an issue next year. Prof. Blank said
he thinks the administration should find the money for shortfalls someplace
other than health insurance. Phased
retirement is being considered by OSU.
The Faculty Welfare Committee will be looking into that option.
The School of Petroleum &
Geological Engineering asked the Faculty Senate to form a subcommittee to
examine administrative salaries. Prof.
Blank will forward the memo to the Faculty Compensation Committee, which will
take up that issue next year.
A search for the Vice
President for Information Technology will be discussed with President Boren
this week. Another topic will be where
we should make cutbacks when necessary.
Significant cuts this year were made in the one-time instructional
funds, which impacts the graduate program particularly.
Professors Blank and
Kosmopoulou attended a recent meeting of the Faculty Advisory Council to the
state regents. Prof. Kosmopoulou will be
the new representative to the council.
At a recent meeting, the state regents provided a legislative update and
a presentation about security on campus.
The text-2-trade program is on the verge of being implemented. It would be a tremendous bonanza to students
to be able to trade books with one another.
The Student Advisory Board to the state regents presented a resolution
calling for better advising. The Faculty
Advisory Council is interested in increasing the communication between faculty
and students and would not be opposed to looking into better advising for
students.
A couple of things that Prof.
Blank wants to take care of before he leaves office is to have some spelling
errors on building signs corrected and to tell the students about better
alternatives than they currently have used for pursuing issues such as dead
week violations.
An email was sent to faculty
and staff on April 28 to assess the interest in an on-campus privacy room for
breastfeeding mothers. Prof. Blank
encouraged the senators go to the web site and complete the survey.
Prof. Blank explained that a
proposed resolution requesting an expanded commitment to wellness (attached) was proposed by the
Faculty Senate Faculty Welfare Committee and put forward by the Faculty Senate
Executive Committee. The committees
hoped the senate would take action today if everyone was amenable. If approved, the executive committee would
take the resolution to the President, along with the request to make this a
smoke-free campus. Prof. Strauss asked
whether the incentives for healthy behavior could be more specific. Prof. Moses said the idea was HR could
investigate what types of incentives are available and what meets the HIPAA
requirements. Prof. Strauss said he
thought the incentives should include financial. Prof. Moses said there are certain legal
requirements that have to be met. Prof.
Blank said those incentives would be developed if the senate passed the
resolution. Prof. Bradshaw moved to
change the language to “… offering incentives, including financial, that encourage healthy behavior…” The resolution, as amended, was approved on a
voice vote, with one abstention.
Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the
following outgoing senators who completed full three-year terms (2008-11):
Abimbola Asojo, Mohammed Atiquzzaman, LeRoy Blank, Amy Bradshaw, K.K.
Muraleetharan, Michael Strauss, and Don Wyckoff. Certificates also were presented to other
senators whose terms expired and to the outgoing members of the Senate
Executive Committee. Prof. Blank thanked
them for their service and said their fellow colleagues appreciated what they
have done.
The Senate approved the
Committee on Committees’ nominations for end-of-the-year vacancies on
university and campus councils/committees/boards and Faculty Senate standing
committees (attached). The names of the remaining volunteers will be
forwarded to the administration to consider for the appointments they
make. Prof. Ayres asked why the
Retirement Plans Management Committee was not included. Prof. Blank explained that this year, the
appointments were made by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. A mechanism is now in place to have three faculty on staggered terms, and the RPMC will appear on the
list of nominations from the Committee on Committees next year.
The following slate was
proposed for the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for 2011-12:
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT-LARGE
MEMBERS
Mark Morvant (Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D. Oklahoma, at OU since 2006)
W. Murray Tabb (Professor of Law, LL.M. Illinois, at OU since 1990)
Susan Vehik (Professor of Anthropology, Ph.D. Missouri-Columbia, at OU since 1977)
SECRETARY
Abi Asojo (Associate Professor of Interior Design, M.Sc. East London, at OU since 1997)
CHAIR-ELECT
Michael Bemben (Professor of Health & Exercise Science, Ph.D. Illinois, at OU since 1992)
Prof. Blank asked for a few
words in support of Prof. Bemben, given the importance of the chair-elect. Prof. Hofford said it was his privilege and
honor to talk about his colleague. Prof.
Bemben is a presidential professor and chair of the Health & Exercise
Science Department. He currently is
chair of the Budget Council, is on the Executive Committee of Arts &
Sciences, and has played a role in the Institutional Review Board, Research
Council, Graduate Council, and Academic Program Review. He is an excellent teacher and researcher and
has a good relationship with the HSC.
Prof. Bemben has served the University well over the years and will make
an excellent chair. The Senate approved
the nominations.
Prof. Kosmopoulou, incoming
Senate chair, said she appreciated Prof. Blank’s service and leadership. She introduced a resolution of appreciation,
which was approved on a voice vote.
Whereas LeRoy developed a close and effective working
relationship with the university administration, adding good humor and optimism
to neutralize effects of difficult budgetary times;
Whereas
LeRoy acted with devotion and wisdom as proponent of the faculty before the
university community and the State of Oklahoma, representing the many and
diverse viewpoints of faculty members;
Whereas LeRoy has worked diligently to maintain effective communication with the university administration about faculty concerns and needs regarding critical issues related to changes in the retirement program;
Whereas LeRoy has kept the faculty and its representatives
continuously informed about numerous important issues concerning their welfare
and worked hard to maintain quality faculty benefits;
Whereas LeRoy has kept the Faculty Senate Executive
Committee busy with his very, very late night emails;
Whereas LeRoy has done all of this while also serving as the
Town Constable for Lake Wobegon (hence the late night
e-mails);
Whereas LeRoy has established a productive working
relationship with student representatives, facilitating the process for
creation of a new Academic Integrity Code and helping everyone survive the
re-examination of the dead week policy;
Whereas LeRoy devoted his last year of an exemplary academic
career to navigate the Faculty Senate through the tides and storms of budget
cuts and salary and hiring freezes;
Be
it resolved that the Faculty Senate expresses its sincere appreciation to LeRoy
Blank for his faith in the collective wisdom of the faculty and for his
unrelenting dedication to academic excellence and eloquent defense of the
highest goals of the university community.
Prof. Kosmopoulou presented
Prof. Blank with certificates of appreciation for serving as chair and senator
and with an engraved clock so he could think of the time he spent working with
the Senate. Prof. Kosmopoulou then
assumed the office of 2011-12 Senate Chair.
The meeting adjourned at 4:45
p.m. The next regular session of the
Faculty Senate will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 12, 2011, in
Jacobson Faculty Hall 102.
____________________________________
Sonya Fallgatter, Administrative Coordinator
____________________________________
Amy Bradshaw, Faculty Secretary