The Faculty Senate was called to order by Professor Pat L. Weaver-Meyers, Chair.

PRESENT: Badiru (0), Baker (3), Bremer (1), Burnett (2), Carnevale (2), Dillard (1), Dillon(1), Durica (1), Elisens (2), Fung (1), Genova (0), Gilje (0), Greene (1), Gupta (2), Harris (2), Havener (1), Hertzke (2), Hillyer (1), Holmes (2), Horrell(3), Hutchison (0), Konopak (2), Laird (0), Mouser (1), Murphy (2), Nelson (3), Ogilvie (1), Palmer (2), Patterson (2), Scaperlanda (2), Stock (1), Stoltenberg (1), Tepker (0), Thulasiraman (2), VanGundy (1), Wallach (3), WeaverMeyers (0), Weinel (2), Wenk (1), Williams (3)

PSA representatives: Iselin, Spencer

ABSENT: Benson (1), DeBrunner (1), Egle (3), Fiedler (1), Gana (3), Gutierrez (2), F.Lee(3), Lucey (3), R.Miller (2), Ragep (3), Shaughnessy (2), Sipes (3)

[NOTE: During the period June 1995 to May 1996, the Senate held 9 regular sessions and no special sessions. The figures in parentheses above indicate the number of absences.]

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Announcements:

Schedule of Senate meetings for Fall 1996 and list of new senators 2

Summary of Speakers Service program 2

Senators who received awards 2

Senate Chair's Report: athletic funding 2

Election, councils/committees/boards 3

Revisions in Environmental Concerns Committee charge 3

Election, Senate Secretary and Chair-Elect 3

Election, Senate standing committees 3

Presentation of Certificates of Appreciation 4

Resolution of Appreciation to Prof. Pat Weaver-Meyers 4

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APPROVAL OF JOURNAL

The Senate Journal for the regular session of April 8, 1996, was approved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The regular meetings of the Faculty Senate for Fall 1996 will be held at 3:30p.m. in Jacobson Faculty Hall 102 on the following Mondays: September 9, October 14, November 11, and December 9.

The following summary of the activities of the Speakers Service for the past year was distributed at the meeting.

The efforts of many dedicated faculty and staff have made the Speakers Service a continued success. During the past year, 41 faculty and staff members have presented 68 programs in communities throughout the state, including Tulsa, Lawton, Duncan, Putnam and Seminole. These ambassadors from OU visited such diverse groups as high school honors classes, business and civic clubs, senior citizens' organizations and church discussion groups.

The Faculty Senate and the University of Oklahoma express appreciation to the longtime participants and new members of the Speakers Service who have shared their expertise and knowledge with the people of Oklahoma.

Prof. Weaver-Meyers congratulated the senators who received awards at the faculty tribute ceremony April 24.

SENATE CHAIR'S REPORT, by Prof. Pat Weaver-Meyers

"Today is the last day I will have the privilege of addressing you as Chair. It's customary at this time to review the efforts of the last year and mark those accomplishments that are significant. Since you were all present during that time, I felt such a speech might drag a bit. Rather, I would like to focus on an issue that will be a continuing challenge in the upcoming year.

"As you know, the gender equity committee has been meeting to review the cost and manner in which NCAA gender equity requirements must be met. You also may recall that the cost of gender equity will exacerbate the 5 million dollar deficit President Boren mentioned in our general faculty meeting in early April. Recently received information suggests that the athletic debt may be larger than the five million dollars the President cited and that without action the annual deficits will persist.

"Additional details about the situation will be available in the next two weeks, and the gender equity committee will be meeting with President Boren to discuss recommendations about the cost of gender equity and strategies for paying those costs in light of the current annual deficit. After that meeting, the president will forward his budget to the regents--a budget that somehow must address these issues.

"Given the additional information the gender equity committee is gathering will not be available for a week or more and we are here today celebrating our last meeting until fall semester, the senate will be unable to provide input. Therefore, I am asking you, on behalf of your new chair and the executive committee, to make every effort to attend a special session in late May--a session in which the specifics of this issue will be presented. To be effective, this meeting must have a quorum. The tentative date for that special session is Tuesday, May 28.

"Now, I feel a bit like the character in a cowboy movie, stopped by the local posse and when queried about the fleeing bandits answers, "They went thatta way." As the posse rides off in a cloud of dust, I am left wondering what is going to happen when the posse catches up with the gang...and wishing I was going to be there to see it.

"Although my feelings about leaving you with this challenge are mixed, I am convinced that this issue needs to be clearly understood by all our colleagues and that the faculty deserve to have their opinion clearly understood by the regents when the issue is addressed in the June regents' meeting. After serving with you this last year I am further convinced that this body can responsibly and firmly do just exactly that.

"I am proud to have served with each of you. You have all earned the title Senator."

ELECTION, UNIVERSITY AND CAMPUS COUNCILS, COMMITTEES AND BOARDS

The Senate approved the Senate Committee on Committees' nominations to fill end-of-the-year vacancies on university and campus councils, committees, and boards (Appendix I). A number of vacancies will also be filled by the President's office.

REVISIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE CHARGE

The Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC), chaired by Melany Oates, proposed some revisions in its charge and membership (Appendix II). The Senate Executive Committee recommended that the ECC designate a liaison to the Budget Council, that, in keeping with current policy, the Faculty Senate appoint two faculty and the President appoint one (the ECC recommended the reverse), and that ex officio members remain non-voting. The Senate will vote on the proposed revisions at its next meeting.

ELECTION OF SENATE SECRETARY AND CHAIR-ELECT FOR 1996-97

Prof. Lex Holmes (Economics) was elected Secretary and Prof. Connie Dillon (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) was elected Chair-Elect of the Senate for 1996-97.

ELECTION TO SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES

The following faculty were elected to fill vacancies on Senate standing committees:

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

To replace Adedeji Badiru, Carolyn Bremer, and Lex Holmes, 1996-97 term:

Bing M. Fung (Chemistry & Biochemistry)

Paul Gilje (History)

DeeAnn Wenk (Sociology)

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES

To replace Philip Lujan, 1996-99 term:

E. L. Lancaster (Music)

To complete Jay Smith's 1995-98 term:

Roy Knapp (Petroleum & Geological Engineering)

COMMITTEE ON FACULTY COMPENSATION

To replace Jon Forman and Donna Nelson, 1996-99 term:

Gary Emery (Finance)

Lee Willinger (Accounting)

To complete James Mouser's 1994-97 term:

Robert Smith (Law)

COMMITTEE ON FACULTY WELFARE

To replace Fran Ayres, 1996-99 term:

Fran Ayres (Accounting)

PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION

Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the following outgoing senators who completed full three-year terms (1993-96): Adedeji Badiru, Pamela Genova, Phillip Gutierrez, Michael Havener, Alexander Holmes, Raymond Miller, Marilyn Ogilvie, Duane Stock, and Eleanor Weinel. Certificates were also presented to the other senators whose terms were expiring and to the outgoing members of the Senate Executive Committee.

RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO PROFESSOR PAT WEAVER-MEYERS

The Faculty Senate unanimously approved the following resolution of appreciation to Prof. Weaver-Meyers, outgoing Senate Chair:

Whereas:

• Professor Pat Weaver-Meyers acted with dedication, persistence and wisdom as Chief Advocate of the faculty before the university community and the State of Oklahoma;

• She demonstrated that the Faculty Senate is an effective voice for the faculty;
• She tirelessly represented the many and diverse viewpoints of faculty members;
• She displayed diplomatic skill, patience and good will to guide a new university president on task, on point, and on mission (if not on time);
• She set a record in the history of the Faculty Senate for commencing no less than three Provost searches in a single term;
• She revitalized a once-faltering Campus Planning Council;

• She was instrumental in the development of the Information Technology Council, and thereby ensured that the faculty shall have a strong voice in the planning and formation of the future university;
• She displayed true skill on defense as she scrambled and pursued the regents' end run (after a fake hand-off to gender equity) so that the university's academic mission will not be sacked as easily as OU quarterbacks and coaches;

• She brought the Senate to the World Wide Web; she brought the regents to the table; and she brought a new class of senators to the cause of faculty governance;

• She developed a great and inexplicable proficiency for being where she needs to be, without benefit of calendar, when she needs to be, without benefit of watch or clock, and doing what she needs to do, without benefit of a copy of the agenda.

• The Faculty Senate expresses its sincere appreciation to Pat Weaver-Meyers for her faith in the collective wisdom of the faculty and for her tenacious, eloquent and graceful defense of academic excellence, university community, and faculty governance.

Prof. Tepker presented a certificate of appreciation and an engraved clock to Prof. Weaver-Meyers. Prof. Tepker then assumed the office of 1996-97 Senate Chair.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m. The next regular session of the Senate will be held at 3:30p.m. on Monday, September 9, 1996, in Jacobson Faculty Hall 102.

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Sonya Fallgatter Connie Dillon

Administrative Coordinator Secretary