The University of Iowa
FACULTY SENATE
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
3:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Iowa Room, 335 Iowa Memorial Union

Members Present: David Asprey, Daniel Balderston, Linda Boyle, Kenneth Brown, Garry Buettner, Gloria Bulechek, Jay Christensen-Szalanski, Steve Collins, Jane Desmond, Virginia Dominguez, David Drake, Sarah Fagan, Denise Filios, Robert Garrett, Jennifer Glass, Frederick Goodman, Kathleen Hanson, Paul Heidger, Ronald Herman, Bruce Justman, Craig Kletzing, Yi Li, Lance Lichtor, Thomas Loew, Donald MacFarlane, Mazen Maktabi, Rene Martin, Steve McGuire, Todd Pettys, Lynn Richman, Catherine Ringen, Jarjisu Sa-Aadu, Thomas Schmidt, Victoria Sharp, Linda Snetselaar, Karin Southard, Janet Specht, Anne Sullivan, Downing Thomas, Brad Thompson, Tuong Ton-That, John Westefeld, Catherine Woodman

Members Absent: William Clarke, Edwin Dove, Richard Fumerton, Thomas Grabowski, Carin Green, Judith Heggen, Geoffrey Hope, David Min, James Nepola, Thomas O’Dorisio, Beth Pelton, Amy Poremba, Gary Russell, William Sharp, Christie Thomas, Geb Thomas, Steve Vincent

Members Excused: Susan Birrell, Christine Catney, Claibourne Dungy, Vicki Grassian, Mark Karwal, Johna Leddy, Frank Mitros, Jose Morcuende, Michael O’Hara, Christine Pawley, John Sutphin, Walter Vispoel, Marcia Ward

Faculty Senate Officers in Attendance: Richard LeBlond, President; Sheldon Kurtz, Vice President; Michael Cohen, Secretary; Katherine Tachau, Past President

Guests: Charles Drum (University Relations), John Keller (Graduate College), Gregg Hennigan (Press-Citizen), Michael Hogan (Office of the Provost), Sam Edsill (Daily Iowan), Bill Reisinger (Office of the Provost), Jennifer Modestou (EOD), Cynthia Joyce (Ombuds), Craig Porter (Ombuds), Lola Lopes (Office of the Provost), Eugene Spaziani (Emeritus Faculty Council), Jennie Smazik (Faculty Senate Office)

I.          Call to Order

President LeBlond called the meeting to order at 3:34 pm.

II.  Approvals

   A.  Revised Meeting Agenda

A motion to approve the revised meeting agenda was made by Professor Ringen and seconded by Professor Heidger; it was approved unanimously by voice vote.  The discussion of the Council on Teaching Charter Revision was deferred to a future meeting.

   B.     Faculty Senate Minutes, September 6, 2005

Professor Tachau moved, second by Professor McGuire, to approve the Minutes of September 6, 2005.  The motion was unanimously approved by voice vote.

   C.     Recommended Committee Replacements

Professor Kurtz made the following recommendations for Committee replacements, seconded by Professor Maktabi:

  • FRIC: Jane Chalmers (Dentistry)
  • Student Publications: Steve Berry (Journalism)
  • Council on Teaching (1 year): Mary Trachsel (Rhetoric)

The motion was approved unanimously by voice vote.  A vacancy in the Diversity Committee (1 year) remains, for which suggestions are being sought.

III.  Reports

   A.   Faculty Senate President, Richard LeBlond

1.   Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics Annual Meeting December 2-3, 2006, Pullman, WA.
Professor Dungy will represent the institution at the upcoming COIA meeting.  He is a member of the Council and a member of the Presidential Committee on Athletics. 

2.  NCAA Self-Study, Vice Provost Pat Cain, (Report found at http://www.uiowa.edu/~our/ncaa-cert/)
The self-study is nearly complete and the majority of the report is available on-line at the URL listed above.  The complete report is due this month and will be followed by a site visit February 8-10, 2006.

3.  CIC Meeting, November 4-5, 2005, East Lansing, MI
Faculty Senate President LeBlond will be representing the institution at the upcoming CIC meeting.  The focus of the meeting is on senate infrastructure and the senate’s interactions with university central administration.

4.   Charitable Giving Enrollment, Richard LeBlond
Senate President LeBlond indicated that the reported faculty contribution to United Way through payroll deduction was< 5%, significantly lower than other CIC institutions.  He recognized that many faculty were very generous with their philanthropic support but that this was difficult to capture.  He encouraged faculty members to use payroll deduction if they support the programs available through this means.

5.   Statement of Support for President Skorton, Richard LeBlond and Sheldon Kurtz
The statement of support was sent to the Board of Regents but no response has been received. 

6.   Road’s Scholars Proposal, Downing Thomas
Professor Thomas, with help from Professor McGuire and Ms. Jane van Vooorhis (President Skorton’s Office), helped prepare a proposal for the Iowa Engagement Core, and was submitted by the October 6 deadline.  The proposal focuses in newly promoted faculty who will be involved with a dialogue of Iowa citizens about the University. 

7.   Faculty Senate Directory, Senate President LeBlond

IV.  New Business

   A.   Presentation, and Q & A, Provost Michael Hogan

Senate President LeBlond introduced Provost Hogan.

Provost Hogan presented remarks about his first 18 months in office, summarizing his focus during the past year and where he will spend his time in the upcoming year.  More specifically, he discussed the following:

  • Provost Hogan thanked other staff in his office, including the associate provosts, and summarized some of the reorganizations that have taken place in his office
  • The new strategic plan, The Iowa Promise: <http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/news/strategic-plans/strat-plan-05-10/>
    • This strategic plan focuses on 5 key areas: undergraduate education, graduate and professional education & research, diversity, vitality, and engagement. 
    • Provost Hogan focused his comments on two of these areas-- undergraduate education (including the freshman seminar series, the Honors Program, service learning, a formal review of the undergraduate experience, general education requirements, and the 2+2 Program [a closer working relationship between UI and community colleges]) and diversity (including the Diversity Action Committee, the Faculty Diversity Opportunity Program, and the Gender Equity Task Force). 
  • Provost Hogan then discussed some budgetary matters, including the Transformation Plan, details about how reallocations are being carried out, the loss of close to 90 tenure track faculty lines because of cuts in state appropriations between 2001 and 2005, and his priority on increasing faculty salaries (which have fallen to 10th out of 11 among peer institutions). 
  • Provost Hogan commented about the importance of shared governance and the role of the Faculty Senate in this process.
  • Provost Hogan explained his decision about the role of associate deans & associate provosts in the promotion and tenure process.
  • Provost Hogan announced his plans to form a committee to review the tenure clock.
  • Provost Hogan encouraged faculty to look at the Provost’s Office web page: <http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/> .
  • Finally, Provost Hogan responded to questions from the Faculty Senate.

   B.   Ombudsperson Office Presentation, Cynthia Joyce and Craig Porter

Professor Porter and Ms. Joyce, both relatively new to the Ombuds Office, gave a report about the Office, and then responded to questions about the role of the Office.

   C.   Insurance Rates and TIAA/CREF, Professor Sheldon Kurtz

Professor Kurtz indicated that an average ~6% increase in premiums for health insurance rates could be expected, although this was plan dependent.  In addition, he reported that TIAA would be increasing its options, starting January 1, 2006, to 59 funds, including, so called, life cycle funds, that will be available on the TIAA website (http://www.tiaa-cref.org/ ).  Professor Kurtz also mentioned that generic drugs would be available at no cost to the employee, and that life insurance would we available without evidence of insurability.

Professor Kurtz also discussed an external review of the health plans and the establishment of health savings accounts (HSAs).  This is an issue that will be explored by FRIC in the upcoming year.  In addition, it was recommended that the number of plans be decreased from four to three; this will be explored also by FRIC in the upcoming year.

V.  From the floor

None

VI.  Announcements

  1. Faculty Council, November 15, 3:30-5:15, Penn State Room, 337 IMU
  2. UI Catalyst Awards Ceremony, November 16, 4:00-5:30, Second Floor Ballroom, IMU
  3. Faculty Senate, November 29, 3:30-5:15, Terrace Room, 166 IMU

VII.  Adjournment

There being no further business, Senate President LeBlond adjourned the meeting at 5:13 pm.