Faculty Senate Meeting
Absent: Brenda Niekamp-DA; Mark
Long-ENG; Terry Ehrhardt-GLM; Mike Denn-Network Security; Del Bullock-Welding;
Roy Rost-Diesel Equipment; Amy Patrick-English Committee Chair
Meeting called to order at
5:17 PM.
January Faculty Senate
Minutes – motion to accept - accepted
Treasurer (Tinker Clift) -
$3700
Standing Committees – no reports
1. Tuition increase
2. Intellectual Property SOS passed
1. Greta Hecker gave an update on the Transformation
Teams
2. COP 5.5 (Gifts) was passed
3. COP for Website Design was tabled (ask your faculty
for comments)
4. Holiday Schedule for 2004 and 2005 was given
5. Spring Break for 2005 will probably be March 14 - 18
6. New Leave Request Forms were discussed
7. DE-REG Students who took the money and ran - $42,000
8. Racial Profiling Reports indicate that stops are in
proportion to race.
Faculty and staff need to
have input on SOS and Management Council Meetings. Elton Stuckly and John Spradling will discuss this with their
cohorts.
According to state law
(Right to Work) there is no OBLIGATION to give a reason for non-renewal but the
law does not mandate that cause cannot be given. TSTC’s position is that only the minimum necessary will be given
(no reason). TSTC’s position is
basically that to discover a reason for termination, the employee must file a
lawsuit. TSTC apparently prefers
legation to proper supervision and documentation.
The Faculty Senate’s
position is that causes for non-renewal or termination should be given and an
appeals process setup. TSTC’s position
on no-cause for renewal also indicates that “academic freedom” as required by
SAC is mote.
In regard to other state
supported institutions of higher learning, TSTC is the only institute that does
not give tenure for full time faculty nor will show cause for termination of
employees and maintains that TSTC can terminate for any reason other than
discrimination.
TSTC needs a process in
place that recognizes the reason for faculty (or staff) dismissal and an
appeals process.
The Faculty Senate believes
(as proposed in its past resolution) that faculty should only be terminated
(non-renewal) for particular causes as recommended in traditional academic
institutions and those documented causes be given to the employee upon
termination.
The autocratic behavior of
administration toward TSTC employees only enhances an atmosphere of mistrust
and causes employees not to be proactive in stating problems (and solutions)
that might affect the college as a whole due to the possibility of termination
if the administration disagrees. If
employees were assured due process, they might be more forthcoming in
identifying problems, solutions, improvements, and advocating changes that
could make TSTC more effective.
The Faculty Senate will
continue dialog with President’s Cabinet and others in the administration to
address this issue.
And ad hoc faculty
evaluation appeals committee was formed to develop an appeals procedure in coordination
with the Vice President for Student Learning.
The committee, which was appointed by the Faculty Senate President,
consists of Tom Dean, Joyce Spivey, and Steve Betros.
The Faculty Senate President
will appoint an Ad Hoc Election Committee.
The President-Elect will
take office immediately after the election and become President on September 1.
No position of President-Elect will exist during the other parts of the year.
This will eliminate a period of 1.5 years before a president takes office.
Senators should discuss this amendment with faculty members.
Actual Changes:
ARTICLE 1
President-Elect (Vice President)
shall:
1.
Assume the duties of the Senate President after one year
on September 1st, or when the office
becomes vacant, or in the absences of the Senate President.
2. The position of President-Elect will only
exist between the following period of time:
a) immediately
after the announcement of the Ad Hoc Election Committee to the Faculty Senate
of the results of the newly elected officers and,
b) August 31st of the election year.
3. Perform duties and functions as assigned by the Senate President.
Article III – Section 2
The newly elected officers will be announced during
the next Senate meeting immediately after the election. The term of office will
begin, with the exception of President-Elect,
September 1st and continue for one year.
The President-Elect will assume the
position following the announcement of the Ad Hoc Election Committee to the
Faculty Senate of the results of the newly elected officers and August 31st.
On September 1st, the President-Elect will assume the office of
President and continue for one year.
*MOTION TO PRESENT FOR CONSIDERATION THE BYLAW CHANGE
Motion accepted and will be
discussed and voted on for final approval during the March meeting.
Gerald Collum submitted his
letter of resignation as Secretary of the Faculty Senate.
Todd Ewing was nominated
(sole nominee) and elected by a vote of the Senators as Faculty Senate
Secretary until August 31, 2004.
Announcement: BSA merit
Badge College on April 16-18.
MOTION TO ADJORN 6:02