Faculty Congress

FC EC Minutes January 12, 2015

Introduction

Meeting Date: January 12, 2015.

Meeting Location: Student Services Conference Room.

In Attendance: Kim Furumo, James Beets, Michael Bitter, Jan Ray, Faith Mishina, Norbert Furumo, Avis Masuda.

Guest: Chancellor Don Straney.

Call to Order: 4:00 p.m.

Topic: Chancellor’s Updates

  • Policy on Consensual Relations – President Lassner will convene system-wide group to draft policy.
  • Letter from FC EC to request immediate action.
  • BOR - Policy review currently underway on faculty workloads, performance reviews; teaching, research and scholarship. UH Hilo policy has been in place—we count teaching credits.
    • Periodic evaluation – 5 Year Review.
      • Chancellor would like something in effect by Spring to be put into place by Fall 2015.
      • Sponsored by UHPA & Congress – host a faculty forum to discuss professional expectations; departmental expectations.
      • Chancellor to send letter out in January.
      • Faculty Forum in February.
    • Consider course releases as reassignments.
  • Unified course numbering system across campuses for General Ed. (e.g., GE – difficult for students to transfer - Community Colleges perceive UH Hilo GEs as different and do not refer students).
  • New VP for Academic Affairs at System: Dr. Risa Dickson.
  • Consider rescheduling meeting on some Mondays to accommodate Chancellor being able to attend FC EC Meetings.

Kim passed out Ongoing Issues

  • Motions awaiting approval.
  • Aviation Program – get through Curriculum Central; present at February Congress.
  • 5 Year Review.
  • Continuous Enrollment Grad Council Policy.
  • Tracking Course Releases.
  • University 101 – to be discussed at next Congress meeting.
  • Faculty Development Committee
  • Faculty Lounge
    • Chancellor and VCs coffee session Friday, January 30th @ 9:30am.
  • 3 Year Staggered Terms for Congress Representatives.

Jim Reports

  • Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) motion passed in November. Issues to consider:
    • Place ALDP under Faculty Development Committee; suggest making Faculty Development a standing committee.
  • Terms of service:
    • Congress member has 2 year term; usually not on standing committee in first year.
    • Jim suggests changing by-laws that each representatives must serve on standing committee.
      • Reconsider 3 year terms for Congress representatives and 2 year terms for Standing Committee chairs.
      • If reps were on 3 year terms, they could learn in Year 1 and then serve on standing committee for Year 2 and 3.
      • State in by-laws that Vice Chair is chair-elect.
  • Add by-law to add minutes recorded; posted; track motions.

Continuous Registration: FC members met with Scott Saft and members of the Grad Council to clarify roles between Faculty Congress and Grad Council. It was decided that policy changes identified by the Grad Council would come to the Faculty Congress Executive Committee where it would be decided whether the issue needed to go to the overall Faculty Congress. Jim Beets would like to analyze the implications of the proposed motion and the Faculty Congress Executive Committee will decide whether to send the Continuous Registration motion forward to FC shortly.

Topic: Vox populi

Report: None.

Action: None.

Topic: Adjournment

Report: None.

Action: Meeting adjourned 5:15 p.m.