Faculty Senate Meeting

4-20-2005

Present: Bob Block, Henry Scarton, Rena Bizios, Ron Eglash, Joel Plawsky, Bruce Nauman, Sandy Sternstein, Deborah Kaminski, Patricia Search, Christoph Steinbruchel, Bill St. John, Jeff Durgee, J. Keith Nelson, Bob Degeneff, Tamar Gordon

Absent: Cheryl Geisler, Ning Xiang, Shekhar Garde, Chjan Lim, Mary Anne Waltz, William Pearlman, Roger Wright

Guests: Joe Hamburg, Jane Koretz, Bud Peterson, Shep Salon, John Schroeder, Bernard Fleishman, Jim Napolitano, Dan Berg, Cheng Hsu, Tom Apple, Sunderesh Heragu, Steve Derby, Kevin Craig, Charles Malmborg

Agenda

Approval of Minutes from the 3-9-2005 and 4-6-2005 Faculty Senate Meetings and 3-23-2005 General Faculty Mtg

Motion Regarding Election Results

Election Results

Consideration of Tabled Motions

Approval of Minutes from the 3-9-2005 and 4-6-2005 Faculty Senate Meetings

and 3-23-2005 General Faculty Meeting

With minor revisions, all Minutes were unanimously approved.

Motion Regarding Election Results

Debbie Kaminski, Secretary of the Senate, raised an issue regarding the depth requirement motion being put on the ballot although not discussed at the general faculty meeting. According to the Constitution, issues of importance are required to be discussed at a meeting of the general faculty. She feels a procedural error was made therefore the Faculty Senate should not accept the results of that part of the ballot. For last year’s election, the Plus/Minus Proposal had been discussed at length at a general faculty meeting in addition to a webpage on the faculty senate website being devoted for discussion.

It was noted that it was a poorly crafted resolution since it combined the science and H&SS requirements. Rena Bizios, Secretary of the Faculty thinks it is a possibility that it was not handled correctly and thinks there should not be any doubt associated with the approval or disapproval of the depth requirement motion.

Motion: Due to procedural irregularities, the results of the depth requirement resolution should not be accepted by the Senate. Seconded.

Vote: 13 in favor, unanimous approval.

Motion by Debbie Kaminski: I move that the depth requirement be put on the ballot as two separate motions in the fall: one for the H&SS requirement and one for Science requirement. Seconded.

Vote: 13 in favor, unanimous approval.

Election Results – Achille Messac

Achille Messac, Chair of the Election Committee, presented the election results. He said that all of the contested election results were very convincing, most by over 50%, except the Senator at large position in which there is a tie for the fourth available seat. The election turnout this year was 43.2% of eligible voters cast ballots as opposed to 21.3% from last year’s election.

There are several votes that will take place in the Faculty Senate. Sandy Sternstein was concerned that the election process occurring at the Faculty Senate meeting was flawed. He made the following motion: With the exception of a vote on the Senator at large and the Hartford Senator, the remainder of the proposals should be tabled pending detailed information that is appropriate for an informed and intelligent vote.

At this time, Sandy Sternstein was unable to remain present at the Faculty Senate Meeting.

Vote: unanimous rejection of the motion.

The secret ballot to break the tie for the Senator at large position revealed W. Randolph Franklin as the winner of the fourth seat. Although a candidate for the Hartford Senator position was not found prior to the election, the recent candidate brought forth by the Hartford campus was voted upon by the Faculty Senate and proved in favor of Lou Gingerella. The vote for the Science representative on the Election Committee was in favor of Daniele Cherniak. The vote for the Planning & Resources Committee at-large member was in favor of Henry Scarton. A motion was made to accept the results of the election; unanimous approval.

Consideration of Tabled Motions

At this time, the meeting was closed to administrative faculty. The tabled motions of the previous meeting were discussed.

Motion: Move to reissue the governance survey in its original form.

Vote: Motion did not pass.

Motion: Move that the Faculty Senate issue the Provost a vote of no confidence.

Vote: Motion passed.

Motion: Move that the next and final Faculty Senate Meeting schedule for May 4, 2005 become a General Faculty Meeting.

Vote: Unanimous approval