Present: Chris Chalokwu, Kay Durden, James Fieser, Melba Figgins, Stephanie Kolitsch, Dorotha Norton, Robert Self, Stan Sieber, Doug Sterrett
Absent: Bill Austin, Mary Ellen Cowser for Margrethe Ahlschwede, Earlene Moore, Susan Vickerstaff
1. The committee considered the following change to the Faculty Handbook:
Under 1.3.2.2.1 Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of the University of Tennessee At Martin
Article II, Section 1
B. Elected Members: Criteria, Election, and Term of Office. Members of the Faculty Senate shall be elected from those members of the faculty meeting the following criteria at the time of election: (1) the holding of full-time appointment with academic rank, (2) the performance of academic duties totaling at least half-time teaching or professional library service, and (3) employment at UTM such that three (3) years service in a tenure track position will be completed prior to the beginning of the term of office (with the exception of faculty in the Department of Military Science). [ If there are no faculty members within representative schools or independent departments who meet the three years of service requirement then faculty members who have completed at least one year of full-time appointment in a tenure track position at UTM shall be considered for election to the Faculty Senate.]This proposal is a response to a dilemma faced by the School of Engineering. The school will not have faculty member eligible to serve as a Senate representative under the current language. The proposal passed.
1.2.2 ACCREDITINGUTM and its programs are accredited by the following agencies: the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the American Chemical Society, the American Dietetic Association, the Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Council of Social Work Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, the National League for Nursing, and the
Technology[Engineering] Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering [and] Technology.
3. The committee considered a faculty member's concern about email balloting. After considerable discussion, the committee decided that a good starting point would be to see if other campuses have any language in their respective Handbooks concerning email balloting. Dr. Chalokwu agreed to investigate this possibility.
4. Dr. Chalokwu mentioned as an information item that issues involving copyrights are currently being investigated by the Instruction Committee. Any language to be added to the Faculty Handbook concerning this issue will come before the Personnel Policies Committee.
5. Issues surrounding current searches by various departments were discussed. No action was taken by the committee.
6. The meeting adjourned at 4:00.
Respectfully Submitted,
Stephanie Kolitsch (for Chris Chalokwu)