Report from Faculty Council

Fall General Faculty Meeting

October 25, 2007

Faculty Council Activities

• For Faculty Ballot:– Revision of Representation Rules – Revision to Grievance Procedure

• Fiscal matters

• Support of academic freedom

• Repositioning the University– Reactions– Initiatives

Amendment for representation

• Current Collected Rules (300.010.H):The following divisions shall be entitled to representation on the Council: College of Agriculture; College of Arts and Science; College of Business and Public Administration; College of Education; College of Engineering; School of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; School of Health Related Professions; College of Home Economics; School of Journalism; School of Law; School of Library and Informational Science; School of Medicine; School of Nursing; College of Public and Community Services; and College of Veterinary Medicine.

Problems

• A couple of divisions no longer exist.

• Several units have changed their names to reflect expanded missions.

• Several new units (NSEI and Truman School) have been formed and are administered through the Graduate School.

Proposed Language

• Representation on the Council will be determined by division faculty numbers, where a division is defined as an academic unit headed by a dean who reports, for academic affairs, directly to the Provost. (To be effective beginning AY 08-09)

Effects and Rationale

• School of Natural Resources reports to Dean of CAFNR, so would be represented through that body. – CAFNR + SNR would have three representatives

instead of four, due to population.

• Other Schools (e.g., Accountancy and Music) report to Deans and already are represented through their colleges – consistency

• Future flexibility– We don’t want to have a ballot every time a College

changes its name.

Grievance Procedure

• Grievance procedures adopted on a 3-year trial basis. This is year 3.

• Procedures are working well, largely due to committee members Profs. Mintz, Torres and Youngquist

• Some changes recommended by Grievance committee, being considered by Faculty Affairs subcommittee (L. Rubin)

• Ballot this year, then send to Board of Curators for permanent adoption

Fiscal Matters

• Collegiality– Provost and Council Chair have hosted faculty

forums about budget and need to balance it.

• “1% committee” to identify potential savings

• Fiscal Affairs committee (J. Dow) looking at compliance costs, which have increased greatly, e.g., IRB up 60% in 5 years.

Academic Freedom

• Council directed Chair to send letters to President Lamb and Board of Curators commending them for their public support of Academic Freedom in research and teaching.

• Proposed language regarding “Intellectual Diversity.”– Respect for intellectual diversity has

historically been a given in the academy, but others on the outside may not recognize this.

Suggested Syllabus Language

• “The University community welcomes intellectual diversity and respects student rights. Students who have questions concerning the quality of instruction in this class may address concerns to either the Department Chair or Divisional leader or Director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. All students will have the opportunity to submit an anonymous evaluation of the instructor(s) at the end of the course.”

Actions

• Adopted by Council and sent to Provost to post on the website and communicate to faculty, similar to ADA statement.

• Not mandatory for faculty to use

• An office and website for complaints are mandated by Board action, and the campuses are required to notify students of these resources.

Repositioning the University

• Higher education, and MU in particular, are being used as targets by political forces.

• We could have a whole session on SB389– Budget and tuition restraints– Mandates that infringe on the constitutional

governance of the University

• Attacks on academic freedom

A few budget facts

• Missouri under-funds public higher ed.– Ranks 47th to 49th of 50 states in funding per income,

number of students, population, etc.– 50th in % increased funding since 2005

• (Source: Grapevine, Illinois State U.)

• By contrast, Missouri puts relatively more money into private education (scholarships/vouchers)– 33rd in amount per capita– 60% goes to private colleges (4th in nation)

– (Source: NASSGAP 37th annual survey)

– No tuition restraint, transferability, etc., required.

MU is underfunded relative to other state higher ed institutions

• Institution State $/undergrad FTE• Harris-Stowe $9,057• Lincoln $7,006• Truman $6,719• Southeast $6,469• Central $6,392• University Missouri System $5,402• Northwest $5,301• Missouri Western $5,282• MSU $5,067• Missouri Southern $4,941• MU $4,768

Source: MU Flagship CouncilBoC 7/07 meeting documents

Clearly, this situation must change.

How?

If deference, self-effacement and simply doing our jobs were key,

we would be rich.

But we aren’t.

We must reclaim our identity as the knowledge reservoir and

innovation engine for Missouri.

Proposal to drop the “-Columbia” to restore our historic name is a

first step.

Other Steps Council has Taken

• Liaison with the MU Flagship Council– www.mizzouflagshipcouncil.com– Political Action Committee

• Outreach initiative– Vast areas of the State have no clue about what we

do.– How will we communicate our unique

accomplishments?– We have some mechanisms, but they don’t engage a

large sample of the faculty.

A model, developed by faculty

• Our presentation to Board of Curators on October 5 focused on outreach activities:– Mentoring (Dr. Ellis Ingram, Medicine)– Service to professionals (Dr. Debra Mason,

Center for Religion and the Professions)– Saturday Morning Science (Drs. Bruce

McClure, Wouter Montfrooij, Marc Johnson)

• These are representative, not exhaustive.

Some activities that faculty can do

• Saturday Morning Science can be brought to outstate areas – Contacts through Science Teachers of

Missouri, present and former Curators, etc.– Extension, Alumni Association, etc.

• Why not Saturday Morning Shakespeare? Or Civil War History? Or .....

This is my personal agenda as Faculty Council Chair

• Need gas money and maybe lodging

• Participation must be a positive factor in evaluations of faculty.

• You will get a call or an email.

A Final Thought

• “If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have the opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.”

• Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor, June 4, 1798, after passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts