IU Northwest Faculty Organization Minutes, October 1996

FACULTY ORGANIZATION MINUTES
October 18, 1996

Call to Order/Approval of Minutes
Chair Don Coffin called the meeting to order at 10:00am. The minutes of September 20, 1996 were approved as distributed.
Chancellor's Business
- A. President Brand visited the campus on October 9th. He will visit two more times during the academic year.
- B. Porter County site. A lease has been signed to rent space in the Porter Commons. Site selection was based upon a study conducted by Les Singer and Gary Lynch. Classes will begin in January.
- C. Advertisements. Billboards have been placed on I65, I80/94, and in Michigan City. Four additional billboards will be rotated around various Porter County sites to advertise the Porter County extension education program.
- D. Highway monument. Will be on south side of I80/94 prior to the Broadway exit. It will be an illuminated sign in the IU colors. Money is provided by an anonymous donor.
- E. Scholarships. Forty-four scholarships totaling $460,000 were awarded this year. Bill May is developing a publication outlining the various scholarships available at IUN.
- F. Hawthorn Hall. The Chancellor thanked the long suffering residents of Hawthorn Hall.
- G. Student Activities Building. Despite the monetary shortfall, we will not compromise on space. We may have to rebid on the design.
- H. Child Care Center. Building sites are under consideration.
- I. Training issues. Charlie Hobson is working on a plan to offer training sessions throughout the year. The faculty is strongly encouraged to attend.
Vice Chancellor's Business
- A. Travel money. The procedures for applying for additional travel monies were distributed earlier this week. If you need a copy, please contact VC Veeder's office.
- B. Annual Teaching Award. The prize money has been increased to $1,500.
- C. Course/program redesign. VC Veeder encouraged divisions/ departments to redesign courses/programs for non-traditional students. For example, offering an intensive class day over a shorter period of time.
Chair's Business
- A. United Way. Charles Gallmeier introduced Teresa Cameron, an IUN graduate of the UTEP program. She thanked the University for past support and discussed various options for contributing to the program. The deadline is November 18, 1996.
- B. Introduction of Data Center Specialist. Tim Sutherland introduced Elizabeth Mercer-Taylor. Ms. Mercer-Taylor will have an office in the library and be responsible for organizing the Government Data Center, which is funded by SDI.
- C. Leadership conference. On November 15, there will be a conference in Indianapolis. IUN may send three representatives. State legislators will be present. If interested, contact Don Coffin.
- D. UFC Business.
  - 1. A new student code of conduct has been adopted. The IUN Student Affairs Committee previously reviewed the document.
  - 2. The Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards (TERA) were discussed.
Committee Reports
- A. Library Committee. Paul Kern reported that the Library Committee has approved the Library's materials budget for 1996-97. Moved and seconded: that the Library materials budget for 1996-1997 be approved as distributed. There was no discussion. The budget was approved.
Old Business. None.
New Business
- A. Discussion of the Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards (TERA.) Don Coffin provided some background information and stated that there are two issues: (1) the proposed UFC guidelines and (2) how TERA will be handled on this campus. He emphasized that today's discussion regarded the UFC guidelines.
  
  Don Szarkowicz summarized the Teaching & AV Committee's TERA report, which was distributed prior to the meeting. TERA gives the faculty an opportunity to discuss what constitutes "excellence in teaching." The committee was concerned about the need to streamline the teaching portion of the Annual Report and to standardize the course evaluation process. Finally, the Committee felt eligibility exclusions should be minimized.
  Alan Barr continued by summarizing the report of the Faculty Affairs Committee. He outlined several concerns and inconsistencies in the UFC guidelines: (1) associate faculty do not provide annual reviews (2) the three years of employment eligibility statement is unclear (3) award frequency issue is uncertain (4) amount of award is not specified (5) status of librarians and lecturers (6) could the award be given with other awards. VC Veeder stated that TERA monies could not be combined with other monies to create a larger financial award or one with an alternative purpose/title. She continued that a faculty member could receive a TERA award and still be eligible to receive other teaching awards during the same year.
  On behalf of Charlie Hobson, Don Coffin read the report of the Faculty Development Committee, which had been distributed via e-mail. Following these reports, several issues/questions were voiced:
  - 1. How the money would be divided. Traditionally, monies on this campus have been divided along Divisional lines. If TERA award monies are not divided, there will be direct competition among the divisions.
  - 2. Using the annual report as a "campaigning" tool for awards is not the purpose of the review and would place the emphasis on who best describes themselves.
  - 3. Would only the teaching portion of the annual report be utilized? What about the supervisor's comments and course evaluations? There are confidentiality issues to be addressed if annual reports are to be used.
  - 4. There are variations in annual report documentation, particularly for the librarians.
  - 5. The department and divisional chairs are in the best position to evaluate excellent teaching rather than a campus wide committee.
  VC Veeder indicated that these are all important issues to be resolved at the local level, to allow the campus to tailor the awards. Further, current UFC guidelines require the annual report in the awards process, primarily because using the report would negate the need for an additional application and reduce paper work.
  During discussions, it was suggested that if we are going to ask UFC to remove the annual report requirement, we should suggest an alternative. Alan Lindmark proposed a review process which would include an outside reviewer, using student evaluations, and interviewing individual students.
  Motion: IUN's representatives to the UFC should seek to remove the annual report requirements from the TERA guidelines. Moved and seconded. The motion was approved 22 to 13.
- B. Bookstore. Alan Barr reported that the Faculty Affairs Committee is working with the bookstore and the Student Affairs Committee on issues raised at last month's meeting.
- C. Faculty benefits. Alan Barr outlined the opinions of the Faculty Affairs Committee on methods for recognizing progress and achievement beyond the full professor level.
  - 1. The Committee is not interested in creating new labels/titles.
  - 2. Endowed chairs. Mr. Barr reported that funding usually comes from outside the university. Chancellor Richards indicated that IUN may not have the level of outside support needed to create endowed chairs. She thought that if outside funding were acquired, the university may provide matching funds.
  - 3. Emeritus status. What does "emeritus" status mean and how is it achieved? A Dean or Department may nominate someone for emeritus status as a recognition of achievement. Said status grants office space and library privileges.
    Chancellor Richards pointed out that there is annual recognition award given by the Chancellor's office. VC Veeder indicated that there are other labels being used throughout the system, mainly in Bloomington. The Academic Officers are discussing the issue.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00.

Submitted by: Ellen Bosman, Secretary

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FACULTY ORGANIZATION

MINUTES

October 18, 1996