UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
FACULTY SENATE
MINUTES
Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting #6 ----
September 30, 2003
1. The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. on Tuesday,
September 30, 2003 in the third floor conference room in Green Hall,
Chairperson Beckman presiding. All members except Ms. Grubman and
Vice Chairperson Hollinshead were present.
2. Minutes of the September 23, 2003 meeting of the Faculty
Senate Executive Committee were read, amended and accepted as
amended.
3. Chairperson Beckman reported on correspondence and
conversations in regard to assuring proper process of faculty
governance as discussed at the September 16, 2003 meeting of the
Executive Committee:
a. Chairperson Beckman has spoken with Provost Swan
urging proper curricular affairs and Faculty Senate due process in
all discussions of department transfers and reorganization.
b. Chairperson Beckman spoke with Dean Seemann about the
importance of adherence to the curricular affairs and faculty senate
due process in the current application of the Department of Community
Planning and Area Development (CPAD) to transfer colleges.
c. Chairperson Beckman indicated that in their discussions the
Provost agreed to meet with representatives of CPAD once they again
meet with the Dean of CELS concerning their transfer from the
college.
d. Senator Rice reported that he delivered a copy of the latest
version of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences By-Laws
(Titled "College of Resource Development By-Laws, Revised January
1984) to the office of Dean Seemann
e. It was agreed that Chairperson Beckman will follow-up her
discussions with the Provost in a letter to maintain a written
record.
4. At 1:30 p.m. President Carothers arrived as per invitation,
and discussion ensued following the agenda that the Executive
Committee requested of him:
a. The President provided data about scholarships and
student recruitment:
1) All Centennial Scholarships are awarded on a 4-,
5-, or 6-year basis depending upon the normative length of the degree
program the student selects. The program covers tuition only and no
fees.
2) Typically in-state scholarships range from $1,000 to $4,000
and out of state students receive a range of $1,000 to $10,000 in
tuition waivers.
3) There is a fixed annual amount in the scholarship budgets, but
there has been growth in the program over the years: In 1994,
$600,000 was expended, in 1998, $5.1 million, and in 2003, $6.6
million; the budget request for 2005 includes $7.4 million.
4) The Hardge Grant Program is the only URI scholarship that
covers anything above tuition, allowing for book purchases. Most
Hardge recipients are eligible for matching federal grants and
scholarship programs thereby greatly reducing out of pocket expenses
at URI.
b. Discussion with the President ensued concerning directions and
process of decision making within the Joint Strategic Planning
Committee (JSPC).
1) Senator Boudreaux-Bartels noted that the JSPC is
apparently in a transition from an initial data gathering stage to a
mode of potentially making decisions and expressed concern about how
that is to proceed.
2) The President said that the FY 2006 budget request should be
the main vehicle to embody the strategic planning goals.
3) It was noted that there is concern by the Deans Council that
they are not well represented on the JSPC.
4) It was also noted that there is some faculty dissatisfaction
with the JSPC, but it was further noted that communication with the
faculty by JSPC members might alleviate most of the faculty concerns.
5) President Carothers noted that the JSPC might be the best
forum to discuss and mutually agree upon baseline data attendant to
meeting the goals set out in the Strategic Plan.
6) Chairperson Beckman noted that it may be appropriate to
collect Program Quality Analysis data to supplement the PCA since the
Budget Office will not be doing PCA data analyses this fiscal year.
President Carothers agreed that this step "sounds like a good idea."
7) Discussion ensued on how to best accumulate the various
strategic planning efforts around the University and how to best
prioritize them. The example was given of capital building projects
many years in the planning queue being displaced by newer proposals
with greater outside or non-state funding potential.
8) Discussion ensued on how the process of decisions should be
made by the JSPC. Vote? Total consensus? Majority and dissenting
minority opinions if there is no consensus? It was pointed out that
the charge of the JSPC is advisory to the President and the Faculty
Senate.
c. Discussion ensued with the President as to the progress of the
effort to free up FTEs to best utilize the opportunity to exempt all
research FTEs from the FTE cap.
President Carothers left the meeting at 2:40 p.m.
5. Under New Business, it was decided that Senator Yngve Ramstad
will be contacted regarding his report to the Senate on the
cost-efficiency of Athletics at URI.
6. Items to be placed on the agendas of future meetings of the
Executive Committee include:
a. Finalizing appointments to the Library Committee
(October 7)
b. Meeting with the Provost (October 7)
c. Meeting with the chairs of the Teaching Effectiveness
Committee and the Graduate Education and Research Committee.
Meeting adjourned at 2:52 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Michael A. Rice