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Scenes from Faculty Senate

Joint Strategic Planning Committee

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

10:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Green Hall President's Conference Room

Attendance: Robert Carothers, Beverly Swan, Tom Dougan, Bob Weygand, Faye Boudreaux-Bartels, Celest Martin, Karen Ramsay, Bill Rosen, Michael Rice, Jim Kowalski, Kevin Lopes, Roxanne Gomes, Soledade Surrette, Ann Morrissey, Abu Bakr. Guest: Linda Barrett

Announcements: Members of the committee introduced themselves. New members Roxanne Gomes, Jim Kowalski and Karen Ramsay were welcomed to the group.

Faculty Senate Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels thanked Anne Morrissey, Abu Bakr, and Linda Barrett for their efforts to orient the new members of the JSPC to the work of the committee. She reported that the Faculty Senate had referred questions about the length of terms of members of the Executive Committee to the Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual Committee (CBUM). She explained that this request was the result of concern about the continuity of faculty members on the JSPC.

Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels also announced that the Faculty Senate had approved a proposal to establish a research corporation at the University.

President Carothers said that he thought that 2003-04 had been a very productive year for the Faculty Senate.

Minutes: The minutes of the May 5, 2004 meeting were approved as distributed.

FY '05 Budget Update: President Carothers reviewed for the committee the Fiscal '05 budget changes proposed by the Legislature. Of specific concern was the Legislature 's intention to cut $2 million from the Higher Education Budget ($1.2 million from URI) in light of the $4 million additional funds expected from tuition and fees. Also a major issue was the Legislature's decision to remove from the Board of Governors their prerogative to transfer funds between the three institutions and the Office of Higher Education.

President Carothers said that the Board was not aware in advance that the House Finance Committee would propose the structural changes, which had not been discussed previously.

Ms. Barrett reported that the University was awaiting guidelines from the Board on how to reduce the budget by $1.2 million. She explained that the Fiscal '05 budget was on the Board's Agenda for their June 28 meeting.

President Carothers explained that while the State appropriation covers approximately 46% of the CCRI budget and 40% of the budget for RIC, it only supports 19% of URI's budget.

Metrics for the Strategic Plan: Mr. Bakr reviewed with the committee data and other information that he had compiled for a review of the status of the University's efforts with regard to the targets identified in the President's Strategic Plan.

Members of the JSPC made a number of suggestions to improve and clarify the data and the presentation of that data.

Next meeting: It was agreed to meet next on August 5 at 10:30 a.m. The '06 budget, including budget priorities, and an update on capital projects were agreed upon as the main items for discussion. The JSPC decided that they would also develop a schedule for fall meetings at that time.

The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m.