MINUTES

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting #33 – March 18, 2011

1. The meeting was called to order at 11:05 a.m. on Friday, March 18, 2011 in the President’s Conference Room in Green Hall, Chairperson Eaton presiding. All members were present.

2. Announcements/Correspondence

a. Ms. Grubman announced that the FSEC’s next meeting with President Dooley had been rescheduled for April 1.

b. Chairperson Eaton and Vice Chairperson Larsen reported on their recent meeting with President Dooley. They said that the President had informed them that the University had hired a consultant to perform a marketing study on the feasibility of developing a Research Park.

c. The Executive Committee agreed to meet with Professor Ordoñez on March 25 at 11:30 a.m. regarding the upcoming Report of the Council for Research on Intellectual Property Policy.

4. Following discussion, the Executive Committee agreed to appoint the following faculty members to the Administrator Evaluation Committee for Vice Provost Katz: Professor Denise Coppa from the College of Nursing, Professor Brett Lucht from the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor Sarina Wyant from the University Libraries. Ms. Grubman reported that Professor Rosen would next contact Vice Provost Katz and Provost DeHayes for names of their faculty appointees to the committee.

5. The Executive Committee met with Provost DeHayes and Vice Provost Beauvais from 11:30 to 12:30. The following matters were considered:

a. The Executive Committee brought the Provost up to date with their ideas regarding the establishment of a Faculty Senate Outstanding Service Award. Provost DeHayes was supportive of the idea and suggested that the FSEC might want to contact the URI Foundation about adding an award for faculty service to the four awards they present each year.

Also discussed were other ways of acknowledging faculty members for their service, such as thanking them in person and in writing and giving service greater consideration when making tenure and promotion decisions.

b. The Executive Committee thanked the Provost for inviting them to the Council of Deans’ Budget Hearings on March 23. Provost DeHayes encouraged the members of the Executive Committee to participate in the discussions rather than observing them. He said that transparency was even more important in years of lean budgets and difficult decisions.

c. Provost DeHayes informed the FSEC that he had asked some members of the Council of Deans to report on how the University might better coordinate the variety of experiential learning opportunities for students at URI. He said that while different parts of the University were providing these experiences for students, there was no central clearing house or guidelines for them and their availability was not publicized in any consistent and cohesive way. He said that he wanted to ensure that students, faculty and outside organizations and agencies are more aware of opportunities for experiential learning.

d. Provost DeHayes reported on the upcoming press release on the decision to study the feasibility of developing a Research Park. He said that the administration decided it was time to take another look at possibilities for development and possible partnerships between the University and outside entities without narrowing in on specific locations.

e. The Provost and members of the Executive Committee discussed the establishment of joint ad hoc committee to examine advising at the University and identify ways to make improvements in structure, advisor training, along with encouraging students to use the opportunities available to them. It was agreed that the committee would initially serve on an ad hoc basis and could, if it thinks it is feasible, recommend the establishment of a more long-term group.

6. The Executive Committee began planning for the March 31 Faculty Senate meeting. Ms. Grubman noted that the FSEC had received copies of the Report of the CBUM Committee, the most recent iteration of the Council for Research Report on Intellectual Property Policy and the Report of the Admissions Advisory Committee.

They discussed including other matters. Other items that might be included on the March Agenda were revised legislation on the drop period, a progress report from the UCGE Committee and a formal recommendation to establish a joint committee on online instruction.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sheila Black Grubman