Loyola University Chicago

FACULTY AFFAIRS UPC
Minutes of the Meeting of
October 12, 2007

PRESENT: Pat Simpson, Chair, Harvey Boller, Heather Cannon, Pamela Caughie, Donna Halinski, Gloria Jacobson, Susan Mezey, Tim O’Connell, Peter Schraeder.

ABSENT:  David Prasse.

Minutes taken by: Francesca Pirovano

1. Introductory Matters:

   The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m..

   The Chair emphasized the strict confidentiality of discussions at the meeting. 

   Minutes of the meeting of September 21, 2007 were approved, contingent on the addition of the letter sent by the Chair to the Provost and the Provost’s response to the committee.

   Susan Mezey, who took the seat previously occupied by Ken Olson, was introduced to the committee.

   A motion to make the tuition policy changes and community service and immersion policy discussions the first order of business was approved unanimously.

2. New Business:

   Tuition Policy Changes

   It was noted that the Chair of the FA-UPC should request that Tom Kelly communicate the proposed changes in tuition policy to the Graduate Council as soon as feasible.

   A motion to approve the tuition policy changes was approved unanimously.

   Community Service and Immersion Programs Policy

   A motion was unanimousapprove the Community Service and Immersion Programs Policy as currently written.  It was observed that the current references to faculty are inappropriate and should be deleted so that the policy applies to staff only.  The Chair of the FA-UPC will indicate in the formal response to the Provost on this proposal that the FA-UPC strongly encourages the development of an appropriate parallel policy suitable for faculty that specifically addresses the nature of the faculty contract period and their distinctive relationship to Departmental Chairs and/or Deans. This motion was approved unanimously.

3. Old Business:

   Discussion of the School of Communication Proposal

   Curricular Focus on Ethics
   Concerns were raised as to the lack of a formal Ethics component in the curriculum. A  may take up the larger matter of problems within the current shared governance system that perhaps artificially and inefficiently delimit the bounds of responsibility given to university policy committees

   Market Analysis

   Concerns were also raised about the FA-UPC not being made aware of any market analysis or research into whether or not the graduate program will be successful. No formal action on this concern seemed appropriate at this time.  The issue will be taken up when the FA-UPC takes up the larger issue of communicating to the wider university community what documentation should accompany policies and program brought before this body.

   Tenure Track Percentages
   A motion was proposed to include a statement on page 14 of the proposal: indicating that at least 2/3 of the faculty lines will be tenure track. The motion was unanimously approved.  (See the formal communication to the Provost included below for specific language.)

   Joint Tenure

   It was noted that the current Faculty Handbook refer to faculty withjoint tenure.

   There was a general discussion regarding how current tenured and tenure track faculty will be protected if the new School of Communication is successful.

   A motion was passed unanimously

   Concerns were voiced regarding a lack of communication among the UPCs.

   It was noted that on relevant emails the hair of the FA-UPC copies the Chair of UCC, hairs of other UPCs with an interest in the matter, as well as Gerry McDonald, Chair of Faculty Council.

   
   Faculty Handbook

   It was noted that at the most recent Faculty Council Executive Committee Meeting at which the Provost was an invited guest, there was a reaffirmation that the FA-UPC is responsible for approving or disapproving all modifications to the Faculty Handbook before it is sent to President Garanzini for final approval. If the President rejects any portion of the final draft submitted by the FA-UPC, then he must submit his suggested modifications of the document to the FA-UPC for additional review and approval.

   It was also noted that the email sent to all faculty requesting reactions to the current draft of the new Faculty Handbook may not have been sent to faculty at the Maywood campus. The committee concurred that an email will be sent to these faculty members today if one was not already sent.
    
   It was brought committee’s attention that several instances in the current draft of the new Faculty Handbook that do not reflect current university practices.  The FA-UPC will return to this discussion at its next meeting.

4. Future Meetings

   The next meeting is November 16, 2007 at 8:30 a.m. in Granada Center, Room 278.  It was tentatively agreed that the next meeting would be on December 7, 2007. 
    
   The meeting was adjourned at 10:45.

Respectfully submitted,
Francesca Pirovano