Faculty Senate of St. Mary’s University

Minutes of the 340^th Meeting, April 20, 2001

1:30 p.m. Room 106, Alkek Building

All senators present except Abney, Castaneda, Envick, Scott and Thomas; Haddock arrived 2:18.

Opening Prayer offered by Senator Talarski

Minutes of the 339^th meeting read and approved on motion by Senator Martinez, seconded by Senator Moras

President’s Report:

- Bob Howe Memorial Fund: On motion of Senator Telepak seconded by Senator Moras, the Senate voted to move the funds to the Business School’s Howe Fund next year

- Status of Tenured Faculty: Discussion of the Initial Employment Agreement that VP Manuel had given Senators Hampton and Hartigan; senators discussed the advisability of sending a fuller document to each faculty member each year, after re-visiting the content of the Initial Employment Agreement and suggesting changes; a committee will be gathered next meeting to carry this task into next year.

- Summer School Policy: in process

- Search Committee for Academic VP: suspended until next year

- Search Committee for VP of Administration and Finance: working on first list, with an eye to a 3 or 4 name interviewee list

- Task Force on Enduring Marianist Presence: moving away from VP idea

- Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees: senators voted unanimously (on amended motion by Senator Bolin with Second by Senator Moras)to support the early April, 2001 letter of Brother Norbert Brockman pointing out that the convention is to confer Doctor of Humane Letters or Doctor of Divinity for honorary degrees, rather than earned degrees such as PhD; President Hampton will pursue this with the administration and the AACommittee

- CARS Program: noted the resignation of Halrold George, the process of CARS’ rewriting their program to fit Java, and the future review of CARS’ role at St. Mary’s

- Meeting with Academic VP: Discussed the contract issues noted above in "Status of Tenured Faculty" and the Senate By-Laws; both these and the Faculty Handbook need to be rationalized so that there is one authoritative version (for Senate By-Laws, the version now on the website)

- Faculty Senate Election: just concluded, but not counted yet

Old Business

- Linking Tenure with Promotion: no report (consequent penance for Committee C chair)

- Thanksgiving Week Fall break: Committee D still awaiting callback

- Campus Beautification Project/Impact on Parking and Handicapped: significant concern abut handicapped access; suggestions or concerns on the project should be sent to (from sites outside the law school use –"Internet: johnsonv@law.stmarytx.edu") Facilities Committee

New Business

- University Grievance Procedure: ongoing concern that must be addressed by a committee made up of senators who will continue next year; Telepak and Talarski have volunteered, and issue will be raised again next meeting when senators know election results

- other business postponed due to 3 p.m. ending because of Oyster Bake

Adjourned at 3:00 on motion of President Hampton with second by Senator Telepak