Chairs Council Minutes
March 18, 2004

Present: Mary Baumhover for Ed Hall, Lloyd Cowling, Donna Rees, Bertha Benavidez, Junius Logan, Jolane Culhane for Michelle Behr, June Decker, Faye Vowell, Marcia Bourdette, Ken Ladner, Barbara Taylor, Katherine Woodard, Linda Baldwin, Michael Metcalf.

1. Budget Update and Update on Hiring — Faye Vowell — Handouts (Headcount and SCH Taught by Full Time and Adjunct Faculty, Position Discussion, and Fall 2002 Comparison of Classes Taught by Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty).
   
   • Faye Vowell shared the handout reflecting the percentage of students and student credit hour production taught by full time people as opposed to adjuncts for 2003—2004. This document was prepared for the VP discussion in regard to the contingent faculty positions and sought to document that our percentage of classes taught by adjuncts is too large. The departments with the most part-time instruction include Wellness with 62%, followed by Expressive Arts, Social Sciences, Applied Tech, and Business 45. She also shared a document that compared our overall percentages with those of other institutions in the state based on the Fall 2002 CUP report. WNMU's overall % of faculty taught by tenure/tenure track compared favorably with others in the state.
     
   • Faye Vowell will be discussing faculty position issues with the VPs and President Counts again in two weeks. The following discussion took place in regard to hiring the contingent faculty positions.
     
     • Linda Baldwin stated that these numbers would put their accreditation at great risk.
       
     • Katherine Woodard stated that we are rural and not urban and would have a hard time hiring qualified adjuncts.
       
     • Faye Vowell asked Chairs to look at the adjuncts with terminal degrees and give this information to VPAA.
       
     • June Decker stated that overload information is important because many faculty were teaching overloads because we don't have faculty and can't find adjuncts.
       
     • Faye Vowell asked that Chairs send a paragraph as to how many faculty do overloads because you can't find adjuncts and how many adjuncts you pay to teach more classes than 2.
       
     • June Decker also stated that we are going to lose because we can't support programs. Wellness will lose all of its majors but one. Psychology is tied to Social Sciences, School of Ed., etc. This will cause students to leave.
       
     • Faye Vowell asked chairs to give her this information and she will take what she is given and repackage it for the next discussion.
       
     • Ken Ladner stated that the way they have courses set up will affect numbers. Where there is a 30 limit on class size, the regular faculty is used up quickly. Other classes might have 100 students taught by one faculty member.
       
   • Position Discussion handout—Chairs should go ahead and hire all confirmed positions as quickly as possible. In regard to contingent positions, one contingent position can go forward—the sociology position. Positions 2, 3, and 4 will be revisited in two weeks. We are still in discussion regarding the music position.
     
     • Michael Metcalf suggested that productivity figures be placed on contingent position information.
       
     • June Decker stated that one thing we haven't considered is what is crucial and not crucial to the function of programs. We look at the positions in terms of numbers but not in terms of how vital positions are to program. Donna Rees stated that most of departments are working at minimal staffing of faculty to begin with. Faye Vowell stated that we need to find some kind of benchmark; she tried to use an adjunct benchmark which didn't work. If there is a way to define what is core that would be helpful. Michael Metcalf suggested two ways of defining what is core: core to the institution because other programs need the position to support their programs and core to a specific program/department in terms of function and accreditation, etc. Faye Vowell stated that to pursue this direction, we would need to list what the contingent positions teach and demonstrate how it is foundational to different majors across campus and in the department. She expects that the contingent position discussion will happen April 5 and asked that chairs with contingent positions get info to help make their case to her by April 4.
       
   • Budget — Things are still not firmed up and may change dramatically in next couple of weeks. The President’s priorities are to take care of the people in terms of salary; do something with adjunct/overload and summer school salary caps.
     
     • Faye Vowell has salary sheets and is certifying who will come back, visiting, etc. By March 28, Chris Casey will have the first cut at the budget. Faye Vowell may try to send Chairs their piece and ask for quick turnaround to verify that all expenses are covered.
       
     • April 5 is the date the budget discussions will begin. Budget Committee of Faculty Senate has been informed.
       
     • Student Government has voted on their fee increases and the Board of Regents accepted the student recommendation. There is an increase in student fees. (Marcia Bourdette will get a copy of what was passed out in Regents and forward it to the Chairs).
       
     • We will also increase tuition 7%.
       
     • As we build the budget for next year, the President stated that we would only keep 3% in reserve — $570,978.
       
     • Dr. Counts is very interested in the salary and benefits proposal which is to move everybody 12% toward target.
       
     • With a finite amount of money, if he does increase the amount awarded in salary, there will be fewer positions filled. It may not be possible to both raise salaries of people we have and hire all the new positions we would like to.
       
     • Initially the President was talking about putting $50,000 into adjunct/OL and summer. That will not cover or make us competitive. We have to model for him how much we would need to make a difference in adj/overload budget.
       
     • Salary & Benefits will come forward with a recommendation for the summer cap.
       
     • Michael Metcalf stated that summer is not a total expense but does involve revenue.
       
     • The reason the two weeks is a magic number in regard to the contingent position discussion is because we don't know how much health insurance will increase — around 20% last time—so it could be $200,000. We also are waiting to hear if risk management workers' comp will increase. We are in a state pool and may come up because it hasn't been raised in awhile. If we get a smaller increase in both of these, then this will release more money for positions. Faye Vowell will keep fighting for all of them. Our strategy for next year will be that the positions not funded will move up the list.
       
     • June Decker asked why we have to do this every year. The lack of money situation is ongoing; why? Faye Vowell stated that every institution in the country has this discussion every year. We are better off than some because we don't take huge budget cuts.
2. Faye Vowell has looked at a copy of Registrar's census date report for spring — in SC we are 44% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Native American, and 43% Caucasian. We are majority/minority. Marcia Bourdette will make a copy of this report for anyone who wants one.
   
3. Incompletes — New Form Designed by SOE — Barbara Taylor—After a lengthy discussion of the proposed form, the Chairs suggested that Barbara Taylor take to C&I the suggestion that the current form delete any reference to allowing more than the middle of the next regular semester for an incomplete to be finished and supplement this form by the second page of the new suggested form which asks that any extension of the date beyond the mid—semester be documented in writing.
   
4. FYI: Faye Vowell and Betsy Miller are having some discussions in regard to the advisee list from people who would like to have PIN numbers and advisors updated for students not currently enrolled in a given semester. A group will meet to think about how to address this situation: Ernie Noack and Pat Maguire are faculty who have been involved in this discussion. If there are others who want to be a part of this solution for undergraduates or graduates, give Faye Vowell or Marcia Bourdette an e-mail and we will see you get invited to meeting. Betsy Miller has made all of advisor changes received up to date.
   
5. Update on Playas Project — Donna Rees — will wait until next time.
   
6. No guaranteed summer classes discussion — Faye Vowell — Handout "Summer Class Size Comparing Summer2004 to Summer2001, 2002, 2003 Enrollment.
   
   • This Handout includes summer courses proposed for 2004 and enrollment for last three summers. Faye Vowell is uneasy guaranteeing one class because in some situations it looks like both classes someone is down to teach will not make. By looking at enrollment history, these classes are problematic. We increasingly need to ask ourselves, “Are these courses the best to teach in summer school?” Some of our classes are offered each semester, and if you look at enrollment, summer is always smaller than fall and spring, but they all make. In some cases, you can see the numbers are really close. If you offered the course only one semester, you could increase enrollment. Think about what we could offer that would serve the most students rather than struggling for classes to make.
     
   • After this discussion, Faye Vowell asked chairs to vote on three proposals in regard to summer school: (1) Guarantee one of two classes - (or courses equivalent to three credit hours). (2) Guarantee 100 and 200 level courses and don't guarantee upper division courses. (3) No guaranteed courses
     
   • Lloyd Cowling moved and Ken Ladner seconded that the first proposal be adopted; the vote was unanimous in favor.
     
     o In implementing this, on the evening of the second day of classes, the AVPAA will cancel courses and will notify departments
     
   • "If you're down for two classes, one will be guaranteed. If both don't make, you will be guaranteed salary for one. If one makes and other doesn't, you'll still be guaranteed a salary for the one.
     
   • Faye Vowell asked that Chairs share this decision with faculty so they won't be surprised. We need to think of using data to make decisions about what courses to offer that will get the most students further along in their coursework.
     
   • Ken Ladner — what if a faculty member is down for one course? — Faye Vowell responded that he or she will receive payment for the course.
     
   • June Decker stated that in the summer, faculty could do other work/alternative work for institution. Faye Vowell said that Academic Affairs could find worthwhile projects for people to do, but the departments might also ask faculty to work on a project such as outcomes assessment or program review.
     
7. Faye Vowell and Jerry Harmon met with Dick Pool today. We might see an initiative emerging that Math/CS gave Dick Pool the idea for. Middle school teachers need to be highly qualified in the subjects that they teach. We will help Silver School district and others to help those middle school teachers get highly qualified — 24 hours of content courses. Chairs may get a call to ask someone from their department to meet with group of teachers from Silver and help figure out a solution to this problem. An interdisciplinary master’s will be attractive to many of these teachers because it would increase their content knowledge and also move them up on the pay scale. Chairs need to think about 400 level courses to make 400/500. Personal contact with teachers might be advantageous.
   
8. Faye Vowell asked that Chairs look at announcements on agenda and encourage faculty to volunteer for advising at summer orientation.
   
9. Barbara Taylor handed out copies of the feedback on departmental assessment for last year.

Meeting adjourned at 3:57 p.m.