September 27, 2016

     Today the UC welcomed Rebecca Freer, Chair of the Academic Staff Committee. Freer briefed us on the work the committee plans to take up this year. Their focus will be to review Chapter 104 on contracts and compensation policy. There are about 1800 Academic Staff on campus and most are on terminal contracts that are either fixed term or renewable.
     The UC also discussed reports from other meetings including the Chancellor’s expanded cabinet and Strategic Position Control. Michael Brondino attended the SPC meeting and reported that target budgets have not yet been sent to units. Reserves will be used to cover part of the current $18 million cut to the University this year. Some UC members expressed concern that reserves are low and spending them could compromise accreditation, and ultimately lead to the dismantling of the public university system. Others thought that tapping into reserves keeps us from making difficult decisions in the short term. The Budget Model Working Group met to discuss how R1 status would be protected and supported under the new budget model.
     The Provost has asked for suggestions of L&S faculty to serve on the search and screen committee for the Dean of Letters and Science. UC members gave the John Reisel names and encourages L&S departments also to forward him names. Some members of the UC expressed concern about the state of L&S and would like to see the new dean set up for success.
     Lastly, we tackled another revised version of the Post Tenure Review document. The UC came to a consensus on the post-tenure-review-v7-30, and it will be forwarded to the Codification and Senate Rules committees so that it may be placed on the October agenda of the Faculty Senate.