COE Faculty Advisory Council
April 1, 2015
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Hill Hall 314
MINUTES
Dean Hough called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
Attending: Paul Ajuwon, Deanne Camp, Denise Cunningham, Cory Fearing, Kim Finch, David Hough, Fred Groves, Joe Hulgus, Annice McLean, Jim Meyer, Becky Swearingen
Definition of Research Active
The University Faculty Workload Policy, COE Faculty Workload Policy and COE Definition of Research Active Status (1/28/15) had been emailed to everyone to review prior to today’s meeting. Our college needs to decide on the definition of research active and add it to the COE Faculty Workload Policy and forward the information to the Provost.
Discussion on the COE Definition of Research Active document:
Faculty need to be recognized for doing things at the local, regional and state levels. The document does not include being able to conduct local, regional, or statewide research or grant proposals for annual evidence, even though faculty should promote community engagement. Some projects could help the community, but could not be published at the national level. Even so, the group agreed not to add lessor criteria because they would not meet KP1 requirements.
A motion to move forward and add the Definition of Research Active Status – College of Education Policy (1/28/15) to the COE Faculty Workload Policy on the web and to submit it to the provost, but to note it is a living document and will be reviewed periodically. This motion was approved unanimously.
COE Prioritized Position Requests
Three handouts, COE Faculty by Program FY09-FY16, COE Programs 2009-2016 with the number of tenure track, instructor, per course and total faculty by year, and the 5 Year COE Prioritized Position Requests by year were provided for everyone. The position requests included those that were immediate needs and were already being addressed. Our college has gained five full-time faculty since 2009, but this increase is not an even distribution across programs. There is a need to look at positions that will help specific programs grow.
Discussion on priority positions and positions that could possibly be filled another way:
– The committee agreed to endorse the faculty positions. Priority needs to be given to the Department Head for CLSE.
– Consider combining certain professional staff duties with tenure-track faculty positions, e.g., the Data Analyst might be better conceptualized as an Assistant Professor of Research who would teach ½ time and perform data analysis ½ time for the Associate Dean for Accreditation, Assessment and Data Management.
– Regarding the 4-5 positions listed for Student Services, the dean said James is hiring a graduate assistant for the Data Entry staff position. Suggestions:
-Try to restructure some of the staff positions
– Utilize graduate assistants differently to address staff issues
– A number of staff are maxed out and we continue to add to their workloads. Are there some things they don’t need to do?
– Some staff could do more depending on the timing of the project, fall vs. spring
– Look at parameters; how could things be done differently
– Exempt staff vs. non-exempt staff are different as far as being given extra assignments.
– Be more flexible with hiring 20 – 30 hour employees. See if they can work more hours during busier times and less other times.
– Need consistency with part-time staff.
– Prioritize essential duties.
– There are a number of retired faculty/staff that would like part-time employment.
– Some full-time faculty have staff duties written in to their employment agreement. Look at this as a possibility for some faculty/staff positions that could be combined. It is workable and worth exploring.
– Look at the feasibility to contribute to an endowed position, especially if it is a position that would help the community.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:14 a.m.
After the meeting, Sharon looked up information on the Human Resources website regarding exempt and non-exempt staff job duties. Basically, exempt and non-exempt staff have “other duties as assigned” in their job descriptions. (See below)
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
– Helps to ensure the overall success of the department by performing all other duties as assigned.
– Supports the department by performing all other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
– Contributes to the overall success of the assigned office by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
– Supports the overall success of the Office of ———- by performing all other duties as assigned.
Submitted by Sharon Lopinot