Minutes

Faculty Council Steering Committee Meeting

Aug. 27, 2003

Members Present:

Cindy Alexander, Brenda Ammons, Becky Blackwell, Lisa Bogaty, Bill Brewer, Sharon Burlingame, Kathy Byrd, Karen Cornell, Tony Crossland, George Cox, John Fairstein, Rasey Feezell, Donn King, Mae Jean King, Carol Luther, Toni McDaniel, Rick Patton, Harold Rowland, Yolanda Sankey, Wanda Scarbro, David Vinson

Also attending: Paul Baxter, Elaine Oswald

I . The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. by President Kathy Byrd, acting as chair in place of Business Officer Ely Driver.

II. Minutes

The April 30 and July 16 minutes were approved as written.

III. Officer Reports

Communications Officer Cindy Alexander No report

Secretary Carol Luther No report

TBR Representative Dave Vinson

D. Vinson called attention to TBR’s proposed revisions of Tenure and Promotion

Policies that are available on the web and noted that comments to TBR are due by Sept. 25.

President Kathy Byrd

K. Byrd reported on the in-service session on the evaluation process. Dr. Bruns and four department heads answered questions. Two ideas emerged. There was a general consensus that “exceptional” should be substituted for “excellent” and that the original evaluation committee that revised the evaluation process should be disbanded. A standing committee on evaluation is needed, however, to monitor the process and serve as a place to consider problems.

George Cox made the following motion:

Motion 1: That the Faculty Council recommend that wording in the evaluation document be changed from “excellent” to “exceptional.”

The motion passed.

Toni McDaniel made the following motion:

Motion 2: That Faculty Council create a standing committee on evaluation with members from each academic department.

The motion passed.

K. Byrd reported on her Aug. 14 meeting with President Edwards. Dr. Edwards discussed the continuing budget constraints. He reported on matters to be discussed in the upcoming TBR meeting: changes in the method of informal faculty input to TBR, clarification of the service areas of Roane State and Pellissippi State, and an audit of all community college and university presidents in the TBR system.

K. Byrd then informed the committee of news from Learning Council. The new General

Education Core begins in summer 2004. Summer 2004 will also have a different calendar.

Lisa Bogaty made the following motion:

Motion 3: That the summer 2004 calendar changes be revisited and a rationale provided for the changes.

The motion passed.

Committee Reports

Adjunct Faculty Rasey Feezell

The Rules Committee brought the following motion to change the constitution to clarify the terms of adjunct faculty representatives:

Motion 4: That Article 8, section 4, subpart E3a be struck and the following substituted: “Adjunct faculty receive one seat on the Faculty Council Steering Committee. Adjunct faculty are defined as part-time teachers who are employed semester by semester. In order to represent the adjunct faculty and exercise a vote in Faculty Council business or on the Steering Committee, the adjunct must be teaching in the current semester major semester (fall or spring). One adjunct representative is elected each year and serves two years or until a successor is elected. Only the senior representative exercises a vote on the Steering Committee. If the senior adjunct representative is unable to exercise his/her vote because of not teaching in a given semester, his/her term is ended early and the junior representative becomes the senior representative. Vacancies will be filled by election at the next Steering Committee meeting.”

The motion passed. It will be introduced to Faculty Council at the Sept. 10 meeting and voted on in the Oct. 15 meeting.

Donn King made the following motion concerning the definition of “adjunct” as used in the current constitution:

Motion 5: That Faculty Council define “adjunct” to mean “currently employed at Pellissippi State.

The motion passed. It will be presented to Faculty Council for ratification.

Becky Blackwell made the following motion:

Motion 6 : That John Fairstein be approved as adjunct faculty representative.

The motion passed.

Promotion/ Tenure

Janice Rowland and Don Thomas are the new chairs.

Faculty Forums Paul Baxter and Elaine Oswald

A fall program is planned with Donn King leading discussion of The Courage to Teach. Plans are underway for a spring program as well.

Student Scholarship (Booksale) Library Services (Karen Cornell)

Donation boxes are in departments. Representatives are needed for site campus book sales.

Rules Committee Donn King

The Rules Committee made the following motion to change the constitution:

Motion 7 : That the phrase “or until a successor is elected” be added

to every term of office.

The motion passed and will be presented to Faculty Council at the Sept. 10 meeting and voted on in the Oct. 15 meeting.

IV. Unfinished Business

None

V. New Business

Procedures for handling student complaints are established in the catalog, and some faculty are concerned that the procedures are not being followed. K. Byrd will bring this to Learning Council.

VI. Announcements

None

The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Luther

Recording Secretary