NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, October 6, 2006

A.  Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by President John Yeutter in SL129.  There was ITV access at Muskogee, Broken Arrow and Tahlequah.

Council Members in attendance: Jennifer Edwards (Liberal Arts), Ernst Bekkering (Business & Technology), Rick Matzen (Science & Health Professions), John Milbauer (Liberal Arts), David Scott (Liberal Arts), Lallie Scott (Liberal Arts),  Dan Sisk (Science & Health Professions), Tom Salmon (Optometry), Denise Deason-Toyne (Business & Technology).

<>Council Members in attendance in Broken Arrow: Pamela Louderback (Library), Jamie Holmes ( Library), Mayrene Bentley (Liberal Arts), Pam Christol (Science & Health Professions), Marilon Morgan (Education).

Council Members in attendance in Muskogee: Joyce Van Nostrand (Muskogee).

Council Officers in attendance:  John Diamantopoulos (Vice President), Linda West (Secretary/Treasurer), John Yeutter (President).

Guests:   Kim Cherry (VP for Administration), Mark L. Giese (Education/IR), Jym Brittain (Education/CTL), Julie Sawyer (Science & Health Professions), Joan Williams (Business & Technology)

Invited Presentations
 [Council will set aside time at the first of each meeting to visit with President Williams, VP Academic Affairs Bigbee and/or VP Administration Cherry should they be able to attend.]

1.  VP Cherry addressed the Council.  She specifically addressed the requests about fringe benefits that had been sent to her office (see C.1. below)  On Fitness Center free access for faculty, she stated that is is difficult to maintain the facility now and it is small to serve the population we have.  Since students have to pay fees for the center, we cannot justify giving faculty access free.  If we get to the point where we are not collecting the fee, they will reconsider.  About tuition/fee waivers for faculty dependents, she stated that the six regional universities have talked about a cooperative program to share waivers between institutions, they could not reach agreements.  We currently have a cap on the amount we pay for children of faculty, but not on the hours taken.  We need to relook at that based on the fact that costs go up each year.  The benefit is just for children right now.  There were several questions about the plan as it now stands.  There was concern to keep the dollar amount at the level it covered when the plan started.

A. Committees and Standing Reports
     1. Minutes of 09/01/06 meeting.  Minutes from three previous meetings were reviewed: March 3, 2006, April 7, 2006 and September 1, 2006.  After discussion, David Scott moved that the minutes be approved, Lallie Scott seconded and the motion passed.

 
B . New Business

    1.  State Regents Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) Survey (1)
   
        This is an annual survey.  Delegates should send rankings to John and he will compile for the next meeting.  There will be one response from NSU.  Jym Brittain offered to put the survey online and send it to faculty for input.      
   
    2.  Committees

        a. Nominating:  We need a nominating committee for the offices of President, Vice President and Secretary.

        b.  Faculty Awards:  Volunteers for the committee were mentioned.  Library, Linda West; Liberal Arts, Lallie Scott; Business, Denise Deason-Toyne; Optometry, Tom Salmon.  Other names were suggested to be asked.  A list of names to approve will be presented at the next meeting.
   
     3.  Undergraduate Research Day

         a.  Request for funding
              Joan Williams presented the yearly request for funding to Faculty Council.  We gave $1,600 last year to the event.  Lallie Scott made the motion to give the same amount this year, it was seconded by Sisk and the motion passed.

         b.  Recommending budget line item for Undergraduate Research Day
              There was discussion of the number of students who participate and whether NSU should budget this event from regular institutional funds.   The topic was tabled to be discussed if needed in the future.

      4.  Resolution supporting Mascot Name change (2)
              The Council considered a resolution presented supporting the mascot name change.  There was considerable discussion about the need for Faculty Council to take a position on the issue.  After one tabled motion, it was moved to support the resolution by D. Scott, Bekkering seconded and the motion passed.  (See motion attached)

      5.  Insurance Costs
              Most of these costs are decided at the higher OSEEGIB level.  Some costs can be controlled at the Regional Board level and a few at the University level.  The Regional Board is creating a task force to look at insurance options.  Many schools have gone to private insurance to save money.  Everyone is concerned and the Regents are looking at what they can do.

      6.  Online Class Survey (3)
              Jym Brittain, the Directory of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Coordinator for Distance Learning answered questions about the online class survey.  The survey is used because there is no online instructor survey.  This is an instrument to assess the quality of the class not the instructor.  Students are often confused by this point.  There are different instruments for ITV and face to face instruction.  This survey is not part of the Tenure/Promotion process.    Distance learning policies are slated to change this year.  The group agreed that an online instructor evaluation form is needed and that faculty should take part in developing it.  Mayrene Bentley volunteered to work on that committee.  It was noted that the Distance Learning Committee has no Faculty Council appointed members.  There was discussion of incentives to get students to fill in the online forms.

      7.  Market Competitive Adjunct Salaries
            Salaries for adjunct faculty have been the same more than ten years.  Broken Arrow and Tahlequah pay less then the competition.  It was suggested that it might be time to revisit the policy on overloads and let faculty teach more overloads if they want to.  It was suggested that our lower pay may lead to lower quality adjuncts.  Adjuncts have no representation as a group.  Yeutter will take with VP Bigbee about the issue.

      8.  Tenure Timing
             VP Bigbee has questions from reading handbooks about the time frame for tenure.  Yeutter will also visit with him on this topic.

      9.  Faculty Development Funding
             Not covered.
   
C.  Old Business

    1.  Fringe benefit initiatives
          See VP Cherry discussion at the beginning of the meeting.  

D. Other Business
       None

E.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Next meeting, Friday, November 3, 2006, 3:00 p.m.

Submitted by Linda West, Secretary-Treasurer
11/02/06, corr 12/5/06