APOLOGY: Griffiths

VISITOR: VPAA Trefny

COMMENTS FROM GUEST:

1. VPAA Trefny

   1. President Bickart's inauguration will be February 9, 1999 at 10:00 am in Bunker Auditorium. February 9, 1874 is the date that Colorado School of Mines was signed into formal existence by the state legislature. Lewis Branscomb will be the keynote speaker for the inauguration. Branscomb is a former senior scientist and vice president of IBM, former director of NIST and professor at Harvard University. There will be a luncheon after the formal inauguration. Attendance to the luncheon will be by invitation.

      On February 8, 1999 in the ballroom of the Ben Parker Student Center, CSM students will display graduate and undergraduate student projects.

   2. Department/Division Heads' salary is still an issue. It will go through the Budget Committee.
      The Senators expressed that they do not feel that the Department/Division Heads' salary is a Senate issue; and therefore, should not get involved with this issue.

   3. Income from graduate student enrollment is $1 million behind projections.

   4. The internal half-time position for WISEM (Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics) has been advertised and has received a number of inquiries.

   5. The current faculty evaluation system will be used for the spring 1999 semester.

   6. The proposed Lookout Mountain digital TV antenna may affect some research at CSM. Linne has attended some of the public hearings on this issue. The administration is considering having an attorney write a letter expressing CSM's concerns. It is a very complicated issue with all the State and Federal government regulations involved.

   7. Ely asked Trefny if higher education could form an enterprise. Trefny responded that higher education is on a collision course with the Tabor Amendment.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The December 15, 1998 minutes will be approved at the January 19, 1999 Faculty Senate meeting.

OLD BUSINESS:

1. The following Senators agree to serve as council representatives and committee chairs for 1999.

   1. Councils of the Senate:
      • Graduate Council - Underwood
      • Undergraduate Council - Nickum
      • Research Council - Ohno

   2. Faculty Senate Committees:

      • Committees on Committees - Van Tyne
      • Faculty Affairs - Griffiths
      • Academic Standards - Kidnay
      • Evaluation - Klusman
      • Sports and Athletics - Wendlandt
      • Readmissions - Van Tyne

   3. University Committees:

      • Budget - Romberger
      • Handbook - Readey

   4. Ad Hoc Committees:

      • Academic Faculty Salary - Griffiths
      • Assessment - Griffiths

   5. Executive Committee

      • Kidnay nominated Ely to be the Senior Senator representative on the Executive Committee. Van Tyne seconded the nomination. The vote was unanimous.
      • Readey nominated Underwood to be the Senate representative on the executive Committee. Klusman seconded the nomination. The vote was unanimous.

2. The following Senators volunteered to be Faculty Senate liaisons to the department/division as listed:

   1. Division of Economics and Business - Readey
   2. Division of Environmental Science and Engineering - Klusman
   3. Department of Geophysics - Romberger
   4. Department of Mining Engineering - Griffiths
   5. Department of Petroleum Engineering - Ely

3. Future Agenda Items:

   1. Grand Marshal - what do other schools do?
   2. Web Site - Alice Jensen will update Faculty Senate web site
   3. Saturday graduation
   4. A mid-fall break
   5. RTD ECO Passes
   6. Day care
   7. Agenda for Salary Advisory Committee
   8. Emeriti faculty
   9. Communication with administration, such as with the Administrative Council
   10. Grading system - will be referred to Academic Standards Committee
   11. The quality of graduate instruction
   12. University Senate
   13. Distance learning - Senators felt that this is a high priority item.
   14. New faculty mentoring is this part of an existing policy? Would a periodic faculty lunch assist in this area?
   15. Invite chair of new classroom building committee to a Faculty Senate meeting