APOLOGIES: Christiansen, Honeyman, Mitcham and Wolden (on sabbatical spring semester 2004 )

VISITORS: Nigel Middleton -Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Dennis Readey - Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Dan Lewis - Athletic Department Observer and Mike Jacobs - CSM Graduate Student Association Representative

Harrison called the meeting to order.

COMMENTS FROM GUESTS:

1. V PAA Middleton
   1. The Graduate Student Association engaged the services of a certified public accountant to advise them on their taxes.
   2. CSM has engaged the services of a tax attorney from Holme Roberts & Owen LLP. This was done with the approval of the State Attorney General's Office. The attorney has been charged to (1) examine the current issue with regard the number of students affected and their tax liability for 2003; and (2) advise CSM on how the existing contracts can be revised to fix the current situation.
   3. President Trefny and VPAA Middleton are meeting with Ray Baker, the interim director of CCHE, to discuss the 120 credit hour program limits.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the February 17, 2004 Faculty Senate meeting were approved.

REPORTS:

1. Board of Trustees - Harrison presented the following written report to the CSM Board of Trustees:

   Comments to the BOT, February 20, 2004.

   A. The Faculty Senate has been diligent this academic year in trying to facilitate the process of faculty input into the Strategic Plan. We have hosted three Faculty Forums related to the Strategic Plan: by Vice President Moore, Vice President Cheuvront, and Associate Vice President Romig. We have encouraged the student leaders to become proactive in voicing their concerns and in soliciting input from the administration. We have provided frequent written and verbal comments directly to the Strategic Planning Committee. In general we believe the faculty have been given many opportunities to provide feedback during the process of plan development. In the next few days the draft of the SP will be distributed to the faculty for general comment, and will be reviewed at the Senate March 2 meeting.

   B. The recent tax-related events have seriously undermined the positive progress than many constituencies feel has been achieved this academic year.

   1. Complete lack of communication to faculty.
   2. Inadequate communication to graduate students.
   3. Indication that administration has insufficient personnel resources to implement tax code reporting requirements correctly and to interpret tax code correctly.
   4. Sentiment that if administration cannot manage a contract/tax issue, then there is lack of confidence that they can manage a Strategic Plan that is budget-driven.
   5. Serious concern about impact on graduate student recruiting this semester, and availability of RAs/TAs in fall.

   Recommendations:

   1. Apologize to graduate students for confusion and resulting stress.
   2. Hire external tax attorney for graduate students who need tax advice in completing 2003 tax returns.
   3. Increase the stipend for students on assistantships to compensate for tax liability.
   4. Initiate school-wide discussion of basis for making fellowship versus teaching/research assistantship appointments.
   5. Assess whether Finance and Budget Operations have sufficient staff expertise to carry out their responsibilities.

   I have repeatedly stated that communication between the faculty and the administration is the most important thing I can achieve as Senate president. In cases where I have encouraged the open availability of documents, including an early draft of Dr. Middleton's strategic plan, Mr. Montez's budget analysis and so forth, faculty interest has turned from criticism to constructive comment. I urge the administration to provide accurate information to the faculty regarding the current situation as quickly as possible.

2. Handbook - Ross led a discussion on the proposed changes to the Faculty Handbook:

   Section 4 Major Changes:

   1. Section 4.1.2: Allows lecturers and instructors to be part time. Specifies adjuncts are appointed on a semester-by-semester basis.
   2. Section 4.1.4: A new section is proposed to address transitional faculty appointments.
   3. Section 4.1.9: Proposes deletion of the Graduate Student Titles section because the Committee feels the Graduate Bulletin is a more appropriate source for addressing graduate student employment. (Senate wants to be ensured that this will be published in the 2004-05 Graduate Bulletin)
   4. Section 4.7.1: Proposes revisions to the provisions addressing the faculty appointment process to reflect current practices. Allows more flexibility with respect to appointment of Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, and Instructors. Expands and clarifies section addressing Temporary Faculty appointments to expressly include Adjuncts and Temporary Athletic Faculty. (The Senate suggested that post docs be removed from 4.7.1D and that 4.7.1B be added for non-tenured track ranks.)
   5. Section 4.8: References to contracts that are no longer used are deleted. (4.8.2 needs to be two sentences.)
   6. General revisions are proposed to provide consistent terminology and paragraph organization for appointments, ranks and titles.

   Section 5 Major Changes:

   1. Section 5.2: A new section is proposed to clarify benefits eligibility.
   2. Various sections: References to "benefits eligible" faculty are added where appropriate.
   3. Section 5.5: Annual leave reporting procedure is clarified.
   4. Section 5.6: Faculty eligibility for insurance benefits is clarified.
   5. 5.7.2: Comprehensive liability insurance coverage for faculty is clarified.
   6. 5.8: Payroll procedures and requirements are clarified.

   It was the consensus of the Senate and the Handbook Committee that there must be a Senator on the Budget Committee, the Calendar Committee and the Undergraduate Student Affairs Committee.

   Ross will communicate the Senate's responses to the Handbook Committee.

   Next year, the Handbook Committee plans to work on Section 8.1.2 regarding promotion and tenure to include wording that a review for tenured track faculty must be done no later than the sixth semester.

3. Colorado Faculty Collaboration - A motion made by Eberhart, seconded by Santi and approved unanimously by that Senate that the CSM Faculty Senate endorse the following resolution from the Colorado Faculty Coalition:

   February 26, 2004

   Fellow Coloradoans:

   As college and university faculty members, we have become increasingly concerned about the future of public higher education in Colorado. Due to the combined effects of economic recession, budgetary shortfalls, and restrictive legislation (e.g., TABOR, Gallagher, Amendment 23), it is now estimated that state funding for higher education in Colorado will dwindle away in only a few years. This means that higher education opportunities for Colorado's next generation of scholars will soon be cut back severely. At a time when college has become more important than ever to ensure the success of America's youth, Colorado is faced with the prospect of terminating higher education funding in order to resolve state budgetary dilemmas.

   We feel that the TABOR Amendment, in particular, imposes onerous and, one might even say, unfair constraints on higher education: not only has T ABOR reduced state higher education funding, but it has also impeded efforts to recover the shortfall. That is, TABOR is literally strangling higher education by reducing state funds, while simultaneously closing off other avenues of revenue enhancement. Thus, if Colorado's public higher education institutions are going to survive, we must find some way to ease TABOR's stranglehold on higher education revenues. Thus, we call upon the people of Colorado to encourage our elected officials to resolve the higher education funding crisis. Let's work together to ensure a brighter future for public higher education in Colorado.

   Sincerely,
   The Colorado Faculty Coalition

   The undersigned hereby signify their support of this resolution from the Colorado Faculty Coalition.

   (Institutions and faculty government representatives are listed in alphabetical order.)

   Colorado School of Mines -Faculty Senate
   Colorado State University- Fort Collins
   Colorado State University- Pueblo
   Timothy McGettigan, Department of Sociology Fort Lewis College
   Mesa State College
   Metropolitan State College of Denver
   University of Colorado, Boulder
   University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
   University of Colorado, Denver
   University of Northern Colorado
   Western State College

   Eberhart and Mehta agreed to serve as CSM faculty representatives to this coalition.

4. Board of Trustees Nomination - It was moved by Ross, seconded by Dean and passed unanimously by the Senate to endorse the nomination of Arden Bement to the CSM Board of Trustees. Eberhart will complete the nomination process for Bement.
   
   
5. Strategic Plan - Harrison has been asked for faculty feedback on the Strategic Plan that will be presented to the Board in the spring.
   The Senators expressed the following be conveyed to the BOT:
   
   1. The master's thesis program should not be de-emphasized.
   2. An independent evaluator should read the plan for clarity and wording.
   3. The vision statement is too long, terms need to be defined (such as world-class) and should be stronger.
   4. Engineering education should be thrust area.
   5. Concern that strategic plan has lost its uniqueness.
   6. Mega research centers may not be achievable.
   7. Anticipated growth lag is undesirable.
   
   
6. Committee on Committees - Nominating petition for CSM Faculty Senate for Spring 2004 and AY 2004-05 committee assignments will be distributed next week to the faculty.

   Changes to the Faculty By-laws will be discussed at the April 6, 2004 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 3:55 pm.