Faculty
Caucus August 15, 2003
Concerns expressed / possible course of action
I.
Faculty Caucus
- What does a Faculty Caucus accomplish?
- Concerns are recorded and sent to Senate and
available to the Administration.
- What is actually accomplished?
- We should establish a means to report back on
what was achieved. Agreed that these notes should be reviewed at the end
of the year.
- Would faculty benefit from an email forum
which would allow an ongoing Faculty Caucus?
- Yes. We will arrange one on the Outlook folders.
II.
Growth of Administrators
- Growth of administrators at WCU in comparison
to faculty growth.
- Issue was brought to the attention of Faculty
Senate through a letter from Gretchen Bataille.
- Need to address this issue with factual
information.
- How many administrators are paid through UNC
General Administration?
- How is a new administrative position
justified?
- Where does money come from for new
administrators?
- What data does Gretchen Bataille have on this
imbalance?
- Budget showing administrative and faculty
salaries (BD 119) should be available online.
- Has there been any progress in establishing a
method for the evaluation of WCU administrators?
- Council on Faculty Affairs is charged with
addressing these issues
III. Salary Adjustment
- WCU pays market price to attract faculty to
the university.
- As the market changes, does WCU adjust salary
offers?
- Does WCU what to perpetuate these market
differentials between disciplines?
- What are the consequences of doing this?
- Newt needs to have task force to study salary
inequities. This will be
addressed this fall. Task Force is being formed.
IV. Student Demographics
- What is WCUšs focused growth plan? What portion of the proposed
growth is projected to come from distance education?
- Is there a projected decrease in college-bound
students after 2010?
- If there is a decline in student demographics
what happens to the campus budget with the continuing costs of building
maintenance?
- What are the SAT scores for all North Carolina
college-bound students? Are these available online?
- How does WCU count declared majors, junior and
seniors only? When freshmen
declare a major will their departments be able to count them as majors?
V. Student behaviors and
Student Convocation
- Therešs a perceived need to improve the
quality of student behaviors in and around classes. Behaviors mentioned
were student to student civility and the attention students are willing to
give to studies.
- What is the rationale for freshman
convocation? Does WCU still have a freshman convocation? Why are changes in
freshman convocation made with no faculty input in the process?
VI. Involvement of faculty
in building decisions affecting classrooms and offices
- The McKee building renovation had several
problems: no router for
e-mail, no sound system, and
no hot water. How can faculty
learn from McKeešs experience and not repeat it?
- Is there a liaison between people who use the
building and those who construct it?
- Who is responsible for insuring the users of
the building are both listened to and heard?
VII. Information
technology and Faculty
- Who handles training for new faculty who will
be using e-classrooms this fall?
Are they trained before they begin teaching?
- How well is the new Information Technology
model working? Does the staff have the time to meet the needs?
- These are issues the Faculty Affairs Council
will study.
VIII. Departmental Vision
Statements and Advising
- Advisement has received increased
attention. Dr. Fred Henson
has been promoted to Senior Vice Chancellor in charge of Advisement.
- Faculty Advisement Committee will begin work
soon
- Newt reminded faculty that the Departmental
vision statement presents a real need for full faculty participation in
shaping their own future.
IX. Faculty Governance
- Current WCU faculty culture includes pride in not
being involved in governance.
- Need to change faculty culture
- Number of faculty who willing participate in
governance is dwindling. Is
this related to the growing percent of part-time faculty?
- Will the Council on Faculty Affairs continue
to work on the task of defining what is a faculty load?
- Yes. That is part of their charge.
X. Intellectual Property
and Technology Transfer
- Faculty need to be aware of issues concerning
intellectual property, specifically those related to writing courses and
putting them online. This is
a campus and a state issue.
- A committee will be established. Rich Kucharski is heading it up.
The issue is currently being referred to as technology transfer.
XI. Pay for Print
- Pay for Print is coming to WCU campus. It will have implications for
students printing course materials. How about syllabi, notes, exercises,
and items printed in the computer classrooms?
- Printed materials can be sold through the
campus bookstore.
XII. Sylva By-pass
- What will be the impact of 10,000 students on
the county
- Can WCU facilitate a community discussion
XIII. Student Newspaper
- The WCU college newspaper is a collection of
materials from other sources.
- Where is the opportunity for students to write
opinion pieces on local issues?
* One faculty expressed concern over the
shortened fall term.