June 5, 2019
Highlights from the May 14 Faculty Senate meeting
These are the highlights from the May 14 Faculty Senate meeting. Minutes become available on the Faculty Senate website as they are approved.
Guest: Provost Charles Taber and Vice President Jay Stephens discussed budget and faculty/staff retention with senators.
Standing committee and Student Senate reports:
- Academic Affairs: Minor revisions were approved for University Handbook, Section F83 related to Incomplete Grades. A policy was provided for first reading related to the approving, reviewing and deleting K-State 8 tags.
- Faculty Affairs: A video was shared with senators, which is targeted to students, related to completion of TEVALs. Feedback was provided and Faculty Affairs will again take up the conversation of TEVALs in the fall related to how they are used in things such as promotion and tenure, etc.
- Professional Staff Affairs: The data from the job satisfaction survey conducted this fall by PSA was reviewed with senators. Overall, the responses show that staff are satisfied with working at K-State; however, there are areas for improvement that were identified. They plan to continue to ask for a targeted salary enhancement plan for professional staff and look at ways to work with HCS on high-impact/low-cost benefit opportunities. They also hope to conduct an open forum discussion in the fall to hear from constituents and continue work with leadership to address issues of climate and morale.
- Student Senate: They will meet with deans this summer to discuss departmental and college fees. They requested faculty senators to reach out and encourage students to get involved with student government.
- Technology, FSCOT: The 2018 Data Access report was received and various guests discussed how the Kansas Open Records Act pertains to this. They also reminded all to be alert to spam emails requesting information as they tend to be amplified during this time of year.
- University Planning, FSCOUP: The committee continues budget transition discussions. Their last meeting was with service centers representatives. They discussed safety concerns that will still need addressed despite dwindling city/university funds that will be available as much of those in the future will be used for the improvements to the north campus corridor.
Unfinished Business
- Academic calendar — Revised procedures for the university calendar committee were approved and a revised F2020-S2022 academic calendar was approved and will move forward to its next steps. A proposed F2022-S2025 academic calendar was sent back for further discussion related to a fall break.
Announcements
- The monthly KBOR meeting report was provided by President Spencer Wood.
Open discussion period
- Concern was expressed over the lack of thoughtful communication related to the recent shooting at the Foundation building. A request was made that leadership from Faculty Senate share this concern with administration.
The 2018-2019 Faculty Senate was adjourned and Tanya González, 2019-2020 Faculty Senate president, called the first meeting of the 2019-2020 Faculty Senate to order.
2019-2020 president-elect and secretary elections
- Mindy Markham was elected as president-elect of Faculty Senate; LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin was elected as secretary of Faculty Senate.
Spencer Wood
Faculty Senate President
Associate Professor
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Kansas State University
213 Waters Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506