UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FACULTY SENATE 9 FEBRUARY 1998 MINUTES SUMMARY I. Roll - The following Faculty Senate members were absent: Balling, Burger, Doucet, Ernest, Greenlaw, Guidry, Herold, Lugalla, Morgan, Roh, Sohl, Walsh. Carroll, Crepeau and Gaudette were excused. II. Discussion with the President - The president presented information from the Becker Institution Piggy-back Survey, which had five questions about higher education on its last state-wide survey. This was a phone survey in November of 400 NH citizens, in a random sample around the state. Eighty-eight percent of NH citizens polled were favorable or very favorable towards UNH; and none were very unfavorable, with UNH second only to Dartmouth in the region. The answers were very similar when asked the opinion of the quality of education provided. Also, sixty-eight percent approved or strongly approved increased public funding for higher education; sixty-one percent disapproved or strongly disapproved raising tuition and fees; and eighty percent disapproved or strongly disapproved cutting expenses and reducing education quality. The president asked the governor to co-chair UNH's major financial campaign, and she agreed. The governor wants us to show support for her efforts to improve kindergarten through twelfth grade education and says that she understands what the next step should be. III. Communications from the Chair - The chair said that members of the faculty met recently with the nearby state legislators. The state constitution lays a duty on the legislators to provide adequate education. Each faculty member is asked to write his/her legislator regarding funding for education. The Agenda Committee met with Sheila McNamee, the head of the Council of Chairs, and discussed ways faculty groups can work together. The Agenda Committee plans to meet with the four alumni trustees soon, and the input of each senator is welcome in this regard. IV. Minutes - The minutes of the January 26 senate meeting were approved unanimously. V. Research Standards - John Seavey, as chair of the Professional Standards Committee, moved that the Faculty Senate endorse the revised University of New Hampshire Policy on Misconduct in Scholarly Activity. Many years ago the Academic Senate and then the Faculty Caucus approved previous versions of this document, but the Office of the Inspector General of the National Science Foundation reviewed it recently and found it deficient in many areas. A revision has been prepared by Don Sundberg, Vice President for Research and Public Service, and Lee Zia, faculty fellow in that office. The Professional Standards Committee has reviewed the drafts, as have other constituencies. The latest draft was sent to the senate prior to today's meeting; and the footnotes, list of background documents, and list of key issues to consider were distributed at this senate meeting. The draft will also be available on the web, with input solicited for about a month. Concerns were expressed today about the standard of proof, procedures for anonymous complaints, use of "may" versus "must" in the document, statements on retaliation, and responses to allegations not made in good faith. Also, the group that decides there is need to proceed to the next level chooses the next committee of inquiry; and that does not provide sufficient separation. Questions arose as to how race, gender or generation could be pertinent to such proceedings, although Mr. Zia replied that the composition of the reviewing committee could be relevant to a perception of fairness. How would "other relevant personal characteristics" be defined and how are they pertinent? Statements about the need to follow accepted procedure and standard practice could inhibit creativity. Some senators said that the higher the possible sanction, the greater the preponderance of evidence should be required. This is a civil procedure, and changing the standard of proof to something other than that approved by the National Science Foundation would affect our ability to do sponsored research. John Pokoski moved and Art Copeland seconded that the motion be tabled at this time. The motion to table passed unanimously. Faculty are encouraged to send their suggestions for revision to Lee Zia's email address: lee.zia@unh.edu, with a copy to John Seavey's email: jws@christa.unh.edu. VI. Open Mike - Professors Greenlaw and deAlba are working on email policy, with the Academic Computing Advisory Committee. Senators are invited to read on the internet a summary of senators' comments on this matter. Senators are also asked to give input to Professor deAlba as chair of the Campus Planning Committee, on the subject of the proposed loop road. This committee will also review how issues such as sustainability get taken up. John Miller will serve for a two-year term on the University Scholarship Fund Committee. The Board of Trustees and its committees met on the UNH campus last week. Many policies affecting faculty exist, and faculty may not have endorsed them all. The purpose of the Faculty Handbook is to put all these procedures in one place, and a revision is being attempted now by Tom Pistole, faculty fellow in the VPAA's office. The Faculty Senate should be following the development of this document. Senators are asked to submit items to the senate chair for the next Faculty Senate agenda. VII. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned.