9/11/2006 Minutes summary

I. Roll – The following senators were absent: Afolayan, Burger, Frankel and Tenczar. Those excused were Naumes, Niser, Ogembo and Wrighton. Guests were President Newman, Provost Mallory and student observer Katherine Steere.

II. Remarks by and questions to the president– President Newman said that her state-of-the-university address is available on the website. The presidential search committee is working hard and would like input from faculty. President Newman said that, during the interim period, we will not tread water but will work to keep the momentum going. She added that she expects to work closely with the Faculty Senate, the deans and the faculty as a whole. She met with alumni and others in Chicago before the football game with Northwestern University which UNH won.

The past chair of the Faculty Senate thanked President Newman for taking on the role of interim president for UNH. He added that two principles of fundamental importance to the faculty are academic freedom and shared governance, and he asked her to comment on those principles.

She replied that she spoke of academic freedom in her state-of-the-university address. She said that she shares the faculty’s concern about academic freedom and that it is of utmost importance to the academe. Of course, with those freedoms comes the inherent responsibility of exercising them in a responsible manner. She said that she has talked quite a bit about shared governance, with the Faculty Senate chair and vice chair and the Agenda Committee. She said she is optimistic that we will be able to do our history proud as we go forward committed to those two principles.

III. Remarks by and questions to Provost Mallory – The provost said that last year we dealt with shared governance frequently and that he reaffirms his commitment to shared governance. He said that the Academic Plan calls upon us to (1) “clarify, support, and strengthen the university’s system of shared decision making and strong faculty governance including the integration of extension, research, and clinical faculty into the academic and governance structures of departments, colleges, and the university where appropriate,” and (2) “clarify and strengthen the role of the Faculty Senate in curriculum development and oversight.” The Academic Plan was developed with a strong faculty voice. This fall we will revisit the Academic Plan and will want strong faculty input in that effort.

The recent dialog on academic freedom was catalyzed by the press’ inquiry into a faculty member’s teaching on the subject of an article about the 9/11 attack. The provost sees this dialog as a teaching and learning moment for ourselves, the UNH trustees and the general public. He is appreciative of President Newman’s and Trustee Chair Andy Lietz’ strong public statements on academic freedom; and the provost will also express his commitment to the principles of academic freedom, this week during a New Hampshire Public Radio program on the topic.

The memoranda of understanding of some private scholarship funds do not clearly address whether the scholarship was based on need or merit. After the Faculty Senate motion on that matter last March, Vice President Rubinstein worked with the senate’s Agenda Committee and arrived at a workable policy that will preserve departments’ discretion and deem as "merit-based" all student scholarships except those where the donor explicitly expressed a contrary intent on the occasion of making the grant.

The provost said that there has been much progress made on the COLSA reorganization and strategic planning process. There has also been significant progress on deficit remediation in COLSA over the past two and one-half years. As a result, the college closed the last fiscal year near the break-even point, with a deficit of only $200,000. Although work remains to be done, the foundation has been laid for a strong future for the college.

The next step in the phased implementation of the Discovery Program will require Faculty Senate confirmation of the Discovery Program categories. The provost said that the Discovery Program concept, design, and delivery have been entirely the work of faculty, in a true example of shared governance, whereby faculty design and oversee the curriculum while the administration generates the financial resources necessary to deliver the instructional program.

Central strategic funding of 1.2 million dollars over three years will be provided, as a bridge to permanent RCM funding for the inquiry courses in the Discovery Program. The funds will be allocated to each college according to a formula which is tied to how many sections of inquiry courses each unit will offer. Then the disposition of those funds will be decided in each college by the deans working with the department chairs and faculty.

This fall the Academic Plan will be reviewed, with input from the faculty, deans and others, and the intention is to have an updated plan in place by January 1. The provost said that the plan has lasting value but needs more specificity in some areas.