Minutes of University Faculty Council Meeting,
Armour Conference Room, HUB; 12:00pm - 2:00pm, Friday 2 May 2008

Members Present:: Javad Abbasian (ChBE), Patty Bach (Psyc), Jeff Budiman (CAEE), Warren Edelstein (AMat), Ali Emadi (ECE), Joyce Hopkins (Psyc), Andy Howard (BCPS), Art Lubin (AMat), William Newman (MSEd), Boris Pervan (MMAE), Catherine Wetzel (Arch), Geoff Williamson (ECE), Chris White (BCPS),

Visitors: Katie Spink (BCPS), Mary Anne Smith (Counsel)

Call to Order: Christopher White, Vice-Chair of the UniFC, called the meeting to order around 12:35pm. The Chair, Phil Troyk, was out of town.

Action and Discussion Items

1. Appendix P revision:
   The University Counsel, Mary Anne Smith, would like to see the Council make further revisions to the provisions of Appendix P of the Faculty Handbook, regarding creation and elimination of degree programs. The Council appointed a committee to look into this: the membership of that committee was not recorded.
2. Subcommittee Report: Function and Operations of UCoPT:
   The subcommittee appointed earlier this year to review the function and operations of the University Committee on Promotions and Tenure submitted its report to the Council. The subcommittee consisted of Chris White (BCPS), Peter Beltemacchi (Arch), Michael Young (Psyc), David Williams (MMAE), and Howard Chapman (Kent); Carlo Segre (BCPS), who was chair of UCoPT this year, was also consulted. The Council discussed the report and proposed modifications in it:

   • Item four discusses the separation between administrative and faculty reviews of candidates. Joyce Hopkins (Psyc) suggested changing the second sentence from "Deans should not participate in the faculty's deliberations" to "The President, the Provost, and Deans who are not Academic Unit Heads should not participate in the faculty's deliberations." Patty Bach (Psyc) moved approval of this rewording, and Andy Howard (BCPS) seconded; the proposed revision was approved by a 10-1 vote.
   • Item five discusses the role of UCoPT relative to the lower-level committees. The Council agreed that the notion that an inadequate portfolio should be remanded to the appropriate lower-level committee, but expressed concerns about preventing UCoPT from making inquiries of its own. Andy moved that the first and third sentences of item 5 be omitted, and the second and fourth sentences be retained. Patty seconded this motion. Thus item 5, as revised, would read: Advocates should not be permitted to address UCoPT. UCoPT may remand the portfolio to the appropriate committee if it finds deficiencies in the file. After some discussion, this revision was approved 10-1.
   • Some concerns were expressed about item 7, but the consensus in the Council was to leave it as it was.

   After further discussion the Council considered approval of the revised document. Patty Bach moved for approval, and Joyce Hopkins seconded; the Council voted 9-0 to approve it, with 2 abstentions.

3. Election of University Faculty Council Officers:
   Chris reminded the Council of the changes in election procedures that had been approved at the Spring University Faculty meeting. Art Lubin nominated Andy Howard as secretary; Ali Emadi seconded, and his election was approved unanimously. Andy then nominated Chris White for a two-year term as chair; an unrecorded member seconded that nomination. His election was approved unanimously. Chris then nominated William Newman (MSEd) for a two-year term as vice-chair; an unrecorded member seconded the nomination, and his election was approved unanimously.
4. Progress in appointing new representatives:
   Andy noted that the UniFC terms of the following representatives expire in August 2008, but he had not received news of their replacements:
   Jeff Budiman (CAEE), Wai Gen Yee (CS), Geoff Williamson (ECE), Jack Snapper (Hum), Vijay Kumar (ID), David Rudstein (Kent), Ganesh Raman (MMAE), William Newman (MSEd), and Joel Goldhar (Stuart). Chris White (BCPS) and Joyce Hopkins (Psyc) have been reappointed to three-year terms; Mark Anastasio (BME) will assume a three-year term to replace Phil Troyk.
   At the meeting, Jack Snapper and William Newman said they had been reappointed in their academic units.
   Secretary's note: Most of these expirations had been resolved by September, and all by October.
5. Reminder of FERPA meeting on 6 May:
   Chris and Mary Anne Smith reminded the Council that she would be hosting a meeting to explain the significance of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to IIT.
6. President's meeting with Council officers:
   President Anderson met with the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary of the Council on 30 April 2008, along with Provost Allan Myerson and Mary Anne Smith. This was only a week after the University Faculty meeting, so most of the discussion was of the issues raised there, and of Commencement plans.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned by acclamation at 1:50pm.