North Georgia College & State University Faculty Senate Meeting:
Minutes for Thursday, August 22, 2002
Call to Order
At 12:32 P.M.,
C.E.O. Jimmy Woods called the
August 22, 2002 meeting of the NGCSU Faculty Senate to order.
- Senators in Attendance: Dlynn Armstrong-Williams, Kim Benton,
Kaye Biddy, Jack Broman, V.P.A.A. Phil Buckhiester, Noel Campbell, Robert
Fuller, Barry Friedman, Anne Gaillard, Donna Gessell, Ahmad Ghafarian, President
Nathaniel Hansford, Kristi Hislope, Scott Irwin, Aaron Lu, Brian Mann, Georgia
Mann, C. Michael Powell, Lindsay Reeves, Harriette Richard, Bud Reiselt,
Alice Sampson, Andy Schaffer, Bill Shaw, Jeff Sommers, Ann Stucke, Ann Sumners,
Sally Wiedmann, C.E.O. Jimmy Woods
- Senators Excused: Carl Cavalli
- Senators Absent: Dan Thompson
- Guests: Linda Roberts-Betsch
- C.E.O. Jimmy Woods submitted the minutes of
the June 13th meeting for approval and called for any additions
or corrections. He asked that the record reflect that Sally Wiedmann
was excused, rather than absent, for the April and June 2002 meetings. Since
the secretary does not have access to the web-published approved minutes,
this will be duly noted in the current minutes. Noel Campbell moved
to accept the minutes. Bud Reiselt seconded, and the minutes were
approved with the above revision.
President's Report: Dr. Nathaniel Hansford
- The President announced first that the Child Care Committee
had been formed. Brian Mann will chair the committee, which includes
Susan Gannaway, Susan Huffman, Bonnie Morris, Mary Poland, Mary Hand,
Bill Shaw, Jennifer Smith, and Sheral Stevens.
- Hansford then announced that enrollment is up by around 6-7%.
Noting that there are a fair amount of transfer students & upperclassmen
among these, he added that this would lessen the pressure on the resources
for freshmen. This all represents an enrollment of over 4000, he said, of
which around 750 are part-time (6 hrs. or less). Also, graduate student enrollment
is up to about 500, indicating healthy growth in the program.
- Hansford moved on to discuss the newly instituted confirmation
deposit of $200, which students applying before May 1 must now remit. He
then spoke of our having moved up the application deadline to 7/15, which
will facilitate planning for these increased enrollments. Corps enrollment,
he added, is at around 575 because a few cadets didn’t return.
- As for facilities, Hansford said that the occupation of the
new residence hall is going smoothly, with no problems as of yet. He says
he has had positive feedback on the facilities. He then announced that Lewis
Hall is now empty, and that the final architectural drafts for a full renovation
are done. It will go out for bid next week, and is slated for completion by
July 1 next year. Robert Fuller asked if the moisture/water problems
there would be remediated, and thePresident assured him that yes,
they would.
C.E.O.’s Report & Bylaws Change: Dr.
Jimmy Woods
- Woods first announced the replacement of departing senators,
which are as follows: Anne Gaillard will replace Wayne Morris
(Biology), Ahmad Ghafarian will replace John Eggers (Math &
Computer Science), and Andy Schaffer will replace Kirk Heriot
(Business & Government).
- Woods then returned to the issue of Eggers' replacement
on the Committee on Committees. He reminded the assembled that the intent
of the bylaw in question (cf. text of bylaws change) is, in fact, to select
such replacement committee members at a Senate meeting rather than at a general
faculty meeting. He then announced that he had met with Barry Friedman
& others about the matter and that he had found the 5 required
signatory sponsors for this change: (Jimmy Woods, Barry Friedman, Judy
O'Neal, Paul Patten, & Ed Green). He added that in accordance
with Senate bylaws, the vote on this change would take place at the upcoming
meeting (9/12). Barry Friedman wanted to make sure that the Senate
indeed needed to go before the faculty eventually with the proposed change,
and Donna Gessell confirmed as much. Woods agreed and
said that if the Senate approves the change, it will, in fact, go to the
faculty for a vote in the spring. Gessell then reminded the Senate
that members should inform their constituents about the change before the
next general meeting so that they will be ready for such a vote. Woods
then asked for questions. Bud Reiselt asked for a reading
of the amended bylaw, and Woods complied. Barry Friedman
then clarified the issue at hand for the new senators (cf. minutes
of 6/13 meeting).
Agenda Item (New Business) - Senate Link on the
NGCSU Website: Dr. Donna Gessell
- Stating that her proposal to "link" the Senate's website to the NGCSU
homepage was just a suggestion rather than an official resolution, Gessell
said that she has done some research at other institutions to see how their
senate links are organized. Based on this research, she then presented her
materials, which suggested that the following information be public: Names
of senators categorized by term and department, names of senate officers,
standing senate committees and members, ad-hoc senate committees and members,
meeting schedule, current agenda, resolutions, statutes & bylaws, and
minutes. Her rationale for the change is to increase access to the site
as well as ease & facilitate its use by faculty. Offering the chance
to make archived records available, it would also, said Gessell, ease
communication from constituents and invite campus participation in senate
affairs. She indicated her belief that it would be good to showcase the fact
that we indeed have faculty governance, and then displayed the names of other
Georgia schools whose senate links are "live" (Emory, GSU, Georgia State,
Georgia Tech, UGA, and VSU).
- Sally Wiedmann asked if these Georgia schools were all hyperlinked
like she was proposing that ours be, to which Gessell responded yes.
Weidmann followed up asking if they contained the same information
as Gessell was suggesting, to which Gessell again answered
yes, recounting that when she needed to collect information as Senate C.E.O.,
she had been able to do so via these kinds of links. Weidmann then
reminded the assembled of the resistance encountered the last time this was
suggested, but apparently, no problems have arisen at the institutions mentioned.
- Barry Friedman then moved that the C.E.O. be authorized to
appoint a Webmaster to maintain a public Senate website. Sally Wiedmann
seconded the motion. President Hansford pointed out that the
Senate site is ready for such a hot link, and that it wouldn't take much
to do so. Sally Wiedmann, further supporting her motion, said that
she always has to bookmark the site in order to keep track of it.
- Brian Mann pointed out that the site is, in fact, already public
because access is not restricted in any way.
- Robert Fuller called the question, Noel Campbell seconded,
and the call carried unanimously. The proposal carried.
- Fuller then moved to link the Senate web page from the NGCSU
webpage to make sure it is publicly available, and Ann Sumners seconded.
- Dlynn Armstrong-Williams asked if the NGCSU Senate website
has all the information suggested by Gessell.
- Woods said that most but not all of it was there, listing the
things that are there and pointing out that the departmental affiliations
of the individual senators and meeting agendas are not but will be added.
- Armstrong-Williams suggested adding the senators' terms and
departments, as well as the names of which senators are serving "at large."
- A vote was held, and the motion to make the page link live carried
unanimously.
Announcements and Adjournment:
- Barry Friedman asked about the Committee on Committees.
- Woods reminded the assembled that its chair will be Kim
Melton, that Senate statutes require standing committees to convene within
3 weeks to choose a chair, that such information must go to Melton and
Woods, that minutes must be taken at all meetings, and that such minutes
must be reported to Woods and also sent to the library.
- Woods then announced that there is a link to information about
these committees on the Senate website, and, hearing no further announcements,
adjourned the meeting at 1:01 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
D. Brian Mann, Secretary, NGCSU Faculty Senate