A list of topics from the Faculty Senate was given to Dr. Sorensen to address.   The first issue was an allotment reduction of football tickets for faculty/staff.  The demand for tickets is in direct correlation to the success of the football team.  The 1999 football season was very successful with projections for an even better season this year.  That fact and the Alabama-Auburn game being played in Tuscaloosa have increased the demand for tickets.  The faculty requests last year were 3,500 with an increase to 5,000 this year.  Lettermen, A Club, donors and some politicians were left out of the allotment.  83,000 tickets were sold last year, 95,000 season tickets could have been sold this year.  This was not known at the time the decisions were made concerning stadium expansion.  Another stadium expansion is under consideration. There are eighty names now on a waiting list for skyboxes.  The plan for distribution of tickets next year will be submitted to Dr. Sorensen no later than October 1 and submitted to the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee with Faculty Senate representation.  The Faculty Senate President or the President's representative or any faculty member may attend those meetings.  Alumnus has had an unprecedented demand for tickets this year.  Auburn will be given 10,500 tickets instead of 9,500.  They in turn give Alabama 10,500 to their home game.

The Budget strategy includes the following priorities -- (1) increase faculty/staff compensation (2) near-term maintenance needs (3) support of academic initiatives (4) enhance diversity and (5) enhance technological advances.  These, other than number one, are not listed in priority order.  To bring faculty/staff salaries in line with the SUG average would take over twelve million dollars.  To bring the professional staff to the average would take three million and the non-exempt employees would take two million.  In 1996, a three percent raise was given.  In 1997-98, raises were not given and in 1998-99, an eight and one-half increase in salaries was given and in1999-00 a smaller raise was given.  Even with these increases, the salary average is below average and continues to decline.  There are two ways to deal with elevating salaries - supplementing faculty/staff salaries with donor gifts which would not be eligible for pension benefits.  The second method could be using research grant monies to supplement salaries and sharing with those not in an advantageous position.  Efforts are being made to convince the Governor and the Legislature that the larger institutions, ex. University of Alabama, Auburn be considered with entirely different needs than Troy State or University of West Alabama. This will be very difficult since those legislators that have institutions in their districts will not want to decrease the appropriations given by the state to those institutions.

Near-term maintenance would take twenty-eight million dollars.  The immediate critical maintenance would take two million with long-term deferred maintenance costs at 70-90 million dollars.  The cost of maintenance is not built into the cost of a new building because the Federal government will not divert money dedicated to construction and take a percentage of those monies for maintenance.  Donors are not inclined to donate funds for maintenance.

Academic initiative support would take $1,300,000.  This would include the White Paper, enhancing minority faculty, library funding, etc.  The library is now ranked above Georgia Tech.  Enhancement of the technological infrastructure of the University has been proposed with the cost projected at $300,000 with a 14 million dollar investment over the next five years.

All needed funding numbers will be reduced due to lack of monies.

Dr. Sorensen also presented other aspects of the budgets by graphs indicating the budget trends by categories such as Support for Student Services, Institutional Support, etc.  Dr. Sorensen reduced administrators from 107 to 87.  He has a half-time assistant that aided the reduction of expenditures in the President's Office.  Dr. Sorensen defined unrestricted funds as having no restrictions on how it is spent.  Restricted monies have the manner spent specified.  Tuition increases are difficult to have approved by the Board of Trustees.  The amount is carefully considered before being presented to the Board.  The Board has approved all tuition increases proposed by Dr. Sorensen.  Contract and grants have increased.  Other revenues include Supe Store, Golf Course, Theater and Dance, etc.

Tuition and fees - Undergraduate residents $3,000 - the lowest in SUG is $2,378 and highest is $5,136.  Undergraduate non-residents rating has six institutions below and 21 ahead - Graduate residents have seven below and 21 ahead - Graduate non-residents is comparable to Undergraduate residents.  It costs 1.5 million to give a salary increase and we have about 19,000 students.  If tuition was increased $100 per student - 1.9 million dollars would give a 3% salary increase to faculty and staff.  Out-of-state tuition was increased 5.7%.  If tuition were increased 8.7%, this would add one percent and would give a 4.5% increase in salary.  Our increases are compared to other institutions in the state.  If tuition increases are approved, the Legislature will tend to decrease the state appropriation.  The question was could we not work toward increased pay out of the endowment fund since we had a 20% increase and a 5% pay out.  That is not a popular goal since the economy will have less productive years and to increase pay out in those lean years would eat into the corpus.

Dr. Sorensen reiterated that compensation increases are his number one priority.  This completed Dr. Sorensen's remarks to the Faculty Senate.

Roll Call
Roll call made by Steven MacCall, Secretary, with the following absent:President Pat Bauch presented an engraved gavel to Rob Ingram honoring him for his outstanding service as Faculty Senate President 1999-2000.

Motion was made and seconded to approve April minutes with no corrections or additions made.
 
 

President's Report - (Pat Bauch)
 Welcome to another academic year, one that I expect to be a fairly important and productive for us.During the summer, as you can note in our Steering Committee Minutes on the Faculty Senate WebPage, we accomplished a number of important activities.  I would like to review them briefly here, but encourage you to check out our WebPage.  As you know, the Steering Committee acts in the name of the full Senate, so if you have objections about anything we have done, said, or are doing please let me know.

The following are not in any order of importance, though clearly some issues are more important than others.

1. Don Lawrence (Payroll Manager) and Charlotte Harris (Associate VP for Human Resources) presented the University's program for mandatory payroll direct deposit.  There were no stated objections from the Steering Committee members regarding this program.
2. George Brown (University Recreation Director), Charles Brown (Senior Associate VP for Student Affairs) and Jill Tappen (Assistant Director for Recreational Services and University Recreation) presented a new recreation fee structure for faculty and staff use of the University's athletic and recreation facilities.  At our April meeting, the Senate passed a resolution objecting to the proposed fee structure.  During the summer, we have been in a number of meetings and conversations with President Sorensen and the University Recreation Department.  President Sorensen proposed to subsidize Faculty and Staff fees.  Keith Woodbury, Dorothy Martin and the Financial Affairs Committee had a productive meeting with George Brown and others in which a compromise was reached.  The final schedule of fees has been sent to the Faculty.  The Senate still remains opposed to these new fees.  However, we formally thanked President Sorensen for his subsidizing these fees to keep them low, both for faculty recruiting purposes, and to assist financially the faculty and staff in their use of our recreation facilities.  A plan to renovate and build new facilities was included in the presentation.  (See Steering Committee Minutes for May 16, 2000).
3. I proposed the establishment of a new Faculty Life Committee for the Faculty Senate to deal with issues of faculty concern related to the faculty and university community, which are neither primarily academic nor financial in nature, nor primarily concern students.  Examples include diversity issues, faculty mentoring, and relations with the greater Tuscaloosa community.  Currently members include Rob Ingram and Wythe Holt as co-chairs and Joanne Terrell and Cornelius Carter as additional members.  We are looking for another 1-2 members, if you are interested in switching committees.  (Please see one of the co-chairs.)  The Faculty Life Committee will operate as an ad hoc committee and will be evaluated at the end of the year to determine whether it should become a permanent standing committee of the Faculty Senate.
4. A Resolution requesting a 5.5% raise in faculty salaries from new State funding plus a raise in tuition was sent to President Sorensen.  In addition, the resolution requested that a percentage of tuition be set aside each year for faculty raises.  At this time, the President felt that he could not request additional salary monies beyond the amount allocated through the State budget; however, he promised to continue working on salary increases; also on incremental tuition increases until such time as UA tuition is on a par with the other system campuses.  Currently, tuition is lower at UA than at the other campuses in the system.  The Finance Committee will continue monitoring this situation.
5. A proposal was brought this summer to the Steering Committee concerning Domestic Partner Benefits.  While many supported the content of this proposal, the decision was to ask that it first be taken through the proper channels; that is, the Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee and then to Bob Wright before it would be brought to the Senate.  The vote was split 4-4 concerning this procedural matter.  Later in this meeting we will be asking about Senate priorities for the coming year.  If this issue is viewed as important enough to Senate members to bring to the Senate floor at this time, we will do so.
6. Considerable progress was made this summer concerning the Faculty Senate Resolution on Diversity.  I have appointed a Diversity Executive Council comprised of the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate expanded to include Rhoda Johnson and Dexter Gordon who have graciously agreed to serve the Senate in this capacity.  This Council will evaluate input from the Faculty Diversity Leadership Council and other faculty members concerning executive decisions such as an extended contract with Crossroads, the group presenting the Orientation Workshop on Diversity in October.  Rob Ingram will report more on this later in the meeting.
7. The Legislative Agenda Committee and all of us will have an uphill battle concerning new monies from the State Legislature this year.  Margaret Garner will speak to us later about the need for some urgent strategic planning.  I would again urge everyone to join the Higher Education Partnership, if you have not already done so, and to urge your colleagues to join.  We will be needing your support more than ever.
8. ACHE has decided, as they are mandated to do so by law, to gather faculty workload data this year.  We need to think about how UA will respond to ACHE.  Again, Rob might be able to give us an update on this.
9. Lastly, there are many important issues with which the Faculty Senate has been dealing this past year and over the summer.  The Steering and Executive Committees of the Faculty Senate met several times this summer to attempt to prioritize these issues.  As you will note in the agenda, Norm Baldwin will distribute a survey in order to obtain your input as to the importance of some of these issues.  Please be candid.

We have an important and meaningful year ahead of us where, acting as a strong body with everyone's participation, we can contribute to the well-being of our university, its faculty, staff and students.  I thank you ahead of time for your commitment to the Faculty Senate and to the work that lies ahead.  Thank you.

Patricia A. Bauch

Faculty Senate President, 2000-2001

The listing of incoming and outgoing correspondence was handed out.   (attached)
 

Vice President's Report - (Norm Baldwin)

The report from the Provost's ad hoc committee on Task Force Distance Education included the fact that there were twelve different programs in this area and some financial overlaps. This committee's first meeting will be September 8^th.   More reports will be forthcoming.

Wythe Holt suggested that the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee consider all the changes that have been made and make sure they are implemented.

Dr. Sorensen has instructed the Athletic Director not to make such ticket decisions

without the approval of the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee.  President Pat Bauch plans to have a meeting with the Athletic Director in the near future to get a sense of these issues.
 

Secretary's Report - (Steven MacCall)

A new faculty listserv policy written by Steven has been proposed.
 Proposed Policy for Postings to the FSFaculty List

(The Senate’s All-Faculty E-mail Distribution List)

8/22/00The Faculty Senate Secretary maintains an e-mail distribution list for the entire faculty of The University of Alabama:

fsfaculty@bama.ua.edu

The only individuals with the ability to post to this e-mail distribution list are the Senate President, Vice President and Secretary.  The purpose of this distribution list is to forward e-mail messages to the faculty that impact and relate to all The University of Alabama faculty directly. If they do not impact directly, they will not be forwarded. Justification for this policy is as follows: Any information forwarded to fsfaculty@bama.ua.edu carries the implicit endorsement of the Faculty Senate. Along these lines, the Senate officers may choose to preface all forwarded messages with short commentary or a rationale for forwarding a message, if necessary to clarify Senate endorsement.

The following messages are examples of past messages that have been forwarded to the UA Faculty:
 

• Letter from the Provost concerning technology grant application deadline.
• Letter from the Computer-based Honors Program inviting faculty participation.
• Letter from Legislative Affairs committee concerning political issues of faculty-wide importance.

Committee Reports

Faculty Life Committee - (Rob Ingram & Wythe Holt) - This committee proposed two resolutions - the Distinguished Service Award for Chuck Hobby to be presented to his widow, Joyce Donnelly, at the campus-wide faculty meeting September 13^th and the second resolution honoring Board of Trustee member George Shirley posthumously.   Those resolutions passed unanimously.

Resolution Distinguished Service Award—Prof. Chuck Hobby

Be It Resolved that The Faculty Senate of the University of Alabama remembers with affection and gratitude, Dr. Chuck Hobby, and honors his memory with this Distinguished Service Award. Professor Hobby's extraordinary devotion to The University of Alabama and its faculty, his deep understanding and commitment to the principles of faculty governance, his loving mentoring of younger faculty, his clarity and elegance of expression, and his warmth, humor and personal grace, merit our deepest respect and highest commendation.

______________               _______________

Pat Bauch, President         Norman Baldwin, Vice President
 
 

George S. Shirley Resolution

WHEREAS, George S. Shirley was elected to The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama in April 1987 and retired in June 1998. During his 11-year tenure, he held many key leadership positions, including nine years as chairman of the audit committee; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Shirley’s financial expertise was matched only by his passionate love for The University of Alabama. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Commerce and Business Administration in 1949. He was a member of the UA President’s Cabinet from 1982 -- 1988; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Shirley retired in 1998 after serving 10 years as city board chairman of AmSouth Bank of Tuscaloosa. He joined First National Bank of Tuscaloosa in 1960 and rose through the administrative ranks, named president in 1970 and chief executive officer in 1979. His banking and financial services background was an important asset to the Board, particularly his work on the Executive, Finance, Investment and Physical Properties Committees; and

WHEREAS, he was also extremely active in the Tuscaloosa community, was a philanthropist, and was called a “civic giant.” He served in such organizations as United Way, the Tuscaloosa Exchange Club, the YMCA, the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce, the city school board and many others. He was honored in 1971 as the Tuscaloosa Citizen of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Shirley is survived by his wife, Betty B. Shirley, his daughters, Betsy Gary, Allison Pritchard, and Evelyn Pritchard, and several grandchildren. Mr. Shirley and his wife are particularly well known for their support of UA’s RISE program, a model early-childhood educational facility housed in The Stallings Center on campus;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Faculty Senate of The University of Alabama that it extends its heartfelt sympathy to the family of George S. Shirley and expresses its admiration and gratitude for his outstanding accomplishments as a member of The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama; and let this resolution be so noted in the Minutes of the Faculty Senate and forwarded to the Board of Trustees.

Academic Affairs

(Don Desmet & Steve Miller) This committee's first meeting will be September 5^th at 3:30 PM 501 Main Library.  Several issues are being considered and the faculty senate survey will assist them in prioritizing those issues.

Financial Affairs

(Keith Woodbury & Deborah Martin)  This committee's first meeting will be Tuesday, September 5^th, 3:30 PM at the Bruno Library.

Planning & Operations

(Bill Keel & Marcia Barrett)  This committee will be looking at conflicts of the University academic calendar, i.e., the Law School beginning two weeks before the rest of the campus begins classes.  Energy policies and recommendations have been made considering conserving energy on campus.  Using intramural lights at night was one issue addressed.

Research & Service

(Bing Blewitt &) No one present to give a report.

Student Affairs

(Dexter Gordon & Rob Ingram)  No report.  Meet on August 31.

Senate Operations

(Norm Baldwin & Jim Taylor)  The survey to prioritize issues for the Faculty Senate to consider was handed out.  This will give the officers direction on the issues that are important to the Faculty Senate.

President Bauch requested that all minutes and/or reports be posted on the web for senators to review before Faculty Senate meetings.  They will then have questions ready pertaining to those committees and issues.

Legislative Agenda Committee

(Margaret Garner) The Executive Committee of the Legislative Agenda Committee will be holding a meeting with elected representatives.  A new strategy must be developed for next year to influence legislators to elevate funding for higher education.   Great strides have been made in the last three years but more must be done.  Everyone must become more involved in carrying the message about the importance of higher education.  A plan will be brought to the Senate in the near future.

Standing Committees

Pat impressed upon standing committee chairpersons to post minutes on the web and for the liaison representatives to fulfill their responsibilities of this position.

Old Business

A survey was passed out to all senators.  Those issues on the survey are not the agenda of the executive officers and they welcome all suggestions concerning additional issues.

New Business

Meeting adjourned    5:05 PM

A social was held at the University Club from 6:00-8:00 with President and Ms. Sorensen attending.  A total of approximately 40 people attended.
 
 
 
 

INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE INFORMATION
INCOMING
DATE	FROM	SUBJECT
4-10-00	Dr. Sorensen	Thanks for leadership diversity issues
4-14-00	COPY letter to Dr. Sorensen  written by Rob Ingram	Create diversity Greek system
4-24-00	COPY letter to Norm Baldwin from Nancy Barrett	Faculty Salary compression report
4-24-00	COPY memo to Rob Ingram  from Dr. Sorensen	Thanks for support of changes in rush system
4-28-00	Cleo Thomas	Thanks for copies of Greek resolutions
5-2-00	Sid McDonald	Thanks for copy of Greek resolutions
5-4-00	Gene Marsh	1998-99 NCAA Annual Report
5-12-00	Nancy Barrett	Thanks for diversity materials
5-18-00	Gov. Don Siegelman	Thanks for copies of two resolutions-diversity &Greek system
5-17-00	Dr. Sorensen from Bauch & Ingram	Low Salary resolution
5-17-00	COPY  letter to Chan. Meredith written by Rob Ingram	Thanks disappointment - legislative session
5-16-00	COPY  letter to Rob Ingram from Dr. Sorensen	Appreciation for service as Fac Sen President
5-10-00	COPY  letter to Gene Marsh from William Samson	Athletic events scheduled during final exams
5-26-00	Dr. Sorensen	Note & photo from commencement ceremony
6-1-00	Dr. Sorensen	University Recreation fee structure adjustments
5-19-00	Hank Lazer	Academic policy revisions
6-5-00	Dr. Sorensen	Salary increases from state appropriations
6-9-00	COPY letter to Gene Marsh from Dr. Sorensen	Reappointment Faculty Athletics Representative
6-9-00	Dr. Sorensen	Reply to e-mail re: tuition increase
6-14-00	COPY letter to Bd of Trustees from Rob Ingram	Diversity and segregation issue resolutions
6-20-00	Dr. Sorensen	Changing Honors Week
6-22-00	Dr. Sorensen	Reply regarding tuition & salary increases
7-5-00	Dr. Barrett	Request faculty member serve distance ed ad hoc committee
7-17-00	Dr. Sorensen	Stance on tuition increases
7-17-00	Dr. Sorensen	Change Honors Week 200
7-27-00	Dr. Sorensen	Appreciation efforts recreation fee issue
7-28-00	Dr. Sorensen	Invocation at commencement referred to counsel
7-31-00	Dr. Sorensen	Letter to Wythe Holt in appreciation for efforts during recreation fee issue
OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE INFORMATION
OUTGOING
DATE	TO	SUBJECT
4-26-00	Dr. Sorensen  Attachments: (Faculty Senate Diversity Resolution & Faculty Senate Resolution on Greek System Integration)	Greek rush and diversity
4-26-00	Board of Trustees (same attachments as above	Greek rush and diversity
5-17-00	Dr. Sorensen cc: Nancy Barrett	Tuition resolution
5-17-00	Provost Barrett	Concern re: increase in University
E-MAIL		recreation fees Resolution attached
6-1-00	Dr. Sorensen	Thanks for honoring commitment salary
E-MAIL		increases
6-7-00	Financial Affairs Committee Steering Committee MEMO	Domestic Partner Benefits & Univ. Rec Fees documents
6-7-00	Student Affairs Committee MEMO	Academic policies
6-15-00	Kenneth Midkiff	Energy Policy
6-16-00	Dr. Sorensen  cc: Nancy Barret (Hand delivered)	Tuition Increase
6-16-00	Dr. Sorensen cc: Nancy Barrett,Sid McDonald	Recreation fee increas
6-16-00	Kenneth Midkiff cc: Dr. Sorensen & Bob Wright	Energy Policy
6-14-00	Faculty	Recreation fees
E-MAIL
6-14-00	Dr. Joseph Hornsby	Acceptance of resignation
7-5-00	Dr. Andrew Sorensen cc: Nancy Barrett	Reply regarding tuition increases
	Dr. Andrew Sorensen Cc: Nancy Barrett	Public prayer
	Dr. Andrew Sorensen Cc: Nancy Barrett	Changing dates of Honors Week
	Dr. Andrew Sorensen	Memo & copies of responses regarding recreation fee increase
7-29-00	Dr. Andrew Sorensen	Faculty Senate Committee's Report on University Recreation
E-MAIL		Fees attached