The University of Northern Iowa Faculty Agent and Advocate
for over a Quarter of a Century
Official Minutes of the
Executive Board/Central Committee
March 7, 2008
Present: Mitch Strauss, Frank Thompson, Jeff Funderburk, Hans Isakson, Jesse Swan, Allen Rappaport, Chris Neuhaus, Melissa Beall,and Chuck Quirk
I. Call to Order, Approval of Agenda, and Report from the President [Isakson]
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. Isakson added the following two items to the agenda, new business a request to meet and confer and UNI parking discussions with the Public Safety Department. Isakson review information from the last President’s Advisory Board Meeting concerning legislative funding for UNI’s budget, Baker Hall, the UNI Athletic Budget, and Community College relationships.
An announcement was made of an April 15th presentation at University Bookstore
Beginning at 6 PM for UNI faculty with UF-AAUP sponsorship on the topic,
“Faculty Use of Tax Return Information to Improve Financial Planning,” by Frank
Thompson.
On Saturday, April 19th, from 9AM to 12 PM the UNI UF-AAUP will host the 2008
Iowa Spring AAUP Conference which will focus on how to involve faculty in the
reaccredidation process. The featured speaker will be Dr. John Rossman from Macalester
College who is an AAUP expert on reaccreditation and a longtime reviewer of
accreditation for North Central.
II. Membership Report [Quirk]
The membership has not changed over the last month.
III. Presentation and Approval of the Minutes [Thompson ]
Although the minutes to last month’s meeting were sent out, Thompson did not bring hard copies of the draft minutes to the meeting for approval. The vote on approving minutes was delayed until the next scheduled meeting in April. Thompson has agreed to take minutes for the rest of the year as interim secretary.
IV. Treasurer’s Report [Thompson]
The Treasurer’s Report was distributed and approved. Thompson provided information on banking choices available to UF-AAUP from various financial institutions in the Cedar Valley. After discussion, Swan made a motion to have UF-AAUP phase all of its accounts over to Wells Fargo in a timely manner. This motion was seconded by Strauss. After discussion, the question was called and the motion passed unanimously.
.
V. Grievance Report [Funderburk]
Funderburk reported that there are no new grievances, but an issue has arisen concerning faculty evaluation in one college that may require a meet and confer. This issue will be addressed as one of our items under new business.
V. Old Business
Assessment Committee Update: Currently there is nothing to report. We are unaware that a committee has been called to meet.
Clinical Faculty Committee Update: The committee is continuing to consider how renewable appointments might fit into assignment of a clinical faculty designation.
. Collective Bargaining/Negotiations: Tom Kessler has agreed to serve as chair of the Negotiating Team for the 2008-10 bargaining session. In addition, Chuck Quirk has agreed to serve as our Chief Negotiator for the 2008-10 bargaining session. A motion was made from the floor to approve these two appointments and that motion carried unanimously.
Listening Posts: Isakson indicated that fliers would be created and sent out in the coming weeks announcing the April 19th 2008 Iowa Spring Conference Meeting here at UNI, the April 15th educational session on financial planning using tax return information for faculty, and a time, place and request for bargaining ideas from the listening posts we set up during the February meeting of the Executive Board/Central Committee. We will have listening post sessions in Lang Hall/Maucker Union, Baker Hall, Curris Business Building and possibly Schindler Hall. Listening posts will be open to all faculty who can attend any of the 5 listening posts. Organizers should let Chuck know what dates they wish to schedule for their respective listening post event.
. Elections The Executive Board/Central Committee reviewed information from the nominating committee and took nominations for positions from the floor. Swan made a motion to approve the following ballot based on all nominations:
Hans Isakson - President
Frank Thompson – Vice President
Karen Couch Brietbach – Secretary
Allen Rappaport – Treasurer
At Large: Jesse Swan, Mitchell Strauss, Melissa Beal
The motion was seconded by Beal and after discuss, a vote was taken and the ballot approved unanimously.
VI. New Business
UNI Parking Discussions: Isakson reported on a productive meeting with Dave Zarifis, Director of UNI Public Safety concerning ways to improve parking on the UNI campus. In light of these discussions it was agreed that Hans would extend an invitation to Dave Zarifis to meet with the UF-AAUP Executive Board/Central Committee to make a presentation on parking and campus safety.
Request for a Meet and Confer: Isakson and Funderburk reported on an issue of concern involving one of the colleges in the way faculty are being evaluated for promotion and tenure. The issue relates to written PAC reports, the setting of clearly defined standards, the phasing in of higher standards. Isakson will request a meet and confer with the Provost to discuss UF-AAUP’s support for increased research expectations, and the need for the articulation and phasing in of standards over a reasonable length of time. There was also discussion on the need to encourage UNI faculty to participate and take their PAC responsibilities seriously in order to provide a fair and objective evaluation of faculty colleagues.
VIII: Adjournment
A motion was made for adjournment. The motion passed at 4:59 PM.
Minutes, respectfully submitted,
Frank Thompson, Interim Secretary