The University of Northern Iowa Faculty Agent and Advocate
for over a Quarter of a Century
Official Minutes of the
Executive Board/Central Committee
May 2005
May 6, 2005
Mauker Union, College Eye Room
3:30-5:00 p.m.
- Call to order (Names below are the newly elected officers, effective May 1).
Roll (X=present):
Executive Board Committee Chairs
X Frank Thompson, President X Jesse Swan, Negotiations
X Jeffrey Funderburk, Vice President Paul Siddens, Membership and Past President
X Becky Hawbaker, Secretary X Dean Kruckeberg, Communications
Hans Isakson, Treasurer XX Swan and Thompson, Academic Freedom
X Karen Breitbach Couch, At-Large
X Jesse Swan, At-Large
X Barbara Lounsberry, At-Large
Central Committee Constituency Representatives
X Barbara Cutter, History X Katheryn VanWormer, CSBS
__________________ Art/Music X Russ Campbell, CNS
Susan Rochette-Cawley, English X Jolene Tagtow, Price Lab School
Laura Terlip, Communications Studies Kurt Meredith, Curr.&Inst/OSFE
X Dan Power, CBA X John Henning, Ed Psych/HPELS/Ed.Leadership
X Chris Neuhaus, Library X Bob Krueger, Philosophy, Religion, Languages
Ex-Officio
Chuck Quirk, Executive Director
Other Members and Guests Present: None
- Announcements
Thompson proposed that the UF Executive Board/Central Committee continue to meet on the first Friday of the month for the 2005-2006 year. No objections were raised.
- Approval of the Minutes
The minutes of the April meeting were approved with no corrections.
- Treasurer’s Report.
Thompson asked for an Audit Committee to work over the summer on an Audit for the IPERB report. Thompson said that the auditor cannot be a CPA and the auditor ideally should not be a UF member or an officer. Swan questioned why a non-CPA should conduct the audit. Thompson and Campbell answered that a CPA audit is required to be more extensive than what we need for IPERB. Campbell suggested using an emeritus member. Thompson said that the sole job of the Audit Committee is to locate an auditor. Isakson and Campbell volunteered and suggested that Nicholas be approached to join.
- Grievances.
Breitbach gave a short summary of grievances in process. The Grievance Policies and Procedures Subcommittee has not met and has no report. Breitbach and Swan discussed the difference between changing the grievance process in the contract and changing our own internal identified process. The Subcommittee will meet over the summer.
- Elections.
Hawbaker reported that she and Sandstrom have counted all ballots received to date and announce the following officers for next year: President, Frank Thompson; Vice President, Jeffrey Funderburk; Secretary, Becky Hawbaker; Treasurer, Hans Isakson; At-Large Representatives, Karen Breitbach Couch, Barbara Lounsberry, Jesse Swan. A small but significant number of members reported that they did not receive a written ballot via campus mail, and these members were allowed to vote via hand delivered written ballot or via email. Hawbaker strongly recommended an electronic ballot on MyUniverse next year, given known issues with campus mail.
- Committee to Review the Executive Director
Thompson asked for a committee to complete the review of the Executive Director. Thompson, Lounsberry, Neuhaus, Isakson and Beall volunteered. One task for the committee is to establish the compensation for the Executive Director, and to discuss a better timing for this task next year.
Isakson/ Funderburk moved to continue the rate of compensation for the Executive on a month-by-month basis during the 2005-06 fiscal year until the Central Committee acts to set a new rate of compensation.
Swan/Kruger moved to amend the motion by deleting “during the 2005-06 fiscal year” and replacing it with “for no more than three months” at the end of the motion. The amendment passed.
Amended motion: To continue the rate of compensation for the Executive Director on a month-by-month basis, for no more than three months, until the Central Committee acts to set a new rate of compensation.
- Initiatives with the UNI Faculty Senate, AAUW, Hawkeye Faculty exploring AAUP affiliation rather than ISEA.
Thompson discussed issues with the articulation agreements that were entered into without the involvement of faculty government. Isakson shared the experience of his department with HCC two-week minimester Macroeconomics course. Thompson asked for volunteers for a committee to work as a liaison with the UNI Faculty Senate to work on this and other issues. Beall, Campbell, Swan, Kruger volunteered. Quirk met with representatives of the Hawkeye Community College faculty about AAUP affiliation. The HCC faculty is currently affiliated with ISEA.
- Academic Freedom/Public Safety Interruption of Classes
Isakson reported on the status of our letter protesting the interruption of a faculty member’s course for a non-emergency, which has been responded to in writing by David Zarafis. The Academic Freedom Committee will next propose a formal policy to the Cabinet. The Committee is holding fast on its demand for an apology to the faculty member and a request for the full report including the officers’ logs.
- Budget
Thompson asked for discussion on the UNI request for additional budget and the connection that is being drawn between the need for additional funds/deferred maintenance and the negotiated raise. Members discussed the increased cost of maintenance when new facilities are built such as the McLeod Center.
- National AAUP Meeting
Dan Power has volunteered to represent UNI UF-AAUP at Nationals. Power asked if there are issues that he should represent for us. Isakson asked that AAUP cull out the administrators who are also faculty from the salary report because these may artificially inflate the reported averages.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:45.
Respectfully submitted,
Becky Hawbaker