Below you will find my final minutes as Secretary of the Faculty. There are
only a few stylistic changes from the "unofficial" minutes distributed
shortly after that meeting. Thanks to those spotting errors.

As Marsha Noe takes over her new duties as Faculty Secretary, I would again
remind Department Secretaries and others wishing a hard copy file of the
minutes to download. The library also maintains an archive of the minutes
(as soon as I update them).

Richard Rice, former Faculty Secretary


The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Faculty Minutes
April 20, 2004

Faculty Senate President Marvin Ernst called to order the fourth and last
regular Faculty Meeting of 2003-2004 at 10:18 A.M.

Second item was approval of the minutes of the called Faculty Meeting of
March 17, 2004. Prof. Potts moved approval; Prof. Honerkamp seconded. Approved.

Third item was election of At-Large Faculty Council Members for 2004-2006.
Profs. Kuhn and Smith were nominated at the Full rank; Profs. Darken,
McCullough, and VanNess at Associate; and Profs. Anyiwo, McNair, and
Thompson at Assistant. Professors Kuhn, McCullough, and McNair were elected
by secret ballot.

Fourth item was a recommendation from Standards Committee Chair Prof.
Russell for raising the ACT entrance requirements from 16 to 17. Last fall
only 16 students would not have been admitted. Such students have little
chance of graduation according to admission office investigation. Prof.
Barrow seconded the motion.

Prof. McCullough asked about conditional admissions.

Yancey Freeman, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, said it could and
does happen. He explained the process in detail.

Provost Friedl: There is a direct correlation of ACT and graduation rates.
Actually, in the case of high ACT scores, students often transfer to other
schools.

Prof. Meyer: What about minorities?

Director Freeman presented a chart of minority statistics and interpreted
them for the audience. There will be an impact on minorities which will
require meeting legal guidelines.

Prof. Nelson: How many will enter conditionally?

Director Freeman: If they have over a 3.0 grade average and are close to
our ACT threshold, we admit them. We send each student conditional appeal
forms if they are denied admission.

Faculty: What about Martin and UTK?

Director Freeman: They review all students who do not meet standards. UTK
may have a 25 ACT, or at least that is what I have been told. [audible
murmurs from the audience].

The measure passed by voice vote.

Fifth item was a report from Provost Friedl covering many topics.

First he said that the peer group report at last weeks THEC board meeting
by Rich Rhoda was succinct and not informative. Perhaps negative comments
have caused a pause in the process. The Provost had nothing more to report
on the peer issue. It is premature to worry about the long term budget
impact until we see what they do. We have time to object before fall 2005.

Enrollment caps for fall 2004 were adopted last week. In 2002 THEC had
proposed a 5% limit on new freshman enrollment at four-year schools to meet
the budget crisis, but did not follow through with this proposal after
sharp criticism. Now THEC has proposed a cap on new freshman enrollment at
four-year schools, which appears to be based on a maximum of 10% over the
average FTE new freshman enrollment over the past three years. Because 2003
was UTC's largest new freshman class ever, we are being penalized for our
success. This policy, if adopted by the Legislature, will take effect in
fall 2004, despite the fact that we have already sent out admissions
notices and can do nothing at this point to limit our enrollment.

We do not know the financial impact of this new policy. We may still be
able to convince the legislature that it is a bad policy. If it is
implemented, it will affect our budget in fall 2005, as there is a year lag
between enrollment and funding. Both Chancellor Stacy and the Provost have
spoken to President Johnson about this issue, but the Provost suggested
waiting until a new UT System President takes office so that he will be
able to make the case with THEC. In terms of potential funding impact, the
enrollment cap may be a more serious issue than the revision in UTC's peer
group."

Provost Friedl then talked about the status of new doctoral programs. SACS
has approved the computational engineering program and we will begin
admitting students for fall 2004 and SACS will make a site visit. He
thanked Roger Briley and others who took the lead, and Dean Arfken for
making such a good proposal.

We will be hiring faculty for the new graduate EDD program in Learning and
Leadership as soon as the program has been approved by THEC, which is
scheduled to consider the proposal in its July meeting.

The Legal Assistant program was accredited this year as well as several
others, but social work was denied, and we have failed to hire a
coordinator for the program. Meanwhile, admissions have been cut off.
Current students will graduate from an accredited program.

Resignations in several programs will permit 15 new faculty hires this
year. Teresa Liedtka will be the new Dean of the Library. A Dean of
Engineering search is going on. Greg ODea has been named Director of the
Honors Program, and Prof. Joanie Sompayrac will serve as Assistant
Director. Prof. David Pittenger has replaced Dan Quarles as Associate
Provost of Academic Administration.

Diane Miller reports over $10 million in grants and contracts to date, with
a projected year-end total around $13 million. Congratulations to Diane and
her staff.

Performance funding by the state according to THEC targets and goals: 95
points of 100 meant we received overall $2 million in performance funding.
We will work on reaching 100 next year.

We made an articulation agreement with Cleveland State, which will extend
to all TBR schools if they will give reciprocal general education
acceptance to our students. American history is the difference to be sorted
out.

The 120 hour conversion is moving along [laughter] and only a few programs
have not submitted plans. The next catalog will reflect all needed changes:
120 for all students in all programs except for approved exceptions. We
have done this a year earlier than President  Johnson required.

Erlanger Hospital reached an agreement for nurse anesthesia. The Osborne
Foundation will pay for clinical nursing.

Freshman Seminar has been restructured and pilots will be carried out this
fall by full time faculty with real academic content. We may implement this
if successful.

Records and Registration are restructured and it is working smoothly under
Deborah Arfken and her staff.

Graduate Council has adopted new procedures for doctoral programs;
proposals will come forth next fall. We celebrated 60 years of graduate
education this year.

College of Health and human Service has been reconfigured as units moved to
other areas. Deans Burhenn and Tanner helped smooth the transition.

Sexual harassment policy has been trapped in the UT bureaucracy because
ours is different from the UTK proposal. We are asked to revise, but we
should wait until Thursday [laugher]. I get more frustrated at the
bureaucracy in Knoxville than you do here.

Budget: Chancellor Stacy, Vice Chancellor Brown and others met with UT
officials to go over budget increases for next fall. We need to know what
tuition increase is going to be. President Johnson was supportive. We are
requesting a 9.5% tuition increase and a $5 per credit hour instructional
enhancement fee has been recommended in addition to, if students vote in
favor, a $5 per credit hour athletic fee. If both fees are approved,
combined tuition and fees will increase 12.7% for undergraduates and 12.3%
for graduate students. The instructional enhancement fee will add
approximately $860,000 to the Academic Affairs budget, in addition to
approximately $915,000 will come from the proposed tuition increase,
bringing the total new money for Academic Affairs to about $1.77 million.

Raven and other sources such as Senate meetings have raised questions about
the budget, in particular about information about expenditures. The
academic affairs website has the budget for everyone to access. The
information has been also presented at meetings since November. [see the
website for details].

Expenditure reports as of June 30 show how much was actually spent as
opposed to what was budgeted. There are no surprises or secrets. $224,310
surplus from last year was brought forward. It was used by the Deans for
various operating expenses.

Prof. Honerkamp: What can we do about THEC?

Provost Friedl: The sunset provision on THEC was replaced by another 4 year
extension. We should make our legislature know how dysfunctional THEC is if
you feel that way.

Prof. Nelson: The instructional fee may neglect science labs.

Provost Friedl: If the fee goes through, we need to sit down with each
program with specific needs for consumable classroom materials. We might
devise formula to distribute that money rather than have a slush fund to
dole out money. The budget and finance officers in the UT system are
resistant to a class by class user fee for biology, chemistry, art, etc.,
on top of other fees.

Prof. Nelson: But UTK has that. We cannot?

Provost Friedl: They are talking about folding it into tuition.

Prof. Nelson: They have said that for ten years.

Provost Friedl: I would rather see it as an academic fee.

Prof. Greenwell: I agree it came out of the Senate resolution, but is
sounds like the money is spent.

Provost Friedl: If we get an academic enhancement fee, it would not be for
salaries, but for special enhancements for equipment and other departmental
needs.

Prof. Greenwell: You showed us the academic affairs budget, but there is a
large sentiment for opening other budgets

Prof. Ernst: I have been pushing for at least two years for the same
information in other divisions, so we can have transparency.

Faculty: What about the seminar pilot?

Prof. Sanders: We are looking at it as assessment management.

Prof. Hiestand: How does the 120 hour rule impact the freshmen seminar?

Provost Friedl: We steer low entrance credential students to the seminar;
it is optional for everyone else.

Faculty: The Athletic fee will be how much?

Provost Friedl: I can try to answer, but I am not sure. Two proposals have
been suggested; one would result about $1.3 million of new money. Second
would be about $860,000. The current athletic budget, including fringe
benefits, is $6.1 million, and any enhancement would increase that amount.
At budget committee hearings, Steve Sloane indicated a $500,000 deficit
because of title 9 and the total budget cuts.

Prof. Ernst: I will not support a $500,000 deficit proposal at the Budget
Committee; they must show a way to have a balanced budget. THEC has said
not to spend more state money on athletics.

Sixth item was a report from the Faculty Council by Prof. Ernst. He said he
has written to THEC about the peers, the unfairness of the new group, and
the need for a complete review. He agreed that the enrollment caps are the
most dangerous issue facing UTC.

The Senate Budget Committee reported on the salary compression issue; the
worst off are those who have been here the longest.

Prof. Ernst said he has established a football study committee to look at
costs and benefits of the program at UTC. The 120 hours Committee continues
to move forward (Prof. Trimpey added that tomorrow afternoon is the end of it).

Prof. Ernst encouraged faculty to tell their students to vote on the
"football tax" issue.

Lupton travel funds will continue. We hope to have a permanent travel fund
through the UC Foundation. It will help a little bit in meeting the coast
of professional meetings.

The Long Distance Education Committee has made recommendations to the
Provost about how this should be done.

Faculty: Will there be another round for Lupton funds?

Provost Friedl: It is possible but I am not sure. We will be discussing it.

Faculty: Would it help to have a faculty petition to reveal all budgets?
Should we write state government leaders to show our displeasure?

Prof. Ernst: We can talk about it after Thursday.

The seventh item was a PowerPoint presentation by Prof. Rice, on behalf of
the Faculty Federation. He noted that this would be his last representing
the Federation as in the future he would report as Senate President for the
entire faculty, although he believes that the Federation, with about 100
members of varying degrees of interest, is representative of faculty concerns.

Prof. Rice said that there are a lot more questions than answers. Although
we faced some difficult choices in meeting the 120 rule, UTK has yet to
discuss this issue. They have 124 hours required. Perhaps they will make
the changes next year.

Rice commended Provost Friedl and his staff for so promptly presenting a
rational list of alternative peers to THEC. There seems to be a major shift
in higher education funding from universities to two year colleges, noting
that Chattanooga State and Cleveland State will actually be getting more
money under recent proposals. Nevertheless, Chattanooga receives fewer
higher education dollars than other urban areas of the state, and since all
studies show a direct correlation of economic growth and a viable
university, UTC plays an important role in the future of
Chattanooga.

Oddly, in the very year Hope Scholarships promise wider access to higher
education, the new cap proposal limits our growth far more than other
campuses (eight students added to the freshmen entering class). Since most
UTC students are from Hamilton County, this is not right.

Prof. Rice then mentioned that THEC or the UT System had demanded a new
appeals process for the new EDO, and the policy approved by the Senate
(Dean, Department Heads) was a snowball in hellappeals process. Enquiries
to UTK suggested that they are still using adequate causein their handbook,
which involves many steps and committees before dismissal of tenured
faculty is permitted. The Senate needs to revisit this issue next fall, and
the full faculty should approve any necessary changes.

Finally, Rice pointedly criticized Vice Chancellor Brown for not presenting
clear information at this years Budget Committee. The athletic budget was
revealed more in a recent news article than at the budget hearings. He
commended Prof. Ernst for his steady insistence on transparency in the
budget process and thanked him for his years of dedicated service as Senate
President [loud and prolonged applause].

Rice noted that $400,000 a year in the Provost's compression items
(currently proposed at $250,000) would, according to the Senate Budget
Committee report, keep compression from getting any worse. On the other
hand, if it was $900,000, the compression gap would close in 5-6 years.

There was no other business.

Prof. Ernst announced that a final short Faculty Senate meeting would
follow. Due to incomplete division elections, the Senate organizational
meeting for next year will be held in the fall.

The Barnes and Noble Book Certificate Drawing, donated by the University
Bookstore, was won by Professor Boris Belinsky of the math department.

Prof. Greenwell asked about recent rumors of changes in programs and staff
at WUTC.

Provost Friedl: I have not heard about this, but will find out.

Prof. Ernst announced adjournment at 11:43 A.M.
_______________________________________________________________
The next regular faculty meeting will be September 14 (T) 2004 at 3:15
P.M. in Grote 129. Please mark this date in your calendars NOW to avoid
scheduling conflicts, especially if you are the chair of a committee. It
is important that faculty committees not be scheduled in conflict with the
faculty meetings.