Faculty
Council Steering Committee Meeting
February
26, 2003
Members
Present: Becky Blackwell, Lisa Bogaty, Rick Bower, Kathy Byrd, Lawana Day,
Rasey Feezell, Cata Folks, Marilyn Hosker, Jean Jackson, Mae Jean King,
K.D. Lawson, Rick Patton, Harold Rowland, Wanda Sellers, Dave Vinson, Chuck
Wright, Pat Zingg
I.The
meeting was called to order by Business Officer Ely Driver at 3 p.m.
II.The
minutes posted to the F.C. Website were approved.
III.Special
GuestRon
Kesterson
The
current budget situation and its impact on the college
Allen
Edwards was unable to attend, due to a meeting in Nashville. Ron Kesterson
answered questions about the college’s plans for responding to recently
mandated budget cuts.
Ron
Kesterson reported that the budget will be reduced $1,705,000 from that
of this year.However, the figures
for latest impoundment are still unavailable.
More
will be revealed by the Governor in his State of the State address on Monday.
The
floor was opened to questions from Faculty Council members; several previously
contributed questions were read by Lisa Bogaty, and there were questions
from the floor. Answers were provided by Kesterson:
Q.
Who is responsible for examining global mechanisms for cutting?
A.
Within TBR Chancellor Manning has ultimate authority, then TBR, then the
individual institutions.Ultimately,
the state legislature is where such decisions are made. At the present
time, a firm out of Denver is reporting to the legislature on budget recommendations.
Q.
What about private colleges?
A.
They make their own decisions.
Q.
What is the ratio of adjunct to full-time salaries in the current budget
process?
A.
That question needs to be addressed to Dr. Bruns.
Q.
Why is there no concrete information on what is being done regarding the
funding formula?
A.Next
year we will be 3rd from the bottom, which is up a bit.However,
this is a very slow bureaucratic process involving the Formula Review Committee
and THEC.
Q.
Why is raising tuition 18% not an option for next year?
A.
This decision has to be made by the Governor and Legislature, who are responsible
for deciding whether a greater burden falls on students or taxpayers.
Q.
When will those affected by layoffs be notified?
A.
That cannot happen until the budget is approved by TBR.
Q.
Do increases in tuition and fees have to be made at the state level?
A.
Yes, except for access and student activities fees, TBR has traditionally
not approved special fees.
Q.
What about technology fees?
A.
There are TBR guidelines for use of technology fees, but PSTCC decides
whether to spend on computers or other equipment, with Jerry Bryan’s committee
responsible for these decisions.
Q.
Have private sources of funding been fully utilized?
A.
Yes, however, that funding has been cut too, due to the economy.
Q.
What about DOE money, since we train many of their technicians?
A.
It’s being explored.
Q.
Why do we continue to hire new employees when we are in a budget crunch?
A.
Dr. Edwards is the appropriate person to answer this question.
Q.
Will summer classes be offered at Blount and Magnolia this year?
A.
No decision has been made yet. That’s Dr. Bruns’ concern.
Q.
Do we want more students or fewer?
A.
The funding formula continues to use FTE’s as its basis, but at a lower
% of funding. The mission of the college is still open access, but this
mission has been limited by funding contingencies.
Q.
Do scholarships cost the college more than non-scholarship students?
A.
Scholarship students are charged at the same rate as non-scholarship.
Ely
Driver announced that further questions may be sent to Faculty Council.
III.Officer
Reports
Communications
OfficerRick
BowerNo report
TBR
RepresentativeDave
Vinson
Summer
School Pay
Dave
Vinson reported that the Chancellor has granted emergency exemptions to
the 1/32nd rule to 2 or 3 college presidents; see Dave for details.
Most schools will pay regular f. t. rate.
April
11: Next Faculty Sub Council meeting; exceptions to 1/32nd rate
were granted with no input from Faculty Sub Council. Lisa: It took 10 years
to get the 1/32nd rate policy.
SecretaryCata
Folks
Nominations
for next year's officers
All
of the following nominees have agreed to serve:
Secretary Carol
Luther
Communications
OfficerCindy
Alexander
TBR
RepresentativeDave
Vinson
President
ElectKathy
BirdNo report
PresidentLisa
Bogaty
Lisa
Bogaty reported that changes are needed to the Promotion/Tenure Policy
and Procedures, so she will be introducing motions to that effect (see
below).
IV. Standing
Committee Reports
Adjunct
FacultySellers,
Feezell
Rasey
Feezell reported that PSTCC is 13th out of 16 in adjunct salaries. An increase
of 21% would bring PSTCC up to
the statewide mean. Due to the budget crisis, no action has been taken except
for giving adjuncts the same percentage raise as full-time faculty.
Promo/TenureJean
Jackson/Toni McDaniel
See
Motions 1 & 2 (below) for revising the Promotion/Tenure policies and
procedures.
High
Performance Teaching*Elaine
OswaldNo report
Faculty
ForumPaul
BaxterNo report
Booksale/ScholarshipKinggard,
Maddox
Lisa
Bogaty reminded F.C. S. C. to support the F. C. Booksales on the following
dates:
Magnolia February
26-27
BlountMarch
1-5
DivisionMarch
4-5
MainMarch
12-13
Faculty
After HoursAnita
Maddox
Next
F. A. H.: Friday, March 7, 3:30, Cozymel's
Rules
CommitteeChuck
WrightNo report
V.Unfinished
Business
Vl.New
Business
Faculty
Council response to budget cuts
See
President's Report (above).
Faculty
Council Update to Promotion/Tenure Policy
Motion
1
Faculty
Council Promotion/Tenure Committee will review and revise the promotion/tenure
policy to meet TBR guidelines and reflect current practice and procedures.
Motion
carried.
Motion
2
Faculty
Council Promotion/Tenure Committee will review and revise the current faculty
evaluation schedule to reduce the load on faculty and department heads
during the beginning of the Spring Semester.
Motion
carried.
Faculty
Council Perspective on faculty transfer among departments
If
a faculty member wants to transfer to another department, meets the qualifications
for teaching in that department, and is acceptable to that department,
does it make sense to do a national search to staff that position?In
light of the budget crisis, we should look into this issue.
VII.Announcements
Faculty
Council Booksale--See Standing Committee Reports (above)
Career
Fair (March 5)
Calendar
for faculty evaluations--See New Business (above).
VIII. The
meeting was adjourned at 4 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Cata
Folks
Recording
Secretary