Meeting of the
University of Alaska
System Governance Council
Tuesday, October 18, 1994
Beginning at 2:00pm
via audioconference
Minutes
1. Call to order and roll call
Voting members:
Donna Chantry, Chair; President, UAS Staff Council
John Dede, President, UAA Assembly
Gil Bane, Representative, UAA Faculty Senate, Kodiak
Thomas Goldston, Kodiak College Student Association
Colin Read, President, UAF Faculty Senate
Richard Hacker, President, UAS Faculty Senate
Scott Trible, President, United Students of UAS-Juneau
Kate Wattum, President, Statewide Administration Assembly
Absent, excused:
Jack Dalton, President, Union of Students of UAA
Mike Mayberry, Past President, UAF Staff Council
Joe Hayes, President, Associated Students of UAF
Others present:
'Nanne Myers, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
Wendy Redman, Vice President, University Relations
Pat Ivey, Executive Officer, System Governance
Jeannine Phillips, Adm. Asst., System Governance
Brian Brubaker, Coordinator, Coalition of Student Leaders
2. Adopt agenda
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Goldston, passed unanimously
"The System Governance Council moves to adopt the agenda for the October
18, 1994 meeting. This action is effective October 18, 1994."
3. Approve minutes
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Trible, passed unanimously
"The System Governance Council moves to approve the minutes for the
September 27, 1994 meeting. This action is effective October 18, 1994."
4. Constitution changes to accommodate fourth student seat on Council
Briefly, Chantry explained that the Coalition of Student Leaders requested a
fourth seat on the Council to meet their needs to have a student who
represents the rural students on the smaller campuses. President Komisar
recently approved this request with the caveat that there be at least one
student from each MAU. At the September Student Leadership Conference,
the Coalition elected Thomas Goldston, President of the Kodiak Campus
Student Association to be the representative to the Council.
Richard Hacker inquired if the constitution had been approved by the
President. Ivey stated that it is on his desk, but has not yet been approved by
him.
Scott Trible stated that the Coalition preferred that the wording under "A.
Voting membership" would read "two representatives from high density
schools, one representative from medium density schools, and one
representative from low density schools." Pat Ivey suggested the Coalition's
concerns were covered in the proposed addition to "B. Selection" . Goldston
agreed that the new wording in Article IV., Section B, appropriately covers the
Coalitions concerns.
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Bane, passed unanimously
"The System Governance Council approves the amendment to Article VI to
read as follows:
ARTICLE VI. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION
A. Voting membership
The voting membership of the Council shall consist of one faculty, one
staff, and one student representative each from the University of Alaska
Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the University of
Alaska Southeast, one staff representative from Statewide Administration
Assembly AND ONE ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE STUDENT
REPRESENTATIVE.
Voting members shall communicate their governance activities to their
constituencies, and to their supervisors or professors as appropriate, on
a regular basis.
B. Selection
FACULTY AND STAFF [[R]] representatives to the Council, shall be
selected in such a manner as prescribed by the local governance groups.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE
COALITION OF STUDENT LEADERS AS PRESCRIBED IN THE
COALITION CONSTITUTION.
This action is effective October 18, 1994."
5. Program Assessment Status
a. Systemwide
The members each gave a brief report of the progress of program
assessment at their campuses.
Wendy Redman stated that there is presently a lot of thought going
into an employee assistance program for employees affected by
program assessment. Chantry noted that the Staff Alliance would be
working with Statewide Human Resources on the development of
assistance guidelines and disseminating information to the employees.
Redman asked for suggestions and ideas that would be helpful to them
in trying to help employees through this stressful time.
'Nanne Myers reported that the current activities going on at the
systemwide level for program assessment. She stated that their main
concern at this time is how to get all the information that is coming in
compiled, to the chancellors for their review, and then distributed out
to everybody. She noted that they will be trying, as much as possible,
to get the information out electronically.
Colin Read explained that UAF has to trim approximately $8 million
from its academic programs over the next three years. He noted that
represents approximately 50 full-time, permanent faculty layoffs, or
10-20% of their faculty.
After signficant discussion, Read proposed the following motion.
MOTION: Moved by Dede, seconded by Wattum, passed with
one abstention
"The System Governance Council recognizes that the
recommendations of program assessment will soon be
completed. We urge the administration to now constitute a
series of ad hoc committees of appropriate administration,
faculty, staff and students to make recommendations toward
the realization of cost reductions of systemwide reallocations
arising from program assessment. This action is effective
October 18, 1994."
Rationale: Realization of cost reductions resulting from
program assessment with the least possible damage to
students, program and institutional reputation will require the
same intensive involvement from the faculty, staff, students and
administration working together across the university both at
the program and the system level as was the case for program
assessment itself.
b. Statewide Administration
Chantry gave a brief report of the Statewide Program Assessment
Committee's activities. She noted that group will be meeting on site in
Fairbanks on October 20 and 21, and would be holding an open
hearing on October 20.
6. Status report on campus activities with legislative candidates
The results of the Council's survey of legislative and gubernatorial candidates
have been posted on the Internet and notice sent to all employees in the UA
system who have vax accounts and to student government leaders.
Council members each gave a brief report on the current legislative activities
at their campuses.
7. UA Foundation report
Scott Taylor advised that the Foundation Board of Trustees had changed its
bylaws so that the ex-officio governance representative to the Board is now the
spokesperson for the Alliance of Faculty Senates. Taylor volunteered to make
a presentation of UA Foundation activities at the November 29 Council
meeting.
8. Date, time and agenda items for next meeting
Date: November 29, 1994 via audioconference
Time: 2:00pm-4:00pm
Agenda items Program assessment: last opportunity to comment on
program assessment action items before the Board of
Regents' meeting
UA Foundation Report
Council budget status report
Plan of work for spring semester
9. Comments
There were no additional comments.
10. Adjourn