West Virginia University at Parkersburg
Faculty Assembly Meeting Minutes
January 10, 2014
Faculty Development Committee Updates:  President Jackson announced that both President Gnage and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs Rhonda Tracy have approved raising the limit for Faculty Development Grants from Institutional Funds from the current $1000.00 to $1500.00.
President Jackson noted that the Faculty Development Coordinating Committee is committed to funding grants for the full amount of this year’s allocation. Current funding is 1) Institutional Funding $8000.00 remains for Cycle 3 and 4 with $9160 in retro-funding; 2) Foundation Funding $4000.00 remains for Cycle 3 and 4 with $3316 in retro-funding; 3) Perkins Funding $6000.00 remains for Cycle 3 and 4 with $3318.86 in retro-funding. In light of these balances, Maggie Berdine moved that “The Faculty Development Committee By-Laws be suspended for Academic Year 2013-2014 to allow a maximum $500.00 increment to grant applications made in Cycles 1 and 2 that were not fully funded. The motion passed unanimously. The grant submission deadlines for Cycles 3 and 4 are February 5 and April 23. Guidelines for each source of funding, application forms, and a checklist for applying for and processing Institutional and Foundation Grant are available on the Faculty Development Website- http://www.wvup.edu/faculty-staff/committees/faculty-development-committee-2/.
Degree Works demonstration: Registrar Leslie Sims gave an overview of how to access and use Degree Works for advising and to track student progress to degree completion. The last two years of catalogues and transfer equivalencies form 2012 to present are currently in the system. Degree audits for students who transferred before 2012 are not in the system. Currently, students do not have access to the system. 
Suggestions from faculty: 
1) General Education requirements are broken out for “some” programs. Response: Gen Ed 
break-outs for all programs remains on the “wish list” for completion. 
2) Uniform tracking sheets
3) Financial Aid should be able to access Degree Works
4) Currently, system does not have a feature for course substitutions. Response: Once process is complete, substitutions would show as green checkmark.
Additional information:
1) the Records Office will begin using use Google calendar for deadlines.
2) January 22 is the deadline for attendance for attendance verification. If the deadline does appear on the Google, check with Division Chairs. 
General Education Concerns Committee formation:  Sandra Kolankiewicz reported that the major concern that came out of the General Education Plan and Model meeting on Monday was that not all strands are in all degree programs. To address this concern, a committee has been formed to review strands in programs. Sandra requested the Committee have a representative from each Division: H. G. Young (Chair and Education and Humanities Representative), Julie Heller (Health Sciences), John McClung (WCE), Steven Smith (Business and Economics), Dave Thompson (STEM), Kin Korcsmaros will provide a representative for Social Sciences and Languages.  
Board of Governors: Faculty Representative Matt Santer reported:
1) He praised President Jackson as an effective voice for the faculty and urged Division Chairs to follow her example. 
2) The BOG has established a Faculty Salary Review Committee chaired by Board member Sam Winans that includes President Gnage, Vice President of Academic Affairs Rhonda Tracy, President Jackson, Matt Santer, and Rob Anderson. Before proceeding, President Gnage and Vice-President Tracy want to collect data to support the college’s low salary standing within the CTC. Faculty requested that concerns about summer pay, degree earned increments, and yearly increments be discussed by the Committee. 
3) Bob D’Avria gave an overview report on the Climate Survey which used the Faculty Position Paper for a plan to improve morale. President Gnage followed with a plan to improve communication within the institution.  President Gnage is aware of the Faculty Position Paper, which she refers to as a “working document.”
4)  The institution has acquired the corner property at the south entrance to the campus. Appraised at over $400,000, the property was acquired for between $20,000 and $30,000.
5) Cedar Grove has donated its Community Center to the institution.
6) The Board of Governors does not believe that salary cuts or terminations are needed to cover the impending budget cuts to the institution.
7) Progress on the National Guard Readiness Center venture with WVUP still requires a legal document to define costs.

AFC Report: Representative Aaron Crites reported on issues raised at the last AFC meeting:
1) The council is pushing to have faculty represented on Presidents’ Cabinets.
2) The consensus of the Council was not to work on tenure this year; rather the council is going to “concentrate on fights that we can win.” 
3) The biggest is with Senate Bill 330. Faculty salaries must conform to market equity, either 5% above or below. However, as salaries rise, budgets are going down. According to the representative President of West Liberty, “cuts will come from salaries.”  Faculty across the state do not support Senate Bill 330. However, a study of market equity was done only for staff. This is good for both faculty and staff because staff will get raises. 
4) The consensus of the Council was that the time has come for a lobbyist either for the AFC or for each of the member institutions to represent faculty interests to the state legislature. Proof of this need is that CTC colleges are facing a 7.5% budget cut plus a mid-year cut. 

Progress and Plans: 
Faculty Development proposal: (See Faculty Development Committee Updates above)
Clarification of who changes policy and input request: President Jackson reported that the Senate has requested that policy changes be forwarded to the Senate for input before changes are
 made.
Summer Pay – Faculty Salary Committee: The President will address summer pay at the next Faculty Senate meeting, January 22.
Open Class: President Jackson reported that upon receipt of Senate concerns about Open Class, the Vice President for Academic Affairs Rhonda Tracy immediately responded. At the December 2 Senate meeting with Dr. Tracy present, Mr. Andy Gates of Pearson held a conference call during which faculty concerns were communicated about were communicated.
Then at the December 16 Senate meeting, senators and concerned faculty met with representatives of the Pearson Group. One basic misunderstanding that was revealed was that Pearson viewed WVUP faculty involved with Open Class were “partners” in development of the platform, whereas WVUP faculty were expecting a completed platform. In actuality, WVUP is the alpha tester for building a system for other  campuses to use. Another misunderstanding was that adoption of Open Class was statewide; when, in fact, WVUP is the only institutions to adopt Open Class. All other institutions are still using WVU’s new Blackboard 9.1. Pearson argued that Open Campus was free, but free only to the institution. This academic year Pearson will charge students from $65,000 to $80,000 in fees. Now, the course fee to students has been reduced from $25.00 per credit hour to $25.00 per course.   
              Denise McClung moved that "Faculty who have been and are using Open Class, IT Lab, and other online technology for the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters be compensated for each class." Carol Thomas seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Climate Survey: President Jackson reported that BOG consultant Bob D’Avria focused on the areas of highest disagreement between administration and faculty/staff on the Climate Survey and developed a solutions table using the Senate developed Faculty Position Paper as a template. 
Earned Degree base salary increases: President Jackson reported that the President stated that earned degree increments [$1000 for a Master’s Degree and $5000 for a Doctorate and a promotion increment [$5000] as part of the base salary will be addressed this semester. In addition, faculty can receive a maximum $7500 reimbursement for tuition. However, no one has received a doctorate since the policy was changed.   
	In response to concerns from the Assembly, Jackson noted that the Senate is requesting sabbatical leaves for term faculty. She was also queried about progress on making the MFA recognized as a terminal degree by the institution.
Proactive Approaches: 
                  Advising:  The Faculty Senate is working on suggestions for the evaluation of faculty 
                          Advising to submit to the Student Success Center.
                  Excellent Place to Work:  President Jackson and Ms. Drema Starkey, President of 
                          the Staff Council, have formed a joint committee to develop suggestions to 
                          achieve this institutional goal to report to the Institutional Effectiveness 
                         Committee. 
             Non-attending definition: The consensus of the Assembly was that that a clear  
                     definition of non-attending needs to be developed. 
Time to lobby legislators: Individual senators have been assigned to represents faculty to state legislators.
Expectations List:
                1) ACF is aware of abuses of the Institutional Specialist position at WVUP.
                2) Phased retirement
Faculty/Staff Gathering: Gathering will be held at Uta Hempel’s house January 31st from 6-9.  
Submitted by Maggie Berdine, Faculty Senate Secretary