Minutes for October 10, 2022

UC members present: Babcock, Bernard-Donals, Li, Papp (chair), Tejedo-Herrero, Thibeault

Others: Greg Bump, Jack O’Meara, Julie Scharm

Chair Papp called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm.

UC Member Michael Bernard-Donals and Secretary of the Faculty Heather Daniels will be members of a Hostile and Intimidating Behavior working group.

The minutes for the meeting of October 3, 2022, were approved with changes.   

The UC reviewed suggested changes to proposed FPP changes from the Faculty Senate meeting in October. They agreed by a vote of 5-1 to change the emerit language to “typically disqualifies.” In response to a suggestion to add language that would allow executive committee members to revoke rights of academic staff and university to annual preference balloting for department chair and voting in departmental meetings, they discussed changing the delegation length to annually from three years.

The UC agreed that postdocs can be hired to perform both teaching and research duties although this will require two appointments.

The UC discussed a request from a retired faculty member about whether the UC could take up the issue of the removal of March’s name from the Memorial Union. The decision regarding the removal was made by the Union Council, which is not under the purview of faculty governance. They will direct the person to reach out to the Union Council and the Office of the Chancellor.

Lori Reesor, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, reported that the report from the campus climate survey is being finalized with the goal of launching it at the Diversity Forum in early November. A task force met this summer to compile the results. The staff climate survey and WISELI survey were done this spring, and they hope to roll the results out for all three surveys.

A controversial speaker, Matt Walsh, is coming to campus on Oct 24 to show the documentary, “What is a woman?” He has been invited by a student organization and is a critic of LGBTQ and women’s studies. The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center will be open all day and there will be a competing movie offered in the evening as an activity.

Family weekend is this coming weekend with a number of events planned for Saturday. Over 2400 families have indicated an interest in attending.

Papp adjourned the meeting at 2:12.