Office of the Faculty Senate - University of Hartford
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Office of the Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate Minutes
Friday, January 22 and Monday, January 25, 2021 12:45-2pm
Attendance Friday January 22
Present:
Provost: Fred Sweitzer
Katie Kitchens: Director of Student Services and Advising
A&S: Joanna Borucinska, Al DiChiara, Laura Enzor, Randy Jacobs, Natalie Politikos, Olga Sharp
Barney: Jerry Katrichis, Onur Oz, Rebecca Ranucci, Narendar Sumukadas
CETA: Tim Britt, Suhash Ghosh, Shertukde Hemchandra, Saeid Moslehpour, Paul Slaboch
ENHP: Mary Gannotti, Lucy Richard, Dawn Roller
Hartt: Steve Davis, Carrie Koffman, Tracey Moore, Phil Snedecor
HAS: John Nordyke, Michael Vahrenwald, Marisa Williamsom
Hillyer: Mari Firkatian, Scott Scribner
Staff Council: Rachel Yacouby
SGA Rep: Harshini Senthil
Senate Coordinator: Lydia Chiappetti
Absent:President: Greg Woodward
A&S: Kathy McCloskey
ENHP: Sarah Hart
Hartt: Rita Porfiris
Hillyer: Linda Moran
Agenda Topic Speaker Information Follow- Date
up/Person
Responsible
12:45 Chair: Jerry Katrichis Senate Meeting Video Recording:
Convene https://hartford.webex.com/webappng/sites/hartford/re
cording/playback/41b2c5e95a6046908e14e27d38f8ac11
12:50 Provost: Fred Sweitzer Academic preparation:
• Grateful for fall semester which was remarkable
success especially compared to other institutions
• Level of challenge has gone up recently
• Same PPE, density measure, cleaning supplies,
and class schedule with online and hybridopportunities
• Training sessions short and longer sessions have
been available over January
• Shout out for extra support
• Classroom environment measures will work this
Spring as Fall
• No cases last Fall from transmissions in
classroom; just as safe this Spring as Fall
• More concerned about outside exposure from
community which Katie Kitchens will address
• Recognizes toll on junior faculty
• One-year automatic extension of probationary
period for junior faculty; must ask for this one-
year extension so Admin will grant this
• Raise will be retroactive to year when critical
review would have been; all this will be stated in
email to go out to faculty
Budget FY21:
• Have balanced budget mandate from Board
• Fall right on track with budget; Covid expenses
set aside as no one expects us in normal
operation budget to absorb this amount of
money
• Trying to look at revenue projections for Spring
from tuition, housing and dining
• Not going to have same number in residences as
in Fall
• Last count was 300 students down in residence
hall
• Tuition revenue holding reasonably well, but
hard to get sense of revenue stream because
Students haven’t registered and they don’t tell
us not coming back; actively pursuing them nowand won’t know until mid-March
• Grad students and adult tuition register and pay
last minute
• Revenue will be down and Covid-19 expenses
increasing due to all the testing
• Will have to be as conservative as positive
• Debt service for new building kicking in and debt
covenants must be met; otherwise interest rates
go up costing more money going forward
• $6000 million deficit or more will trip the
covenant agreement; don’t care if Covid related
or not
• Covid-19 relief dollars –how much and what can
they be used for?
• Not going to shortchange the students or faculty
research
Next Year’s Budget:
• Working with company, Educational Advisory
Board, to work with enrollment management to
figure out how many 1st years we can project as
well as discount rate
• Looked at 1150-1400 student scenarios and
landed at 1200 to plan for
• Planning higher discount by 2% points
• Not going to do as well as last year with 1st to 2nd
year retention which is Covid related
• Assuming 75% retention = less income
Compensation:
• Raise pool whether that is merit or across board
or equity money for staff and faculty to address
discrepancies
• Compensation through retirement and health
insurance benefits (9% restored to balance of
this year)• Can we afford 9% TIAA, 2% merit pool, and
$250,000 pool for staff & $250,00 faculty in
equity money; money is not going to be there
• Cannot afford to do all these things; have to
prioritize; open conversation engaging Senate
and Admin
• All different concerns with some nearing
retirement and other starting their careers and
would rather have merit raises
• Hashed out next 2-3 months which is not in time
for contracts; will reflect current salary in March,
but will not have to wait for raise
Reopening:
• Keeping academic side as safe as possible
• Students back next week and will be tested
before arriving and then on campus; must
quarantine in room for 2 weeks
• First week of class online due to quarantining of
students
Q&A Fred Sweitzer:
• Why not test faculty more often? Is it a money
issue?
-No, assuming that we can count on fac./staff to
observe safety guidelines and have access to
health care providers; asymptomatic testing is
also available to everyone in test centers
• Adjunct Contract have not been received and
they are coming out of Provost Office
-Fred will look into this matter to see why there
is delay; best of his knowledge not holding onto
these contracts
• Vaccines question
-We are mercy of Dept. of Public Health and they
are providing vaccines for K-12 not necessarilycolleges and universities
• Phase 1B will cover 65+ with secondary
conditions as well as teachers and school staff;
do not have volume or infrastructure to stage
this yet
• Staff not as consistent in definition, so not sure
about their status in schools
• Medical accommodation not priority if not
teaching face-to-face so not on list.
• No vaccines will be administered on campus
• Budget data may come at Faculty Staff Kickoff,
but Greg will be unable to be there
• Enrollment compared to last year: 11,093 this
year ahead versus 10,789 last year
• Behind in admits-rate of completion of form is
higher; some colleges are down more in
applications, but admits running even
• Ranked 1 scholarship students are 259 in number
from 28 states; had to reinvent these scholarship
opportunities since could not have campus
weekends so having virtual events
• Yield rate is 40% among these scholarship
students
• Too soon to tell on Graduate numbers
• Lab fees will be distributed; Fred to discuss with
Robert McAlpin
• Can we get remote faculty to be vaccinated so
they can teach 100% in person; talk to college
deans to determine on case by case basis
• Some states slipping people into the queue who
are not eligible
• Decisions about Athletics will come from Task
Force who are making recommendations to
Board of Regent in 3 weeks, February meeting• DEI will continue; just had EverFi full day
workshop which was very successful through
Chris Grant’s DEI department
• Expected to have backups in place in case of
illness among faculty members
• Request for power point of budget details and
see rationale for merit vs. retirement plan
• New building on time and under budget; roof,
windows, and walls up; interior framing done
and starting to sheetrock
• Opening in Fall ’21 and classes will take place
there in Fall
• Dana renovation scheduled for Spring ‘22
1:10 Katie Kitchens: - • RAs are quarantining now and will open
Director of Student residence halls 1/27-/1/30
Services and Advising • Must test pre-arrival within 7 days of arrival date
in order for ID sticker to be given out
• Check-in before allowed on campus to make sure
that test results have been received
• Drive in and have a drive-up site with rapid test
• Isolation procedures ready if test positive and
ways to get them back home if live close range
• No commuting students on campus and no
leaving to shop, etc. for residential students; may
need to leave for vaccination purposes, but not
other mixing
• Follow-up PCR tests before end of quarantine
weeks with results before beginning of in person
classes• 20-25% of students were tested last semester
• Feb. focus due to college/universities reopening
according to Dept. of Public Health for testing
will be 100% of residential and undergrad
commuters every week
• Fac/Staff testing on Feb. 8th and one more time
in March for asymptomatic testing
• Graduate students have one pre-arrival test but
not tested weekly, not included in community
population
• Positive cases go through Health Center with UST
nurses; go to isolation houses within the hour;
handle contact tracing as well and calls to follow
up as a health check
2:00 Recess
Attendance Monday January 25
Present:
A&S: Al Dichiara, Laura Enzor, Randy Jacobs, Kathy McCloskey, Natalie Politikos, Ogla Sharp
Barney: Jerry Katrichis, Onur Oz, Rebecca Ranucci, Narendar Sumukadas
CETA: Tim Britt, Suhash Ghosh, Saeid Moslehpour, Hemchandra Shertukde, Paul Slaboch
ENHP: Mary Gannotti, Sarah Hart, Lucy Richard, Dawn Roller
Hartt: Steve Davis,Tracey Moore, Rita Porfiris, Phil Snedecor
HAS: Michael Vahrenwald, Marisa WilliamsonHillyer: Mari Firkatian, Scott Scribner
Staff Council: Rachel Yacouby
SGA: Harshini Senthil
Senate Coordinator: Lydia Chiappetti
Absent:
A&S: Joanna Borucinska
Hartt: Carrie Koffman
HAS: John Nordyke
Hillyer: Linda Moran
12:45 Chair Jerry Katrichis: reconvene
12:50 VOTES and DISCUSSION 1.December Minutes:
Approve 24
Do not Approve
Abstain 1
2. January Curriculum Report:
Approve 25Do not approve 0
Abstain 0
1:00 Staff Council:
Rachel Yacouby • Feb. 10th Staff Council Meeting will present
progress report on NECHE with Laura Pence
• Looking into inclimate weather policy for
staff/faculty ; amended in December that
non-essential workers do not get snow day
since can work from home; if essential
worker then get University close if snow day
closure. Dec. 17th snow day was an issue due
to childcare. Will bring up this policy again
with HRD/Admin
• Food pantry endeavor
SGA Rep: • E&S increasing composting with Commons
Harshini Senthil and extending to GSU; overall recycling with
bottle return on campus and turn into
money for food insecure students;
promotional items for Club Fair coming up
(virtual clubs)
• New idea to connect Fac. Senate to SGA
senate; one college senator for each
academic school to connect for ideas and
collaboration; she will send out email
regarding this and come back with meeting
times and ideas
Committee reports:
Civility Task ForceFriendly amendments to this statements; two word
change:
As a University we foster a climate of civility; as
members of our community, we engage with
one another, maintaining the highest standard
of ethical, inclusive, and empathetic behaviors.
We assume responsibility for our words, choices,
and actions and their impact on others as we
expect other members of the community will do
the same. Our community is a place where
people can have a free and open exchange of
diverse ideas and disagree respectfully.
Will send to President to be published
Faculty Affairs
• Third version of FPM change Mid-Course
Review; A&S wanted to revise and met with College
Dean Black and A&S P&T committee to Meetings
make edits (Hartt welcomes
• Stumbling block was page number limit the changes)
which increased to 25 pages and faculty
found this onerous; suggested removing the
25 page limit and indicate that length will be
determined by each college committee.
• This revised language allows for flexibility as
well as keeping language streamlined.
• Bring back to colleges in two weeks when
meetings occur and will vote on this in Feb.
• Several items in the pipeline need to
prioritize
• two meetings a month scheduled-meeting
times listed on BBInvitation sent to members and will convene as soon
as school begins
Shared Governance
Bullet points of ideas shared on screen and on BB
GENERAL NEEDS
Environmental& • A robust, organized, and well supported
Sustainability recycling program
• A year round sustainability coordinator
position
RECYCLING MESSAGING AND BINS/DISPOSAL
• Recycling bins must be plentiful and
conspicuous especially high foot traffic areas
• Display screens in building that scroll
information should include recycling
information and reminders
CAMPUS MAINTANANCE SAVINGS
• Riding lawnmowers and leaf blowers are
noise and pollution producing machines
• Gas powered work carts that take the staff
around campus same
• Landscape with native plants, and plant
native trees and gardens
• Building cleaning crews must keep recycling
garbage separate from other garbage• Keep only most essential lighting overnight
• Renovate existing inefficient buildings to
improve Insulation, water supply, etc.
• Fix and/or replace the bathroom faucets;
hands-free
• Low flow toilets
• Replace all water fountains with newer
efficient models with water bottle fill
features
FOOD AND DRINK CONTAINTERS
• Stop all campus food outlets from using
plastic containers
• Welcome packet for each new student that
contains things like bamboo utensils and a
travel mug
OFFICE PRODUCTS ALTERNATIVES
• Order recycled paper products only.
• Use green cleaning products.
• Purchase and use refillable whiteboard
markers
• Purchase and use compostable trash bags.
• Provide paper-recycling containers at each
copier.
• Repair small machines before choosing to
purchase replacements
-good idea to link with GSA and give proceeds to
food insecure students
-stopping plastic containers on campus and need topartner with Aramark, Subway, and Moe’s
-was ready to institute coffee mug this fall but Covid
put that on hold
-will keep pushing for coordinator
-Meeting coming up on 29th if anyone would like to
join; invited Harshini to join and she will
Will meet to review 9 nominations for TLT
A&N
Will be meeting monthly and composing college
reports to bring back to full senate
Diversity University Scholars have been awarded:
Both HAS students:
-Haily Winschel- monument to Covid workers
-Cherokee Coward-multi-media performative piece
based around an Escape Room
SA
-Enough funding to complete both projects
Looking forward to meeting new graduate dean,
Jessica Pawlic-York
Graduate Council
1:45 Unfinished and New TIAA recommendations or solutions –what is
Business best forum?
• Instead of giving 9%, admin may
consider giving that as part of the pay
• Can’t be done on individual basis; not a
choice since not an opt-in or out
• Senator: concerns were brought up fromJuly re admin; same response from Fred
and conversation was dropped
• Need to show us actual data 1099 sheet;
Need to come to the table with
information and answer questions
• Support from several senators for this
point of view; concern is allowing the
pandemic to sidetrack us from actions on
everyone’s part; accountability on every
level
• Senator has sense that that they will
come to us with 7% retirement and 2%
merit pool
• TIAA Cref is off the table that’s sacred;
raises are one thing and retirement
contribution is separate
• Would like retirement contribution
remain at 9% not held up for a vote or
negotiation
• Senator feels that this is under the
umbrella of financial crisis; same attitude
gives them permission to overlook
Senate contribution
• Faculty not informed and worried about
crisis mentality; like idea of statement to
get us out in front of this; discussion not
acceptable since in FPM and AAUP
(AAUP is not related to University policy)
• Senator makes motion to put a
resolution together and vote on it right
now; quote FPM section and number inresolution with email
First Version:
“The Faculty Senate hereby states that the TIAA
contribution remains at 9%, as specified within the
Faculty Policy Manual. Further, the Senate
believes that a merit pool and equity pool should
be the priority of future budgets. These two items
MUST be included in all levels of future budgets.”
• Second and Final version:
•
“The Faculty Senate hereby states that the TIAA
contribution must remain at 9%, as specified within
the Faculty Policy Manual. In addition, the Senate
believes that a merit pool and equity pool should
be the priority of future budgets. Both the TIAA
contributions and separate merit and equity pools
MUST be included in all levels of future budgets.”
•
Second resolution added on:
“The Senate also requests that they be supplied
with line-item budget data for the last five years, in
order to participate fully in governance of the
University, during these difficult times. This
information is requested by xyz date.”
• Second statement might weaken the first
• Clarification that this is resolution not a
statement
• Email blast to all faculty of just first
resolution and then can follow up with
second one later one
• Laura Whitney will be invited to Feb.
meeting• Greg is of opinion that anything that
happens in our meetings can appear in
Hartford Courant and then impact
enrollment
• Motion to carry resolution and seconded by
two more senators
2:10 AdjournYou can also read
