MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
                          November 19, 2003
                                   
                                   
Members Present: Gipp, Stringam for Weaver, Johns for Kommers, Leech,
Taylor, Howard, Christopher, Seymour, Jones, Becker, Wells for Conant,
Ashley, Lansverk, Levy, Bogar, Kevane, Pratt, Neeley, Lynes-Hayes,
Coon.

Members Absent: Ag Econ, Giroux, McDermott, Schmidt, Jackson,
Schlotzhauer, Monaco, Yoo, Cell Biol, Taper, Chem, Bond, Idzerda,
Lynch, Prawdzienski, Knight, Hoffman.

Others Present: Bandyopadhyay, Fedock, McLeod.

The meeting was called to order at 4:10 by Chair Warren Jones.  A
quorum was present.  The minutes of the November 5, 2003, meeting were
approved as distributed.

Chair's report - Warren Jones.
     - Two faculty nominations are being solicited for a position on
     the TIP Committee, part of the TIP (To Improve Productivity)
     Incentive Award Program.  The program is designed to recognize
     and reward employees who come up with cost savings innovations.
          - The committee will make an initial determination regarding
          the worthiness of each proposal and decide if it should be
          forwarded for further review by the department it involves.
          - Please contact Chair Jones with names of individuals
          willing to be nominated.  Two nominations will be submitted
          to the President, who makes the appointments to the
          committee.
          - Lowell Goetting, Office of the Vice President for
          Administration and Finance, may be contacted for further
          information about the committee ([email protected],
          x2712).
     - The Board of Regents is meeting in Bozeman this week.  Meetings
     are taking place in the SUB from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. tomorrow
     and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.
          - Negotiations with the MPEA bargaining unit resulted in a
          proposal of 50% tuition waivers for dependents of employees,
          if the employee has worked within the system for 5 years at
          .75 FTE or greater.  The Board of Regents are considering
          the proposal that extends the benefit to all MSU employees.
          The cost of the proposal could reach $1.4 million per year.
          - Regent Roehm has presented an agenda item that states the
          regents will not sanction setting enrollment caps on any
          campus, especially for in-state students.  However, students
          must meet the qualifications of the unit they wish to
          attend.
          - Regent Roehm is also proposing a salary review study for
          all employees in the university system.  The study would
          compare salaries of comparable positions outside of the
          university with the Montana University Systems' salaries.
          - Further discussion of Regent Mercer's pursuit of quality
          indicators is on the agenda.
          - Tomorrow, the regents will discuss tourism as a mechanism
          for improving the state's economy - a role of the university
          system, according to the regents.
          - The Associated Students of MSU will support a resolution
          proposed by the Montana Associated Students opposing Regent
          Hur's proposal that organizations may collect money at
          student registration using a check-off.
               - After discussion of the issue, Shannon Taylor moved
               that he, as Faculty Council Chair Elect, and Chair
               Warren Jones be allowed to speak on behalf of Faculty
               Council in support of ASMSU's resolution.  The motion
               was seconded and carried.

Faculty Affairs Committee report - Marvin Lansverk.
     - The committee is editing Faculty Handbook language regarding
     grievance procedures to clarify the grievance process.  Most
     revisions are not substantive.  The proposed language will be
     brought to Faculty Council as an amendment.

+/- grades.
     - ASMSU President Scott McCarthy is unable to meet with Faculty
     Council today due to an unexpected regent's budget meeting.
     Discussion of +/- grading will be deferred until he is able to
     attend a Council meeting.

Lists of names of late-registering and at-risk freshmen.
     - Lists of names, by department, were distributed to Faculty
     Council members by department.
     - The purpose of the distribution is to improve retention of
     students by having the advisor or another faculty contact
     students registering late or with other factors making them
     at-risk for not enrolling Spring Semester.
     - Confidentiality is an important issue.  Faculty are receiving
     this information for academic purposes and it is not to be
     distributed for any other reason.  Students are to be contacted
     only because they are late in registering.
     - Faculty may choose to discuss the method in which to contact
     the students with the department head.
     - According to Chair Elect Taylor, this is the first time
     students have been contacted before the end of the semester.
     Faculty are asked to keep notes on conversations with students
     and to give feedback on the process.
     - An updated list of all late-registering students will be
     available November 25, and Chair Jones will share these with
     Faculty Council members.

Other.
     - Faculty Council will not meet November 26.
     - According to Vice Provost Fedock, beginning Fall Semester 2004,
     the Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be a student holiday.

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM.


Joann Amend, Secretary         Warren Jones, Chair