The Citadel Faculty Council Meeting Minutes

I. Call To Order and Agenda

Chair Mailloux called the meeting of the Faculty Council to order. The agenda was sent out ahead of time.

II. Attendees (substitutes shown in parentheses)

III. Approval of Minutes from Last Meeting

The draft minutes of the March meeting were sent out prior to this meeting. Comments or corrections were requested. The minutes were approved with two minor corrections (overwhelmingly instead of overwhelming, and an error related to formatting).

IV. Reports

Prior to the meeting, Chair Mailloux sent out reports from the various meetings he has attended since the last Faculty Council meeting. Someone said that sending these reports ahead of time was an effective way of communicating such information.

V. Elections

Chair Mailloux reminded everyone that departments should be electing new members to two-year terms. The May meeting will be the first meeting of the new Faculty Council. Chair Mailloux will send notices to each department, reminding them of the need for elections. Chair Mailloux also suggested that in the future, Faculty Council may wish to revisit the qualifications of Faculty Council members.

VI. Faculty Governance

According to Chair Mailloux, the issue of faculty governance has come up a number of times in the last three or four years. Bill Woolsey headed an ad hoc committee charged by former Provost Donald Steven to look at the issue. The Citadel's governance is similar to our military academy peers. Academic Board serves as less of a voice for faculty. Former Provost Harry Carter and current Provost Sam Hines have come out in favor of changing Faculty Council to Faculty Senate (a hybrid of Faculty Council and Academic Board). Such a change would result in more decision making power than the existing Faculty Council.

Chair Mailloux proposed a resolution related to Faculty Council making a recommendation that the Provost create an ad hoc committee to determine the makeup of a Faculty Senate. Someone asked about the mission of this proposed new structure. Chair Mailloux said that the committee would decide the mission, structure, etc., and discuss control of various matters, and said that he believed that the whole faculty should vote on any new structure. Chair Mailloux and Bill Woolsey discussed the various advantages and disadvantages of Faculty Council versus Faculty Senate, and said that a Faculty Senate would involve more work and responsibility. Someone said that it was frustrating for Faculty Council to be purely advisory. Chair Mailloux said that Faculty Senate would be taken more seriously. Because of conflicting meetings, the quorum was lost, and it was decided that this resolution would be discussed again at the next meeting.

VII. Next Meeting and Adjournment

Chair Mailloux adjourned the meeting. At the next meeting, to be held April 28, 2011, Faculty Council will elect a new chair and other officers, and Dr. Tara McNealy will discuss a larger role for faculty in strategic planning.

Respectfully submitted,

Elizabeth Connor, Secretary