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 a correction related to when the election of Faculty Council officers will take place.

IV. Strategic Planning

Chair Mailloux introduced Tara McNealy, Associate Provost for Planning, Assessment and Evaluation. Dr. McNealy explained that faculty input is sought for the strategic initiatives that will be featured in the new 2012-2015 Blueprint. After the August 2011 general faculty and town hall meetings, faculty/staff will be given strategic planning proposal forms to be returned by November 2011. These items will be voted on and prioritized by March 2012, shared with the Foundation, and approved by the Board of Visitors in June 2012.

V. Uniform Committee

Chair Mailloux explained that Associate Provost Bebensee, chair of the ad hoc Uniform. Committee, presented a set of draft recommendations related to a uniform alternative. These recommendations will be presented to the President and Board of Visitors. Someone said that the ad hoc committee met twice and that the draft recommendations were not issued by the ad hoc committee. Chair Mailloux said the recommendations reflected what was said at the second meeting, according to Al Finch. The recent uniform survey was based on the President's question about whether faculty would wear the uniform alternative. There were questions about the female equivalent of the shirt/tie standard mentioned in the draft recommendations; and why this issue was being considered when the President clearly stated last year that faculty wearing uniforms was not a front burner issue. Chair Mailloux said this recent focus on uniforms did not come from Faculty Council; the Provost decided it was an important matter and charged an ad hoc committee to study it. The Provost thinks this alternative might fly but Chair Mailloux admitted that the chances are not good that the Board of Visitors will accept these recommendations. A motion was made and seconded to support the draft recommendations of the Uniform Committee. Discussion included the reasons why faculty wear uniforms; the perspective of a faculty member /Citadel graduate related to the faculty uniform being part of the students' classroom experience; the roles faculty play in setting an example; and the uniform as a symbol of authority. Chair Mailloux said that we need not debate the value of wearing it, but vote on the motion at hand. The vote to support the draft version of the recommendations was defeated; 7 for, 9 against, 1 abstention.

VI. Other Business

Chair Mailloux said that this meeting was the last for this Faculty Council. Next week's meeting will be the first for new and continuing 2011-2012 members.

A motion was made and seconded to thank Chair Mailloux and Secretary Connor for their service to Faculty Council.

VII. Faculty Governance

Chair Mailloux sent out a revised version of the last meeting's resolution related to faculty governance, but read aloud another revision of the same resolution:

Faculty Council proposes that the Academic Board, the President and the Board of Visitors consider replacing the current system of Faculty Council and Academic Board with a single governing body that will have legislative authority over academic matters. We further propose that an ad hoc committee be formed by the Provost to define the mission, duties, and makeup of a Faculty Senate.

The motion related to this resolution was made and seconded. Chair Mailloux explained that the composition of Academic Board has changed dramatically over the last twenty years; it used to be faculty-centered. Now, Academic Board has more deans, associate provosts and program directors. Chair Mailloux would like to have a faculty body that would make department heads eligible to serve as members. It was pointed out that previous provosts have wanted a Faculty Senate to get faculty endorsements for various proposals. The resolution was passed; yes – 12, no – 2, abstentions – 0.

Chair Mailloux commented that regardless of whether this recommendation to form a single governing body goes forward or not, the chair of Faculty Council is a non-voting member of Academic Board. This made sense when Academic Board was comprised mainly of department heads. Chair Mailloux said that the Provost said he wants to change this to allow the Faculty Council chair to serve as a voting member. It was moved and seconded to make a resolution that recommends that the head of the Faculty Council be a voting member of the Academic Board. Discussion included the idea that the Provost should make this change and questioned why Faculty Council needs to recommend this. The resolution was passed; yes - 12, no - 1, abstentions - 1.

Chair Mailloux mentioned Conway Saylor's suggestion at the recent end-of-year faculty meeting that we reconstitute a structured appeal for faculty to donate to the Foundation. After some discussion about why an organized approach to faculty giving was abandoned a few years ago, a motion was made and seconded. Faculty Council recommends setting up a more structured environment to canvass the faculty to donate. This recommendation was passed; yes - 12, no - 1, abstention - 1.

IX. Next Meeting and Adjournment

Chair Mailloux thanked everyone and adjourned the meeting at 12:08 pm. At the next meeting, to be held on May 4, 2011, Faculty Council will elect a chair and other officers.

Respectfully submitted,

Elizabeth Connor, Secretary