SENATE
From the Senate Office
The
following statement is published in accordance with the Senate
Rules.
Among other
purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate
discussion among the
constituencies and their representatives.
Please communicate your
comments to Executive
Assistant
Carolyn Burdon,
Box 12 College Hall/6303, (215) 898-6943
or burdon@pobox.upenn.edu
.
Actions
Taken by the
Senate Executive Committee
Wednesday,
March 20, 2002
1.
Chair's Report. Professor
David Hackney reported the proposed revised Misconduct in Research
Policy is almost ready. The Senate Committee on the Faculty reviewed
the latest revision and requested rearrangement and clarification.
It is hoped the next revised document will reach the Committee
on the Faculty this spring. The Committee on Administration heard
a description of a study of the cost of research at Penn. SEC
members requested that the full presentation be given at the next
SEC meeting and that available written material be provided. Professor
Hackney also noted that a proposed revised post-doctoral policy
had been referred to the Senate Committee on Administration and
the Council Committee on Research for review. The University Council
Committee on Committees is reviewing the Council committees to
see whether the size of some committees can be reduced, whether
standing charges in the bylaws should be revised, or some committees
should be combined or retired.
2.
Past Chair's Report on Academic Planning and Budget Committee
and Capital Council. Professor
Gerald Porter stated that there has been one meeting of the Academic
Planning and Budget Committee since the last Senate Executive
Committee meeting. This meeting was devoted to discussions of
the draft Strategic Plan. The committee received and discussed
reports from the task forces on Building and Retaining an Outstanding
Faculty; Arts, Humanities and Society; and Public Policy and Leadership.
There
was also one meeting of Capital Council. Capital Council approved
proposals for renovations of Rooms G1-6 of Williams Hall, creation
of a Meyerson Executive Conference Room and Executive Suite in
the Library, Landscaping for the Schattner Building in the Dental
School, and an upgrade of MRI scanners in the Department of Radiology
in the Medical School. In addition there was a mail poll on the
development of a computer system to support research administration.
3.
Committee on the Faculty Report on Gender Equity. Professor
Stephen Burbank, chair, Senate Committee on the Faculty, presented
the report (in
this issue). SEC members thanked Professor Burbank for the
excellent work. Professor Hackney drew attention to the procedural
recommends in the report: (a) that women be adequately represented
on standing personnel committees and on ad hoc search committees,
and (b) the establishment of a system of pre-offer approval. A
motion was made to endorse the report. SEC endorsed the report
by an overwhelming majority.
4.
Nominations for Committee Vacancies Spring 2002. Professor
Peter Kuriloff, chair, Senate Committee on Committees, presented
the list of nominations and SEC members added to it. A ballot
will be distributed to SEC members.
5.
Proposed Trustee Liaison Committee Appointment.
Past Faculty Senate Chair Gerald Porter, who is currently serving
as a faculty liaison to the Trustee Committee on Budget and Finance,
proposed that, as a general policy, one of the two faculty liaisons
to that committee should be the Past Chair of the Faculty Senate.
The Past Chair currently serves on the Academic Planning and Budget
Committee and on the Capital Council for one year. Professor Porter
stated that this brings an important knowledge base to the trustee
committee. He moved that the procedure be standardized by the
Faculty Senate.
Further,
Professor Porter recommended that the faculty trustee liaisons
be asked to report regularly to the Senate Executive Committee.
SEC
unanimously adopted the two proposals.
Professor
Porter also noted that new trustee committees have been established
since the faculty positions for liaisons were created but that
no faculty have been invited to serve as liaisons on the new ones.
The Senate Chairs will review the committees and, as needed, recommend
faculty liaisons be added to those committees that currently have
none.
6.
Informal Discussion on the Strategic Plan.
Deputy Provost Peter Conn attended SEC on behalf of the Provost.
Professor Conn reported that a draft of the Strategic Plan was
almost ready for publication. Faculty Senate Chair Hackney requested
a briefing on recruiting and retaining the best faculty. Professor
Conn stated the goals of the plan regarding faculty. Further,
Deputy Provost Conn noted that the plan contains a section on
graduate education that is about equal in length to the section
on undergraduate education.
7.
New Business. A SEC member
raised a proposal made at a previous SEC meeting that suggested
creation of a standing subcommittee of the Senate Committee on
the Economic Status of the Faculty to have oversight of faculty
pay levels. The SEC member said most faculty do not know how their
salary compares to others in their department or school. It was
noted that the Faculty Grievance Procedure takes too long on this
matter. Chair-elect Mitchell Marcus stated this could be considered
but that it would be important not to create another grievance
commission. Another SEC member observed that it is possible to
determine the quartile ranking of an individual's salary.