Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions |
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November 25, 2014, Volume 61, No. 15 |
The following is published in accordance with the Faculty 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 Vicki Hewitt, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu
Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Chair Claire Finkelstein gave a brief update on the actions of the Faculty Senate committees. She informed SEC that they will soon be receiving two track change proposals for a vote, one on the Academic Clinician track at three of the Health schools and one from the School of Nursing. SEC may also be asked to vote on proposed changes to the Patent and Tangible Research Property Policies and Procedures in the near future. She noted the Administration plans to have the Proposed New Student Disciplinary Protocol for Sexual Assault, Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence and Stalking in place by the spring semester. The Faculty Senate Tri-Chairs are planning the spring symposium, and ask that any additional proposals be sent as soon as possible.
Past Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Past Chair Dwight Jaggard noted that the Academic Planning and Budget committee and Capital Council have been meeting.
Vote on the 2014-2015 Senate Nominating Committee Chair Ballots. SEC members voted for the Chair of the 2014-2015 Senate Nominating Committee.
New Business. A copy of correspondence between a faculty member and the Chair of the Board of Trustees relating to the tobacco divestment issue was distributed to SEC at the faculty member’s request.
Update from the Office of the President. President Amy Gutmann noted that her job as president is to articulate a strategic vision for the University and assemble the leadership team to carry it out. The goals of her strategic vision are articulated in the Penn Compact 2020: increasing access, integrating knowledge and engaging locally, nationally and globally. She described three new presidential initiatives: the President’s Men and Women of Pennsylvania Challenge Fund, which offers matching funds for donations given to financial aid, the Distinguished Professorship Fund, which provides matching funds for endowed professorships, and the President’s Engagement Prizes, which grant living expenses and project implementation expenses to Penn seniors for local, national and global engagement projects the year after they graduate. She noted that Penn’s application numbers have risen over the past ten years and the admit rate has gone down. Enrollment of underrepresented minority and self-identified LGBT students has increased. The average net cost to aided students has also declined, and Penn is the largest university to meet full student financial need with all grants and no loans. There has also been progress in increasing faculty diversity, with the percentages of female and underrepresented minority faculty increasing. She noted that faculty retention in the School of Arts & Sciences had also increased, and listed some of the recent awards and honors given to members of Penn’s faculty. She reported that fundraising for last year exceeded its goals. She discussed the performance of Penn’s endowment, which has had a 10-year return of 8%.The University has done well controlling costs, with an annual growth rate in the central administration of about 0.6%. She talked about planned changes to Penn’s campus outlined in the PennConnects 2.0 campus development plan and Penn’s involvement in community investment and education.
SEC members and the President then discussed support for international students and students engaged in global work, challenges to interdisciplinary work at Penn, and the endowment investment strategy.
Special Services and Preventing Sexual Misconduct on Campus. SEC heard from Patty Brennan, Director of Special Services; Hikaru Kozuma, Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs; Jessica Mertz, Director of Student Sexual Violence Prevention and Education; and Maureen Rush, Vice President for Public Safety, on the issue of response to, prevention of, and education on sexual misconduct on campus. The group noted that many different units are in place to provide support. Some of the new education initiatives for next year include co-ed peer education groups working on bystander intervention, a student advisory group to develop new programs, and a communications campaign to publicize resources. The group described the work of the Special Services Unit, which acts as an advocate for members of the Penn community who have been victims of any crime. Faculty members with questions or concerns about how to handle these issues can contact this unit for advice at (215) 898-4481 or (215) 898-6600 off-hours.
SEC members and the guest speakers then discussed: the incidence of sexual misconduct on campus, the location of forensic exams, educating faculty about handling students in distress, what kinds of offenses need to be reported under the Cleary Act and Title IX and the importance of peer education in these issues. SEC members expressed the need for clear faculty guidance in this area so that faculty might better meet the needs of students in distress as well as comply with federal guidelines. |