SENATE From the Senate Office

The following agenda is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Questions may be directed to Kristine Kelly, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943, or by e-mail at kellyke@pobox.upenn.edu.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Welcome and Introductions: Faculty Senate Chair Neville Strumpf welcomed the 2005-2006 Senate Executive Committee, and brief introductions followed.

Approval of Minutes: Approval of the Minutes was tabled until the October meeting.

Chair’s Report: Faculty Senate Chair Neville Strumpf updated SEC on the Faculty Senate Chairs’ meetings with the President and Provost and reported that the Senate leadership is very pleased with the dialogue to date, and looks forward to SEC meeting with President Gutmann and Provost Daniels in October. SEC was also informed of the Faculty Senate’s Homecoming Weekend Symposium, Youth and Aging: Penn Integrates Knowledge Locally and Globally, which will be held on Friday, November 4 from 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Past Chair’s Report on Academic Planning and Budget and Capital Council: Past Chair Charles Mooney reported on the first meeting of AP&B, and informed SEC that he was out of town for the first Capital Council meeting, but is scheduled to receive a briefing on the meeting from Omar Blaik.

Addition of a Catastrophic Event Clause to the Policy on Extension of the Probationary Periods that Apply to Granting of Tenure or Promotion to Associate Professor: Alan Wasserstein, Vice Dean for Medical Faculty Affairs, presented the proposed catastrophic event clause.  After a thoughtful discussion, the Executive Committee deemed the proposed clause too narrow in its scope for a University-wide policy.  Faculty Senate Chair Neville Strumpf agreed to edit the document with SEC’s suggestions and forward it to Dr. Wasserstein.  She will also share it with both Associate Provost Janice Bellace and the Chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Administration.  SEC hopes to get this back on the agenda in October.

Consultation Concerning Appointment of a Deputy Provost: SEC voted on their nominees to represent the faculty on the Consultative Committee to the Provost for the Appointment of a Deputy Provost.

University Council Committee Update: Given her role as Chair of University Council Steering, Faculty Senate Chair Neville Strumpf updated SEC on the status of University Council Committees, and the work of Steering.  SEC then volunteered some additional names of faculty members to serve on committees.

Faculty Senate Committee Charges for 2005-06 Committees: SEC reviewed the proposed committee charges for all the Senate Standing Committees, and with some minor changes, approved the charges.

New Business: SEC discussed issues that they would like the Senate Chairs to discuss with the President and Provost, and also possible topics for their meeting with Dr. Gutmann and Provost Daniels in October. The Committee also discussed future SEC presentations for the academic year.

The Committee then adjourned to its reception for Provost Ronald J. Daniels.