December 8, 2000
Meeting of the Faculty Council
December 8, 3:00 p.m.
The Pleasants Family Assembly Room in Wilson LibraryChancellor James Moeser and Professor Sue Estroff, Chair of the Faculty, will preside.
Agenda
3:00 Call to Order by the Chancellor.
DISC 3:00 Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Time.
- Chancellor James Moeser invites questions or comments on any topic.
DISC 3:20 Remarks by the Chair of the Faculty. Professor Sue Estroff.
INFO 3:35 Faculty and Staff Benefits. JoAnn Pitz, UNC-CH Director of Benefits.
ACT 3:45 Resolution 2000-13. Petitioning the ACC and Its Member Institutions to Avoid Requiring Athletic Event Schedules that Interfere with Regular Instruction.
DISC 3:50 Annual Report of the Faculty Committee on University Government.
- Professor Janet Mason, Chair.
DISC 4:00 Annual Report of the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions.
- Senior Associate Dean Bernadette Gray-Little, Chair.
DISC 4:10 Annual Report of the Scholarships, Awards, and Student Aid Committee.
- Professor Charles Daye, Chair.
INFO 4:20 Overview of the Scholarly Enterprise on Campus.
- Vice Provost Linda Dykstra.
DISC 4:40 Topics Raised by Council Members.
ACT 5:00 Adjourn.
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
KEY:
ACT = Action
DISC = Discussion
INFO = Information
Minutes
Attendance
Present (60): Allison, Ammerman, Angel, Assani, Bell, Bolas, Bowen, Boxill, Bromberg, Carelli, Chenault, Clegg, Cordeiro-Stone, Crawford-Brown, Daye, Dominguez, Drake, Elvers, Fishman, Granger, Grossberg, Henry, Huang, Janda, Kessler, Ketch, Kjervik, Kopp, Lester, Lubker, Ludlow, Madison, McCormick, McKeown, Meece, Meehan-Black, Metzguer, Moran, Nelson, Otey, Panter, Pfaff, Raasch, Rao, Reinert, Rosenfeld, Slatt, Smith, Steponaitis, Stewart, Straughn, Strauss, Sueta, Taft, Tauchen, Vaughn, Walsh, Weiss, Werner, White.
Excused absences (20): Adler, Bender, Blackburn, Bollen, Bynum, Cotton, Files, Fowler, George, Gilland, Kagarise, Kaufman, Kupper, LeFebvre, Meyer, A. Molina, P. Molina, Raab-Traub, Savitz, Williams.
Unexcused absences (3): De La Cadena, Graham, Sekerak.
Chancellor’s Remarks
Chancellor Moeser introduced Nancy Suttenfield, the new Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, formerly Vice President for Finance and Administration at Case Western University in Cleveland, and prior to that, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Vice Chancellor Suttenfield said she plans to have a part in making the University of North Carolina the best public university in the country, by serving and enabling the faculty to carry out their work in instruction and research, and assuring that the University’s business services are as effective, efficient, and responsive as possible. She sees herself as an enabler in helping the faculty carry out the core missions of the institution. She said she wants input from the faculty, and looks forward to her role representing and advocating the interests of the University to external constituencies.
The Chancellor said he is in the process of visiting all of the academic units of the University. He met with the deans and chairs of the College of Arts and Sciences during the past week, and enjoyed the opportunity of discovering its great areas of strength.
Chancellor Moeser said he is moving off the campus to talk with donors and potential donors to the University and communicating with the large number of alumni throughout the state and the country. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect alumni with the excellent faculty and programs of the University.
The Chancellor described a very good meeting of the Steering Committee of the Capital Campaign, with members committed to moving the University forward. To be on target, we will have to raise $1 million a day over the next seven years. There is much excitement about the present and the future of the University, and the Chancellor said he is proud to represent the excellence of the faculty and the University. He said he has been pleasantly surprised to find that the University has an even greater depth and expanse of excellence than he had thought. Even in areas where the facilities are inadequate, the University has managed to assemble faculties who are in the top level.
Chancellor Moeser reported on physical planning. On November 30th the Horace Williams Tract Advisory Committee received the draft proposal of Ayers Saint Gross for the development of the tract. The Committee will now begin to work with faculty, staff, students, and the communities in the region to share the plans and receive input. He urged the faculty to be active in the process. The University hopes to use this property in ways that will make us more aggressive in moving the intellectual accomplishments of the faculty into the private sector and taking them into the marketplace. Chancellor Moeser reported that he has asked Prof. Jack Evans to undertake prime administrative responsibility for the development of the tract.
The Chancellor reported on the recent lecture in the Chancellor’s Science Seminar Series by Prof. Fred Brooks, founder of our Department of Computer Science (the second oldest in the nation). The seminar series was originally designed to spotlight the work of world-renowned investigators in the basic and applied sciences and to enhance the public’s awareness of the relevance of these scientific discoveries in their daily lives. Dr. Brooks presented a teleconference co-sponsored by Learn North Carolina to public school students, teachers, and administrators across the state.
Chancellor Moeser said that he, Prof. Sue Estroff, Chair of the Faculty, and Interim Provost Richard Edwards are working with the leadership of the senior class to improve the design and format of the May commencement. He said his assessment of the 2000 May commencement is that the University is in danger of losing grasp of what should be a joyous and, at the same time, a dignified and important occasion for both the students and the faculty. Among the ideas being considered is holding a hooding ceremony for recipients of the Ph.D. and other graduate degrees separate from the undergraduate ceremony. Another proposal is that students be seated on the field, rather than in the stands. He reported that the leadership of the senior class supports reforming commencement so that it will be meaningful to both themselves and their parents.
The Chancellor said the University has established a vision that it will become one of the best public universities in the nation. This is more a journey than a destination — the aspiration of imagining the qualities, the excellence, and the values of a university that surpasses all others. He said that part of our history of excellence has been our athletic programs, which have been based on academic integrity. We have striven to recruit students with academic ability, character, and motivation that will enable them to succeed both on the playing field and in the classroom. He acknowledged that commercial financial pressures have raised challenges in major university sports programs both here and across the nation. The Knight Commission has reconvened to assess those challenges, and the Board of the Josephson Institute of Ethics has called a special conference with the National Basketball Association (NBA) coaches for the spring to address the problems facing college basketball programs. On our campus, the football program and especially the coaches’ salaries are presently in discussion. Chancellor Moeser pointed out that 60% of our students are women. We support 28 intercollegiate athletic programs, 15 of which are women’s programs. The University wants to be competitive for the Sears Cup, which recognizes overall excellence in intercollegiate athletic programs. Only football and basketball produce the revenue that fuels all the other athletic programs, excluding only revenue from ticket sales. Chancellor Moeser said that he will never support a “win-at-all-costs” attitude in our athletic programs, but we do want to compete on a high level in the ACC and to have our programs led by teacher/coaches who will develop the athletic and academic potential of our students to the highest level of their capability. He said the athletic budget for this University is $10 million less than the average budgets of the major competitors for the Sears Cup nationally. He regretted that much of media reporting of recent activities in our football program is inaccurate or distorted. He hopes there will be a conclusion to the search within the next week. He hopes that the press will pay as much attention to that our ongoing success in hiring outstanding scholars as it does to hiring in football. The University will keep its values centered, first and foremost, on its central mission as an educational institution.
Prof. Paul Farel (Physiology) thanked the Chancellor for his efforts in support of the higher education bond issue, but said he is concerned about the process of their implementation, especially a reported decision to delay renovation of the Health Sciences Library. He said many years of planning had gone into placement of buildings and that it is late in the day to bring those decisions into question.
Chancellor Moeser said he is responsible for asking for a second look at the placement of the Health Sciences Library. It obscures the original beautiful façade of the MacNider Hall and is an incredibly ugly building. He wondered if the new building could be relocated and the existing one eventually torn down. Finding answers to those questions is delaying the process, but he is confident that a satisfactory solution will be found. He said that he is hopeful that the Science Complex and the Arts Corridor will be built in timely fashion with the aid of the University bonds and private donations. The Provost has convened a small group of the faculty to take one more look at the multi-phased Science Complex to ensure that it be done properly. A second committee has been formed by the Provost to study the Arts Corridor.
Prof. Rachel Rosenfeld (Sociology) said she had been surprised in interviewing candidates for open faculty positions to be questioned about the length of our academic year. She asked if returning to the former calendar is possible. Chancellor Moeser held out little hope that the Board of Governors will relax its stand on this issue, but he acknowledged that it is a serious problem.
Prof. Marila Cordeiro-Stone (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) asked for more comment on the suggestion that the Health Sciences Library might be relocated. Chancellor Moeser responded that several alternative sites for a new building are under consideration, including a move into an expanded MacNider Hall, but the existing structure will probably remain in use for some time as temporary quarters for those displaced from other buildings during renovation and construction.
Prof. Philip Bromberg (School of Medicine) spoke in opposition to the University’s policy of limiting out-of-state undergraduate enrollment. He thought we should be admitting the best and brightest students without regard to place of origin.
Prof. Richard Pfaff (History) commented on the question of football coach hiring and asked for comments regarding the faculty concerns that we keep priorities in proper alignment. Chancellor Moeser reiterated his assurance that once the current process of changing coaches is concluded, things will still remain in proportion.
Prof. Larry Grossberg (Communication Studies) asked for comment on whether — given the history last year with the University’s involvement with Wachovia Bank — faculty, staff, and students would be given opportunity to comment on the prospect of research on campus becoming more akin to commercial enterprise. Chancellor Moeser said the faculty has the right and the responsibility to become involved in establishing the principles that will govern our relationships with private enterprise.
Prof. Robert D. Higginbotham (History) stated that he and other members of the faculty feel that the Chancellor had exhibited bad judgment in firing football coach Carl Torbush and offering the position to Coach Frank Beamer (who is now head coach at Virginia Tech). He wondered if the Chancellor had investigated Coach Beamer’s background thoroughly. He related several incidents of troubles in Coach Beamer’s program, including serious violations of law by some of the team members. Chancellor Moeser responded that the background of Coach Beamer’s program at Virginia Tech had been fully investigated. He said this University has also had serious problems with off-field behavior of athletes, as have many other universities. He said throughout his career he has supported the principle that student-athletes were held to the same standards of personal conduct as other students.
Chancellor Moeser advised the faculty to keep a close eye on the fiscal situation in the State. There is an expected revenue shortfall which might have some negative impact on the University.
The Chancellor concluded his remarks by thanking the faculty for its candor and pledging to honor its trust. He knows there will be disagreements — that is to be expected.
Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks
Prof. Estroff ceded her time for remarks, since the time for the remaining agenda was short. She congratulated the Women’s Soccer Team for winning the national title, reminding the faculty of the bumper sticker, “Welcome to Carolina, where men are men and women are champions.”
Faculty and Staff Benefits
Ms. JoAnn Pitz, UNC-Chapel Hill Director of Benefits, asked that the faculty let her know of benefit issues they would like to know more about. She will be glad to address them at a future meeting. On the matter of disability insurance, Ms. Pitz pointed out that new employees are often unaware that the disability income plans provided as part of the retirement systems (both TSERS and ORS) may not be adequate for the first five years of employment. Short-term benefits are available only after the first year of employment and long-term benefits only after five years. During the vesting period, new employees may want to consider purchasing disability insurance. The University has plans available for that purpose.
Prof. Diane Kjervik (Nursing) asked if there are efforts to change the lapse time for the dental plan if an employee changes plans. Ms. Pitz said efforts are being made to speed up the process of coverage under these plans.
Resolution 2000-13. Petitioning the ACC and its Member Institutions to Avoid Requiring Athletic Event Schedules that Interfere with Regular Instruction.
The Atlantic Coast Conference, on behalf of the University and its other member institutions, has agreed to a contract with ESPN requiring its participation in a Thursday evening football game, despite Faculty Council Resolution 99-1. In response to the discussion of this at the November 2000 Faculty Council, the Agenda Committee proposed Resolution 2000-13. Prof. Joseph Ferrell, Secretary of the Faculty, read the Resolution:
“The Faculty Council resolves:
“Section 1. The Faculty Council of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill petitions the Atlantic Coast Conference not to negotiate media contracts that require its member institutions to schedule home football games or other major athletic events on Thursday or any other day on which such scheduling would make it difficult or impossible to conduct regular classes during previously-scheduled instructional hours.
“Sec. 2. The Faculty Council of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill advises the faculty senates of North Carolina State University, Duke University, Wake Forest University, the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, Clemson University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Florida State University that playing a home football game in Chapel Hill on Thursday or any other day when classes are in session will require cancellation of classes on that day due to the location of the football stadium and the need to requisition all available parking spaces for football patrons. The Council invites our counterparts on other ACC campuses to discuss this issue and to join us in asking that this situation not be forced upon ACC institutions whose stadium locations impel such a result.”
Prof. Timothy Taft (Orthopaedics) asked what classes are being held on Thursday nights between 8:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., when the ESPN games are being played. He said he is not sure why Thursday classes would have to be cancelled because of a game being played on Thursday night. He also asked about the financial consequences should the University opt out of the ESPN contract. Prof. Ferrell responded that the Resolution does not ask to opt out of the contract; it does ask that such a contract not be negotiated again on behalf of the University. Prof. Estroff responded that parking spaces are embargoed as of noon on game days. She read from a note left on her desk by a staff person who questioned this instance of athletics taking precedence over academics. Prof. Taft suggested that we really do not know whether there would be serious disruption since we have never been actually confronted with the situation.
Prof. Pfaff noted that during every Fall Semester one Thursday is lost to Fall Break and another to the Thanksgiving Recess. Losing a third Thursday will have a disproportionately adverse effect on seminars and laboratory courses. Prof. Ferrell added that when the academic calendar is established we do not know the start time of televised football games. If a game were to be scheduled for late afternoon or early evening, the parking lots might have to be cleared at the end of the previous day.
Mr. Ridley Kessler (Academic Affairs Library) added that the Library often has class tours or lectures during evening hours so as not to disrupt classes during the day.
Discussion having concluded, the Resolution was put to a vote and was adopted by voice vote without audible dissent.
Annual Reports of Standing Committees
Committee on University Government.
Prof. Janet Mason (Institute of Government) presented the Annual Report of the Faculty Committee on University Government. Prof. Farel, chair of the Advisory Committee, pointed out that nominees for election to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council are presented to the Faculty Council by the Advisory Committee. The Committee will be developing its list in the near future. Prof. Farel asked that faculty who have an interest in serving on the Executive Committee, or who would like to nominate a colleague, submit names to the Secretary of the Faculty. Nominees need not be current members of the Faculty Council.
Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions.
Prof. Bernadette Gray-Little (Senior Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences), presented the Annual Report of the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions. She reported on a very successful phone-a-thon, conducted last spring by the faculty, contacting prospective students and their parents. It will be conducted again this year. Another highlighted activity was a proposal to require the SAT of junior transfer applicants. This was reconsidered and withdrawn after discussion with State community college officials, who felt the requirement would place an undue burden on their students. Prof. Gray-Little reviewed the freshman and transfer class data from 1996-2000. (This information is posted on the Faculty Governance website as an appendix to the Committee’s report.) Prof. Gray-Little explained that the number of students reported as disabled includes only those who registered a disability; it does not include all students with disabilities. Those admitted in the “discretionary” category are students who show strong promise but are not competitive in the usual admission process. The athletics category of 119 includes 100 who are strong students but not competitive and were admitted because of talent in athletics. Of this total, 19 were reviewed by a sub-committee because they are at academic risk.
Prof. Bromberg noted that the University offers admission to 60% of in-state applicants but only 17% of out-of-state applicants. He regrets that the University is losing so many bright out-of-state students. He said the athletic admissions were devastating, since they clearly belong to a different group than all the other admissions, which raises questions about student-athletes. He felt it striking that 60% of the admissions are women, and asked why. Prof. Gray-Little responded that the gender balance of our student body is consistent with a national pattern. The high percentage of admission of in-state students as compared to out-of-state applicants reflects the Board of Governors’ out-of-state quota.
Mr. Jerome Lucido, Associate Provost and Director of Admissions, stated that he agreed that the out-of-state quota is very restrictive. He added, though, that our admissions process for in-state students is also highly competitive. Prof. Bromberg asked what the difference is in the SAT scores between the in-state and out-of-state admissions. Mr. Lucido said it is an average of 150 points, a significant amount. Prof. Gray-Little said the question of athlete admissions is a very difficult and one that the sub-committee involved struggles with, taking this work very seriously. Prof. Bromberg said that he did not mean to criticize the work of the committees, but the numbers are significant and should be published so that they are widely known.
Prof. Noelle Granger (Cell Biology and Anatomy) asked what the University is doing to recruit Hispanic students. Mr. Lucido said he believes the enrollment of a substantial number of Hispanic students is about a generation away for economic and social reasons; however, even though current enrollment numbers are small, there has been a significant percentage increase in Hispanic admissions. Prof. Granger asked whether we try to recruit these students. Mr. Lucido said a Spanish-speaking member has been added to the staff to go into the Latino community to work with the students and the schools to ensure that the students are taking the right curricula.
Vice Provost Linda Dykstra noted that that the percentage of out-of-state applicants accepted in graduate and professional programs is much higher and is not subject to quotas.
Prof. Lisa Slatt (Family Medicine) asked how applicants lacking full immigration documentation are classified. Mr. Lucido said there have been very few applicants in that category; he does not have information to share. He added that scholarship aid does require citizenship.
Prof. Abigail Panter (Psychology) asked about the likelihood that the out-of-state quota issue might be re-visited in the future. Mr. Lucido said that this is an issue in other states as well. He mentioned specifically Michigan, Virginia, and California. It is an issue that has considerable political dimensions for any state-supported institution.
Scholarships, Awards and Student Aid.
Prof. Charles Daye presented the Annual Report of the Scholarships, Awards, and Student Aid Committee. He reviewed data showing the number and type of awards and the source of funds. (See the Faculty Governance web site for details.) Prof. Daye said that the goal of the Student Aid Office is to provide 60% of its assistance in the form of grants. The typical freshman aid package this year is 62% in grants and scholarships and 36% in loans. A portion of this year’s tuition increase, 35%, has been set aside for need-based aid. Some of this money was not needed this year and has been reserved for future use. He noted that nearly one-third of the laptop computers distributed to students through the Carolina Computer Initiative were funded from money made available from the Chancellor’s Discretionary Funds. Prof. Daye feels that the student aid program is doing very well. Compared to other institutions, the University is holding its own.
Prof. Granger asked what percentage of the total undergraduate population takes loans, and what is their debt load when they graduate. Ms. Shirley Ort, Director of Scholarships and Student Aid, responded that roughly one-fourth of our undergraduates receive aid, and the cumulative indebtedness is about $12,000 for the four years of undergraduate study. For transfer students it is higher.
Prof. Thomas Clegg (Physics and Astronomy) asked that in future reports data be gathered that correlates grade-point averages and off-campus employment. He said he thinks that in many cases the perceived need to earn extra money has an adverse effect on grades.
Prof. Pfaff asked if there has been a relative decline in the number of students applying for aid, and, if so, why. Mr. Lucido said the number of students needing financial aid at Carolina is low compared to other public institutions across the nation and within the UNC System. He attributed at least a part of this phenomenon to the fact that Carolina is no longer a “first-generation” campus, meaning that relatively few of our students are the first in their families to seek higher education. This is not necessarily the case on other campuses in the UNC System. Prof. Gray-Little added that this phenomenon underscores the need to be aggressive in our efforts to identify and recruit exceptional students across the socio-economic spectrum.
Overview of the Scholarly Enterprise on Campus.
Due to the length of previous agenda items, there was insufficient time for Vice Provost Linda Dykstra’s presentation on the scholarly enterprise. This topic will be rescheduled for later in the academic year.
Old or New Business.
Prof. Douglas Crawford-Brown (Environmental Sciences and Engineering) said there is discontent among some of our graduate students resulting in efforts to organize a labor union to address concerns of graduate teaching and research assistants. He suggested that representatives of these students be invited to attend the Faculty Council meetings to discuss their concerns.
Mr. Kessler said he feels that the faculty being told by the Athletics Committee that a 50% graduation rate is “pretty good” is unacceptable. Prof. Estroff agreed and suggested that the faculty see what can be done about it.
Prof. Ronald Strauss (Dental Ecology Department) described a scene at the recent “Beat Dook” parade in which a person, ostensibly representing the Duke Blue Devil, was dragged by a chain behind a vehicle. The performance bore a chilling resemblance to the racial incident in Texas a few months ago in which an African-American man was dragged to his death. Prof. Strauss said he thinks the faculty should make it clear that this is not acceptable and is never to happen again.
Prof. Estroff said she was appalled that this incident happened on the streets of Chapel Hill, and that it went unnoticed in the press, especially since the media have recently directed so much attention to the Athletics Department. She reported that Vice Chancellor Kitchen is aware of the incident and is responding to it.
Adjournment.
The Business of the day having concluded, the Council adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
