November 2, 2001
Meeting of the Faculty Council
Friday, November 2nd, 2001, 3:00 p.m.
The Pleasants Family Assembly Room in Wilson Library
Chancellor James Moeser and Professor Sue Estroff, Chair of the Faculty, will preside.
Agenda
3:00 Call to Order. The Secretary of the Faculty.
DISC 3:00 Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Time.
- Chancellor James Moeser invites questions or comments on any topic.
DISC 3:15 Remarks by the Chair of the Faculty.
- Professor Sue Estroff invites questions or comments on any topic.
ACT 3:30 Proposal for a Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Information Science.
- Dean Joanne Gard Marshall.
INFO 3:45 Annual Report of the Faculty Committee on Research.
- Professor Vincas Steponaitis.
DISC 3:50 Greetings. Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies.
DISC 4:00 Qatar: Questions and Concerns.
DISC 4:30 Open Discussion of Topics Raised by Faculty Members.
ACT 4:50 Closed Session. Distinguished Alumnus and Alumna Awards for 2002.
ACT 5:00 Adjourn.
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
KEY:
ACT = Action
DISC = Discussion
INFO = Information
Minutes
Attendance
Present (58): Adimora, Adler, Ammerman, Barbour, Bouldin, Bowen, Bromberg, Chenault, Cotton, Daye, Drake, Elter, Elvers, Files, Fishell, Foley, Fowler, George, Granger, Henry, Janda, Kagarise, Kalleberg, Kessler, Kjervik, Kopp, LeFebvre, Malizia, McCormick, McGraw, Meece, P. Molina, Nelson, Nonini, Orthner, Otey, Owen, Pfaff, Pisano, Poole, Raab-Traub, Rao, Reinert, Retsch-Bogart, Rowan, Schauer, Shea, W. Smith, Straughan, Strauss, Sueta, Tresolini, Tulloch, Wallace, Walsh, Waters, Willis, Yopp.
Excused absences (27): Allison, Bollen, Boxill, Bynum, Cairns, Carelli, Clegg, Colindres, Crawford-Brown, D’Cruz, Ketch, Kupper, Langbauer, Lubker, Metzguer, Meyer, A. Molina, Moran, Raasch, Robinson, Sigurdsson, Slatt, J. Smith, Tauchen, Vaughn, Watson, Williams.
Unexcused absences (3): Gilland, McGraw, McQueen.
Chancellor’s Remarks
Chancellor James Moeser called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. He reported that President Broad and our colleagues in the Office of the President have been working with Governor Easley and his staff to reach a firm number on the percentage of nonrecurring reversion that will be required of the University for the 2001-02 fiscal year. We had been planning for a 4% reversion and are pleased to learn that this has been reduced to 2.7% for each UNC campus due to the Governor’s strong desire to protect access to classroom student instruction as much as possible. This reduction required each campus to make a commitment that teaching activities during the Spring semester will be maintained at levels that do not adversely affect students. The Chancellor was also pleased to report that we have been given total managerial flexibility as to how the required 2.7% reversion will be amassed and managed, and that travel restrictions previously announced by the State Budget Office on travel have been removed. The Chancellor said that 2.7% may not be sufficient if State revenues collections do not improve, so we need to remain prudent. Most of the states are experiencing the effects of a full-blown recession. He reiterated his determination that the budget crisis have the smallest possible impact on classes scheduled for the Spring semester.
Chancellor Moeser announced that Sandy Berger, former National Security Advisor to President Clinton, will discuss “American’s Fight Against Terrorism: Challenge and Change” on next Wednesday, at 111 Carroll Hall, at 4:00 p.m. One person helping to make this possible is Alston Gardner, 1977 graduate of the University, chair of the Advisory Board for International Area Study. Also attending will be Anthony Harrington, UNC graduate, former ambassador to Brazil, now working for Mr. Berger.
The Chancellor announced that the University of North Carolina will confer an honorary Doctor of Law degree on Ricardo Largos, President of Chile, at 4:00 p.m. in the Morehead Banquet Hall next Friday. He underscored the importance of this event and encouraged faculty attendance. President Lagos is a Duke Ph.D. and held a visiting faculty appointment at Carolina in the 1970s. He has led Chile into the world of democratic nations. The University had hoped to award the degree at commencement as usual, but President Lagos was unable to attend commencement because the date coincided with his State of the Union address. Chancellor Moeser said this was a great pleasure, and the University honors itself by honoring President Lagos.
Prof. Philip Bromberg (Medicine) asked if there was any word on State encroachment on the University’s overhead receipts. Chancellor Moeser replied that this is almost a daily topic in Raleigh. One legislator referred to the receipts as a slush fund of available cash that should be reallocated to the greater needs of the State. He said he discusses this issue in every speech he makes around the State. The point is that the capital of the 21st Century economy is knowledge, and the importance of research is that the University creates knowledge. The future of the State’s economy rests on the research at the three major research Universities in the State, two of which are public institutions. Funding for research has increased dramatically, and what it takes to be a great research University is to reinvest our overhead receipts. This is compensation from the federal government for the uncompensated costs of doing the research. He said it is important that people understand this. The University takes this as a very serious issue and will take the message to anywhere people gather in the State.
Prof. Etta Pisano (Radiology) asked about the issue of salaries for women and minorities. She was curious about what this institution is doing regarding this issue. Chancellor Moeser said he intends to pose that question to the Provost. He said it would be studied and, if there was an imbalance found, it would need to be addressed.
Prof. Estroff said that the data was already available, and was being put together. She added that it is a fact that there are still gendered-based inequities in salaries among the faculty.
Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks
Prof. Estroff introduced Neal DeJong and Blair Watson, who discussed the UNC Dance Marathon. Mr. DeJong said the Dance Marathon is the largest student-run fund-raiser on campus. Over the last three years it has raised over $210,000 in support of the For The Kids Fund, a fund that assists families of patients in the N.C. Children’s Hospital. All the money goes to children’s families from distant parts of the State, who can’t afford to spend the night at a hotel when their children receive medical care, or to buy groceries when they have to spend several days with their children in the hospital. This year there are opportunities being developed for faculty members. Ms. Watson described some of these opportunities, and she said there was a social planned for November 10 in Coker Arboretum. She encouraged members of the faculty to read for an hour to some of the children/patients. Prof. Pisano asked if students could participate in this also. Mr. DeJong said there was a volunteer coordinator in charge, and each spring they get students from the high schools to volunteer, also.
Prof. Donna LeFebvre (Political Science) asked how faculty members could contribute. Mr. DeJong said that in the spring, before the Dance Marathon, sheets are distributed for donations and they will be going out to talk with the Departments during the next few months. Donations will be accepted all year. His Email address is www.uncmarathon.org.
Faculty Marshal Ronald Hyatt thanked his fellow faculty members for an excellent turn-out for University Day and extended an invitation for faculty members to attend the Mid-Year Commencement on December 20, 2001 in the Smith Center. He announced that on November 14, 2001 there will be a Symposium in Student Union Rooms 205 and 206 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the Knight Commission Report, co-sponsored by the Program for Public Policy in Sports. The faculty’s attendance is welcomed.
Prof. Estroff recognized Benita Burton, departmental assistant in Allied Health Sciences, who recently won the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service
Prof. Estroff said the Chancellor, during the past weeks, had met with the faculties of the College and the Kenan-Flagler Business School, to listen to their concerns and to make his case for pursuing the Qatar project. Members of the ECFC and others have had meetings with representatives of the Qatar Foundation, during which any and all questions were entertained. There has been lively debate in the press, and a flurry of emails. A delegation of colleagues will make a trip to Doha. Prof. Estroff said she was not going on the trip only because she had a commitment to be with the NIH which she could not change
Prof. Estroff summarized the questions and concerns indicated over the past months. She said the concerns seemed to center on two concerns: (1) why this campus and this degree in Qatar as opposed to elsewhere, and (2) does the conduct of the government of Qatar meet our requirements in the areas of human rights, civil liberties, and political and academic freedom?
Qatar’s population consists of a majority comprised of people from elsewhere. Only 40% of the people are Qataris. The majority are Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, and other nationals. How does the dominant minority treat the majority?
Other concerns include:
- Is this project complementary to and keeping with or divergent from the mission of this University?
- Will this project diminish or enhance the reputation of the University?
- In view of enrollment growth and reduced State resources will students face a further shortage of classes?
- Are enough faculty enthusiastic enough about this degree program to participate in it over time?
- Will our faculty be safe in Doha?
- Are we selling our degrees to the highest bidder? If so, what are the costs and benefits of so doing?
- How is this different, if at all, from the Nike contract?
Prof. Estroff said, in her view, the University is proceeding with appropriate caution thus far. She is most concerned that we have the freedom and opportunity both in Qatar and on the campus to ask questions and to find answers, and that the faculty’s advice and consent or dissent be heard based on the information we have and the views that we hold. She said the Chancellor is listening.
Prof. Estroff proposed that a special meeting of the faculty be held in mid-November to hear from any member of the faculty, particularly from those going to Doha, for their views. She said at that time it would be fitting for a resolution on the program to be introduced and voted upon. There are comprehensive web-based resources for much information about Qatar. She urged the faculty to make use of these web sites.
Prof. Estroff announced that the next Council meeting will focus on intercollegiate athletics. A summary of the Knight Commission Report was included in this month’s Council packets to enable members to prepare for the December meeting.
There will be an update soon from the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Task Force.
Progress is being made in securing broader faculty input in review of Deans, in close collaboration with the Chancellor and the Provost.
Prof. Trudier Harris will deliver the commencement address at the December commencement.
Prof. Estroff repeated her call for reliable public transportation and sufficient remote parking.
Qatar: Questions and Concerns
Prof. Laura Janda (Slavic Languages and Literature) said that graduates of the Qatar program would be Carolina alumni and should be made to feel part of the Carolina family.
Prof. Richard Pfaff (History) said that he hoped that members of our faculty who might be teaching in Qatar would feel as secure in opposing policies of its government as he feels in opposing certain of our own government’s policies such as capital punishment.
Prof. Bromberg asked what the University knows about the freedom of expression by its faculty in Qatar and what voice we would have in the selection of students there. Would the faculty be muzzled, and would their ideas about the curriculum by limited by being in an Islamic nation? Prof. Estroff said there have been extensive discussions on that point and have been assured that, with the exception of personal, hostile attacks on religion, intellectual freedom will be respected.
Prof. Linda Bowen (Business) asked why the University of Virginia had decided not to accept a similar proposal from Qatar. Chancellor Moeser said that, in the first place UVa was considering a proposal to transplant a version of the entire institution in Qatar, not one degree program in a particular school. Second, the UVA Board of Trustees insisted on certain socially conservative conditions that made the program unacceptable to Qatar. Interestingly, UVA is now engaged in conversations with Bahrain along similar lines.
Mr. Ridley Kessler (Academic Affairs Libraries) asked about the status of female professors in Qatar. Chancellor Moeser said that Qatar is an emirate, regarded by the United States State Department as the most progressive state in the Persian Gulf. There is universal suffrage; women have the right to vote. It is anticipated that 60% of the students in the program will be female. A commitment to academic freedom is a core principle, and is non-negotiable. Chancellor Moeser said the person behind the proposal is a woman, Sheika Mouza. It is her vision to educate her own people, especially young women.
Ms. Elizabeth Chenault (Academic Affairs Libraries) asked what Qatar would bring to the University and the University to Qatar. What is the vision for the Qatar campus and why is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill considering the proposal? Prof. Estroff said the Head of the Qatar Foundation wanted a top-10 university quality education in Qatar. After the negotiations with UVa broke down, the Foundation came to UNC. She said that the Foundation’s head’s vision is that they will develop a regional university of excellence so that the next generation of leaders in that part of the world do not have to go to Europe to be educated. Chancellor Moeser added that the goal is to develop a society that is quite different from Saudi Arabia, Syria, or Egypt, where there are enormous gaps between those in power and an uneducated underclass. The Sheika recognizes that oil is a depleting resource. The economy and society must be built on values more lasting. She wants to develop a professional class of men and women who can lead an educated culture. She wants Doha to be the educational center of the Gulf.
Prof. Estroff repeated a question of how many students in the program would be from other countries. Chancellor Moeser said the students would be 75% Qataris, and 25% from the other Gulf States.
Prof. Noelle Granger (Cell Biology & Anatomy) asked if the idea for the long-term is that eventually graduates of this school would be their own entity rather than a Chapel Hill entity. Chancellor Moeser said that the program would be producing Bachelor of Science in Business Administration graduates for the foreseeable future. We have no current plans for offering graduate degrees there.
Prof. Bromberg had two linked questions: (1) is Qatari law is based on the Koran or on principles more analogous to what would be considered reasonable in the West, and (2) would University faculty and visitors have diplomatic immunity from arrest and trial by Qatari institutions. Prof. Charles Daye (Law) said that his impression was that the most immediate sanctions for non-citizens was deportation. He said he did not know how that would apply to UNC faculty and visitors.
Prof. Robert Adler (Business) responded that the UNC faculty would not have diplomatic immunity. Qatari law is a mixture of the Koran law and British law. For most transgressions a person would be sent out of the country, but if alcohol was involved that was serious trouble.
Prof. Bromberg said it is important for those who might be going to Qatar to know that they are not exempt from local legal processes. Our ambassador and diplomats have special status. Being subject to Islamic law based on a conservative interpretation of the Koran is a matter for serious concern.
Mr. Kessler asked about the language of instruction and why the Foundation requested a business degree.
Sr. Assoc. Dean Richard Soloway (Arts & Sciences) said the Foundation primarily wants a business degree from Carolina and is negotiating with other universities for other degrees. The language of instruction will be English, which is their second language.
Prof. Bowen asked how the number of students to be admitted was decided. Prof. Estroff said the Foundation provided the numbers. Eventually, enrollment will expand to a total of 175.
Prof. Granger said she found it amazing that biology is not part of the proposed curriculum.
Prof. Soloway responded that the General College curriculum is in preliminary draft form. Biology will likely be added.
Prof. Donald Nonini (Anthropology) asked about support for the program by the society at large; is the proposal coming completely from the top down? How will it affect various levels of society?
Prof. Bernadette Gray-Little (Psychology) said that, partly because the Qatari population is so small, there are really not enough Qatari to staff positions in business, industry, and other walks of life. They have a great need to produce educated people. Prof. Estroff added that the country had a population of 750,000.
Prof. Soloway said he had also asked the question as to how deep the interest goes. The reality is that the initiative for the program comes from the top down, but he knows of no way to measure the extent of interest among the population at large.
Prof. Thomas Shea (Medicine) asked if there was an opportunity for expansion of the curriculum or would there be other universities to provide undergraduate degrees in fields other than business. Prof. Estroff said that at the present time the Qataris are interested in medicine, design, engineering, and business. Chancellor Moeser added that there is an open-ended possibility for expansion in other fields.
Prof. Estroff encouraged the faculty to consider the questions and comments for future discussion. Chancellor Moeser added that there will be a survey through the Office of Institutional Research, and the faculty will have an opportunity to indicate any interest in participating.
Proposal for a Bachelor of Science in Information Science
Dean Joanne Gard Marshall presented some background for the proposed degree. This was built upon the foundation in the School of Information and Library Science and out of the school’s second professional master’s program. There is now a dual master’s program with the Kenan-Flagler Business School. Others with the School of Public Health and the School of Law are in the works. SILS now has approximately 300 students, 200 in the two professional master’s programs, equally divided, and about 70 students in an undergraduate minor. The proposal is based on demonstrated demand for the undergraduate minor. Information science is defined as the study of cognitive, social, technological and organizational roles of information in all its forms. The importance of information science has grown, and will continue to grow as society increases its reliance on creating, storing, transmitting, securing, evaluating and managing information. Recent marketing research has shown that Carolina is not seen as a strong science and technology campus. The new degree program will attract high-quality undergraduate students to Carolina who would otherwise enroll in a technology program at another institution. Dean Marshall anticipates that the new program will attract financial support from the business community. The degree will not compete with other academic programs on campus. The new degree program will enroll 35 students in the first year and will reach its full complement of 100 in the third year. It will consist of ten courses totaling 30 credit hours. Students will take a set of core courses and a series of three specialty concentration courses. Dean Marshall said the degree program has been under consideration for three years. A request for such a program was made in 1990. A committee was convened in 2000 by Interim Provost Richard Edwards to consider whether efficiencies could be achieved by taking an interdisciplinary approach. The committee found that there was no excess capacity in IT-related courses being offered by other departments and schools that could be used to develop an interdisciplinary program. It was found that existing courses in information technology are already over-subscribed. In response to the 2001 recommendation of that interdisciplinary committee, the original proposal was tabled pending further discussion with the new chancellor and provost. With the encouragement of the administration, the SILS faculty has prepared a much scaled-down version of the original proposal, which is being presented today.
Prof. A. Reid Barbour (English) asked for an explanation of the cognitive aspect of the major. What does it mean to say that students will study the cognitive roles of information in all its forms? Dean Marshall said the degree program is not intended to be purely technological degree, but is to approach the information needs of our society using many of the tools of social science, especially psychology, as well as more technical disciplines.
Prof. Barbara Wildemuth (Information & Library Science) explained that the cognitive dimensions come in a number of the proposed courses in a variety of ways, certainly in the context of human/machine interaction, but also in the course on information architecture in which students will explore how a body of information should be organized so that users can make effective use of it.
Prof. Rachel Willis (American Studies) moved to approve the proposed degree. The motion was seconded.
An unidentified speaker asked how the program will address the needs of business, such as companies located in Research Triangle Park. What do they find lacking in our current degree programs? Dean Marshall replied that high-tech employers value Carolina graduates, but find that our graduates often lack adequate preparation in technological aspects of information science.
Prof. Vincent Kopp (Anesthesiology) asked if this degree program will supersede the exiting minor. Dean Marshall said it would not, but the new program will certainly have implications on the degree of support that can be provided to the minor. There will probably be a reduction in the size of the classes.
Prof. Granger asked if the program could be supported with the current faculty and if there would be any increase in personnel. Dean Marshall said the committee believes that with the reduced size of the program it can be supported with the resources that have been currently allocated to it.
Prof. Pfaff confessed some lack of understanding as to the nature of information science; he supposed that all information must have some content. It that regard, he observed that the faculty’s practice in approving new bachelor’s programs is that they should have roughly comparable intellectual weight with the majors that already exist. He understood the arguments in support of the vocational aspect of the proposed program but he had not yet heard persuasive arguments directed toward the intellectual weight of the program.
Dean Marshall responded that the field of information science is very interdisciplinary. The academic background of SILS faculty includes computer science, library science, communications studies, and other disciplines. The intellectual depth of the program thus springs from a wide range of disciplines. Furthermore, information science is rapidly emerging as an independent discipline.
Prof. Jan Yopp (Journalism & Mass Communication) asked whether the proposed program has already been presented to the Office of the President for approval and, if so, what role the Council now plays in approving it. Dean Marshall said the committee requested permission to plan in 1999 which was granted. Prof. Yopp asked for elaboration on the differences between the original proposal, which was not endorsed by a special committee appointed to study it, and the proposal now before the Council. Dean Marshall said the committee was encouraged by the senior administration to submit a reduced proposal. The original proposal submitted over a year ago was a more expensive proposal, but the committee feels that it is important to establish this program in some form. She said the committee can’t go any further unless the proposal is submitted to see what the response is and if the Chancellor wishes he will submit it to the Office of the President. Sr. Assoc. Provost Gray-Little said that the proposal had been requested by the Chancellor a few years ago. The usual procedure is that after planning permission has been obtained and a degree program proposal developed, the proposal is submitted to the Council for its approval. The proposal has not yet been submitted to the Office of the President.
Prof. Yopp asked if the Council could have access to the full program document before being asked to vote on it. Dean Marshall said she would be happy to place in on the SILS web site. Prof. Yopp preferred to postpone action on the proposal.
Prof. William Smith (Mathematics) said that within the last three years the Office of the President has changed their attitude slightly. When this proposal was first put forward, OP required an explicitly detailed document just to request permission to plan. For that reason, a request to plan looked much like a final document. After permission to plan is obtained, the unit goes back through the formal approval procedures on campus, including Faculty Council approval. The only reason this proposal is before the Council is that SILS does not currently offer a bachelor’s degree. Council approval is not final; it simply assures the Chancellor that the proposal has the support of the faculty at large. He thought that some of the confusion may stem from the fact that the earlier document submitted as part of the planning process looks as if the matter is already a fait accompli. That is not the case.
Prof. Barbour asked if North Carolina State has a comparable program. Dean Marshall said it does not; Duke has an interdisciplinary program; UNC-Charlotte has a College of Technology within its School of Engineering.
Prof. Janda said it would be a shame to hold the program up for the future. Having been recently heavily involved in a new degree proposal, she appreciated how much work has gone into it.
Prof. Willis complimented the program’s recognition of service learning.
Discussion having concluded, the proposal for a Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Information Science was approved.
Annual Report of the Faculty Committee on Research.
Prof. Vincas Steponaitis (Anthropology) reiterated the main points of the Report. Last year, under the leadership of Prof. Bill Glaze and Dean Linda Dykstra, the committee discussed the question of how Carolina’s research needs will be addressed in the upcoming capital campaign. The committee identified campus-wide research priorities, and at the end of the process focused on the need for “seed money.” A promotional brochure was developed. This year the committee will meet with Vice Chancellor Tony Waldrop and will concentrate on three questions:
- Does the University adequately support all areas of research?
- Should the University develop a campus-wide strategic plan for research, and, if so, how should this articulate with the campus-wide academic plan currently being formulated?
- How will the Horace Williams project articulate with campus-wide research needs (including those outside of “biotech” and the natural sciences)?
Vice Chancellor Waldrop said he was delighted to be back at Carolina, and was visiting around the campus. He said the Chancellor had asked him to become involved with several activities:
- Horace Williams and the Airport
- Interacting faculty between the two campuses—Main Campus and Horace Williams Campus
- Community input—with two members each from the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen included to work with the group.
- A secondary group in cooperation with Vice Chancellor Nancy Suttenfield the Office of Research Services focused on administration of contracts and grants.
- Interacting with federal agencies and having a larger presence in Washington, D.C.
- Support of interdisciplinary research on the campus and funding coordination
- Research funding
- Technology transfer—space for the faculty
Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awards
The Council went into closed session to consider Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awards for 2002.
Prof. Townsend Ludington, chair of the Committee on Honorary Degrees and Special Awards, presented five nominees. Each nominee was approved.
Adjournment.
The business of the day having concluded, the Council was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
