February 13, 1998
Meeting of the Faculty Council
February 13, 1998, 3:00 p.m.
School of Social Work Auditorium, Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building
Chancellor Michael Hooker will preside. Attendance of elected Council members is required.
Agenda
ACT 3:00 Memorial Statement for Albert M. Mattocks, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy.
- Boka Hadzija for the Memorial Committee.
INFO 3:05 Chancellor’s Remarks.
INFO 3:15 Question Period. The Chancellor invites questions or comments
INFO 3:25 Remarks. Richard N. Andrews, Chair of the Faculty
INFO 3:35 Carolina Computing Initiative. Marian Moore, Chief Information Officer
INFO 4:05 Update on the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center. Gerald Horne, Director
DISC 4:35 Annual Report, Committee on Faculty Welfare. Steven Bachenheimer, Chair
ACT 4:50 Old or New Business
ACT 5:00 Adjourn
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
KEY:
ACT = Action
INFO = Information
DISC = Discussion
Minutes
Attendance
Present (56): B. Anderson, Barefoot, Beckman, Bluestein, Bose, Carl, Clegg, Collins, Conover, Cordeiro-Stone, Covach, Cravey, R. Dalton, Devellis, Estroff, Farel, Favorov, Fink, Fletcher, Foshee, Fox, Gasaway, Gatzy, Haggis, Harrison, Hodges, Hogue, Howard, Hyatt, Jackson, Johnson, Lachiewicz, Lentz, Loda, Lubker, Marshall, Mauriello, McNeil, Mill, Moreau, Passannante, Plante, Platin, Raper, Salgado, Schaller, Searles, Shea, Skelly, Stidham, Strauss, Tauchen, Tysinger, Vevea, Weiss, Williams
Excused absences (20): L. Bailey, Bangdiwala, Bromberg, Debreczeny, Eckel, Hattem, Hooper, Irene, Lord, Mandel, Matson, Melchert, Owen, Pagano, Panter, Pfaff, Pielak, Rabinowitz, Stabler, White.
Unexcused absences (7): Brink, Crimmins, Daye, Graves, Holmgren, Margolis, Rosenman.
Memorial Resolution
Prof. Richard J. Kowalsky presented a memorial resolution for the late Alfred Mattocks, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy.
Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Period
Chancellor Hooker began by leading the council in singing “Happy Birthday” to Provost Richardson. He then introduced Professor Madeline Grumet, who will assume her duties as Dean of the School of Education on July 1. He said he would forego further remarks in order to leave more time for other items, but he did want to thank the Provost, the Chair of the Faculty, the President of the Student Body, and the many department chairs in the College of Arts and Sciences, all of whom have been helpful in implementing the Carolina Computing Initiative.
Prof. Steven Bachenheimer (Microbiology) asked why it had been decided to require students to purchase computers rather than enhancing the computer labs. The Chancellor replied that while there is no perfect solution to the challenge, the decision to require purchases was made primarily on considerations of fairness. More than 50% of this year’s entering students arrived on campus with computers, which means, of course, that the other 50% had none. To correct this imbalance, the proposal is to require all students to purchase computers and to provide financial assistance to those who lack the means. Available funds could have been used to upgrade the computer labs, but that would not have corrected this imbalance. Furthermore, that option would not have addressed the needs of the faculty and staff.
Prof. Bachenheimer then turned to the recent incident in which a staff employee was assaulted late at night in the Boundary Street parking lot. He asked whether it was feasible to open some of the South Campus parking deck areas at night for graduate students and employees. Executive Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd said he would investigate the suggestion, but he anticipated difficulties in making the garages available without charge due to covenants in the revenue bonds that were issued to pay for them.
Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks
Prof. Andrews reported that Rosemary Munsat, long-time administrative manager of the Office of Faculty Governance, has sustained injuries that will keep her out of work for several weeks. He introduced James Coley, who is filling in temporarily for Ms. Munsat.
Prof. Andrews reported that Resolution 97-13 has been approved by the Board of Trustees and forwarded to General Administration for approval by the Board of Governors. This resolution calls on the Trustees to amend the tenure regulations to permit more of a dialogue between the Chancellor and the Faculty Hearings Committee after the conclusion of a discharge hearing than is now possible.
Prof. Andrews noted that at the January Council meeting concerns had been voiced about opportunities for faculty input into the University’s decisions on both hardware and software technology. He called attention to several existing committees that are at work on these matters: the Instructional Technology Advisory Committee now being formed under the chairmanship of Senior Assoc. Dean Darryl Gless; the Scientific Computing Committee, chaired by Prof. Linda Spremulli; the Student Information System Committee, chaired by Ann Dodd; and the Web Advisory Committee, co-chared by Deb Aikat and Scott Jared. The work of these committees is being coordinated by the Technology Coordinating Council chaired by Exec. Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd.
Prof. Andrews called on Mohan Nathan, President of the Student Body. Mr. Nathan recalled the recommendation of the Task Force on Intellectual Climate for closer interactions among faculty and students. To partially address that, the Provost agreed to fund a pilot program called the Major Decisions Program. It is a dinner series that provides opportunities for freshmen and sophomores who think they might be interested in majoring in a particular department to have dinner with faculty members from that department in a relaxed, social environment. The program has been successful and has attracted financial support that will enable it to continue.
Carolina Computing Initiative
Ms. Marian Moore, Chief Information Officer, presented a detailed explanation of the recently announced Carolina Computing Initiative. She outlined the principal features of the plan:
- A purchase plan for faculty, staff, and students that will provide computers for people, not places. Equipment will be upgraded or replaced on a regular four-year cycle. The university anticipates being able to offer equipment favorable prices by seeking competitive bids for volume purchases from major vendors.
- A menu of financing options for students that will offer purchases through Student Stores under four-year, low-interest installment financing and will provide need-based financial assistance to up to 40% of the student body.
- The plan will provide laptop machines for students and a mixture of desktop and laptops for faculty and staff.
- The first phase of the plan will address the needs of the College of Arts and Sciences. By the year 2000 all students will be required to have computers and all faculty and staff will be appropriately equipped.
- Faculty and staff of other units will also have the opportunity to purchase computers at a discounted price.
Ms. Moore reported that 53.6% of entering students in 1996 brought computers to campus. By the time they graduate she estimates that 70% to 80% of them will have purchased computers. Students now bring a wide variety of equipment to Carolina with them. Some of it is of very limited usefulness because we cannot support it or because it cannot be attached to a network. As concerns the faculty, a recent survey of College faculty found that while 92% have computers, only 47% have Pentium-class machines and nearly 25% are not connected to the campus network.
Prof. Paul Lachiewicz (Orthopedics) asked why it was decided to require purchases. Why not encourage rentals? Ms. Moore said that vendors are currently guaranteeing that by 2000 we can offer laptops that will remain useful for four years. That will make purchasing less expensive than rental.
Prof. Ronald Strauss (Dental School), speaking as Faculty Council liasion to the Employee Forum, asked whether computers that have become obsolete for student or faculty use might not be useful for some of the staff. Ms. Moore said that one of our major difficulties is providing support for old equipment. Also, we must follow State rules in disposing of surplus equipment. She did want to work with the Forum to provide better staff training.
Prof. Edward Collins (Microbiology) observed that technology always costs more than we think and that the projected budget would likely prove inadequate. What plans are there for assisting students whose computers need repair? Ms. Moore replied that the University would provide warranty and repair service. Prof. Collins then asked about the strain that adding so many new users would place on the network. Ms. Moore said she thinks that can be handled.
Prof. Paul Farel (Physiology) raised the issue of how the possibility of different equipment in different departments would affect inter-disciplinary work. Ms. Moore said she hoped to offer departments a buy that would be very hard to refuse. She expects most departments to be similarly equipped within a few years.
Prof. Leon Fink (History) asked about the estimated cost for students who do not qualify for financial assistance. Ms. Moore said that she anticipated installment purchase charges of $50 per month for four years, or a total cost of $2,500 or possibly less depending on competitive bids.
Prof. James Howard (Neurology) spoke of the problems that now exist with incompatible systems on campus. “This insanity has got to stop,” he said. He pointed out that students in the Medical School cannot use their computers in the hospital because the networks are incompatible. He finds that situation absurd.
Prof. Miles Fletcher (History) asked about the source of funding for departments in the College. He noted that some departments have access to endowments or other outside funding that others lack. Ms. Moore answered that departmental purchases would come from University “academic enhancement” funds, not from departmental budgets.
Update on Black Cultural Center
Prof. Gerald Horne, Director of the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center, described the Center’s program. He highlighted two newly instituted programs. One is a conference each fall featuring scholars in African-American studies from different countries. Last year scholars from Japan were featured. This year, we will have scholars from Germany. The second program is an annual conference on Jazz Studies in collaboration with the Music Department. This year’s conference will feature the work of North Carolina native Thelonious Monk. The Center is also sponsoring a lecture series and a student academic conference that gives students an opportunity to present their research to an audience. Undergraduate students have initiated a project to go into the public school system to teach K-12 students. The Center is currently seeking a graduate student who would be interested in undertaking research to see whether that initiative is accomplishing its objectives.
On the fund-raising front, Prof. Horne reported that the Center now has pledges totaling $3.7 million. Brad Daugherty is working hard at fund-raising among alumni athletes. The Center has had success in interesting corporate donors, and it has had the tireless and dedicated assistance of the students. Still, we have a long way to go to reach the goal of $7.5 million.
Prof. Horne introduced Shana Fulton, a senior from Garner, and John Hipps, a senior from Waynesville. Ms. Fulton and Mr. Hipps spoke warmly and enthusiastically about the work they have done in raising funds among the Student Body for the Center. To date they have raised $20,000, an amount that members of the Board of Trustees have agreed to match on a 5 to 1 ratio.
Annual Reports of Standing Committees
Faculty Welfare Committee. Prof. Steven Bachenheimer presented the annual report of the Faculty Welfare Committee. He reviewed tabular data on the status of implementation of the faculty salary policy resolution. Most schools and departments have policies in place and the remainder are at various stages of implementation. The next step will be to conduct a survey of how the policies are working in practice.
Prof. Carl Bose (Pediatrics) asked how the committee plans to measure the success of the salary policies. Prof. Bachenheimer said the survey would necessarily be confined to subjective perceptions of success, not objective measures.
Adjournment.
There being no further business, the Council adjourned.
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
