November 6, 1998
Meeting of the General Faculty and Faculty Council
November 6, 1998, 3:00 p.m.
Assembly Room, 2nd Floor, Wilson Library
Chancellor Michael Hooker and Prof. Richard N. Andrews, Chair of the Faculty, will preside.
Agenda
ACT 3:00 Memorial Resolution for Joseph Curtis Sloane, Professor Emeritus of Art
INFO 3:05 Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Period
- Chancellor Hooker invites questions or comments on any topic.
INFO 3:20 Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks
DISC 3:30 Annual Report of the Research Committee. Prof. James Leloudis for Prof. Arne Kalleberg, Chair
ACT 4:00 Recommendations of the UNC-CH Copyright Committee.
- Res. 98-13. Endorsing a Proposed Policy Statement Concerning Fair Use Under the Federal Copyright Law
- Res. 98-14. Endorsing the National Humanities Alliance’s “Principles for Managing Intellectual Property in the Digital Environment
- Res. 98-15. Endorsing a Copyright Use Policy for Faculty, Staff, and Students.
- Res. 98-16. Endorsing a Proposed University Policy on Multi-Institutional Initiatives on Copyright Ownership.
ACT 4:50 CLOSED SESSION [N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-317.11(a)(2)]
- First Report of the Committee on Honorary Degrees and Special Awards
- Recommendations for Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awards for 1999
Joseph S. Ferrell, Secretary of the Faculty
ACT 5:00 RETURN TO OPEN SESSION
Adjourn
KEY:
ACT = Action
INFO = Information
DISC = Discussion
Minutes
Attendance
Present (52): Adler, Blackburn, Bluestein, Bolas, Bowen, Cordeiro-Stone, Covach, Dalton, Debreczeny, Devellis, Elvers, Estroff, Favorov, Fishman, Foshee, Fox, Graves, Grossberg, Harrison, Hattem, Holmgren, Hooper, Johnson, Kaufman, Kjervik, LeFebvre, Lentz, Levine, Lord, Lubker, Madison, Margolis, Meehan-Black, Melchert, Mill, Moreau, Nord, Pagano, Panter, Pfaff, Plante, Powell, Raab-Traub, Raper, Schaller, Sekerak, Straughan, Strauss, Taft, Vevea, Weiss, White.
Excused absences (27): Angel, Bandiwala, Bender, Black, Clegg, Collins, Cravey, Daye, Eckel, Gasaway, Graham, Haskill, Jackson, Ludlow, Marshall, McKeown, Molina, Newton, Owen, Postema, Rabinowitz, Rosenfeld, Shea, Steponaitis, Thorp, Tysinger, Werner,
Unexcused absences (7): Carl, Huang, Hyatt, Maffly-Kipp, Passannante, Platin, Williams.
Memorial Resolution
Professor Jaroslav Folda presented a memorial resolution for the late Joseph Curtis Sloane, Professor Emeritus of Art.
Chancellor’s Remarks
Chancellor Hooker said that an unusual confluence of circumstances is presenting the University with one of those rare moments when decisions made in the near future will have profound influence on the future of the institution. He referred to the prospect of a major increase in enrollment as recommended by the Task Force on Enrollment Planning, the new campus master plan being developed with the assistance of Ayers Saint Gross, the decision to mount a major capital funds drive in the near future, the opportunity to develop the Horace Williams property in accordance with a plan that has been prepared in cooperation with the Town of Chapel Hill, and the possibility that the composition of the 1999 General Assembly could make it more likely that we will be able to realize our legislative goals in the 1999 and 2000 sessions. The chancellor is looking forward to the challenge of husbandry of the University in the months ahead.
Chancellor Hooker congratulated Prof. Joseph Pagano (Medicine) upon his recent election to the Institute of Medicine.
Prof. Steven Bachenheimer asked how the chancellor plans to involve the governing boards of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County in assessing the impact on the community of the projected growth in enrollment. The chancellor replied that he has been in close communication with our local governing boards and mayors. We intend to provide on-campus housing for the additional students admitted, but there will certainly be an impact on the community from the additional faculty and staff that will be needed. He has appointed a group co-chaired by Jonathan Howes, Susan Ehringhaus, and Jim Ramsey to assess how the Horace Williams tract might be used constructively in this regard. One suggestion has been to use part of the tract for affordable housing for young faculty and staff.
Prof. Barry Lentz (Biochemistry) asked whether there are plans to increase graduate enrollment. The chancellor replied that we plan to maintain the same ratio of undergraduate to graduate students as at present.
Prof. Richard Andrews, speaking as a member of the Task Force on Enrollment, said that about one-third of the projected increase will be graduate and professional students. The Task Force will recommend that UNC-CH take up to one-half of the projected increase in graduate and professional students, which is the proportion we now serve.
Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks
Continuing the discussion of the Task Force on Enrollment Planning, Prof. Andrews noted that the group is chaired by Provost Richard Richardson and includes faculty members, students, trustees, community representatives, and staff members from Student Affairs, Arts and Sciences, and other units. The Task Force received excellent staff support from Kate McGaughey and an outside consultant in an effort to estimate the costs involved. The Task Force strongly recommends that every effort be made to ensure that enrollment growth does not have a negative impact on the quality of education and life at UNC-CH and that adequate resources must be provided as the growth occurs, not afterwards.
Prof. Andrews has been working with the Provost to constitute the working groups that will develop the case statement for the upcoming capital campaign. There will be six of them focusing on (1) the academic community, (2) community service, (3) graduate and professional education, (4) lifelong learning, (5) research, and (6) undergraduate education. Each group will have two co-chairs, one from Academic Affairs and one from Health Affairs. The groups will be asked to report between January and March so that an integrated draft statement can be available for review by the various constituencies by the end of the 1998-99 academic year.
Prof. Andrews called attention to a note recently sent to all faculty by Dean Robert Allen that reports on plans to implement recommendations of the Task Force on Intellectual Climate concerning involvement of undergraduate students in research. He also noted that plans for a pilot Living and Learning Program for undergraduates are proceeding rapidly. While many recommendations of the Task Force on Intellectual Climate are going forward, others have not moved as rapidly as hoped. Prof. Andrews has asked Prof. Donna LeFebvre (Political Science) to chair an implementation group to monitor progress on these recommendations.
Prof. Andrews urged members of the faculty to thank those members of the General Assembly who supported us so generously in the 1998-99 budget.
Prof. Richard Pfaff (History) asked whether the Faculty Council’s discussion in October had any discernable impact on the report of the Task Force on Enrollment Planning. Prof. Andrews replied that a summary of the Council’s deliberations was distributed to the Task Force. He thought it was instrumental in affirming the key principles underlying the report, particularly the importance of the quality of the educational experience and the need to make sure that any enrollment increase is directly linked to availability of the resources to support it.
Annual Report of the Research Committee
Prof. James Leloudis (History) presented the annual report of the Research Committee for Prof. Arne Kalleberg, chair, who was unable to attend. At the request of Vice Provost Thomas Meyer, the committee conducted last fall a study of faculty research needs. The first phase of the study was a series of open-ended interviews with a number of faculty members selected to provide a range of opinion and perspective across disciplines and ranks. Using what was learned in the interviews as a guide, the committee then developed a survey instrument that was sent to the entire faculty. About 700 surveys were returned out of over 3,000 distributed. The three top concerns identified by the survey are (1) the need for more time for research, (2) increased funding for graduate students, and (3) the need for increased funding for direct research support of various kinds. Other major concern is a need for more matching funds. There was also much comment on the distribution of overhead receipts and a need to streamline the grant application process.
Vice Provost Meyer said that the idea of asking the committee to do this study had occurred to him as the chancellor’s cabinet began to discuss the possibilities of resource reallocation guided by the priorities established by the University Priorities and Budget Committee. He thought that it would be important to have good information about the perspectives of individual faculty members as to their research needs when discussions begin about the best uses to which the University’s limited resources should be put. He distributed to the Council a document that he has prepared which outlines strategies that respond to the concerns identified by the Research Committee’s study. [The document will be found on the Faculty Council website.] Meyer challenged the faculty to bring its research concerns to the table in a positive, productive, and aggressive way.
Prof. Jack Sasson (Religious Studies) called attention to the need for more physical space for research. Meyer agreed, noting that the a study done by General Administration had identified a shortage of 800,000 square feet of research laboratory space on this campus.
Prof. Gary Bowen (Social Work) urged that allocation of resources for the research function should be guided by specific performance standards and goals and appropriate indicators to measure the extent to which those goals are being achieved.
Prof. Catharine Newbury (Political Science) urged that there be an effort to increase the number of research leaves available, and to make funds available to help departments and programs to be competitive in attracting outside support. Meyer replied with two points. First, he would like for the University to set as a goal making available to every tenured member of the faculty some amount of independent support funds such as those now available to distinguished professors. Second, he hopes the University Priorities and Budget Committee will be able to identify a source for setting aside a significant amount of money to be available to faculty members on a competitive, peer review basis. Peer review has already proved extremely effective in allocating the small amount of funds now available for competitive allocation. Prof. Joseph Pagano (Medicine) asked how the peer review to which Meyer referred is conducted. Meyer replied that in the past ideas have been vetted through department chairs and deans up to his office. He is developing a more systematic process that will be announced soon.
Report of the UNC-CH Committee on Copyright
Prof. Robert Peet (Biology) continued his report on the recommendations of the Committee on Copyright that he began at the October Council meeting. He presented Resolution 98-13 entitled “Endorsing a Proposed Policy Statement Concerning Fair Use Under the Federal Copyright Law.” Prof. Newbury, speaking as chair of the Administrative Board of the Library, asked for clarification about the University’s policy of providing legal defense for faculty and staff who might become entangled in copyright litigation. Susan Ehringhaus, Assistant to the Chancellor and Senior University Counsel, explained that state law empowers, but does not require, the North Carolina attorney general to represent any state employee in litigation arising out of the scope and course of employment. In her experience, the attorney general has always provided such representation with one exception. In a 1975 case, the attorney general declined representation because the employee had acted deliberately and wrongfully toward the University. She felt that state employees can expect to be defended without charge by the attorney general’s staff except in truly egregious circumstances. Prof. Robert Adler (Kenan-Flagler Business School) suggested that it would be useful to circulate summaries of recent court decisions on copyright that would be of interest to the academic community. Resolution 98-13 was adopted unanimously.
Prof. Peet next presented Resolution 98-14, entitled “Endorsing the National Humanities Alliance’s ‘Principles for Managing Intellectual Property in the Digital Environment.'” Prof. Celia Hooper (Medical Allied Health) hoped there would be some training for faculty like her who are becoming more and more involved in internet teaching and distance learning. Ehringhaus said that plans are well along to provide such a workshop in the spring semester. Craig Melchert (Linguistics) added that two of his junior colleagues have become concerned about using digitized materials in teaching. Resolution 98-14 was adopted unanimously.
Prof. Peet then presented Resolution 98-15 entitled “Endorsing a Copyright Use Policy for Faculty, Staff, and Students.” Prof. Newbury said that the Administrative Board of Library has noted with anger and frustration the impact of copyright regulations on the cost of course packs. In many instances faculty are unable to include everything the student should read because the cost becomes prohibitive. Prof. Peet added that the problem is exacerbated by the policy that prohibits faculty members from substituting library reserves for coursepacks on which royalties have been paid, that is to say, materials placed on reserve may not comprise all or the major portion of readings for the course. Ehringhaus said that the only solution, in her opinion, is a change in federal copyright law. Resolution 98-15 was adopted unanimously.
Prof. Peet next presented Resolution 98-16, entitled “Endorsing a Proposed University Policy on Multi-Institutional Initiatives on Copyright Ownership.” The resolution was adopted unanimously.
1999 Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Awards
The Council went into closed session to hear the recommendations of the Committee on Honorary Degrees and Special Awards for Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Awards to be presented on University Day 1999. Prof. Ferrell presented five nominees. All were approved and will be nominated to the Board of Trustees.
Adjournment
The Council returned to open session and adjourned.
