Minutes from August 28, 2001

Chair Bicknell called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, in Founders Hall, Room 166.

Members Present: Bicknell, Bockover, Burroughs, Christensen, Fulgham, Goodman, Jenkins, Kenyon, Klein, Little, MacConnie, Meyer, McFarland, Mortazavi, Meiggs, Novotney, Oliver, Paselk, Paynton, Siering, Snyder, Thobaben, R. Thompson, Travis, Wang, F. Wilson, M. Wilson

Guests: Pamela Allen, James Braggs, Steve Butler, Randi Darnall-Burke, Katheryn Corbett, Al Figone, Ron Fritzsche, Maggie Gainer, Gail Fults, Claire Knox, Daniel Mintz from the Arcata Eye, Carolyn Mueller, Melissa Ortiz, Burt Nortstrom, Valgene Phillips, Rick Vrem, Mary Wells, Dave Wells, Louanne Wieand, Tom Wood

It was moved and seconded (Fulgham/Wang) to approve the submitted minutes of May 8, 2001. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED.

·The Senate Executive Committee appointed Ray Wang to chair the Student Affairs Committee, and Scott Paynton to serve as interim Faculty Affairs Committee Chair until we elect a new Senate Vice Chair.

·Jordan E. Kurland, Associate General Secretary of American Association of University Professors responded to Bernadette Cheyne's letter of May 18, 2001 (in the series of letters seeking assistance from AAUP regarding shared governance.) This will be discussed in Senate Executive Committee to determine what course of further action, if any, is appropriate.

·Harold Goldwhite, faculty member of the CSU Board of Trustees, will visit the campus for the September 18, 2001, Senate meeting. The two main topics of conversation will be the special Investigation and the search for a new president.

·The list of tentative Senate meetings and Senate Executive Committee meetings in your packet is subject to change.

·Chair Bicknell reported that she received a letter from President McCrone conveying the updated Campus Policy on Zero Tolerance for Workplace Violence. This policy was the subject of an Academic Senate Resolution last year and the Senate Executive Committee will consider whether further action is appropriate.

·Chair Bicknell reported that she received a letter from President McCrone responding to Senate Executive Committee advice regarding the positions of University Ombudspersons. Senate Executive Committee will consider whether further action is appropriate.

·Call for Proposals from the CSU Institute for Teaching and Learning: Request for Proposals - 2001-2002 Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Clearinghouse Grants. Proposals are due by 8 a.m. on October 30, 2001. "...we invite proposals from faculty for developing discipline- or program-specific outcomes assessment clearinghouses that promote and support the sharing of outcomes assessment goals and objectives, strategies, tools, and results with CSU colleagues on different campuses."

·Call for proposals from the CSU Institute for Teaching and Learning: Request for Proposals - System-Wide or Multi-Campus Discipline and Program Initiatives. Proposals are due by 8 a.m. on October 29, 2001. "...we invite proposals from faculty for discipline- or program-specific initiatives to be implemented this year." "The intent of this ITL grant program is to enable faculty on different CSU campuses who teach in the same or similar programs to develop stronger curricula and more effective instructional approaches on their own campuses, building on the successes of colleagues elsewhere."

Vice President Stokes has appointed the following faculty to search committees:

·URPBC (University Resources Planning and Budget Committee) will meet Friday, August 31, 2001 at 10 a.m., SH 222. The Final Budget for 2001/2002 is the only action item.

·Information was received from the CSU Budget Director and Dean, Academic Program Planning, that the allocation for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity for 2001-2002 remains at the same level as last year for the system: $2,500,000. Humboldt's allocation is $70,285 (based on 417.4 FTEF).

·The Senate Executive Committee has decided to reestablish the Senate Finance Committee. (This committee has been reduced to the position of Senate Finance Chair for several years.) Judith Little is Senate Finance Committee Chair, and Saeed Mortazavi and Llyn Smith have agreed to join the committee. The Senate Executive Committee is still considering additions to this committee and will be working with the Senate Appointments Committee on this. If you are interested, please contact Susan Bicknell or Judith Little.

·Michael Goodman suggested that the letter from President McCrone regarding Ombudspersons be distributed. Chair Bicknell indicated it would be included in a future agenda packet.

CFA - Everyone should have received Welcome Back packets. The CFA and the CSU Administration are at impasse over several issues; while one issue has to do with compensation and salary, several others are of equal importance. The first meeting scheduled for mediation will be September 26.

Faculty Affairs - In need of two more members to be on the Faculty Affairs Committee.

Associated Students - Three out of 13 positions in Associated Students are filled. Joint projects on campus: A series of educational forums regarding the Athletic Review Report, and having elections for student recreation (extension of Field House) this October.

Student Affairs - Only three members left - still looking for two faculty members and student members.

VPAA Stokes provided a written report in her absence regarding enrollments. She has a class and cannot be here.

Nominations were opened for Vice Chair for Academic Senate who also serves as Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee.

It was moved and seconded (Wang/Fulgham) to nominate Scott Paynton for Vice Chair for Academic Senate.

5. We reached the next Agenda item which was a TIME CERTAIN of 4:30 P.M., ahead of schedule at 4:25 P.M. Without objection, we proceeded with the 4:30 P.M. discussion item.

Discussion Item: Special Investigation, Humboldt State University Report Number 01-93 by the Committee on Audit of the Board of Trustees of CSU.

Chair Bicknell commented that the Senate Executive Committee wanted to open this item for brief discussion. We're interested in hearing questions from the Academic Senators to help us organize our consideration of the Audit Report which is in the Agenda Packet. Don Christensen, Vice President for Development and Administrative Affairs, was invited to have commentary and he has agreed it will be on the Agenda for the September 4 meeting. Harold Goldwhite faculty member of the Board of Trustees, will be coming September 18 to provide commentary and answer questions. President McCrone has expressed his willingness to come September 25 or October 9. There are many options in terms of action regarding the audit report. We hope to provide a forum for asking and answering questions and for assessing accountability of fiscal affairs of our University. I would like to now open this up for discussion for the Senate Executive Committee to hear Senate questions, comments, and reactions. This discussion will shape future conversation on the audit report.

·Necessary for independent body to audit financial matters to prevent fabricated reports.

·In future when any external consultant is hired, a community of faculty experts should be able to render an opinion for appropriateness or correctness of recommendation made.

·What role does faculty have in shaping policy or in any restructuring of HSU's fiscal affairs.

·Failure of internal control procedures and personnel due to poor decisions and organization.

·Additional training needs to be provided to make supervisors more aware of professional oversight responsibilities.

·Are projects now in jeopardy because of promised funds that did not materialize.

·Have a more structured oversight system, serious problems exist that need to be corrected.

·Can faculty have a role in deciding how undesignated funds and other discretionary funds will be spent, or have a role in the oversight of these funds.

·What are the costs of the investigation, the audit, and the prosecution and any legal counsel necessary for the campus, and who will pay.

Vice President Christensen commented that the issue of protection for whistle blowers is covered by law. When confidence is built between staff and administration, there is no fear of reprisal. Violations occurred and money was moved around by John Sterns. That, as John Sterns' supervisor, he would have to accept a measure of responsibility for what happened. Violations were traceable and we have a format by which to respond. Procedures are in place, auditing is being done, documents will verify that fundraising occurred and inappropriate actions were taken in some instances. The auditor has made findings and we will satisfy them.

Chair Bicknell commented that questions will be put in organized format and copies given to Vice President Christensen, President McCrone and Trustee Goldwhite. If you have questions you would like answered, give them to Senate Chair and they will be included.

Discussion Item: Athletics Review Committee Report and Recommendations Submitted to Charlotte Stokes, VPAA

Chair Bicknell reported that the Senate Executive Committee would be soliciting commentary from various constituencies. Three questions are being posed: (1) In your view, what is the role and mission of Athletics at HSU and how is it being met? (2) The report identifies three options that the Committee recommended. There were seven other options listed in the report. Are there other options? (3) Have conditions changed since the report was completed, or is there additional information available that was not available at the time the report was completed?

Chair Bicknell introduced Claire Knox, Chair of the Athletics Review Committee. Professor Knox introduced Burt Nordstrom and Elizabeth Ortiz as members of the Athletics Review Committee. Chair Bicknell reported that Gail Fults, Chair of the Athletic Compliance Committee, would be the second speaker

The important content of the report is at the first part - to look at the whole process in the context of what we want athletics at HSU to be like.

Direction given to the committee from Vice President Stokes was to define the role of Intercollegiate Athletics within the mission of HSU. Three areas stand out: (1) Statement in regard to competitiveness. The issue is what it means to be competitive and to have some sense of the level at which we wish to be competitive. To set a standard for competitiveness is also an issue of honesty and morality. (2) Characteristics of a successful program is that it needs to provide student-athletes access and opportunities to learning experiences in being successful in the classroom and in the field. She encouraged senators to specifically look at the set of goals that were set. (3) The importance of providing a truly gender-equity environment.

1) What kind of sports, what levels- involves affiliation, travel issues, etc. A critical issue is the safety of our athletes in in-state and out-of-state travel, necessary at HSU in order to participate in conferences. The Athletic Compliance Committee was created to put into place to review compliance standards and scholarships and that committee was constituted and approved by the Senate. She urged the Senate to make sure that body as a whole comes back into being. The Senate representative of that Committee, if it had still been involved, would have provided information in a more timely way.

2) League participation. Affiliation and membership are identified in the report and has to do with student involvement, relationship, and other matters and is a complex issue. Regardless of which level of competitiveness, additional funding would still be required.

3) Budgetary issues. Funds come from a variety of sources, and some can only be spent for specific purposes. We double-checked the numbers for funds raised for athletics and adjusted the report for the difference we found. To the best of our ability, we believe the numbers are fairly accurate. The Committee feels comfortable about the information that was provided about the financial status of the institution, and will let the Senate know next week if any corrections or additions will be made.

Travel, budget, gender-equity - all these issues impact one another; if some are changed, it changes the picture of the whole package. It's important to consider the possibility that giving guidance to the foundation of that vision is more important than projecting these specific scenarios. This summer a consultant was on campus reviewing Title IX issues, and if a copy of the report, which was requested, is received, the information will be shared with you next week.

Professor Knox encouraged the Senate to look at a couple of issues regarding the Organizational framework for Athletics Program - the University Equity Officer position has opened up and is a key person with regard to the athletics program. The Women's Administrator in Athletics Program is currently open, and is set up for organization and oversight.

The Advisory Committee is the College of Professional Studies key piece to the oversight process, as well as having a Senate representative in that Committee. The critical issue seems to be to design an organizational system with reporting lines so that guidance and direction are provided in a timely way. Whether you remove it from the Dean to either Vice President, the problems will be the same; what is needed is a system to make sure that the data we are getting are accurate. An accounting systems cleanup is needed.

This complex issue breaks down into three general parts which are to enhance (1)the educational experience of students with an exceptional talent in athletics just as HSU does in other areas such as music, theatre, speech, etc.; (2) the extracurricular experience of all students and the community by offering Athletics attractions on campus; and (3) the University's community relations by sponsoring an Athletic program that attracts financial support to the University through strong regional and national recognition.

The decision on centrality of Athletics purpose will drive and determine the issues of: (1) the extent academics will influence student-athletes' experiences at HSU such as time away from class and conflicts between academic responsibilities and athletic responsibilities; (2) the resource base and source of resources Athletics must have to be successful; (3) the reporting position of Athletic at HSU and the role of coaches; and (4) the role of winning within Athletics for both students and coaches.

The most appropriate role of athletics for HSU should be stated in order of priority or in order of all parts being equally important, as well as a set of standards for a successful Athletics program at HSU.

Suggestion was made that the Senate request the actual costs of Athletics for the 2000-01 academic-fiscal year - data being important to the decision-making process. Five corresponding arguments are pertinent to the mission decision: (1) the timing of Athletics cash flows as fund-raising supports both scholarships and operations; (2) how outside funds are allocated within Athletics; (3) the sports mix (teams sponsored) and their size; (4) Athletics contribution to recruiting prospective students to HSU; (5) the preservation of student enrollment so as not to erode student population by dropping a sport. The Senate needs to be clear on the program size and competitive level it recommends to President McCrone.

Non-preferential and equal treatment of all students has long been a precept on this campus. President McCrone increased scholarship dollars for scholarships to women student-athletes for the coming academic year which should improve the intercollegiate experience for these women. Since scholarships cannot be funded with state dollars, these funds must come from university-wide development efforts. Funds, once given to Athletics, are not available to other units with HSU.

The Senate could consider recommending to President McCrone other conference alignments; lowering HSU competitive level by moving to NCAA Division III; maintaining HSU competitive level but applying to the CCAA, dropping football and offering a travel cost pool to the conference to defer the additional travel costs to come north. The conference affiliation conflict is important for the Senate to consider and set a priority order on meeting the interests of the students, community members, and fiscal responsibility.

Currently two university committees have oversight for aspects of the Athletics program. (1) The Athletics Compliance Committee is responsible for compliance policies and procedures. Request that the Senate re-assess this committee's composition and consider adding more faculty members to the committee and reassigning the Athletics staff members on the committee to advisory roles. (2) The Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee reviews the Athletics budget, size and sports offerings, and gender equity plans. Request that the Senate look at the reporting requirements for this committee and recommend a frequency within which the Vice President should receive information on the components of the Athletics program.

The argument was made to the Review Committee that Athletics is a campus-wide activity and should be elevated in its report position to acknowledge its breadth of influence. Therefore Athletics could become an independent unit reporting directly to a Vice President, thus providing opportunities for making Athletics more self-reliant in resource generation and funding. Athletics has an especially complex fiscal structure, so support provided for fiscal compliance would help address the many financial problems.

HSU should have the most compatible size and configuration of sports offerings to meet students' interests within the resources available from state dollars, student dollars, and outside sources.

Chair Bicknell stated that since there was no time for questions and answers, these two speakers may be invited back at a future Senate meeting. Commentary will be sought from students, student athletes, faculty in HPE, administration, coaches, and community members. We will be seeking a lead person from each constituency to provide commentary. Please contact Chair Bicknell with your suggestions.

Thobaben suggested that a podium and microphone be provided as speakers were hard to hear.

Fulgham asked that speakers' comments be provided in written or electronic format for Executive Committee to have on Thursday. He requested attendance/gate figures and Gail Fults agreed to provide what was available.