Faculty Assembly
Minutes of faculty assembly, 27 September 2005
Present: Armstrong, Watkinson, Kulick, Orwoll, Meyers, Leslie, Evans, Nelson,
Beers, Diaz, Canuel, Fuchs, Meese, Archibald, Van Dover, White, Clemens
Absent: Lee, Mooradian, Abelt, Brown, Reed
Approval of May 10 minutes
The Provost addressed the assembly: The FCUP meeting is coming up. We will make a report on the spending of additional monies. Last year's FCUP made proposals for priorities for the budget next year. This proposal for next year was something the Governor wanted.
1) This year's budget actions for 2005-6. There is 2.4 million in new money
to budget. There will be a 6% increase in the faculty salary pool. The state
authorized 4.8% (42% of this from general fund), we provided remaining 1.2%
to bring it up to 6%. This gets us to the low 30th percentiles for faculty salaries.
We created a salary compensation fund or pool, especially for professional staff,
including Swem library professional staff, Student Affairs professional staff,
and Facilities professional staff. New positions: a new person has moved into
the Swem media center, two into procurement/technical services. Buildings and
ground maintenance has also been targeted. We were underfunding buildings and
grounds by 1 million. Previously, we would amass unspent money to cover these.
We now need to eliminate structural deficits to prepare for restructuring. Graduate
and undergraduate financial aid has been targeted as well. Now the state provides
only one quarter of needed financial aid. Monies also went to a design/feasibility
study for Sentara hospital, which was required for the donation.
2) This year's budget priorities. FCUP identified faculty salaries as key priority.
We want a faculty salaries increase of 5%, to bring us to 60th percentile in
3-4 years. (Using historic salary increase factor, or HEPI index). (The internal
goal is 75th percentile). Admin faculty and professional should go up 4%, especially
for staff at lowest pay. M&O should go up by 10%. Classroom technology:
there are aging issues with things that need to be replaced. We want to create
an ongoing fund for this, for research support, for startup, matching money,
and equipment. We want to move grants admin from indirect costs to E&G money
(E&G means education and general; i.e. non-auxiliary money). Plant operations
are also important. An assoc. VP for facilities will do approval of construction
instead of going to Richmond, code review will be here. A Virginia Community
College System Transfer program will be created. Student Aid is also important
both for gateway program and graduate student aid.
3) Requests sent to the Governor. Base Adequacy Funding. There is a gap between
what we get and what the state says we should get of about 13 million. There
is a 20.3 million including gap in faculty salaries. (The overall gap in the
Commonwealth is about 330 million). We've asked for 2.4 million for next year,
and 4.3 for the following. We are asking for facilities support as we will get
two new facilities: the Sentara building, and the new science building. Both
will require new maintenance. If not passed, we have a proposal to Jack Kent
Cooke foundation. Graduate student financial aid: we asked for 500k this year,
1.2 million next year. COGS has demonstrated what the gap is. We've also proposed
the W&M research institute, in hope that the governor will fund it. Regarding
Gateway W&M, the program for funding in-state undergrads whose families
make less than 40k, we asked 500k this year, and 1.2 million next year. We've
included a placeholder for utility costs, as fuel costs will go up. No mention
of faculty salaries. By tradition the council of presidents asks for faculty
salaries.
Bill Walker then presented the Widmeyer Communications survey: "Perceptions of W&M among Prospective and Current Students." President Sullivan had formed a task force around 1996, which led to a commitment to marketing the undergraduate program. After last fall (2004) we have seen a new high in applications, 10,500. The quality of students has gone up.
Restructuring
The Provost then gave an update on restructuring. October 1st is the due date. The Exec Committee of the Board of Visitors is set to approve financial plan, the last part, and will meet on Friday. Decisions we make will drive tuition increases. We've been asked by the Governor to do tuition figures with all our plans and no money. We've also been asked to show tuition increase with all our plans and 42% of E&G coming from the state. We're also giving them a third figure: If the Commonwealth makes up the base adequacy gap, and provides 42%, the figures for what we'd have to make up in tuition.
Management agreements are being drawn up now. These will be done by mid-Nov. All will go into Governor's budget message. SCHEV is also drawing up a "scorecard" with the College's targets due October 1st. They have deferred that, given that they haven't gotten the full plan yet.
Big change that should come from restructuring is in the area of finance. We will carry forward our budget from one year to the next. We will also get the interest float on tuition. Being able to manage our construction on campus will be very important.
These restructuring plans will go into effect on 1 July. We will be reviewed by SCHEV spring 2007.
"TRIBE"
The NCAA has asked a group of schools with native American mascots or logos to do self-studies. It was due May 1. We got a delay until November 1. Members of the committee include Feiss, Driscoll, Gamage, Glover, Cottrell, and Archibald
Currently the nickname is tribe. The logo: W&M with two feathers.
Committee Reports
Alan Meese is still getting his group together for outside reviews.
Faculty Affairs will get information from the Provost before deciding about
FRA.
An Ad-hoc committee will discuss FRA's.
Jim Beers will talk to the President about asking Endowment Association about
how University priorities line up with endowment priorities.
New Business
Provost: Search for VP for Development is ongoing.
Provost: The President has sent up diversity committee. They met last year, and did some interesting work. He wants to make that a President-level committee.
Respectfully submitted
Scott Nelson
Secretary
