Present: Dana Arnett, Joy Asbury, Edie Blakley, Scott Elmshaeuser, Tammy Jennings, Rose Lacey, Jan Mosley, Paul D'Orazio, and Donetta Sheffold.
The President called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.
Board Reports
Treasurer
The10/31/02 Treasurer's Report was distributed. We received $125 in income from membership and there are several new members not yet reflected. The board approved the report.
Secretary
Minutes from the October meeting were approved.
Membership
Membership reports 86 members. 5/6 out of the 48 new faculty who were sent letters have signed up for the complimentary membership. It is expected that once new faculty join, they will see the benefits of being a member of PFLA.
Names are now hidden on the PFLA email list. The list is unrestricted. There have been no problems so far. There was a suggestion about sending smaller email notifications to members; the last professional development email was too large and members had difficulty opening it. Announcements could be posted on the web page. It was suggested that managing the web site from inside the organization would be preferable and that we have a procedure in place as to how to handle web management in the future. The board decided, in the future, to use a combination of email and web communication. The email would include concise and salient points and then direct folks via a link to the web site for more detailed information. The goal will be to get as much information on the web site as possible.
Marketing
Marketing and Professional Development have been pulling the workshop together. It was proposed that the board have an email conversation about the timing of the next wellness workshop since many board members were not able to attend the November session.
A question came up about whether we could somehow let professional faculty know that PFLA played a part in getting the Professional Faculty Issues Group moving. The idea was supported and it was said that we should celebrate our successes and capitalize on them. A paragraph will be written for our website.
Professional Development
There was concern expressed about the amount of work that Paul D'Orazio, in his role as Director of Professional Development, has responsibility for. It was suggested that monthly membership meetings be split out from the other professional development duties. Laurel Busse, a past president, started the monthly membership meetings when she was president and then continued that role when the next president was elected. There was a suggestion that the President-Elect take over the monthly membership meetings. It was thought this would be a nice way for the President-Elect to connect. By Laws should also be changed to reflect this. This was tabled until December.
A conversation with Jacque Rudolph, OHR, and Prudence Miles, Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity was conducted around the use/power of email and how we as an organization can provide leadership in the use of email as a communication tool. We have the opportunity to raise the bar about how we communicate using email. Would PFLA be an interest in sponsoring a lunch workshop on leaders' roles and email etiquette? This topic elicited much discussion and concern amongst the board. Most were concerned that this is a hot button for many people and we would have to be very careful how we crafted a message about email etiquette. It was thought that OHR wanted to come at this from an educational standpoint rather than a punitive one. Several board members were concerned that there might be a perception that PFLA was being blamed for prior communications. OHR will be contacted to let them know that we have some concerns we would like to discuss when they are ready. OHR does offer an email workshop and it was proposed that we take a look at what's covered there. The 2007 groups are looking at basic competency issues and maybe email etiquette should be one of those issues.
Other News
Service Project/Sock Drive
The B-Bop Sock Hop will be December 5 from 11:30-1:30 in MU East Forum. Giving bins will be located at various locations around campus (Valley Library, Dixon Recreation Center, Kerr Administration, and the MU Business Office). On-site pickup will be available for those donating ten or more pair of socks. It was questioned whether we got trademark information for the Superman cartoon on the flyers. There will be follow-up to determine whether approval for using the Superman cartoon needs to be obtained.
Archiving
Responsibility for archiving materials was assigned to Donetta Sheffold, Past President. Board members can send her anything they would like archived for PFLA. She will also try to locate the missing notebooks that should have been passed on to new board members.
Professional Faculty Issues Report. The draft report of the Professional Faculty Issues Group was discussed. Key issues are:
1) Fixed Term Appointments for Professional Faculty
Recommends annual appointments for the first five years of employment at OSU. After the fifth year, professional faculty would be treated as a career employee and entitled to one year's timely notice before termination of employment. This would not apply to professional faculty positions on grants and contracts with fixed length and amount of funding, to athletic coaches on a contract governed by NCAA regulations, or to professional faculty with appointments of less than 0.5 FTE.
2) Timely Notice of Termination of Appointment
Recommends timely notice of non-reappointment or termination of appointment when such non-reappointment or termination is other than for cause (OAR 580-21-320) or financial exigency (OAR 580-21-315). Timely notice will be 3 months for faculty members in the first and second years of appointment, at least 6 months for faculty members in third, fourth, and fifth years of continuous service, and one year's notice for faculty members in their sixth or more years of continuous service.
3) Performance Reviews
Recommends performance reviews at least annually for professional faculty in the first five years of their appointments and at no longer than three-year intervals for career professional faculty.
4) Grievance Procedures
Recommends that Faculty Status Committee of the Faculty Senate study whether or not the grievance procedures serve the professional faculty. If it is determined that they do not, it should forward recommendations to amend the procedures to enhance their applicability to professional faculty.
5) Faculty Senate
Recommends that the Faculty Senate charge an existing Faculty Senate committee, such as the Faculty Status Committee, or create an ad hoc committee to address the faculty governance issue with respect to professional faculty. This committee should also be charged to follow through on the aforementioned recommendations of the earlier Task Force on Senate Membership.
A request was made that all board members do some personal networking to show support at the forums. Tony Wilcox will be contacted to see what kind of barometer he will be using to indicate support (attendance, response, etc).
The interim President will be re-invited for the February monthly meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.
Next Meeting. December 11, Wednesday, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in MU212.