Library Faculty
Assembly
LFA 04/05-05 Approved: February 3, 2005
December 2, 2004, 8:30 a.m.
Room 028
Present: Steve Hardin,
Betsy Hine, Anthony Kaiser, David Kaunelis, Juliet Kerico,
Elizabeth
Lorenzen, Christopher Mehrens
Absent: Karen Evans
Ex-Officio:
Guests: Kathy Gaul
I. Call to order and approval of agenda
Chair B. Hine called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m. The agenda was approved
unanimously.
II. Approval of minutes LFA 04/05-04 (November 4, 2004)
A correction was recommended to B. Hine’s name on p. 3. With that correction, D. Kaunelis moved, and R. McGiverin seconded, approval of the minutes. The minutes were approved unanimously,
III. Recognition Awards
None.
IV. Chair’s announcements/report
B. Hine noted the approval of Valentine Muyumba as a member of the Library Faculty Affairs Committee. She told everyone to add her name to their committee rosters.
There was a general consensus that the Assembly will continue to meet on the first Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. during the coming semester. So the next LFA meeting will be January 6, 2005 at 8:30 a.m. There will be a Library Executive Committee (LEC) meeting the week of December 20th. B. Hine reminded members that library committees need to have anything they want discussed by LEC ready by then.
She also reminded everyone present about the ISU Board of Trustees meeting this afternoon in the library.
V. 15-minute open discussion
Miscellaneous small talk circulated.
VI. Remarks of the Dean of Library Services
Associate Dean A. Comer noted there would be a dress rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. for the presentation to be given to the Board of Trustees.
VII. Report of the Faculty Senator
Senator R. McGiverin reminded those present about the Senate report he sent out earlier. The two biggest discussion items at the last Senate meeting involved same-sex health insurance and discontinuance of post-retirement for employees hired after 1/5/05. The Senate also approved the division of the Life Sciences Department into two departments: an Ecology and Organismal Biology Department and a new Life Sciences Department. The two new departments will be sharing a Bachelor of Science degree for the next 3 years. Students will be sharing courses, too; there are some cross-appointments; not all the issues have been resolved. The new Life Sciences Department will emphasize microbiology. The Ecology and Organismal Biology Department will deal with more complicated life systems. R. McGiverin said this trend is apparently common in universities; the arrangement will encourage the departments to have more program development and provide better grant-seeking opportunities.
B. Hine asked R. McGiverin whether she could charge him to inform whomever he should that we need to insert our last Library Faculty Constitution revision date (4/03) into Article VIII, Section 2 of the ISU Faculty Constitution (the plan of internal governance), which is part of the University Handbook. He informally agreed to pass on that information.
VIII. Remarks from the Library Support Staff Representative
None.
IX. Committee Reports
A. Library Administrative Affairs Committee
Chair J. Kerico announced there were two agenda items:
1. Fines policy
A. Comer said the changes amount to an increase in fines. There’s a
new fine for late reserve items. We also needed to put in extra fines
for equipment; the current arrangement lets a patron keep a camera all
semester for only $8.00. We’d also like to block people, when they
owe $1000, from checking out any more materials. The words
“including faculty” are new to the policy too.
B. Hine said we were told by the
Bursar’s Office that we couldn’t actually block anyone. A. Comer responded that we can block patrons
on Voyager; we don’t need to involve the Bursar’s office. B. Hine said that once we send out this
policy, it’ll have to be vetted by many other agencies because it involves
money. She asked whether $1000 is too
high a level to establish a patron block.
D.
2. Computer usage policy
This policy results from Charge 05-07. D. Kaunelis moved, and C.
Mehrens seconded, approval. The policy basically says we follow
ISU’s policy. A. Comer asked the Assembly to note there is nothing
In the policy about pornography. We just give precedence to our own
people doing research; someone playing a game may be asked to
move, too. Policy passed unanimously. A. Comer said she wanted to
thank everyone who worked on the policies, especially J. Kerico and
C. Mehrens. The new policy will be sent to the Dean.
B. Library Faculty Affairs Committee
LFAC Chair K. Evans was absent. A. Kaiser said the Committee missed its last meeting due to her illness. It won’t meet again until next week. B. Hine noted the Committee is working on the Promotion and Tenure Oversight Committee (PTOC) document.
C. Personnel Committee
Chair E. Lorenzen said two persons are applying for sabbaticals during the 2005/06 academic year. The Committee is awaiting their submissions. It will meet 12/8 to evaluate them. The deadline to get them to the Dean is 12/15. The Committee has also been looking at the PTOC document.
D. Senate/University Committee reports
K. Gaul, who serves on the Faculty Economic Benefits Committee (FEBC), said the Committee met on 11/9 and discussed proposed health coverage plan contribution rates for 2005. We’re still at open enrollment for families of people who work at ISU, who didn’t come aboard when they first started. There are also changes for people who are going to be retiring: a 7% increase. There is also a motion about a change in health coverage for eventual retirees. People who start working after 1/5/05 won’t be covered until they’re eligible for Medicare. So they will be without health insurance. D. Kaunelis noted the approach may backfire because people won’t want to retire. K. Gaul added that people may not want to come to ISU. E. Lorenzen added research will be done into gap insurance that retirees will have to pay for. General discussion followed about benefits and the lack thereof. A. Comer said a new Benefits Committee has been established; she serves on it. She’ll be telling people what the committee is discussing and seeking their reactions. R. McGiverin told the Assembly to remember the FEBC is only advisory; the Board of Trustees will do whatever it wants.
C. Mehrens reported the University Arts Endowment Committee met two weeks ago. Members went over grant proposals and made decisions on those grants. Information will be forthcoming. They also dealt with requests for extension, and with some other charges.
R. McGiverin reported that the Curriculum and Academic Affairs Committee (CAAC) discussed the laptop computer initiative. The initiative seems to be getting a positive response from the faculty. The problem is that no one seems to want to address details.
B. Hine reported on the University Faculty Affairs Committee. It approved wording to change one sentence in the procedures for hiring people, dealing with community engagement for tenure track. Committee members decided the college or library would determine the importance of community engagement within their own college.
X. Old Business
A. Timelines for promotion, tenure and salary
E. Lorenzen said she will try to send personal emails to different people to make sure they know the timelines. She will send another reminder about when the Faculty Report of Professional Activities (FRP) is due. 2004/05 is not a merit year; faculty will receive “standard” or “below standard” pay increases.
B. Charges form (verbally approved by Dean 11/23/04)
B. Hine wanted this approval brought up “just to make it official.”
C. PTOC document
E. Lorenzen noted the Personnel Committee is looking at this document.
D. LFA web site
B. Hine said she has made a charge
for LFAC. Marsha Miller will work on it
with the Office of Information Technology and with
XI. New Business
A. Related to library faculty issues
None.
B. Related to general library issues
There was a reminder that the staff holiday party will take place December 15th.
XII. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:32 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve Hardin, Secretary