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Staff Regent Gilmore argued that we don’t have to mar the process because don’t like the outcome. He recommended everyone read the appropriate constitutions and bylaws that govern the different groups at the university.
University General Counsel Rowe confirmed that Senate’s resolution to add Dr. Thompson to the list of finalists will go to the Board on Wednesday.
A guest pointed out the Board allowed the failing AWA program to go on for five years and only intervened when President Burse arrived and called attention to the problems. Regent McFayden responded that he made the case to the Board to stop the program, but there was not consensus to do so.
Chair Rye drew attention to the bulleted list of concerns the Faculty Senate Executive Committee had assembled, which included issues such as bringing in administrators with promotion and tenure contrary to stated policies. She also expressed disappointment with the VPAA’s comments on faculty success when they have scored high on metrics such as the NSSE survey.
Regent McFayden echoed student concerns about mold in dorms and low nutrition food in the cafeteria. He said that KSU is graduating four students out of a hundred in four years and eight out of a hundred in six years. The numbers don't add up. He said he had secured the money to fix the dorm issue but when asked why it hasn't been fixed yet didn't know.
VPAA Jackson responded that the numbers are what they are and we have to deal with them. If she doesn't know about an issue she can't deal with, so faculty need to make her aware. She said she has earned her tenure twice and won't apologize for negotiating for it when she became Chief of Operations at KSU.
Chair Glass argued that we need to circle back to the issue at hand: a vote of confidence. Leadership is the question; the Board admitted students who were not college ready, which impacted our graduation rate. That should not be on faculty. Regent McFayden responded that great teachers teach.
Chair Glass went to note that the Board allowed these students to run up high balances. It also oversaw high administrator salaries, and this year there were increases equal to, or more, than what some junior faculty make in a year.
President Sipes was asked if there was still a quorum. Seventeen senators were counted.
Chair Rye made a motion to allow the whole faculty to make their own decisions about the efficacy of Board leadership so that a small group does not make a decision for them. Her motion was stated thus:
Faculty Senate proposes a resolution to send before the full faculty the opportunity to discuss and decide whether or not to have a vote of confidence on the Board of Regents as a whole or certain members of the board, with information of Senate concerns made available to the full faculty and allowing sufficient time for review