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RPC Minutes, September 28, 2005

Present: Matt Richey (chair), David Emery, Anne Groton, Bob Hanson, James May, Alan Norton, Mark Schelske, Marcus Sublette, Mary Titus, Pin Pin Wan, Arnie Ostebee

  1. Meeting called to order at 3:40 p.m.

  2. Minutes from 9/21/05 approved.

  3. Chair announced that Mary Carlson and David Nitz wish to return to RPC on Oct. 19 th for further discussion of the presidential search process. The Chair said he would extend an invitation to Mary and David. The Chair briefly reported on the open meeting with the consultants from the search firm.

  4. The Chair asked what role should a faculty play in the search for a new president? A variety of opinions and comments were offered.

    a) It was recognized that the role of RPC and the faculty’s would always be advisory to the Board.

    b) The Faculty Manual apparently does not explicitly specify a role for RPC or any other faculty committee. The Regents-Faculty Conference Committee has sometimes served as served as a conduit for faculty input into the search process. It was suggested that one might read a “role” into the responsibilities of RPC as described in the Faculty Manual. A comment was made that it is not unusual for faculty manuals to NOT cover presidential searches. The role of a faculty in presidential searches often depends upon how a Board and a faculty interact in broad issues of governance and/or on a personal relationship between the two groups.

    c) No motion was introduced. RPC will continue to consider the issue.

  5. Chair announced that issues pertaining to the Faculty Handbook will be referred to the Faculty Manual Subcommittee.

  6. Mark Schelske reported that the Governance Subcommittee hoped to bring a recommendation on reforming governance to the Faculty for a vote in December. The Subcommittee was working on a survey that would be sent to some portion of the faculty in October. Faculty forums would be scheduled after the results of the survey were tabulated.

  7. RPC adjourned the meeting of the whole at 4:20 to facilitate meetings of the three subcommittees: Governance, Faculty Manual, and Faculty Life.

Respectfully submitted,

David Emery, Acting Secretary