FACULTY SENATE AGENDA
Smith Lecture Hall, WB 206-207, 3:00 p.m.
February 21, 2008

1. Roll Call

2. Approve the minutes from the January 24, 2008 meeting.

3. 14-Week Semester Survey – Bruce Handley
Update

4. Salary Benefits Budget & Fiscal Planning Committee – Craig Oberg, Chair
PPM 3-26 Maternity Leave
Salary Negotiation Team - Craig Oberg, Bruce Handley, Cheryl Hansen
PPM 1-13, Article B-V, 4.9 - . . . A subcommittee shall serve under the direction of this Committee and represent the faculty in salary and related negotiations with the University administration. No two members of this subcommittee shall be from the same organizational unit. This subcommittee shall consist of the Faculty Senate chair, the chair of the Committee on Salary, Benefits, Budget and Fiscal Planning and a third member nominated by the Committee and approved by the Faculty Senate.

5. Research, Scholarship & Professional Growth Committee – Therese Grijalva, Chair
Fall Funding Report

6. Curriculum Committee – Craig Bergeson, Chair
Health Promotion and Human Performance
Program Proposal - Athletic Therapy
Political Science & Philosophy
Program Proposal - Minor in International Politics
Political Science and Philosophy
Program Proposal - Minor in Public Administration

7. Other Items


Next Meeting: March 27, 2008

Faculty Senate
MINUTES
February 21, 2008

1. ROLL

2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Motion: Moved to approve the minutes from theJanuary 24, 2008 meeting.
Made: John Sohl
Second: Jeff Ward
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

3. FACULTY GOVERNANCE AWARD

Molly Smith presented the Faculty Governance Award for this year to Bruce Handley. This is not a service award; it is a governance award. Some of Bruce’s service to faculty governance includes: Service on the Executive Committee 1998-2000 (2 years) 2005-2008 (3 years), and 2005-2008 (3 years); A member of the Faculty Senate 1993-1996 (3 years), 1998-2001 (3 years), 2005-2008 (3 years); Salary Committee Chair 1990-1994 (4 years), and chair of the Faculty Board of Review 1989-1990 (2 years).

4. 14-WEEK SEMESTER SURVEY

Eric Amsel has agreed to chair the 14-Week Semester Survey Task Force. Kim Hyatt representing the College of Education is no longer at Weber State and Judy Mitchell has agreed to represent the College of Education on this committee.

Motion by the Executive Committee to approve Eric Amsel as chair of the 14-Week Semester Survey Task Force and Judy Mitchell as a representative from the College of Education
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

5. SALARY, BENEFITS, BUDGET & FISCAL PLANNING

Craig Oberg reporting - It was brought to the Salary Committee’s attention that a maternity leave policy was proposed by professional and classified staff committees and approved by President’s Council and Board of Trustees. It was brought to the Salary Committee as an informational item. As it was reviewed it looked as if it could be interpreted as applying to faculty.

PPM 3-26 Maternity Leave
A. Maternity leave is available to female employees of Weber State University during the period of doctor-certified disability of the employee related to pregnancy, delivery, and recovery. It may consist of paid leave, unpaid leave, or a combination of the two depending on sick leave entitlement. Unpaid leave relating to child care is available to both male and female employees under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave policy.
B. The amount of paid leave applied to the maternity leave is contingent on the entitlement of the employee under PPM 3-21 or PPM 3-21a, whichever applies.
C. Unpaid leave for maternity may be requested under PPM 3-29, PPM 3-29a or PPM 3-28.
D. When Family and Medical Leave is requested for maternity, Maternity Leave will run concurrent with FMLA and not extend the entitlement.
E. The position occupied by the employee prior to maternity leave will be held for the employee for a reasonable period of time on the same basis as jobs are held for employees on other similar leaves.
F. As allowed by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, maternity leaves beginning within two weeks of delivery and ending within one month following delivery do not require doctor certification.
F. Weber State University complies with the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Pregnancy is considered a normal condition and employees are expected to work up to the delivery date unless the physician provides a written statement indicating that the employee has a medical condition that makes it medically necessary for the employee to be off work in advance of the delivery date. The standard recovery period for vaginal deliveries is six weeks. The standard recovery period for c-section deliveries is eight weeks.
G. For non-faculty, the dates used to determine vacation and sick leave accrual rates are not changed; however, vacation and sick leave hours do not require doctor certification.
H G. Departments must allow return to work on the first working day following the date on which the physician certifies fitness to return to work. If academic instruction is involved, such as in the case of teaching faculty, other employment at the same rate of pay may be substituted until the beginning of the next academic period. Faculty should refer to PPM 8-21 if extension of the probationary period for tenure is desired.
Faculty Senate February 21, 2009 DRAFT - Page 3


A faculty sub committee has been working for over a year on a maternity leave policy for faculty and hope to bring it to the Faculty Senate before the end of the semester.

Salary Negotiation Team - PPM 1-13, Article B-V, 4.9 - “ . . . A subcommittee shall serve under the direction of this Committee and represent the faculty in salary and related negotiations with the University administration. No two members of this subcommittee shall be from the same organizational unit. This subcommittee shall consist of the Faculty Senate chair, the chair of the Committee on Salary, Benefits, Budget and Fiscal Planning and a third member nominated by the Committee and approved by the Faculty Senate.”

The Salary, Benefits, Budget & Fiscal Planning Committee elected Cheryl Hansen to be the third member of the Salary Negotiation Team. The other two members are Craig Oberg as Chair of the Salary, Benefits, Budget & Fiscal Planning Committee, and Bruce Handley as Chair of the Faculty Senate.

Motion by the Salary, Benefits, Budget & Fiscal Planning Committee to approve the Salary Negotiation Team.
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

6. RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP & PROFESSIONAL GROWTH COMMITTEE

Therese Grajilva reporting - Fall 2007 Awards, 24 submits and 21 awarded.

RSPG: $26,449.77 out of $26,825.14 ($4325 came from rolled over balances)
Hemingway Vitality: $9135.92 out of $9140.00 ($640 came from rolled over balances)
Office of Undergraduate Research: $3367.20 out of $4000
Total: $38,952.89

Colleges represented: Science (7) $13,427.92, A&H (8) $15,010.88, COAST (1) $2625.00, SS (3) $6077.20, Library (1) $364.00, and B&E (1) $1447.89

Fall 2007 Changes:
1. Proposals are to be submitted electronically to rspg@ourspace.weber.edu
2. Three changes were made to the proposal application
A. Cover page changes: applicants are to select a category representing type of proposal (e.g., travel to present, research, creative endeavor, etc.).
B. Questions at end of application: committee felt that questions were necessary but not sufficient. The changes made simply request more detailed information from the candidate about past RSPG awards and align with the interests of OSP.
C. A new application was created for Hemingway Collaborative and Faculty Excellence awards.
3. Slight modification to website given item 2C above. Now there are two separate applications that can be downloaded from the site.

7. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE -- Craig Bergeson, Chair

Curriculum Proposals

Health Promotion and Human Performance - Program Proposal - Athletic Therapy

Political Science & Philosophy - Program Proposal - Minor in International Politics

Political Science and Philosophy - Program Proposal - Minor in Public Administration

Motion by the Curriculum Committee to approve the above curriculum proposals.
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

8. RECYCLING BINS

The Alumni Association has made available recycling bins for anyone wanting to take them back to their office.

ADJOURN

The meeting adjourned at 3:23 p.m