Minutes
Arts and Sciences (Spring 2003) Faculty Meeting

Regency A - City Union
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

18 July 2003

The spring semester's meeting of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences commenced at 4:05 p.m., Wednesday 16 April 2003 in the Great Hall of the Kauffman Academic Center (UNL City Campus).

As per item I on the agenda Dean Hoffmann called for the approval of the minutes of the 12 December 2002 minutes; the minutes were approved.

For item II (opening comments), Dean Hoffmann announced that today the draft was out regarding promotion and tenure (vide Appendix this agenda, Executive Committee Report), for the Faculty to read for consideration in the fall.

Item III provided an opportunity to ask questions arising from annual reports of the various College committees (vide Appendix).

Item IV sought approval of the recommendation of the College Curriculum Committee to approve Essential Studies courses for Area C (Human Behavior, Culture, and Social Organization); Area D (Science and Technology); Area G (Art). Reports appeared in the Appendix. Supporting materials are also available in the Dean's Office.

Item VI gave opportunity to ask questions of the Dean.

Dean Hoffmann spoke first, saying that the Chancellor's decision has been made about the next set of recommendations and it is unlikely that Arts and Sciences will be unscathed, but that he himself did not know what the specific cuts would be. There was to date no concrete information on the next announcement. In spite of budget problems, he went on to say, there are things to celebrate in regards to teaching assistants, ORCA, and the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

From the floor then came questions and comments. Professor Hilliard asked about the College's efforts to attenuate the wretchedness of the personnel reductions, especially since some will be affected, but the announcements will come in June when many are gone. Dean Hoffmann indicated that the Chancellor's plan for the next reduction, though announced in June, will be evaluated in the fall. Dean Hoffmann also indicated that the Chancellor and the Senior Vice-Chancellor know that Arts and Sciences is the core of the University. Professor Haller suggested that the clearest principle should be to find suitable positions for faculty displaced by budget cuts, and to change plans accordingly. Dean Hoffmann remarked that a good attitude is being observed, but it may not be possible to relocate everyone.

Professor Pratt asked, regarding the cuts in Museum Studies, whether the Dean was contacted about repositioning of faculty. Professor Morris observed that some faculty had tenure in a departments, but were being repositioned into others; decision-making in this matter is complicated. Dean Hoffmann said that initiative for considering relocations has come from the Office of the Vice-Chancellors for Research, and that faculty were not left to their own devices. In response to a question from Professor Haller, the Dean said the idea of vertical cuts was the Chancellor's, who believes this is the best way in the long run.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Thomas
Thomas E. Rinkevich, Sec'y