Attending: Judy Erlen, Katie Greeno, Nancy Grove, M. Kathy Kelly, Charlene Trovato, David Crossman, Ivanka Nikolova, Tony Silvestre, Lisa Brush, Ellen Cohn, Patty Beeson, Andrew Blair.

Approved minutes of meeting of November meeting

Sub-committee to recommend policies for part-time faculty. We approved the creation of an SEPC sub-committee to develop recommendations for policies affecting part-time faculty. This committee will extend and further the dissemination of work previously conducted in this committee, including a previous survey of part time faculty.

Lisa Brush was nominated and approved as a Pro Tem member of the SEPC, and agreed to chair this sub-committee. Ivanka Nikolova, Tony Silvestre and Katie Greeno agreed to be sub-committee members. Follow-up note: Carey Balaban of the Senate Committee for Tenure and Academic Freedom recommended a member to this subcommittee, so the connection to that committee's interests and information is established.

Dr. Brush will determine the agenda of the committee. The following goals and topics have been mentioned as possibilities to consider during committee discussions.

Recommending elements for a model contract

Providing examples of good contracts

Recommending ideal timelines for notification of appointment and reappointment

Recommending other aspects of conditions of employment

Recommending other aspects of conditions of hiring

Other matters to consider could include:

Input from part time faculty. A new survey of part time faculty may be useful, or the survey conducted previously by this committee could be used. If a survey is needed, resources for its successful completion must be considered.

Appropriate membership and representation

Tenure and academic freedom committee has relevant information. They have been approached previously, and could be approached again. Note: A member of that committee has been appointed to the committee

Part time faculty members in addition to Ivanka Nikolova

Benefits and welfare committee members

Branch campuses

Different academic units may need different versions of recommendations. Perhaps consider whether there are a small number of major sub-types.

Consider benchmarking practices at other universities regarding these matters, as well as participation of part time people in faculty governance structures

Perhaps maintain a training component in considerations to meet usual SEPC mandates and mission.

Update on use and misuse of electronic devices in the classroom. Since the last meeting, CIDDE proposed two workshops to address issues discussed in the SEPC; descriptions were included in the November minutes. The committee applauded the efforts of CIDDE to respond to topics of faculty interest. Dr. Blair and others commented that the two workshops proposed by CIDDE are likely to generate substantial interest.

Debate team initiative on textbook pricing. Pitt's debate team is researching alternatives to conventional textbooks, in response to the very high costs of textbooks and will focus on this topic for one of their debates. John Baker, President of the University Senate, declined the invitation of the Director of Debate, Associate Professor Gordon Mitchell, to cohost or sponsor the debate, but suggested that he contact to the SEPC to determine our level of interest in this topic. The debate team will generate considerable knowledge especially about these alternatives: 1) tax credits, 2) textbook rentals, and 3) decreasing textbook reliance. The committee agreed that much valuable information relevant to faculty is likely to be generated, and will discuss ways to bring this information to the faculty at a future meeting.

Future agendas. Agendas for remaining meetings are forming, and are likely to include:

February:

Revisit debate team request: Can debate team's research on this relevant topic be brought to the faculty in an appropriate manner?

Updates and input into Council of Deans' Assessment of Student outcomes initiative: Patty Beeson (Website for this project is: www.pitt.edu\~provost\assessment.html)

Update on Student literacy project: Amy Knapp

March:

Update and input into Provost's report on student recruitment, retention and graduation rates: Patty Beeson

Update from the sub-committee on PT faculty policies

April:

Update and input into Middle States Commission on Higher Education periodic review process: Patty Beeson

Respectfully submitted by Katie Greeno