Mānoa Faculty Senate Executive Committee
Minutes of June 8, 2009

Present: Ross (chair), Tiles, Wakayama, Rayner, Keil, Hilgers, Hippensteele, Crosby.

2 pm --SEC regular monthly meeting with VC Ostrander (GKO).

1. State budget implications for Research and Graduate Education

GKO: Research is a complicated area for budget cutting because of extensive reliance on grant funding. E.g., how do you ‘furlough’ from someone’s grant-funded salary without losing part of grant? How do you furlough or cut when a grant involves matching funds from, e.g., UH?

Discussion covered possible reallocating of grant funds (extremely complicated, given G fund allocations, UHPA contract, granting agencies, etc.); the negatives of a 1size-fits-all savings formula (UH president has said System will determine formulas, not campuses); impacts of cuts on enrollments (see UArizona website on furloughs for sampling of furlough implications and consequences); the fact that July 1 is 3 weeks away.

1. Prioritization. GKO noted that the process will continue.

2. Declaration of “Financial Exigency”: what might be consequences for UHM?

Chancellors may or may not favor declaration: it allows vertical cuts. Faculty cuts require 18 months; APT cuts require 90 days of prior notice. Without declaration, campus cannot cut positions. But if a Research-extensive university declares financial exigency, some funding agencies will put a freeze on grants for that university and top researchers will not consider job offers. The bottom line is that UH cannot cut $50M+ from its budget without cutting positions.

3 pm. Regular SEC meeting

1. 6/1 SEC minutes were approved.

2. Chair’s report

A. Budget Committee (BC) and Manoa Executive Team (MET)

MET met with Pres McClain; his answer to most questions: “We don’t know.” $53M cut amount is not from governor, who provided no number; it is UH estimate. The System thus far has no plan; it is trying to figure out consequences of ANY figure for the system. Questions about furloughs and their effects on retirement were many; McClain thought that there would be no impact on ‘high-3’ determination, but that has proved to be wrong. One BC member suggested that UH borrow money for 2 years and then pay it back with savings from retirements 2 years hence.

BC also met with Extension to discuss shortfalls on “No Credit” side

B. Assessment Organizational Group

There will be 2 reporting lines for the assessment office: one for tenure and promotion; another for assessment policy. But there is an issue: What constitutes policy?

C. Faculty Senate Budget

FS office and SEC budget numbers have been determined; GEO budget numbers are under discussion; Assessment Office budget numbers remain to be determined.

3. Old business

A. FS committees

Questions for some nominated appointees to FS committees have not gotten responses, always a problem during off-duty time. We are also hampered by having no “archive” showing past committee membership.

Sarita Rai is now appointed to CAPP for 09-10. Liaisons will contact members of their committees announcing appointments. SEC needs to populate MAC from scratch. All SEC members are encouraged to suggest names, since SEC acts as CFS during summer.

B. Enrollment Management

VCAA wants an EM working group. How many senators do we want on it? What should be its charge? This topic will be covered next week during meeting with VCAA.

C. Presidential Search

Ross will testify at BOR on Wednesday, highlighting main points from his SEC position statement to BOR.

4. New business

A. Agenda for 6/15 meeting with VCAA

Wakayama will pull earlier list of items for discussion with OVCAA that was compiled by SEC sec’y Graham Crooks. Crosby asked to add change of grade policy, since grades can now be changed without faculty involvement. The larger issue may involve specifying responsibilities of academic affairs and student affairs.

B. Sustainability Courtyard practices Faculty input on the possibility of meat’s being on venue menus was sought.

The meeting ended at 4:50 p.m.