UMM Consultative Committee

Meeting Date: November 21, 2003

Present: Joyce Amborn, Brenda Boever, Tim Brooks, Reggie Davis, Kevin Ely, Lee Korby, Margaret Kuchenreuther, Michelle Page (Chair), Jeff Ratliff-Crain (XO), Rebecca Webb

Absent: Bart Finzel, David Wuolu, Mary Zosel

Guests: Dean John Schwaller, Chancellor Sam Schuman

Level Two Committee: The committee discussed a replacement on the Level Two Committee. To maintain balance of associate and full professors and representation of the four Divisions, a full professor from Humanities needs to be on the committee. Vicente Cabrera was recommended.

Academic Personnel Plan: Dean Schwaller shared a revised plan designed to help UMM come into compliance with policies regarding academic personnel. The major issue at UMM seems to be distinguishing between temporary and contract faculty. There are 8 categories of faculty, all with subcategories (see appended chart). Categories 7 and 2 have seen changes since the last presentation of the plan to Consultative Committee. The Committee reviewed the plan and voted to endorse.

Faculty Salary Issues: Chancellor Schuman brought a proposal to the Committee regarding faculty salaries. This proposal is also being discussed in CRPC. While the chancellor wished to acknowledge that there are multiple salary issues that he would like to address, the faculty salary issue was being attended to currently because 1) faculty salary is highly visible (faculty salaries are published in widely-read publications and institutions are ranked according to several criteria, including faculty salary) and 2) because there is disparity between faculty at the other campuses and Morris (particularly the Twin Cities campus). While the chancellor does not believe it’s realistic for faculty to be paid the same in Morris as the Twin Cities, the gap is only increasing and there is a need to address this internally since neither solutions nor funds have been forthcoming from the central administration.

The proposal is bi-fold: First, available income (income designated for faculty or not designated for other areas) from the capital campaign would be used to create an endowment that, ideally, would be added to by donors over the years. Income from the endowment would be divided among faculty. Second, newly hired contract faculty would teach 6 courses per year rather than the standard 5 course load. The teaching load for tenure-track faculty would not change due to the research and service requirements of those positions. The teaching load of College Writing faculty would not be increased. Division Chairs would be able to discuss contractual appointments with the administration since there are variations in the duties of contract faculty. For example, if research or significant service were a part of a contract faculty member’s load, the Division Chair and Dean might consider a standard 5 course load rather than the new 6 course load. However, that faculty member would be subject to the same types of review and assessment as other faculty with similar job positions (e.g., tenure-line faculty). Increasing the course load would save a substantial amount of money which would then be distributed to faculty as an “annual bonus”. The amount would vary from year to year, dependent on the status of courses and faculty. The chancellor emphasized that not every contract faculty member’s course load would be raised and that this is not a budget reduction tactic—the resulting funds would not be cut but used to augment salaries, address salary inequities, etc. Contract faculty pay would be proportionate to course load.

Members of the committee asked if UMM has diluted its own salary pool by creating positions from the existing pool rather than with funds given to us by central administration. The chancellor indicated that in the past 9 years no positions have been added except those funded by central administration, although some positions have been converted to tenure-line without changing salaries. A committee member also asked if this would reduce the need for tenure-track faculty or devalue tenure. The chancellor indicated that this would not be the case and that it would provide flexibility for disciplines to be able to better participate in First Year Seminar, Honors courses, cover sabbaticals and leaves, etc. A committee member reiterated that there is salary inequity in staff and P&A as well and we should not lose sight of that. The chancellor acknowledged that there are several types of disparities that we should keep working on. He requested that the committee discuss further and vote to endorse or not endorse the proposal at a later date.

International Students: Reggie Davis updated the committee on the plight of international students living in Key Row apartments. Indications are that the removal of the rent subsidy is not a HUD policy but part of post-9/11 policies and that Catholic Charities (owners of Key Row) are now coming into compliance with the policy. MCSA is attempting to contact Catholic Charities and the Bishop to see if it will be possible for the Church or other organizations to cover the increased rent as a type of grace. In addition, ideas about how the UMM community can help these students are being solicited.

TABLE I. ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS⁽¹⁾

Category^(2)	Titles	Appointment Term and Type	Comments
(1) Tenure and Tenure-track faculty	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor	A – 12 month L – 9 month P – indefinite tenure N – probationary	Currently in use at UMM; will follow the guidelines in the new academic policy with the following change: L designator (not B) to denote 9 month term
(2) Non-tenure track faculty (term appointments; contract faculty)	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor	A – 12 month L – 9 month K – annual/renewable J – fixed term (>1 yr)	UMM will use these appointments to hire non-tenure track faculty (currently referred to as “temporary faculty”; new terminology = “contract faculty”). Ph.D. or terminal degree required (Instructor = ABD).
(3) Non-tenure track faculty (term appointments; temporary faculty)	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor	L – 9 month T - temporary	Appointments of this type will be made rarely at UMM. These appointments are typically for ≤1 year and reappointment is the exception.
(4) Non-tenure track faculty (term appointments; visiting faculty)	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor	L – 9 month V - visiting	Appointments of this type will find occasional use at UMM and will follow the guidelines in the new administrative policy. Holds an academic appointment outside of the U of M.
(5) Adjunct faculty (from within the U)	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor		Not likely to be used at UMM
(6) Adjunct faculty (from outside the U)	Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor	L – 9 month A – Adjunct, non-regular	This type of academic appointment will be restricted to those hired at ≤20% time. The hire must have the terminal degree in his or her field.
(7) Academic Staff (primary responsibility is teaching)	Teaching Specialist Lecturer	A – 12 month K/E – 10 month L – 9 month K – annual/renewable J – fixed term (>1 yr)	To be used to hire academic staff whose primary duty is teaching but do not have the terminal degree in their fields. (The issue of promotion to senior levels will be considered at a later date.) Teaching Specialist: Bachelors degree Lecturer: Masters degree
(8) Academic Staff (primary responsibility is non-instructional; some teaching duties)	Teaching Specialist Lecturer	L – one course L – one term K – annual/renewable	To be used for academic staff whose primary duties are non-instructional but occasionally teach. (The issue of promotion to senior levels will be considered at a later date.) Primary appointment defines the individual’s employment; secondary appointment is tied to instructional responsibilities.

⁽¹⁾ The Morris campus will not normally use prefix/working titles for any academic appointments.

⁽²⁾ Category number designators are or Morris campus reference only.