Consultative Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 26, 2004	8:00 am


Members present:  Michelle Page (Chair), Tim Brooks, Rebecca Webb, Kevin Ely, Joyce 
Amborn, Brenda Boever, Mary Zosel

STA Fund
Michelle Page opened the meeting with an update on the status of the Special Talent 
Fund.

Faculty Salary Enhancement issue.  The group briefly discussed the email message 
received from Chancellor Schuman.  

Course Loads
As a separate issue, faculty members have questioned the committee regarding how 
faculty positions are being advertised- i.e, are they a 5 or 6 course load?  For consistency 
purposes, there is a concern of whether a 6 course load will become a de-facto policy to 
reduce the budget rather than the original plan to use this as a way to enhance faculty 
salaries.  Michelle will check the Chronicle’s listing of currently available positions at 
UMM for course load information, then email Dean Schwaller and the Division Chairs to 
question this action.
	
Additional question:	Do all tenured and tenure-track faculty teach what they are 
contracted to do?  (i.e., teach 5 courses each year?)  What measures are in place to assure 
that teaching loads are equitable across division lines?  Can we afford to pay someone to 
teach a partial credit load when they are paid a full time salary?
	
Tenure and Promotion, Student Evaluations of Teaching
Several members questioned the process of soliciting student response in the tenure 
process.  While this information is valued in the tenure process, currently enrolled 
students might feel pressured to submit a positive written response to the request because 
they fear possible retaliation in future courses from that professor.  This situation might 
also be applied to student evaluation of teaching.

Meeting adjourned at 9:10 am.