Faculty Council

Faculty Council

RICE NEWS OFFICE
Rice News Staff
May 28, 1998

Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
April 7, 1998 – noon
Faculty Club

Present: Isle (speaker), Antoulas, Aranda, Beckingham, Braam, Caldwell, Cox,
Driskill, Hightower, Meade, Patten, Wilson, Wittenberg, Yunis. Absent: Gibson,
Ghorbel.

The agenda consisted of: (1) Elections, (2) Appeals and Grievances, (3) Equity
Issues in Spousal Hiring, (4) Voting Procedures in Faculty Meetings, (5) Web
Page, (6) Part-time Faculty, (7) Other Business.

Isle called the meeting to order and minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

(1) Elections: Ballots were due April 7, and were to be counted by Faculty
Council’s Election Committee. Isle received a few responses to the letter he
sent to faculty expressing his disappointment that so few people had chosen
to run for Faculty Council. One letter expressed reluctance to circulate a petition
on behalf of one’s self while another suggested that in the future each candidate
be asked to make a brief statement about his or her candidacy. Isle asked council
to consider the best way to fill the vacant position–an election in the fall
or a one-year appointment–and come to the next meeting with a recommendation.

(2) Appeals and Grievances: No report.

(3) Equity Issues in Spousal Hiring: The secretary was asked to redistribute
council’s statement with the request that council be prepared to make a decision
at the next meeting.

(4) Voting Procedures in Faculty Meetings: As the Curriculum Review Committee’s
report is so critical to the entire faculty, the question of a ballot by mail
was raised. There appeared to be a consensus that it is important to have informed
voters and that the dialogue which occurs in a meeting is vital. Several suggestions
were made: council should vigorously publicize the nature of the business to
be conducted at the faculty meeting; both Faculty Council and the Curriculum
Review Committee should promote attendance; and a vote should take place in
the fall rather than the spring when schedules are so crowded.

(5) Web Page: Wittenberg announced that council’s web page is complete and
should soon be attached to the Rice network.

(6) Part-time Faculty: No report.