Faculty Senate March 7, 2022

President's remarks to open the meeting:

1. Our thoughts go out to our colleagues and friends in the Ukraine in this time of conflict

2. The meeting includes several items that are expected to generate discussion. Please remember that only elected Senators, alternates attending in place of an elected senator, and the administrative members appointed by the Provost are voting members. 

3. For action items the maker and seconder of a motion will give opening remarks then we will alternate between those wishing to speak in opposition to a motion and those speaking in favor. Remember that speaking for or opposed to a motion doesn't constrain how you can eventually vote. Please use the raised hand feature in zoom to be recognized. Please keep your remarks brief. 

President's Report:

1. The Senate leadership has been very active on several issues since we last met. A major matter of concern has been reports attacking the diversity efforts across the State universities and particularly at UTK under the name "Critical Social Justice". I have signing a letter from TUFS that was distributed to legislators. President Boyd has been clear in meetings with the UFC that the UT System is devoted to defending academic freedom, maintaining commitments to diversity and noting that we in no way are "indoctrinating students" in any particular ideology. 

2. Regarding academic restructuring, the Senate leadership submitted a possible timeline and a few examples for how suggestions might be submitted. These are now posted on the Restructuring website and the Senate leadership worked in collaboration with the Provost office to establish a feedback form that encourages responses with alternatives aligning with the themes of the working group on restructuring. These examples are simply done to indicate how benefits and challenges associated with each suggestion might be framed. The Senate leadership has encouraged the Provost and Chancellor to focus efforts on the processes here that impede the ability of faculty to do their jobs effectively and to in particular consider ways to reduce the clerical burden on both faculty and Heads. Please encourage colleagues to suggest through the feedback form ways that we can change processes to do this and to attend the various sessions set up by the Provost to obtain feedback.

3. After discussions with the Provost, and the evident challenges in implementing the Budget Model input we had hoped the Senate Budget and Planning Committee would have, I and Beth Schussler and Phillip Daves have attended the Deans presentations to the Provost. The details of the budgets presented are still mostly being kept within each College since nothing is yet passed by the legislature so we don't know the budget for next year. Faculty are encouraged to ask their Heads and Deans if they would like to know details for their College. A consistent take-away from these budget presentations was the potential benefit for all Deans to hear from others and to make potential connections on projects that could benefit from collaborations. I encourage that this be enhanced next year and that Deans be able to hear budget presentations from support units as well. 

4. On a personal note, I have accepted the retirement incentive and will therefore retire on June 30. Although I had planned to be available next year to continue to assist the Senate leadership, that is not possible except informally. I thank you all for allowing me to again serve as President. The Bylaws are silent about how to deal with an opening in the Immediate past-president position. The Senate leadership has discussed this and I am now going to defer to President-Elect Schussler to describe the process and to report on election matters.