Minutes from May 16, 2005 Executive Council Meeting
10am-Noon
Present: Linda Bucher (presiding), Leon Campbell, Gerald Turkel, David Smith, Sheldon Pollack, Danilo Yanich, Steve Dentel, Kevin Kerrane, Judy Van Name.
The meeting opened with an announcement that, with Judy Van Name's retirement, Kevin Kerrane would be taking over her duties as secretary through Fall 2005. Judy was then presented with a certificate honoring her work, as well as a book of poems as a thank-you gift. Minutes of two preceding meetings, March 14 and April 11, were quickly approved with only minor edits. In light of the new contract provisions, Steve Dentel asked whether there is a minimum for Instructors' salaries, as there is for Assistant Professors. Leon Campbell observed that these salaries are "all over the place," and that Instructors have never received structural adjustments. There were several additions to the meeting agenda:
- Leon Campbell suggested adding a resolution stating that faculty who are on retirement leave cannot work at another institution during that time.
- David Smith sought and received Executive Council approval to take to Stage 3 a grievance filed by a faculty member in the College of Agriculture.
In response to a question about AAUP membership and dues, Gerald Turkel noted that department chairs can be members of the national AAUP, but not of the local chapter. The situation is complicated by the fact that memberships are calculated on the basis of one year from the date of joining. After the Treasurer, Sheldon Pollack, announced that there were no new numbers to report, discussion turned to the "AAUP Beat." Gerald Turkel said that the June issue would carry a full report on the faculty's contract vote as well as news about the Fall elections (as described in 3.a.4 of the CBA). Dates would be specified immediately, but the Executive Council slate need not be publicized until four weeks prior to the election. The newsletter would also list those whose terms will expire after the Fall semester, and it would carry a notice of Judy Van Name's retirement and of her replacement during the Fall semester by Kevin Kerrane. Gerald Turkel also reported that the chapter was in negotiation with a union printer who would be able to use offset technology to highlight photos and add color. The same printer could also provide the chapter with new designs for enrollment cards. Some discussion followed about the name of the newsletter and about the possibility of a contest to find an alternative to "AAUP Beat."
Old Business
The meeting's Old Business included information about the chapter's website. Linda Bucher said that a redesign was underway, and that a new version of our site would be ready by September 1. Leon Campbell stressed the importance of having our newsletter available on that site. Another pending issue was the status of the chapter's history, which was commissioned long ago, with a preliminary payment made to a graduate student in the History department. Gerald Turkel reported that the student now claims that the AAUP breached the agreement, and that he does not have certain chapter materials. Danilo Yanich asked about the possibility of a legal injunction to recover our documents, or to prevent their unauthorized use. Leon Campbell suggested that John Hurt could convey the chapter's views forcefully to the student, and Gerald Turkel and Sheldon Pollack agreed to ask Professor Hurt to do so. Linda Bucher announced that the by-laws had been approved by the membership, although voter turnout was low. The revised by-laws will also be on the new AAUP website.
New Business
Turning to New Business, Linda reported that about 300 votes had been received on the new CBA, although about 12 ballots from the Georgetown faculty had been delayed. Regarding the succession of members of the Executive Council, Linda pointed out that - as of January 1, 2006 - the following members were eligible to continue: Sheldon Pollack, Steve Dentel, Danilo Yanich, and Linda herself. Two at-large members are to be voted on by the Executive Council. Returning to the issue of retirement leave, Leon Campbell said that it is a fundamental practice that faculty members cannot be employed elsewhere during the leave period. On the other hand, such faculty would still be free to do consulting - as long as that activity met the criteria set forth in the Faculty Handbook. Linda concluded the meeting by announcing that there was no news from the national AAUP, and that requests for the council members' Fall schedules would be sent out by e-mail.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Kerrane