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D 8750-8766 DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY Following are the minutes of the regular Faculty Council meeting of May 9, 2011. Sue Alexander Greninger, Secretary The General Faculty and Faculty Council MINUTES OF THE REGULAR FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING OF May 9, 2011 The ninth regular meeting of the Faculty Council for the academic year 2010-11 was held in the Main Building, Room 212 on Monday, May 9, 2011, immediately following the special meeting of the 2011-12 Faculty Council. ATTENDANCE. Present: Byron P. Almen, Jacqueline L. Angel, Anthony Brown, Simone A. Browne, Douglas S. Bruster, Benjamin H. Carrington, Lee R. Chesney, Alan K. Cline, Elizabeth Cullingford, Molly E. Cummings, Arturo De Lozanne, James W. Deitrick, Randy L. Diehl, Michael P. Domjan, Michael W. Downer, Brian L. Evans, David W. Fowler, Eileen R. Fowles, Alan W. Friedman, Irene M. Gamba, Robert B. Gilbert, Linda L. Golden, Manuel A. Gonzalez, Edmund (Ted) Gordon, Sue A. Greninger, Susan S. Heinzelman, Martha F. Hilley, James A. Holcombe, Kerry A. Kinney, Hunter C. March, Jennifer A. Maynard, Dean P. Neikirk, Edward W. (Ted) Odell, Alba A. Ortiz, Thomas L. Pangle, Elmira Popova, Karen L. Rascati, Catherine Riegle-Crumb, Patricia Roberts-Miller, Mary Rose, Stanley J. Roux, Cherise Smith, Janet Staiger, Vincent S. (Shelby) Stanfield, Pauline T. Strong, Rabun Taylor, Deborah L. Volker, Alexandra K. Wettlaufer, Darlene C. Wiley, Samuel M. Wilson, Paul B. Woodruff. Absent: Robert H. Abzug (excused), Chelsea B. Adler, Samer M. Ali (excused), Judy C. Ashcroft (excused), Phillip J. Barrish (excused), Hans C. Boas (excused), Philip M. Broadbent, Erika M. Bsumek (excused), Loftus C. Carson, Namkee Choi (excused), Michael B. Clement, Dana L. Cloud, Patricia L. Clubb, Miles Lynn Crismon, Douglas J. Dempster, Andrew P. Dillon, William L. Fisher (excused), Thomas W. Gilligan, Mickey L. Gonzales, Juan C. González, Donald A. Hale, Alden G. Harris, Hillary Hart (excused), Roderick P. Hart, Fred M. Heath, Kevin P. Hegarty, James L. Hill (excused), Robert L. Hutchings, Kedra B. Ishop (excused), Manuel J. Justiz, Muneezeh Kabir, Steven W. Leslie (excused), Chang Liu (excused), John H. McCall, Blinda E. McClelland, Sharon Mosher, Carisa Nietsche (excused), Patricia C. Ohlendorf (excused), David S. Onion, Scott Parks, Robert G. Paterson, Elizabeth C. Pomeroy (excused), William C. Powers (excused), Mary Ann Rankin, Soncia Reagins-Lilly (excused), Victoria Rodriguez, Cinzia Russi (excused), John D. Rutkauskas, Lawrence Sager, Cinthia S. Salinas, Juan M. Sanchez, Rajashri Srinivasan (excused), Frederick R. Steiner, Alexa M. Stuifbergen, Leslie J. Vaaler, Gregory J. Vincent, Jo Lynn Westbrook, Barbara W. White, Lexing Ying (excused). Voting Members: 48 present, 28 absent, 76 total. Non-Voting Members: 3 present, 31 absent, 34 total. Total Members 51 present, 59 absent, 110 total. I. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. III. COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRESIDENT. Chair Dean Neikirk (electrical and computer engineering) reported that President Powers and other administrators were unable to attend the Faculty Council meeting because they were attending the memorial service honoring Senior Vice President Shirley Bird Perry at the LBJ Library Auditorium. Chair Neikirk noted that the following questions had been submitted to President Powers prior to the meeting by the Faculty Council Executive Committee (FCEC) and would be addressed at a future meeting: What is the “Faculty Information System Will faculty be able to view, comment on, and submit corrections to all the entries in their record in the Faculty Information System? Chair Neikirk said he had discussed the questions with Provost Steve Leslie and had permission to share with the Council what he had learned in that conversation. He said the Faculty Information System was being developed to provide information, which in the past was organized largely in an index card format, into a more convenient, accessible manner. Chair Neikirk said the important question, in his opinion, was the second one, and he had been assured that “faculty will know what is in the Faculty Information System and have the ability to review it, comment on it, and make corrections where appropriate.” He said the FCEC would make sure the questions get addressed next fall at a Council meeting and will insist that the information in the system be open and accessible to faculty. IV. REPORT OF THE CHAIR. V. REPORT OF THE CHAIR ELECT. VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Resolution on the Faculty's Role in the UT Austin Budget Process (D 8631-8632). VII. REPORTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY, COLLEGES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMITTEES—None. VIII. NEW BUSINESS. A. Schedule of Meetings for the Faculty Council in 2011-2012 (D 8661)—Dean Neikirk (Council chair and professor, electrical and computer engineering). B. Cancellation of Summer Meetings of the Faculty Council (D 8662)—Dean Neikirk (Council chair and professor, electrical and computer engineering). C. Vote of Confidence in the President and his Administrative Team (D 8663)—Alan Friedman (chair elect and professor, English). D. Proposed Changes from the Committee on Committees to Increase General Faculty Standing Committee Terms of Service to Three Years (D 8664)—Megan Seaholm (committee chair and lecturer, history). E. Proposal to Clarify Rules Relating to the Elections of Vice Chairs and Chairs Elect of General Faculty Standing Committees (D 8665)—Megan Seaholm (committee chair and lecturer, history).> F. Proposal from the Educational Policy Committee for New One-Time-Exception Policy (D 8666-8667)—William Beckner (committee chair and professor, mathematics). G. Proposal from the Educational Policy Committee to Revise Dropping a Class: Rules for Undergraduates (D 8668)—William Beckner (committee chair and professor, mathematics). H. Proposal from the Educational Policy Committee to Revise the Retroactive Withdrawal Policy (D 8669)—William Beckner (committee chair and professor, mathematics). I. Proposal from the Educational Policy Committee to Revise the In Absentia Registration Policy (D 8670)—William Beckner (committee chair and professor, mathematics). IX. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMENTS. Chair Neikirk called attention to each of the following announcements: A. Alan Friedman is in the process of making General Faculty Standing Committee assignments for next year. Chosen committee members will be receiving your formal letter in campus mail soon. Chair Elect Friedman thanked members for their willingness to serve. B. Annual Reports of the General Faculty Standing Committees are due in the Office of the General Faculty. C. Next year, the joint meeting with the Texas A&M Faculty Senate will be held at College Station on February 27, 2012; continuing members are asked to mark their calendars. It is an all-day event well worth attending. X. QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIR—None. XI. ADJOURNMENT. Chair Neikirk thanked everyone and said it had been an exciting year for him. Council members applauded, which was followed by another expression of gratitude from the chair. After a motion and second to adjourn, Chair Neikirk adjourned the meeting at 3:47 p m. Posted on the Faculty Council website on July 6, 2011.