Minutes_12_11

Meeting Minutes of December 11, 2007
Minutes taken by Jim Collier
32 Pamplin Hall

Senators in Attendance: Akers, Mike; Anong, Sophia; Bell Martha Ann; Collier, Jim; Easterling, Sam; Ehrich, Roger; Eriksson, Ken; Floyd, John; Grisso, Bobby; Jarrott, Shannon; Jelesko, John; Jones, Jeryl; Klein, Brad; Larson, Timothy; Long, Gary; Marand, Herve; Martin, Steve; McMillian, Gail; McQuain, Margaret; Moyo, Leslie; Nieto, Antonio; Odendaal, Hardus; Paretti, Marie; Parker, Dan; Redican, Kerry; Rinehart, Susanna; Scheiber, Maddy; Shadle, Brett; Shingles, Rick; Shoemaker, Don; Smith, Deborah; Vandsburger, Uri; Viehland, Dwight; Welch, Dennis.

Guests in Attendance: Dean Richard E. Sorensen (Pamplin College of Business); Dr. Richard J. Ferraro (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs).

President Kerry Redican convened the meeting at 7:02 pm.

1. Kerry Redican, Approval of Agenda: Approved.

2. Approval of 13 November 2007 Minutes: Minutes will be electronically approved.

3. Dean Richard E. Sorensen (Pamplin College of Business); Dr. Richard J. Ferraro (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs): Updates on the Human Dimensions Committee and the Security and Infrastructure Committee

Dean Sorensen, Chair of the Security and Infrastructure Committee (SIC), reported on the tasks, begun two months ago, to sift through the four hundred or so recommendations following in the wake of the April 16 shootings. Of the four hundred recommendations roughly three hundred were considered further and grouped. Overall recommendations were made then and sent from the committee to the policy group. The SIC had three guiding considerations: 1) A comprehensive risk analysis; 2) A security master plan; and 3) A risk management function. General recommendations from the committee to the group included: personal locators; an ID management system; closed circuit surveillance; campus fiber optics upgrade; a banner display system; LCD message board, electronic people locator; enhancing space in public safety buildings; a campus 911 dispatch center; building card access; hardware on selected offices; and centralized student e-mail. A summary of the Security Infrastructure Group’s findings and recommendations can be found in “Overview of the findings and recommendations of the April 16 tragedy internal review committees” (Larry Hincker; http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=459). The redacted version of the full Security Infrastructure Group report can be found at http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/documents/2007-08-22_security_infrastructure.pdf
Questions following the presentation involved whether or not possible emergency scenarios had been, or could be, modeled or simulated; the allocation of resources; big brother surveillance; a centralized or de-centralized safety plan; and whether public forums should be held to consider the committee’ and, ultimately, the group’s recommendations and actions.
Dr. Richard J. Ferraro reported on the activities of the Human Dimensions Committee (HDC). The HDC sifted through hundreds of recommendations addressing issues related to identifying and supporting at-risk students. Committee sub-groups and priorities were established. Ferraro echoed the first “broad theme” (“Expanding Capacity in the System”) found in “Overview of the findings and recommendations of the April 16 tragedy internal review committees” (Larry Hincker). To wit: refining and expanding the Care Team; creating a Threat Assessment Team; and expanding case management capacity. However, as Ferraro noted, developing and enforcing violence prevention strategies (supported by adequate training and reporting) requires a degree of medical information sharing which may run afoul of current privacy laws. (The Interface Group’s report can be found at http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/documents/2007-08-22_internal_communications.pdf)
Senators’ questions were many and complex. Senators expressed concern that confidential information might be abused or disseminated inadvertently. Additional concerns were voiced that the university, in its zeal to uncover potential threats, may institute “witch-hunt” policies that harm students. Moreover, might the current climate of budget cuts and larger classes result in greater threats? What behaviors, in or out of the classroom, might predict a violent result? How can faculty make these determinations? Can the university get information about a student’s behavior, or tendencies, in the entrance application process? How might this information, even if collected by certain groups or agencies, be disseminated to possibly affected individuals? What do confidentiality practices allow people and agencies to say? When?

4. Hardus Odendaal and Ken Eriksson, Chair, Faculty Reconciliation Committee: Employee Assistance Program Policy

Hardus and Ken sought comments from the Senate on Draft 2 (November 18, 2007) of the Employee Assistance Program’s (EAP) policy and procedures.
In sum, the EAP offers: “Confidential services to employees and to supervisors, who must confront employees with personal problems that affect the work environment …” (http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/campus_notices/campusnotice.php?item=1121). EAP’s services are available to all employees and dependents enrolled in the state’s health insurance plan. Employees may refer themselves to an EAP counselor or may be referred by supervisors. According to the draft, the purpose of the EAP is to: “… increase employee productivity reduce absenteeism and turnover, and positively impact the learning and work environment” (section 1, pg. 1).
Questions on what might trigger a supervisory referral were raised. In that light, what decisions can the employee make in the wake of a referral?
Comments on the EAP should be sent to Ken Eriksson or Pat Hyer by mid-January.

5. Kerry Redican, President’s Report: Kerry reported on the Senate officer’s meeting with President Steger.

In brief Kerry mentioned that: 1) A recovery office will be created; 2) Budget announcements are in the offing; and 3) Stress on members on the Virginia Tech community will ramp up as we approach the anniversary of April 16.

6. Hardus Odendaal, Vice President’s Report: No report.

7. Susanna Rinehart, Past President’s Report

Susanna informed the Senate of a letter (dated 10 December 2007) written on behalf of the University Curriculum Committee for Liberal Education (UCCLE) regarding the potential impact of budget cuts on undergraduate education. The letter was sent to President Steger and Provost McNamee (with copies to James Hyatt and Dwight Shelton). The letter states, in part: “We are concerned that the Virginia Tech plan to ‘reduce personnel costs’ by ‘increasing class sizes, offering fewer courses, and decreasing efforts in instruction’ (Governor’s FY 2008 Budget Reduction Plan, http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/2008BudgetReductionPlan10-01-2007.pdf, p. 11) threatens the whole concept of the CLE.”
The ensuing discussion involved the university’s commitment to undergraduate education whether or not the Senate should make a declarative statement, also in the form of a letter to the President and Provost, on the impact of budget cuts on undergraduate education. Susanna was tasked with drafting a letter describing the Senate’s position (The result being a letter of 14 December 2007).

8 and 9: Given time constraints agenda items 8 (Commission/Committee Reports: CAPFA Resolution “Dr. Martin Luther King: AP Faculty Holiday” (Ken Eriksson)) and 9 (New Business: Update on NCAA Self-Study (Sam Easterling )) were set aside.

10. Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 9:15.

11. The next Senate meeting will be held Tuesday, February 12 at 7:00 in Pamplin 32.

Faculty Senate, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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