Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting

13 April 2000 - 12:00 noon

Faculty Club

Present: Akin, Bayazitoglu, Dailey, Dharan, Caldwell, Cox, Ghorbel, Mutchler, Patten, Rea, West, Wiener, Wilson. Absent: Ambler, Droxler, Wittenberg.

The agenda consisted of: (1) Sexual Harassment, (2) Request from the AAUP, (3) Policy 201-97 as It Pertains to Non-tenure Track Faculty, (4) Policy 324-99, Research Misconduct, (5) Sale of Class Notes, (6) Election Report.

(1) Sexual Harassment Policy: Council unanimously voted to forward a draft of its revised document, RICE UNIVERSITY SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES, to the president for administrative review.

(2) Request from the AAUP: The attached letter from the president of the Rice chapter, AAUP, had been distributed prior to the meeting. On the issue of equity for part-time and non-tenure-line teaching faculty, Wilson prepared charts showing that the trend at Rice has been flat - total numbers have not changed significantly. Council unanimously agreed to this conclusion. (See charts on the following pages.)

(3) Policy 201-97 as It Pertains to Non-tenure Track Faculty: Council decided that this, the second issue raised in the AAUP letter, requires additional consideration. Faculty Council's Policy subcommittee will proceed with a further study and present its findings at the first Council meeting in the fall.

(4) Policy 324-99, Research Misconduct: The Policy currently reads:

1. If the alleged offender is a faculty member, the President will determine whether to initiate proceedings under Policy 201-97, section 8, to consider dismissal or a severe sanction against the accused faculty member. If the President concludes that the alleged misconduct, if true, would justify a minor sanction, the President will refer the matter to the faculty member's dean.

Council unanimously approved recommendation of the following revision:

1. If the alleged offender is a faculty member, the President will determine whether to initiate proceedings under Policy 201-97, Section 8, to consider dismissal or a severe sanction against the accused faculty member. The procedures to be followed shall be those outlined in the Faculty Council's Procedure for Investigating Accusations Warranting Sever Sanction, Including Dismissal, Against Faculty Members. If the President concludes that the alleged misconduct, if true, would justify a minor sanction, the President will refer the matter to the faculty member's dean.

(5) Sale of Class Notes: Council was asked to recommend a course of action on this issue. After discussion, it was moved and seconded that Council recommends prohibiting the sale of class notes or other materials by students for commercial collection or dissemination or for other commercial purposes. The motion was unanimously approved.

(6) Election Report: It was reported that Stephen Baker won the only contested election, Any Rank at Large, a four-year term (2000-2004) on Faculty Council and University Council, replacing Bill Wilson. John Zammito, in an uncontested election, replaces Martin Wiener to a four-year term on Faculty Council. As no one was nominated in Election 2 (Assistant Professor, Division A, on Faculty Council and University Council) and Election 3 (Assistant Professor, Division B, on Faculty Council) these positions will be filled by Faculty Council by appointment or a subsequent election in the fall.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.

Joan Reid, Secretary