GOVERNANCE TASKFORCE
AGENDA, MAY 24, 2004
1. FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE
2. ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMITTEE
3. AGENDAS AND MINUTES
4. WEBPAGE
5. CHARGE
6. OUTLINE OF ISSUES
7. PLAN FOR SUMMER
Attending: Braam, Caldwell, Grandy, Huffer (FC liaison)
1. The committee currently consists of Braam, Caldwell, Grandy, and Zeff. We are seeking four other members to complete the committee, who will represent a broad constituency of Rice University. The following faculty members will be asked to serve:
Neal Lane (Natural Sciences) (Grandy)
Elizabeth Long (Social Sciences) (Huffer)
Randi Martin (Social Sciences) (Grandy)
In addition, Grandy will inquire about a representative from Engineering.
2. Final decision on how to organize the committee will be deferred until the entire committee is formed, but there was general agreement that there should be a chair, a co-chair, and a webmaster in charge of updating the webpage and monitoring faculty comments.
3. Agendas and minutes will be posted on the webpage.
4. The webpage is currently being designed.
5. The Faculty Council's charge to the Taskforce was discussed, as well as the question whether the Taskforce should provide one proposal or a set of proposals for the Faculty to consider.
6. The committee looked over the issues presented by the Faculty Council, and will take the next days to gain some familiarity with existing rules on governance, representation, and standing committees. Relevant documents may be found at the following sites:
(http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~faccoun/BYLAWS.html).
(http://www.professor.rice.edu/professor/Index.asp?SnID=355899553)
7. Until the committee is fully constituted, a full plan for the summer is impossible. In the interim, the committee will undertake the following activities:
-John Ambler's report on faculty governance will be disseminated to the members of the committee (Caldwell)
-Reports from all standing committees for the last three years will be requested from the President's Office (Huffer)