Faculty Council Business Meeting
Monday, September 29, 2003,11:30 a.m.
Cohen House, Esther M. Cohen Dining Room

Present: Ed Akin (Speaker), Lynne Huffer (Deputy Speaker), Stephen Baker, Marjorie Corcoran, Steven Crowell, Rebekah Drezek, Michael Emerson, Deborah Harter, Tom Haskell, Hannah Landecker, Julia Morgan, Bob Patten, Herb Ward, and Mark Wiesner. Absent: Caroline Quenemoen and Patricia Reiff. Guests: Bill Barnett (Board Chair), Dean Currie, Chandler Davidson (professor emeritus), Malcolm Gillis, and Gene Levy

(1) Welcome Guests (Bill Barnett, Dean Currie, Chandler Davidson, MalcolmGillis, and Eugene Levy) (Speaker): The Speaker stated that the meetings between the administration and Faculty Council have been among the most positive influences for enhancing communication at the University on faculty governance and other issues.

President Gillis announced that the 50th anniversary of the US Supreme Court 's ruling against racial segregation in schools is on May 14, 2004, and that he has asked for a committee to be formed to plan for an observance at Rice University (probably to be held in late March). Dr. Gillis stated that Rice students are also organizing a performance as part of that observance.

(2) Council's Suggested Topics:

(A) Board’s Athletics Study Status: The Speaker pointed out that because the Faculty Council resolution on forming a new Athletics Review Committee occurred before they knew that the Board had decided to undertake a full and open study of athletics at Rice, Council has requested that President Gillis delay the appointment of such a new athletics review committee until after the Board’s report has been shared with the university community. Akin commented that depending on the eventual outcome of the Board’s work, such a committee may or may not be needed. He then requested that Bill Barnett, the Board Chair, provide Council with a status report on the progress of the study.

Mr. Barnett remarked that at the Board meeting in May, 2003, the Board voted unanimously to support the study. A committee has been appointed (Terry Koonce, Chair, L. E. Simmons, and Lynn Elsenhans) and will probably be expanded in due course. The committee has been doing a very aggressive job of interviewing consultants and will make their recommendation for retaining consultants at the Board meeting on October 2, 2003. Mr. Barnett stressed that he has no doubt the Board will accept the committee’s advice. Mr. Barnett anticipates that the study will begin with a fact analysis, primarily focused internally on Rice, and will certainly continue through the balance of the year, with a full analysis taking place in early spring. The Board has not scheduled a decision-making process for recommending how the report should be used. Mr. Barnett stated that prior to any conclusive decision by the Board, the Board will probably want to release the report to the Rice community and possibly beyond.

President Gillis then spoke, stating that a good bit has happened since the administration last met with Council. Dr. Gillis emphasized the steady movement toward increased commercialization in athletics, with pressures mounting to move toward a large, semiprofessional conglomeration of 45 to 55 schools. President Gillis emphasized his position against Rice moving into such a conglomeration, preferring to work instead to become part of a configuration of similar schools. He commented that he visited, years ago, with Roger Staubach (a major influence of the US Naval Academy), to endeavor to interest Navy and Army in such an arrangement. President Gillis stressed that Navy and Army have similar academic standards. The President also reminded the Council of his testimony to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and his meetings, last spring, with concerned faculty all over the country for the association of governing boards.

Council then discussed several aspects of the athletic issues.

(B) Confidential Information Access, Budget Information: Akin remarked that he has reviewed the Bylaws of the Faculty Council, pointing out Council’s right to discuss budgets with the administration. Dean Currie stated that he would be pleased to tell the Council how budget decisions are made. Provost Levy stressed that it would be very beneficial to have such interactions between Council and the administration, and for Council to be aware of how those financial decisions are made. The Provost then described plans that are in the making to establish an "academic-priority committee" for that purpose.

(C) Honor Council Appeal Board/Panel (Speaker): Akin commented that Council has completed the task of forming the initial panel of seven faculty members to be available to serve with Don Ostdiek (Assistant Dean, Student Judicial Programs), as members of an Appeals Board to hear each appeal brought forward as a result of a decision of the Student Honor Council. He emphasized that this is the first time the faculty has been asked to get involved in the Honors Appeals process. The panel includes Richard Grandy (Professor, Philosophy Department), Ira Gruber (Professor, History Department), Helena Michie (Professor, English Department), Deborah Nelson-Campbell (Professor, French Studies Department), Gus Scuseria (Professor, Chemistry Department), Richard Stoll (Professor, Political Science Department), and Joe Warren (Professor, Computer Science Department), Convener. For each appeals case, the Convener will meet with Dean Ostdiek to select two of the faculty on the panel to hear the case. Faculty Council will review the efficiency of the workload of the new appeals process, and seek ways to maintain good continuity with future panels.

(3) Adjournment: Today's meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m., with the next Faculty Council business meeting scheduled for Monday, October 6, 2003, 12 noon, Cohen House, Esther M. Cohen Dining Room.

Ellen Butler
Secretary