February 28, 2005

Present: Rob Shakespeare (chair), Erik Bucy, Katy Fraser, Roger Levesque, Chuck Livingston, Al Ruesink (recorder), Pam Walters

The meeting convened at 2:30.

Minutes of the February 21st meeting were amended and then approved.

Chuck announced that he is resigning from the College Policy Committee (CPC) effective today, a few months before the end of his three-year term. CPC members explored the possibility of his staying on the Committee and when it became obvious that his determination to resign was firm, we thanked him for his excellent work and wished him well.

As his last official act with the CPC, Chuck shared with us a new document that he has prepared as part of the report from his CPC task force on salary issues. Two recommendations were made and several areas for possible further discussion were noted. The two recommendations were: 1) forming a College Staff Relations Committee to help non-faculty members of the College have better professional lives; and 2) requiring the posting of departmental policy documents, including departmental salary policy information, on a College website.

Chuck left our meeting at 3:15.

The CPC continued its discussion of gender and racial equity concerns, becoming more convinced that there are significant differences between the two. We wish to move ahead with our exploration of the gender equity scene led by Pam, while getting started with the racial/ethnic consideration.

At 3:30 we were joined by Dean Swamy.

We continued and concluded our discussion of the option of giving leaves of absence to faculty who have been courted by other institutions and received counteroffers from us. As the discussion progressed, it became apparent that both the Dean and the CPC want to maintain flexibility in responding to individual situations, while establishing policies and practices that are beneficial to both individuals and to the College as a whole. There are some for whom it would be appropriate to give a year's leave after making a counteroffer. To remain in limbo for two years of leave would not be desirable. Usually it would be advisable to phase in the financial part of a counteroffer over a two- or three-year period.

With Swamy, we discussed some aspects of the CPC proposal to establish a committee to recommend candidates for senior faculty recognition. We will be discussing it with him more fully at our next meeting.

Swamy reported on his meeting with the campus budget office to discuss the College budget for 2005-6. His points, endorsed by the CPC after we discussed them, were

1. Give a respectable salary increase to College faculty (highest priority)
2. Encourage the Trustees to raise tuition about 4%
3. Seek maximum flexibility in the use of CTE funds
4. Find a way to move Communication and Culture into more permanent quarters, in spite of the lack of R&R funds that are said to be required to do that

The meeting adjourned at 4:00.

Albert Ruesink, recorder

Questions or comments regarding the minutes and actions of the Policy Committee may be addressed to Rob Shakespeare, Dept. of Theater and Drama, Theater and Drama Ctr. A300H, 5-4367, shakespe@indiana.edu. Past minutes and College Policy Statements can be found at the CPC web page: www.indiana.edu/~college/faculty/policy/policies.shtml.