October 23, 2019

Attending

LeAnn Chisholm                    Pat Heintzelman                                  Vivek Natarajan                               

Brian Craig                           Matthew Hoch                                     Joe Nordgren

Ashley Dockens                     Aida Lasher                                        Brenda Nichols

Dan French                           James Marquart                                  Jeremy Shelton

Liv Haselbach                        Lynn Maurer                                        Robert Spina

Announcements

• Faculty Handbook, updated January 2019, was taken off Lamar’s website because updates were not approved.
• Currently the Faculty Handbook, updated August 2017, is posted on Lamar’s website.
• Committee is going through August 2017 Handbook at today’s meeting and looking at each change that was made from August 2017 to January 2019.
• If committee agrees with all changes the January 2019 Handbook will go through all necessary approvals and be reposted on Lamar’s website.
• Goal is to have January 2019 Handbook posted before SACSCOC completes their review.
• Working on a new version of the Faculty Handbook. That version will not be shown at today’s meeting.

Discussion

• Committee went line-by-line of all edits made to August 2017 Faculty Handbook.
• Many edits were grammar, punctuation, and title updates.
• What is procedure for the January 2019 Faculty Handbook to be fully approved?
  • Faculty Handbook Advisory Committee sends recommendations to Faculty Senate
  • If approved, then handbook is sent to Administration
  • If Administration approves Handbook is then sent to the TSUS General Counsel
• Bennett Bartlett, TSUS Associate General Counsel, reviewed Handbook and noted Appendix I needs to be changed.
  • August 2017 Faculty Handbook posted on Lamar’s website has updated Appendix I with link to TSUS website.
  • Correct content will be added to future Faculty Handbook that will be presented later.
• Why were there changes to Concealed Carry policy in Ch. 2 Sect 42? This section was non-compliant with THECB and needed to be updated.
• Why is there a new section in Ch. 2 Sect 44? Salary Market Advances was fully approved in 2018 and so needs to be in the Faculty Handbook. Send content from Section 44.8 to meeting attendees.
• When can Faculty Senate raise issues on content of Faculty Handbook?
  • Send issues to the Faculty Handbook Advisory Committee and they will review.
• Why is Vice President for Student Engagement taken off Ch. 3 No. 39?
  • Vicki McNeil is the Vice President for Student Engagement. She took herself out of the committee.
• Name change to committee in Ch. 3 No. 41. Change from University Animal Care Committee to Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
• The companion grid document of all edits made to August 2017 Handbook will be updated and then sent to meeting attendees.
• Faculty Handbook policies will be reevaluated on a consistent basis. Revaluate a third of the policies at a time.
• All Faculty Handbook changes discussed today will be sent to meeting attendees.
• Lindsay Simon is working on the new version of the Faculty Handbook.
  • It will be a policies handbook.
  • Procedures will be separate from the new Faculty Handbook.
  • Nichols is working on the FTE procedure. It is not public.
  • After completion Dr. Nichols will send the New Faculty Handbook to Faculty Senate, CID, Administration, Bennett Bartlett and then TSUS General Counsel.

Action Items

• Next meeting is Wednesday, November 13 at 1:30pm in Reaud 312.
• Send all meeting attendees the content from Ch. 2 Sect. 44.8.
• Send Faculty Handbook changes to all meeting attendees.
• Change name of University Animal Care Committee to Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
• Make edits and add page numbers to the companion grid document.
• Nichols will send the new Faculty Handbook to appropriate groups for review and approval.