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Academics: a monthly newsletter for the faculty of the University of Florida

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Academics: a monthly newsletter for the faculty of the University of Florida
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Academics: a monthly newsletter for the faculty of the University of Florida
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University of Florida. Senate
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University of Florida Faculty Senate, University of Florida
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ACADEMICS
A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida Published by the Faculty Senate
*4'ntpmhpr 207


Chair's Message:


Welcome
By: Rick Yost, Faculty Senate Chair
As the fall semester approached, I was
thinking of all the great things here at UF:
National basketball and football champi-
onships! A record \_,[ in research
awards! Perhaps most importantly,
approval by the legislature and Governor
of differential tuition, which for the first
Rick Yost time means that UF's tuition won't be the
same as every other university in Florida,
and that it will be decoupled from the limits imposed by
the Bright Futures program. Even though it won't mean
any new funds until next fall, it provides the basis for
initiating the academic enhancement program (hiring new
faculty in areas with significant undergraduate instruc-
tional needs, as well as more academic advisors). We also
appreciate the $6M contribution from the University
Athletic Association to help support academic programs
on campus, including continuation of Florida Opportunity
Scholars Program.
Clearly, it's not all good news as we start the new aca-
demic year. We face budget woes including potential
callbacks of 4 percent, a hiring freeze and no raises from
the legislature. Nevertheless, let's not forget all the good
news above.
As we start the year, we need to recall the substantial
advances that have been made in shared governance here
at UF over the past few years.

see Chair, pg. 2


Buzz:

The University Budget
By: Bernie Machen, President
The University of Florida is facing an
extremely lean budget year, but I am
working hard to shelter our core academic
enterprise, and I am optimistic we will
continue to grow and move forward
academically.
The state budget approved this spring
Bernie Machen contained no tuition increases for under-
graduates, and no funding for faculty and
staff raises. Instead, faculty and staff will receive one-time
$1,000 payments in November. The budget also did not
provide any added support for Florida Opportunity Schol-
ars or other UF initiatives. Not only that, but in June, we
learned there would be a four percent cuts to this already
lean budget and the Legislature will meet next month to
determine if still more cuts are needed.
We have responded to these evolving circumstances as
quickly and comprehensively as possible, implementing a
hiring freeze, establishing a cost-reduction and efficiency
task force and distributing target base budget reductions to
all units.
Our goal is to reduce our recurring budget by $30 to $34
million. We are assigning the bulk of these reductions -
75 percent- to administrative, academic support and
auxiliary units, with the remaining 25 percent assigned to
academic units and libraries.


see Budget, pg. 2


a-


CONTENTS


Announcements 2
Budget Council in Review 4


Faculty Senate News

Meeting Calendar









ACADEMICS
A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida Published by the Faculty Senate
*4'ntpmhpr 207


Chair's Message:


Welcome
By: Rick Yost, Faculty Senate Chair
As the fall semester approached, I was
thinking of all the great things here at UF:
National basketball and football champi-
onships! A record \_,[ in research
awards! Perhaps most importantly,
approval by the legislature and Governor
of differential tuition, which for the first
Rick Yost time means that UF's tuition won't be the
same as every other university in Florida,
and that it will be decoupled from the limits imposed by
the Bright Futures program. Even though it won't mean
any new funds until next fall, it provides the basis for
initiating the academic enhancement program (hiring new
faculty in areas with significant undergraduate instruc-
tional needs, as well as more academic advisors). We also
appreciate the $6M contribution from the University
Athletic Association to help support academic programs
on campus, including continuation of Florida Opportunity
Scholars Program.
Clearly, it's not all good news as we start the new aca-
demic year. We face budget woes including potential
callbacks of 4 percent, a hiring freeze and no raises from
the legislature. Nevertheless, let's not forget all the good
news above.
As we start the year, we need to recall the substantial
advances that have been made in shared governance here
at UF over the past few years.

see Chair, pg. 2


Buzz:

The University Budget
By: Bernie Machen, President
The University of Florida is facing an
extremely lean budget year, but I am
working hard to shelter our core academic
enterprise, and I am optimistic we will
continue to grow and move forward
academically.
The state budget approved this spring
Bernie Machen contained no tuition increases for under-
graduates, and no funding for faculty and
staff raises. Instead, faculty and staff will receive one-time
$1,000 payments in November. The budget also did not
provide any added support for Florida Opportunity Schol-
ars or other UF initiatives. Not only that, but in June, we
learned there would be a four percent cuts to this already
lean budget and the Legislature will meet next month to
determine if still more cuts are needed.
We have responded to these evolving circumstances as
quickly and comprehensively as possible, implementing a
hiring freeze, establishing a cost-reduction and efficiency
task force and distributing target base budget reductions to
all units.
Our goal is to reduce our recurring budget by $30 to $34
million. We are assigning the bulk of these reductions -
75 percent- to administrative, academic support and
auxiliary units, with the remaining 25 percent assigned to
academic units and libraries.


see Budget, pg. 2


a-


CONTENTS


Announcements 2
Budget Council in Review 4


Faculty Senate News

Meeting Calendar







ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
Sentemher 2007


Chair from, pg. 1
As the 2003 Presidential Faculty Senate Joint Task Force on
Shared Governance Report reminds us
Shared Governance between faculty and administration is a
reality at leading research universities. It is essential to the quality
and the value of the education of the students, as well as the
excellence and importance of the research conducted by all
members of the University.
To work effectively, Shared Governance must extend to all
academic units within the University to create both a structure
and a culture of meaningful Faculty participation.

During the past academic year, the Senate amended

the University Strategic Work Plan, approved a budget
resolution to increase faculty input on budget planning and
review at the unit level, implemented electronic voting for
senators, and approved minus grades.
The summer has been busy, with the Academic Policy Council
examining policies on faculty-authored course materials and the
Honorary Degree Committee revising honorary degree criteria
and procedures. The Senate Workday on August 21, 2007 was a
success, with the new senator orientation (moved out of the first
Senate meeting of the year) in addition to Committee and
Council Chair training and the annual planning meetings of our
Policy Councils.
I offer the following agenda for this Senate year:
* Continue to implement shared governance at college and
department levels
* Assure faculty participation in budget planning and review
* Adopt procedures for review and revisions to the Strategic
Work Plan and connect Academic Program Reviews and LBRs
to the Strategic Work Plan
* Examine and revise honorary degree procedures and policies
on faculty-authored course materials
* Renewed focus on undergraduate education:
* Evaluate and revise the University Curriculum Committee,
General Education Committee and the UF Honors program
* Work to improve child care facilities on campus
* Analyze and respond to faculty surveys on climate and on T&P

On behalf of the entire UF community, I'd like to thank our
faculty for investing their time and.. i in shared governance
at UF I welcome your thoughts and comments as the academic
year begins. Feel free to e-mail me at faultysenatechair(aufl.edu
Go Gators!
Rick Yost is Professor and Head of Analytical Chemistry and Chair of
the Faculty Senate.


Budget from, pg. 1
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences received fewer cuts
than other colleges because of our continuing efforts to balance
the CLAS budget. We are looking for additional sources of
funds to bridge the cutbacks, but we remain committed to
several current programs. We will:

Fund all faculty promotion raises as well as SPP awards for
this year (these are recurring commitments, with no new outside
funding).
Fully fund a new class of Florida Opportunity Scholars.
This year, we expect over 400 new students in the program.
Fully fund GatorGradCare graduate health insurance,
maintain graduate student funding at current rates, and add $1
million to the Alumni Fellows Program.
Seek to continue the World Class Scholars program. The
Legislature has appropriated $5 million for this program, and we
are working to identify the remaining needed resources.

Despite the hiring freeze, we also plan to grow our faculty
ranks where most needed. We have funds in place to begin
recruiting five faculty in high-demand disciplines immediately,
and we will begin recruiting an additional 10 faculty after
consultingwith deans and student government. The departments
of botany, chemistry, English, psychology and applied physiol-
ogy and 1:in,. .1. will each receive one new tenure or tenure
track position, with the 10 additional positions to be allocated
this semester.
Also, we plan to hire eight new academic advisors. This is a
small, but significant step to enhance our undergraduate educa-
tion programs.
We all recognize these are difficult times, but the Legislature's
decision this spring to allow us to begin charging differential
tuition in 2008-2009 at least points us in the right direction for
the future. We will be most effective if we work together to
meet the challenges ahead. With that in mind I plan to begin
reviewing my priorities with the Faculty Senate soon. Unques-
tionably, my number one goal is to secure base compensation
raises for faculty and staff.

Sincerely,

J. Bernard Machen


ACADEMICS 2


Sentember 2007






ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
Q.entfmher 2 )7


Announcements:


Faculty Fellow in Sustainability
Deadline: October 1, 2007

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce that
the Provost Faculty Fellow Program will host a Faculty
Fellow in Sustainability beginning in the Spring 2008
semester. The fellowship awardee will pursue a one to two
year project to develop an interdisciplinary certificate/
minor in sustainability and will be responsible for the
following:
Researching best practices at universities for integrating
sustainability into academics, which may include the
existing frameworks for certificates and minor and major
courses of study; -Collaborating with UF faculty on
incorporation of sustainability into academics at UF and
promoting such incorporation; -Working with the
Sustainability Committee to develop the best model
(including structure and format) for academic offerings in
sustainability at UF; -Developing an implementation plan
for adaptation of the best model.
During his/her anticipated one to two year team, the
Faculty Fellow in Sustainability will stimulate initiatives in
teaching, research, and outreach, and work in concert with
the Director of the Office of Sustainability. Release time
from teaching is negotiable. The Fellow in Sustainability
will have access to up to $50,000 in funding per year for
seed grants and other program initiatives. Applicants are
encouraged to submit a two-page, double-spaced proposal
for the interdisciplinary certificate/minor in sustainability
and a brief curriculum vita by October 1, 2007 to Cheryl
Gater, Office of the Provost, PO Box 113175, 235 Tigert
Hall or by email at mailto:cll(aufl.edu.


Call for Nominations for University Awards
Submission Deadline: October 1, 2007
One of the traditional components of our commence-
ment ceremonies is honoring individuals who have been
selected to receive a university designated award (these
include the honorary degree, the distinguished alumnus
award, the distinguished achievement award, and the
distinguished service award). We count on you and your
colleagues to identify and nominate individuals who,
through their accomplishments and service, are deserving
of the university's highest honors.
Nominations submitted by the October 1, 2007 dead-
line will be considered at the October 2007 meeting of
the university's Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus
Awards and Memorials Committee. Given the review
process cycle and the challenges of scheduling the
honoree's visit to campus, we encourage you to submit
nominations as early as the academic year prior to when
you would like the honoree to receive her/his award. This
allows us and the honoree sufficient time to schedule and
plan accordingly. For your information, the next opportu-
nity for nominations will not be until Spring
2008-nomination deadline March 1, 2008.
The nomination package consists of the following:
A nomination letter that includes background informa-
tion on the nominee including the nominee's curriculum vitae
and three or more letters of recommendation in support of
the nomination.
The nomination package should be mailed to the com-
mittee, in care of Robin Frey, President's Office, P.O. Box
113150. If you have any questions about the process,
please contact Robin via e-mail: rfrey@ufl.edu or by
phone at 392-3117.


Education Celebration

Education Celebration honors University of Florida's faculty for their outstanding commitment to their students and their
fields throughout the year. This luncheon also recognizes the recipients of the Florida Blue Key Distinguished Faculty
Award. Faculty are encouraged to nominate their colleagues for this prestigious award. Nomination forms are available
online at www.ufhomecoming.org. Education Celebration is a great way to give back to our hard-working professors and
to involve the entire UF community in the Homecoming celebration. This free event will be held on October 24, 2007
from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Keene Faculty Center at Dauer Hall.


ACADEMICS 3






ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
Q.entemher 21)7


Council in Review: Budget


This council's area encompasses budget and fiscal
matters as they involve the academic mission of the
University, including the recommendation of budget
priorities involving academics and research, the fiscal
implications of the creation, modification, or deletion of
academic programs, the collection and dissemination of
information about University budgeting and planning; and
monitoring whether the allocation of resources is consis-
tent with Faculty Senate actions and the University's
long-term and short-term strategic plans.
Key Points Regarding Budgeting at the University
of Florida
There are a number of points that should be made
regarding the budgeting process at the University of
Florida:
Budgeting is a complex process.
The role of the Budget Council is to "consult" in
matters regarding the budget. University administration
determines the budget and this council consults on the
budgeting process (e.g., is a sounding board for administra
tion) and the dissemination of information relating to the
budget. This is different than other Faculty Senate coun-
cils and committees that may determine policy (e.g.,
Senate Curriculum Committee that determines policy and
then consults with administration).
Goals of the Budget Council
The goals of the Budget Council are based on its con-
sultative role and include:
Encouraging faculty involvement in the budgeting
process at all levels of the University.
Collecting and disseminating information about Uni-
versity budgeting and planning.
Keeping track of how the budget is shaping up each
year, with an emphasis on transparency.
Monitoring decisions about planning and budgeting to
ensure that allocation of resources conforms to expecta-
tions of Faculty, Faculty Senate, and University in
long-term and short-term strategic plans.
Advocating with Administration for faculty concerns
about academic priorities, budgeting and resource alloca-
tion.


Serving as faculty liaison with Board of Trustees in
matters pertaining to budgeting and academic priorities.
Recent Budget Council Accomplishments
The primary mechanism for communicating the work of
the Budget Council is the webpage (http:/
www.senate.ufl.edu/councils/planning/). Accomplish-
ments from last year include:
Budget Council resolution concerning faculty partici-
pation in budget priorities which was passed by the
Faculty Senate in April 2007. Key points of the resolution
include: (1) that each college, department, institute,
center, and academic unit shall establish a procedure for
providing meaningful faculty review of the budget and
resource allocation, (2) that any entity created by, or
empowered by, a college, department, institute, center, or
academic unit to fulfill this function shall be comprised of
a majority of faculty elected by the unit, (3) the procedure
established shall insure that the Dean, Chair, or Director
of the College, Department, Center or other academic unit
shall regularly provide the requisite budget and resource
allocation information to allow faculty meaningful review,
(4) the procedure established in each college, department,
institute, center, and academic unit shall insure the dis-
semination of this information to the faculty of the
college, department, institute, center or other academic
unit, and (5) that the Budget Council survey each College,
Institute and Center and provide the Senate with an annual
evaluation of the University's Faculty Budget and Re-
source Allocation Review activities.
Members of the Budget Council served on the
Provost Budget Allocation Committee. The
committee's initial efforts focused on articulating a set of
guiding principles and assumptions to which the budget
model ultimately adopted and implemented at UF should
conform. On November 19, 2006, the committee released
a first draft of a set of guiding principles and assumptions,
titled "Principles for the University of Florida Budget
Allocation Model" (draft is available at the Council's
webpage).
Student Credit Hour data search tool that allows you
to search data related to student credit hours by college
and department.


ACADEMICS 4







ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
.qentemher 2007


Budget information PowerPoint presentation. This
is an excellent overview of the budgeting process used at
the top levels at the University of Florida. This presenta-
tion was given in October, 2006.
2006 program reviews/budget reviews. This is a link
to program review and budget document submitted to
University Administration by each college and the Univer-
sity Libraries for 2006.
Merit pay plans. This is a link to the eligibility require-
ments and the structure of merit pay plans by college at
the University of Florida.
Explanation of unrestricted funds YTD in 2006
This a document that details the potential use of funds,
from the current Faculty Challenge, that could supplement
the funding of college programs. Such funds are catego-
rized as unrestricted, i.e. funds designated to a college or
unit but undesigned as to purpose. Such funds are usually
received through telephone solicitations. An accounting of
these funds by college is provided in this document.
Enrollment and FTEs by college (2004-2006). This
is a document that outlines the fundable student credit
hours from 2004-2006 by college.


Budget Council Priorities for 2007-2008
The Budget Council's top priority for 2007-2008 is to
closely monitor the process of implementing the legislative
call backs and to disseminate relevant information to the
faculty in a timely fashion. The Budget Council website
will feature budget-related items such as how the current
call back or cut back of $34.0 million (as of August 29,
2007) was calculated and how it will be allocated across
major units (colleges), and updates will be provided as
they become available.
The Budget Council is in the process of creating and
maintaining a "Frequently Asked Questions" section on
the Web site to address faculty and staff concerns regard-
ing the budgeting process at the University of Florida. The
Budget Council will solicit question from Faculty Senators
at the September Faculty Senate meeting as a way to jump
start this process and also welcomes inquiries directly from
faculty members at any time.


As the University community deals with the impact of
the cutbacks, the Budget Council will continue to push for
faculty involvement in the budgeting process at all levels
in the university (University, College, and Unit), in the
spirit of shared governance and consistent with the Budget
Council resolution. Council activities will include a survey
of participatory budgeting practices at the level of Col-
lege, Institute and Center and a report to the senate.
The Budget Council welcomes input from any member
of the University and we look forward to serving you in
2007-2008.


ACADEMICS 5


_Zl_____l__ ___I






ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
.entemher 2007


Faculty Senate Agenda:


September 20, 2007
3:00 -5:00 P.M.
Reitz Union Auditorium


Approval of the minutes of the August 23, 2007 meeting

Reports

Chair's Report


Provost's Report


Janie Fouke, Provost


Information Items

Board of Trustees Meeting Report Rick Yost, Chair

Budget Update Al Wysocki, Chair Budget Council

Action Items

Graduate Council Items Henry Frierson, Dean Graduate School
o LL.M in Environmental & Land Use Law
o Eliminate the graduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics and Engineering Science
Curriculum Committee Daniel Wubah, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Affairs
o Elimination of BS in Engineering Science

Open Discussion from Senate Floor

Three minute limit per speaker, floor will be open to Senators first


ACADEMICS 6


Rick Yost, Chair






ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
qentemher 2007


Faculty Senate News: Meeting Outcomes


April 19, 2007

Chair's Report
Danaya Wright reported that the Honorary Degrees
Committee met with the President, Provost, General
Counsel and the Chair of the Committee on Committees
to look at ways to maintain faculty participation, improve
the process and maintain confidentiality. No decisions
have been made yet. The Senate will be consulted once a
proposal has been finalized. The Steering Committee is
discussing ways to allow for better communication of
ideas between meetings. The Student Senate passed a
referendum favoring a fifty cent per credit hour energy
efficiency fee. The Senate was asked to endorse this fee,
but the Steering Committee felt that this issue was not up
to the Senate to decide. There is language in the current
proposed regulations to change the college promotion and
tenure. The current language states that the committees
must be composed of tenured full professors.
President's Report
Dr. Machen reported that the University will look for a
way to recognize Lt. Dahlem's service. Dr. Machen also
reported on various legislative issues ande stated that
concerns about the textbook bill should be sent to
president@ufl.edu or Jane Adams.



Chair Elect Election


Frank Bova was elected the Senate chair elect.


Information Items:
Regulations Report Tim Taylor, Constitution Commit-
tee Chair, presented the constitution committees
recommendations on the proposed regulations.
Nominating Committee Report Carol Kem, Nomi-
nating Committee Chair, presented the slate of candidates
for the available council and committee positions.
Announcement of New Senators Danaya Wright
announced the recently elected Senators.
Strategic Work Plan Anita Spring, Academic Policy
Council Chair, updated the Senate on the state of the
Strategic Work Plan.
Graduate council item Laurence Alexander, Interim
Associate Dean Graduate School, presented the following
information item.
PhD in Epidemiology, College of Public Health and
Health Professions

This item was moved to an action item and approved.


Action Items:
Graduate council item Laurence Alexander, Interim
Associate Dean Graduate School, presented the following
action item. The item was approved.
PhD in Biostatistics
University Curriculum Committee Danaya Wright
presented the following action item. The item was ap-
proved.
Discontinuation of the CIS Major within the BSBA
Program, College of Business
Faculty Budget Resolution Frank Bova, Budget
Council Chair, presented the budget resolution. The
resolution was approved.
Committee on Committees Recommendations
John Leavey, COC chair, presented recommenda-
tions on the membership of the University Curriculum
Committee and General Education Committee. There was
also a recommendation to add student members to the
policy councils. The recommendations were approved.


ACADEMICS 7







ACADEMICS


A Monthly Newsletter for the Faculty of the University of Florida
September 2007


September 2007 Calendar


University of Florida Faculty Senate Office

134 Tigert Hall + P.O. Box 113185

Gainesville, FL 32611

Office: 352-392-9019 + Fax: 352-392-8735

www.senate.ufl.edu

E-mail: facultysenatechair@ufl.edu


ACADEMICS 8


Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31
Academic Freedom, Tenure,
Constitution Committee Committee on Committees professionall Relations and
10 AM 12 PM 354 Tigert 2-4 PM standards Committee
429 Library West [1 AM-1 PM 278 Reitz Union
Budget Council 1-3 PM 202 Tigert

Sept. 3 Sept. 4 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 7

Steering Committee
3-5 PM 226 Tigert



Sept. 10 Sept. 11 Sept. 12 Sept. 13 Sept. 14
Budget Council Welfare Council
1-3 PM 202 Tigert 2-4 PM
226 Tigert



Sept. 17 Sept. 18 Sept. 19 Sept. 20 Sept. 21
Senate Council on Research Senate Meeting 3-5 PM Infrastructure Council
and Scholarship Reitz Union Auditorium 8 10 AM
9-11 AM 346 Reitz Union Academic Policy Council 283 Reitz Union
10 AM 12 PM
.71 Grinter

Sept. 24 Sept. 25 Sept. 26 Sept. 27 Sept. 28
Constitution Committee Committee on Committees
10 AM 12 PM 24PM
354 Tigert 129 Library West


Oct. 1 Oct. 2 Oct. 3 Oct. 4 Oct. 5
Steering Committee
3-5 PM 226 Tigert




Full Text

PAGE 1

Announcements 2 Budget Council in Review 4 F aculty Sena te Ne ws 6 Meeting Calendar 8 September 2007By: Ric k Y ost, F aculty Sena te Chair Chair’ s Messa g e:W elcome Ric k Y ost see Chair, pg. 2 Buzz:T he Uni v er sity Budg et By: Bernie Machen, PresidentThe University of Florida is facing an extremely lean budget year, but I amworking hard to shelter our core academicenterprise, and I am optimistic we willcontinue to grow and move forwardacademicall y. The state budget approved this spring contained no tuition increases for under-graduates, and no funding for faculty and staf f r aises . Instead, f aculty and staf f will r ecei v e one-time $1,000 pa yments in No v ember . T he b udg et also did not provide any added support for Florida Opportunity Schol-ar s or other UF initia ti v es . Not onl y tha t, b ut in J une , w e learned there would be a four percent cuts to this alreadylean budget – and the Legislature will meet next month todeter mine if still mor e cuts ar e needed. W e ha v e r esponded to these e v olving cir cumstances as quickly and comprehensively as possible, implementing ahiring freeze, establishing a cost-reduction and efficiencytask force and distributing target base budget reductions toall units . Our goal is to reduce our recurring budget by $30 to $34 million. W e ar e assigning the b ulk of these r eductions — 75 percent— to administrative, academic support andauxiliary units, with the remaining 25 percent assigned toacademic units and libr aries . Bernie Machen As the fall semester approached, I was thinking of all the great things here at UF:National basketball and football champi-onships! A record $583M in researchaw ar ds! P erha ps most impor tantl y, approval by the legislature and Governorof differential tuition, which for the firsttime means tha t UF’ s tuition w on ’ t be the same as every other university in Florida, and that it will be decoupled from the limits imposed bythe Bright Futures program. Even though it won’t meanany new funds until next fall, it provides the basis forinitiating the academic enhancement program (hiring newf aculty in ar eas with signif icant under gr adua te instr uctional needs , as w ell as mor e academic ad visor s). W e also appreciate the $6M contribution from the UniversityAthletic Association to help support academic programson campus, including continuation of Florida OpportunityScholars Program. Clear ly, it’ s not all g ood ne ws as w e star t the ne w academic y ear . W e f ace b udg et w oes inc luding potential callbacks of 4 percent, a hiring freeze and no raises fromthe le gisla tur e. Ne v er theless , let’ s not f or g et all the g ood news above. As we start the year, we need to recall the substantial advances that have been made in shared governance herea t UF o v er the past f e w y ear s. see Budget, pg. 2

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2 September 2007 The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences received fewer cuts than other colleges because of our continuing efforts to balance the CLAS b udg et. W e ar e looking f or ad ditional sour ces of funds to bridge the cutbacks, but we remain committed to se v er al cur r ent pr o g r ams . W e will: · Fund all faculty promotion raises as well as SPP awards for this year (these are recurring commitments, with no new outside funding). · Full y fund a ne w c lass of F lorida Oppor tunity Sc holar s . This year, we expect over 400 new students in the program. · Fully fund GatorGradCare graduate health insurance, maintain graduate student funding at current rates, and add $1 million to the Alumni F ello ws Pr o g r am. · Seek to contin ue the W or ld Class Sc holar s pr o g r am. T he Legislature has appropriated $5 million for this program, and we ar e w or king to identify the r emaining needed r esour ces . Despite the hiring freeze, we also plan to grow our faculty r anks w her e most needed. W e ha v e funds in place to be gin r ecr uiting f i v e f aculty in high-demand disciplines immedia tel y , and we will begin recruiting an additional 10 faculty after consulting with deans and student government. The departments of botan y , c hemistr y , Eng lish, psy c holo g y and a pplied ph ysiolo g y and kinesiolo g y will eac h r ecei v e one ne w ten ur e or ten ur e track position, with the 10 additional positions to be allocated this semester . Also , w e plan to hir e eight ne w academic ad visor s . T his is a small, but significant step to enhance our undergraduate education pr o g r ams . W e all r eco gniz e these ar e dif f icult times , b ut the Le gisla tur e’ s decision this spring to allow us to begin charging differential tuition in 2008-2009 at least points us in the right direction for the futur e . W e will be most ef f ecti v e if w e w or k to g ether to meet the challenges ahead. With that in mind I plan to begin reviewing my priorities with the Faculty Senate soon. Unquestiona b l y , m y n umber one g oal is to secur e base compensa tion raises for faculty and staff. Sincer el y , J . Ber nar d Mac hen Budget from, pg. 1 As the 2003 Pr esidential F aculty Sena te J oint T ask F or ce on Shared Governance Report reminds us • Shared Governance between faculty and administration is a r eality a t leading r esear c h uni v er sities . It is essential to the quality and the value of the education of the students, as well as theexcellence and importance of the research conducted by allmember s of the Uni v er sity . • T o w or k ef f ecti v el y, Shar ed Go v er nance m ust e xtend to all academic units within the University to create both a structureand a culture of meaningful Faculty participation. During the past academic year, the Senate amended the Uni v er sity Str a te gic W or k Plan, a ppr ov ed a b udg et resolution to increase faculty input on budget planning andreview at the unit level, implemented electronic voting forsena tor s, and a ppr ov ed min us g r ades . T he summer has been b usy , with the Academic P olic y Council examining policies on faculty-authored course materials and theHonorary Degree Committee revising honorary degree criteriaand pr ocedur es . T he Sena te W or kda y on A ugust 21, 2007 w as a success, with the new senator orientation (moved out of the firstSenate meeting of the year) in addition to Committee andCouncil Chair training and the annual planning meetings of ourP olic y Councils . I offer the following agenda for this Senate year: • Continue to implement shared governance at college and department levels • Assure faculty participation in budget planning and review • Adopt procedures for review and revisions to the Strategic W or k Plan and connect Academic Pr o g r am R e vie ws and LBRs to the Str a te gic W or k Plan • Examine and revise honorary degree procedures and policies on faculty-authored course materials • Renewed focus on undergraduate education: • Evaluate and revise the University Curriculum Committee, General Education Committee and the UF Honors program • W or k to impr o v e c hild car e f acilities on campus • Anal yz e and r espond to f aculty sur v e ys on c lima te and on T&P On behalf of the entir e UF comm unity , I’ d lik e to thank our f aculty f or in v esting their time and ener g y in shar ed g ov er nance a t UF . I w elcome y our thoughts and comments as the academic y ear be gins . F eel fr ee to e-mail me a t f aultysena tec hair@uf l.edu Go Gators!Chair from, pg. 1Ric k Y ost is Pr of essor and Head of Analytical Chemistr y and Chair of the F aculty Senate.

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3 Announcements: F aculty F ello w in Sustaina bility Deadline: October 1, 2007 The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce that the Pr o v ost F aculty F ello w Pr o g r am will host a F aculty F ello w in Sustaina bility be ginning in the Spring 2008 semester . T he f ello wship a w ar dee will pur sue a one to tw o year project to develop an interdisciplinary certificate/ minor in sustainability and will be responsible for the following: Researching best practices at universities for integrating sustainability into academics, which may include the existing frameworks for certificates and minor and major courses of study; -Collaborating with UF faculty on incorporation of sustainability into academics at UF and pr omoting suc h incor por a tion; -W or king with the Sustainability Committee to develop the best model (inc luding str uctur e and f or ma t) f or academic of f erings in sustainability at UF; -Developing an implementation plan for adaptation of the best model. During his/her anticipated one to two year team, the F aculty F ello w in Sustaina bility will stim ula te initia ti v es in teaching, research, and outreach, and work in concert with the Dir ector of the Of f ice of Sustaina bility . R elease time fr om teac hing is ne g otia b le . T he F ello w in Sustaina bility will have access to up to $50,000 in funding per year for seed g r ants and other pr o g r am initia ti v es . A pplicants ar e encouraged to submit a two-page, double-spaced proposal for the interdisciplinary certificate/minor in sustainability and a brief curriculum vita by October 1, 2007 to Cheryl Gater, Office of the Provost, PO Box 113175, 235 Tigert Hall or by email at mailto:cll@ufl.edu . Call for Nominations for University AwardsSubmission Deadline: October 1, 2007One of the traditional components of our commencement ceremonies is honoring individuals who have beenselected to receive a university designated award (theseinclude the honorary degree, the distinguished alumnusaward, the distinguished achievement award, and thedistinguished ser vice a w ar d). W e count on y ou and y our collea gues to identify and nomina te indi viduals w ho , thr ough their accomplishments and ser vice , ar e deser ving of the uni v er sity’ s highest honor s. Nominations submitted by the October 1, 2007 deadline will be considered at the October 2007 meeting of the uni v er sity’ s Honor ar y De gr ees , Distinguished Alumn us Aw ar ds and Memorials Committee . Gi v en the r e vie w process cycle and the challenges of scheduling thehonor ee’ s visit to campus , w e encour ag e y ou to submit nominations as early as the academic year prior to whenyou would like the honoree to receive her/his award. Thisallows us and the honoree sufficient time to schedule andplan accor ding ly. F or y our inf or ma tion, the ne xt oppor tunity for nominations will not be until Spring2008—nomination deadline March 1, 2008. The nomination package consists of the following:A nomina tion letter tha t inc ludes bac kg r ound inf or mation on the nominee inc luding the nominee’ s cur riculum vitae and three or more letters of recommendation in support ofthe nomination. The nomination package should be mailed to the committee , in car e of R obin F rey, Pr esident’ s Of f ice , P .O . Bo x 113150. If you have any questions about the process,please contact Robin via e-mail: rfrey@ufl.edu or by phone at 392-3117. September 2007 Education Celebration Educa tion Cele br a tion honor s Uni v er sity of F lorida’ s f aculty f or their outstanding commitment to their students and their f ields thr oughout the y ear . T his lunc heon also r eco gniz es the r ecipients of the F lorida Blue K e y Distinguished F aculty A w ar d. F aculty ar e encour a g ed to nomina te their collea gues f or this pr estigious a w ar d. Nomina tion f or ms ar e a v aila b le online a t www .ufhomecoming .or g . Educa tion Cele br a tion is a g r ea t w a y to gi v e bac k to our har d-w or king pr of essor s and to involve the entire UF community in the Homecoming celebration. This free event will be held on October 24, 2007 fr om 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p .m. in the K eene F aculty Center a t Dauer Hall.

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4 Council in Review: Budget T his council’ s ar ea encompasses b udg et and f iscal matters as they involve the academic mission of theUni v er sity , inc luding the r ecommenda tion of b udg et priorities involving academics and research, the fiscalimplications of the creation, modification, or deletion ofacademic programs, the collection and dissemination ofinf or ma tion a bout Uni v er sity b udg eting and planning; and monitoring whether the allocation of resources is consis-tent with F aculty Sena te actions and the Uni v er sity’ s long-ter m and shor t-ter m str a te gic plans . Key Points Regarding Budgeting at the University of Florida There are a number of points that should be made regarding the budgeting process at the University ofFlorida: · Budg eting is a comple x pr ocess . · The role of the Budget Council is to “consult” in matters regarding the budget. University administrationdeter mines the b udg et and this council consults on the b udg eting pr ocess (e .g ., is a sounding boar d f or administr ation) and the dissemina tion of inf or ma tion r ela ting to the budget. This is different than other Faculty Senate coun-cils and committees tha t ma y deter mine polic y (e .g ., Sena te Cur riculum Committee tha t deter mines polic y and then consults with administration). Goals of the Budget CouncilThe goals of the Budget Council are based on its consultative role and include: · Encouraging faculty involvement in the budgeting pr ocess a t all le v els of the Uni v er sity . · Collecting and dissemina ting inf or ma tion a bout Univ er sity b udg eting and planning . · Keeping track of how the budget is shaping up each y ear , with an emphasis on tr anspar enc y. · Monitoring decisions about planning and budgeting to ensur e tha t alloca tion of r esour ces conf or ms to e xpectations of F aculty , F aculty Sena te , and Uni v er sity in long-ter m and shor t-ter m str a te gic plans . · Advocating with Administration for faculty concerns about academic priorities, budgeting and resource alloca-tion. September 2007· Ser ving as f aculty liaison with Boar d of Tr ustees in ma tter s per taining to b udg eting and academic priorities . Recent Budget Council AccomplishmentsThe primary mechanism for communicating the work of the Budget Council is the webpage ( http:// www .sena te .uf l.edu/councils/planning/ ). Accomplishments from last year include:Budget Council resolution concerning faculty participation in budget priorities which was passed by theFaculty Senate in April 2007. Key points of the resolutioninclude: (1) that each college, department, institute,center, and academic unit shall establish a procedure forproviding meaningful faculty review of the budget andr esour ce alloca tion, (2) tha t an y entity cr ea ted b y, or empo w er ed b y, a colle ge, de par tment, institute , center , or academic unit to fulfill this function shall be comprised ofa majority of faculty elected by the unit, (3) the procedureestablished shall insure that the Dean, Chair, or Directorof the College, Department, Center or other academic unitshall regularly provide the requisite budget and resourcealloca tion inf or ma tion to allo w f aculty meaningful r e vie w, (4) the procedure established in each college, department,institute, center, and academic unit shall insure the dis-semina tion of this inf or ma tion to the f aculty of the college, department, institute, center or other academicunit, and (5) tha t the Budg et Council sur ve y eac h Colle ge, Institute and Center and provide the Senate with an annualev alua tion of the Uni v er sity’ s F aculty Budg et and R esour ce Alloca tion R e vie w acti vities .Member s of the Budg et Council ser v ed on the Provost Budget Allocation Committee. The committee’ s initial ef f or ts f ocused on ar ticula ting a set of guiding principles and assumptions to which the budgetmodel ultimately adopted and implemented at UF shouldconf or m. On No v ember 19, 2006, the committee r eleased a first draft of a set of guiding principles and assumptions,titled “Principles for the University of Florida BudgetAlloca tion Model” (dr aft is a v aila b le a t the Council’ s webpage).Student Credit Hour data search tool that allows you to search data related to student credit hours by collegeand department.

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5 Budg et inf or ma tion P ow erP oint pr esenta tion. T his is an e x cellent o v er vie w of the b udg eting pr ocess used a t the top levels at the University of Florida. This presenta-tion was given in October, 2006.2006 pr ogr am r e vie ws/b udg et r e vie ws. T his is a link to program review and budget document submitted toUniversity Administration by each college and the Univer-sity Libraries for 2006.Merit pa y plans. T his is a link to the eligibility r equir ements and the str uctur e of merit pa y plans b y colle g e a t the University of Florida.Explanation of unrestricted funds YTD in 2006. This a document that details the potential use of funds,from the current Faculty Challenge, that could supplementthe funding of colle g e pr ogr ams . Suc h funds ar e ca te g orized as unrestricted, i.e. funds designated to a college orunit but undesigned as to purpose. Such funds are usuallyr ecei v ed thr ough tele phone solicita tions . An accounting of these funds by college is provided in this document.Enrollment and FTEs by college (2004-2006). This is a document that outlines the fundable student credithours from 2004-2006 by college. Budget Council Priorities for 2007-2008T he Budg et Council’ s top priority f or 2007-2008 is to closely monitor the process of implementing the legislativecall bac ks and to dissemina te r ele v ant inf or ma tion to the faculty in a timely fashion. The Budget Council websitewill feature budget-related items such as how the currentcall back or cut back of $34.0 million (as of August 29,2007) was calculated and how it will be allocated acrossmajor units (colleges), and updates will be provided asthey become available. The Budget Council is in the process of creating and maintaining a “Frequently Asked Questions” section onthe We b site to ad dr ess f aculty and staf f concer ns r eg ar ding the budgeting process at the University of Florida. TheBudget Council will solicit question from Faculty Senatorsat the September Faculty Senate meeting as a way to jumpstart this process and also welcomes inquiries directly fromfaculty members at any time. As the University community deals with the impact of the cutbacks, the Budget Council will continue to push forfaculty involvement in the budgeting process at all levelsin the uni v er sity (Uni v er sity , Colle ge, and Unit), in the spirit of shared governance and consistent with the BudgetCouncil r esolution. Council acti vities will inc lude a sur vey of participatory budgeting practices at the level of Col-lege, Institute and Center and a report to the senate. The Budget Council welcomes input from any member of the Uni v er sity and w e look f orw ar d to ser ving y ou in 2007-2008. September 2007

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6 F aculty Sena te Ag enda: September 20, 2007 3:00 -5:00 P .M. Reitz Union Auditorium Approval of the minutes of the August 23, 2007 meeting R e por ts ChairÂ’ s R e por t Ric k Y ost, Chair Pr o v ostÂ’ s R e por t J anie F ouk e , Pr o v ost Inf or ma tion Items Boar d of T r ustees Meeting R e por t Ric k Y ost, Chair Budget Update Al Wysocki, Chair Budget Council Action Items Graduate Council Items Henr y F rier son, Dean Gr adua te Sc hool o LL.M in Environmental & Land Use Law o Eliminate the graduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics and Engineering Science Cur riculum Committee Daniel Wubah, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Affairs o Elimination of BS in Engineering Science Open Discussion from Senate Floor Three minute limit per speaker, floor will be open to Senators first September 2007

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7 F aculty Sena te Ne ws: Meeting Outcomes April 19, 2007ChairÂ’ s R e por t Dana y a W right r e por ted tha t the Honor ar y De gr ees Committee met with the President, Provost, GeneralCounsel and the Chair of the Committee on Committeesto look at ways to maintain faculty participation, improvethe pr ocess and maintain conf identiality . No decisions have been made yet. The Senate will be consulted once aproposal has been finalized. The Steering Committee isdiscussing ways to allow for better communication ofideas betw een meetings . T he Student Sena te passed a r ef er endum f av oring a f ifty cent per cr edit hour ener gy efficiency fee. The Senate was asked to endorse this fee,but the Steering Committee felt that this issue was not upto the Senate to decide. There is language in the currentproposed regulations to change the college promotion andtenure. The current language states that the committeesm ust be composed of ten ur ed full pr of essor s. Pr esidentÂ’ s R e por t Dr . Mac hen r e por ted tha t the Uni v er sity will look f or a wa y to r eco gniz e Lt. DahlemÂ’ s ser vice . Dr . Mac hen also reported on various legislative issues ande stated thatconcerns about the textbook bill should be sent topr esident@uf l.edu or J ane Adams . Inf or ma tion Items: Re gula tions R e por t Tim Ta ylor , Constitution Committee Chair, presented the constitution committeesr ecommenda tions on the pr oposed r e gula tions . Nomina ting Committee R e por t Car ol K em, Nominating Committee Chair, presented the slate of candidatesf or the a v aila b le council and committee positions . Announcement of Ne w Sena tor s Dana y a W right announced the r ecentl y elected Sena tor s. Str a te gic W or k Plan Anita Spring , Academic P olic y Council Chair, updated the Senate on the state of theStr a te gic W or k Plan. Graduate council item Laurence Alexander, Interim Associate Dean Graduate School, presented the following inf or ma tion item. PhD in Epidemiolo gy, Colle g e of Pub lic Health and Health Professions This item was moved to an action item and approved. Action Items:Graduate council item Laurence Alexander, Interim Associate Dean Graduate School, presented the followingaction item. The item was approved. PhD in BiostatisticsUni v er sity Cur riculum Committee Dana y a W right presented the following action item. The item was ap-proved. Discontinuation of the CIS Major within the BSBA Program, College of Business F aculty Budg et R esolution Fr ank Bo v a, Budg et Council Chair, presented the budget resolution. Theresolution was approved. Committee on Committees Recommendations J ohn Lea vey, COC c hair , pr esented r ecommendations on the membership of the University CurriculumCommittee and General Education Committee. There wasalso a recommendation to add student members to thepolic y councils . T he r ecommenda tions w er e a ppr ov ed. Chair Elect ElectionFrank Bova was elected the Senate chair elect. September 2007

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8 September 2007 Calendar Uni v er sity of F lorida F aculty Sena te Of f ice 134 Tig er t Hall ¨ P .O . Bo x 113185 Gainesville, FL 32611Office: 352-392-9019 ¨ Fax: 352-392-8735 www .sena te .uf l.edu E-mail: facultysenatechair@ufl.edu Budget Council 1-3 PM 202 Tigert Sept. 17 Sept. 18 Sept. 19 Sept. 20 Sept. 21 Sept. 24 Sept. 25 Sept. 26 Sept. 27 Sept. 28 Sept. 3 Sept. 4 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 7 Sept. 10 Sept. 1 1 Sept. 12 Sept. 13 Sept. 14 Oct. 1 Oct. 2 Oct. 3 Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Monday T uesday W ednesday Thursday Friday August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31 Senate Meeting 3-5 PM Reitz Union Auditorium Senate Council on Research and Scholarship 9-11 AM 346 Reitz Union Academic Policy Council 10 AM12 PM 471 Grinter Infrastructure Council 8-10 AM 283 Reitz Union Committee on Committees 2-4 PM 429 Libr ar y W est Constitution Committee 10 AM12 PM 354 Tigert W elf ar e Council 2-4 PM 226 Tigert September 2007 Steering Committee 3-5 PM 226 Tigert Steering Committee 3-5 PM 226 Tigert Constitution Committee 10 AM12 PM 354 Tigert Budget Council 1-3 PM 202 Tigert Committee on Committees 2-4 PM 429 Libr ar y W est Academic F r eedom, T en ur e , Professional Relations and Standards Committee 11 AM-1 PM 278 Reitz Union