[Faculty] Faculty Senate Meeting Summary Notes [From April 1]

Tue Apr 9 12:29:25 MST 2024

Dear CALES faculty,

We are pleased to provide you with summary notes of the April 1, 2023, UA Faculty Senate meeting.

In her opening remarks, Chair Leila Hudson expressed significant concerns about the current leadership and administrative practices at the University of Arizona, which was informed by a faculty survey. The survey highlighted a divided atmosphere at the university, showcasing a committed faculty but also pointing to serious managerial issues that have led to calls for a change in leadership. These issues include job insecurity, layoffs, and an increasingly toxic work environment, which have collectively resulted in a "brain drain" and negatively impacted student learning through larger class sizes and fewer resources such as teaching assistants and advisors.

Hudson criticized the administration for a lack of strategic vision, particularly in handling administrative inefficiencies and financial mismanagement, including the excessive funding of athletics and poor use of university assets. Despite these challenges, she remains hopeful about initiating constructive dialogues with university leaders to address these issues. She emphasized the faculty's willingness to collaborate in reviving the university's mission and reputation, with a strong focus on diversity and equity in governance. [On April 2, President Robbins announced<https://view.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=f455d29d0a0126f31fd12970fc6358138be29e8a29e20a9c482be38826f2d3212ff7daae69dd65f235a3638fe5681ef87cbc63f0b242e61801c8645ea80f018e492b63692bf19414c4f024821f3eaf82> he would step down from his role as President at the end of this contract, or when a replacement can be found.]

Interim Vice Provost Ron Marx shared an update on two items:

1.          Tenure/Promotion review cycle: This year, there are 157 cases: 102 tenure and/or promotion and 55 career track packets. He expressed appreciation and thanked the faculty who serve on these committees.

2.          Budgets: He provided an update on current budget discussions, staffing implications, and administrative changes at the university. In his comments, Marx outlined the ongoing budget allocation process (All Funds meetings) which has involved discussions with 33 different groups to address financial needs and identify potential savings. This process is part of an iterative approach set to conclude at the end of April, requiring university units and divisions to prepare for budget cut scenarios of 5%, 10%, and 15%. The Provost Office is expecting to take an 8% cut for FY25. According to Marx, these adjustments will result in financial losses for some units/divisions while others might gain. Marx further stated that for FY25, allocations will be based on FY24 expenditures (minus costs and payments associated with cuts). While it is an uncertain process, he speculates that FY26 allocations will evolve into a blend of incremental budgeting and a layer of activity to allocate resources to divisions that are growing.

3.          When asked about the low graduate student pay (compared to proxies in Tempe and Flagstaff), Marx highlighted concerns about the budget cuts' effects on the university's operational aspects, particularly hiring graduate students and funding essential programs. He predicted a reduction in the number of graduate students, which could detrimentally affect the institution's research and teaching capabilities.

Approval of the 2028-2029 academic calendar. [Motion Passed]

Ad Hoc IT Committee Report: Tyson Seaton, Chair of the ad hoc IT faculty senate committee. His committee was tasked with assessing IT infrastructure needs and security in light of a state audit and centralization mandates. The focus was on making IT infrastructure more centralized, secure, and supportive of the university's research and teaching needs. Tyson's committee recommends a hybrid approach to IT centralization at the university, which would allow departments some autonomy while adhering to central IT policies. This approach aims to enhance security without sacrificing the specific needs of individual departments. He emphasized using existing models from other universities as templates for improving IT governance.

Ad Hoc Financial Recalibration Committee update - GFFRC Chair Gary Rhoades discussed the committee's ongoing role in shared governance at the university. He emphasized the need to uphold shared governance, particularly when facing indifference from higher authorities. Rhoades pointed out that policy development is an iterative process that requires input from various stakeholders. He plans to meet with key university leaders to address concerns raised by faculty and committee members. These discussions are intended to ensure clarity in processes, promote transparency in communications, and strategically implement cuts that are least detrimental to the university's academic mission. Furthermore, Rhoades advocated for transparent and equitable communication about administrative processes. This approach aims to curb speculation and prevent hasty decision-making within university departments, thereby safeguarding the interests of these departments and preserving the integrity of the academic mission during times of organizational change.

In addition to the information below, our next Senate meeting is Monday, May 6, 3-5 pm.

Thank you for your continued engagement in shared governance. If you have thoughts/ideas/comments on any of this, we welcome them (via email or our Qualtrics survey: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4vcRICRZwxfebc).

Bobby, Katie, & Tim
CALES Senators

Robert M. Torres, PhD
Neely Family Endowed Professor
Roger & Nancy Huber Eminent Faculty Scholar
Faculty Senator, CALES
Arid Lands Resource Sciences, Associated Faculty
President Elect, The National Council for Agricultural Education<https://thecouncil.ffa.org/>
President Elect, Association for Career & Technical Education<https://www.acteonline.org/>
Fellow, The Bart Cardon Academy for Teaching Excellence<https://compass.arizona.edu/cardon-academy>, CALES
Fellow, Food Systems Leadership Institute<https://fsli.org/>, APLU
Fellow, American Association for Agricultural Education<http://aaaeonline.org/>
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Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/138a5c05545544a1aa522f651feeca62@arizona.edu?anonymous&ep=bwmEmailSignature>
Would you be willing to meet with me in the next couple of months? If so, for ease of scheduling, here's a link to my availability.<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/0614cb9854824a56a7ce3235f59d1eed@aggies.usu.edu/meetingtype/p7PC4xvOHEu7LVxA7ZFW-g2?anonymous&ep=mlink> A zoom link and calendar invite should automatically generate when you click on a time that works for you.

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