SENATE From the Senate Office


The following statement is published in accordance with the Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Senate Chair Larry Gross or Executive Assistant Carolyn Burdon, Box 12 College Hall/6303, (215) 898-6943 or burdon@pobox.upenn.edu.

Actions Taken by the Senate Executive Committee

Wednesday, October 11, 2000

1. Chair's Report. Faculty Senate Chair Larry Gross drew attention to Alan MacDiarmid as a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He announced that the Committee on the Faculty is reviewing the proposed revision to the copyright policy. The committee recommendation will be forwarded to SEC for consideration. The Chair noted that administrative committees are at work on distributed learning and the Faculty Senate will be asked to review their reports when available.

2. Past Chair's Report on Academic Planning and Budget Committee and on Capital Council. Past Chair Phoebe Leboy reported that Academic Planning and Budget has met twice this semester. The first meeting included a discussion of the long-range Campus Development Planning Report and its potential implications. The second meeting continued the conversation and then discussed the University's new P2B initiative (Almanac, October 10, 2000), focusing on its possible roles in providing opportunities for developing University and West Philadelphia initiatives. Professor Leboy emphasized that these have been fruitful meetings with substantial faculty input and discussion.

Capital Council met once to discuss modest budgetary changes for several projects, which had received prior approval. The Senate Chair noted that in response to questions raised in University Council on how the capital planning process works an explanation of the process will be on the agenda of the November 15 Council meeting. Professor Leboy expressed the view that it was important to provide faculty input earlier in the process.

Regarding the Campus Development Plan, the Chair stated academic issues have a high priority and projects in the plan are largely trustee decisions. Deans decide which projects to recommend and the source from school funds. Funds for such projects do not come from faculty salaries.

3. Nominations to Senate Nominating Committee. The chair extended the deadline to October 16 for SEC members to submit the name of a nominee.

4. School of Medicine Faculty 2000 Project Recommendations and Implementation. James Saunders, SEC member and School of Medicine liaison for the project, reviewed the process and the resulting recommendations. He noted the report has not yet been released. A committee has been established to consider implementation of the recommendations.

5. Other New Business. Discussion centered on when TIAA-CREF contributions are credited. Presently, contributions are credited the first day of the month when the stock market is up so that participants are buying high. It was suggested that they be credited on the 15th of the month when stock prices are lower. The Chair agreed to refer the question to the University Council Committee on Personnel Benefits.


Almanac, Vol. 47, No. 8, October 17, 2000

| FRONT PAGE | CONTENTS | JOB-OPS | CRIMESTATS | Nobel Prize 2000 | COUNCIL: State of the University 2000-2001 (Part Two, Barchi) | TALK ABOUT TEACHING ARCHIVE | BETWEEN ISSUES | OCTOBER at PENN |