Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Chair’s Report. In the absence of Faculty Senate Chair Reed Pyeritz, the meeting was conducted by Past Chair Claire Finkelstein, acting as Chair. She reported that the Faculty Senate Symposium is scheduled for April 6, 2016 in Houston Hall’s Hall of Flags. Faculty Senate Chair-elect Laura Perna reported on the ongoing work of the Senate Committees.

Past-Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Past Chair Claire Finkelstein reported that the Academic Planning and Budget Committee held its fourth meeting on December 8 and the Capital Council had its most recent meeting on November 19. She gave an update on the Campaign for Community, informing SEC members that applications for grants are being accepted now through March 15, 2016 for spring 2016 events and that the Campaign is developing a number of major events for the next year. The first major event, a conversation on race between students and faculty, will take place in late January. All members of the Penn community are invited.

Discussion of Protocol for Sexual Assault Complaints against Faculty. General Counsel Wendy White and Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen discussed the draft procedures for resolving complaints of sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking involving faculty respondents.  The procedures were developed as a parallel to the procedures involving student-on-student sexual violence and involve only minor adjustments based on the faculty status of the respondent. All complaints will be handled by the Office of the Sexual Violence Investigative Officer. An important difference between this policy and the policy involving student respondents is that those judged responsible will be referred back to the individual school deans for sanctioning. Faculty members retain the right to challenge sanctions using the Just Cause process, as described in the Faculty Handbook. SEC members were asked to provide feedback on the draft, which has already been reviewed by the Council of Deans.

Discussion of the 2015-2016 Economic Status of the Faculty (SCESF) Report Draft. SCESF co-Chairs Susan Margulies and Andrea Troxel summarized the contents of the committee’s 2015-2016 report. Merit raise recommendations are set annually as a salary parameter by the Budget Steering Committee, with a target to be in the 75th percentile of comparable peer institutions, though each school must implement its own processes individually. The target annual salary increases for FY2015 of 3% matched the median actual increases at all ranks, though some salary compression was found at the Associate Professor level. Using publicly available Federal Form 990 Schedule J data, SCESF identified a gap between faculty and senior administrator rates of salary increases. SCESF also reviewed faculty retirement and tuition benefits. Though Penn makes available a contribution based on a certain percentage of base salary, faculty must “opt in” to receive this contribution, and only 75-78% of Penn faculty currently participate. Discussion was held over whether this should be changed to an “opt out” procedure. A gender gap in pay still persists at Penn, and contributing factors to this gap include fewer women in higher paid ranks, greater time in rank for women than men, and fewer women in higher paid disciplines. The final report will be published in Almanac, along with administrator responses, during spring 2016.

Update from the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty. Vice Provost for Faculty Anita Allen stated that tenure-track faculty members may use probationary period extensions for new children in home, caregiving, illness or research-related catastrophe and that these extensions should have no effect on tenure determinations. All schools are now mandating six- and nine-year mandatory reviews for faculty members. A recent change was made to the Faculty Handbook to indicate that Penn faculty who are primary caregivers are entitled to take a full reduction in duties; if both caregivers are Penn faculty members, both may take the full reduction. Her office regularly reviews salary data and recommends adjustments; a new software tool facilitates identification of salary gaps based on gender and other equity concerns. She reported that the Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence has yielded positive results, including an increase in the number and percentage of minority faculty. The percentage of new hires who are underrepresented minorities and women has increased.  A final report of action plan will be completed during 2016-2017. The Provost launched an Advisory Arts Council to foster active-, object- and performance-based education, and to promote the integration of knowledge among Penn’s arts institutions, schools, faculties and student groups.  The Faculty Climate Survey will remain open through the holidays and all faculty members are strongly encouraged to complete the 20-minute survey (accessed through email accounts). During the spring semester, all faculty members will receive a guide via Intramural Mail that describes their obligations as Mandatory Reporters of sexual violence. The guide details how, when, to whom and where a faculty member should report incidents of sexual violence of which they become aware. These reporting procedures are obligated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Selection of Chair for the 2016 Senate Nominating Committee. SEC members selected Harvey Rubin (PSOM/Medicine) as Chair of the 2016 Senate Nominating Committee.

Selection of Final Slate of Nominees for Membership Consideration on the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Divestment. By acclamation, SEC members adopted a slate of nine names that will be submitted to the Chair of the Trustees for consideration as members on the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Divestment.