January 23, 2023

TAMU Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

January 23, 2023
3:00pm
Via Zoom
http://facultysenate.tamu.edu
The full video recording of the meeting can be accessed on the Faculty Senate website:
https://facultysenate.tamu.edu/Faculty-Senate-Meeting-Recordings

CALL TO ORDER
Speaker Rice called the eight meeting of the 40^th session to order at 3:00pm. Due to ongoing social distancing practices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Senator Andrew Klein will be monitoring the raised hand function and will monitor the chat. Registration function is being used to track attendance.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Chancellor John Sharp
Questions and Comments made by: Reza Langari, MEEN, Senator Debjyoti Banerjee, MEEN, Senator Jorge Alvarado, MMET. Along with questions raised in chat regarding DEI, Merit Raises and Texas Senate Bill 147.

SPEAKER COMMENTS
Senators we have a full agenda today, so I’ll try to keep my comments short. There are two issues I would like to highlight, a recent letter and mental health on campus.
First, I have been asked by several of you why the senate did not take action on a letter sent by a distinguished professor to the administration dealing with concerns about Pathforward. I wanted to explain my rationale that was supported by the Executive Committee.
I’ve been asked frequently to enter disputes between faculty members and their departments or colleges. I have consistently declined and referred those faculty to the proper channels to deal with the issues.
I want to assure everyone that we will continue to take up issues identified and put forward by our committees, and we will not shy away from doing so, as we did in August with our statement on Shared Governance. But endorsing or getting officially involved in one person’s communication would set a potentially difficult
precedent for senate engagement in the future in our view, and that’s why we followed the course of action we did for us, it was about fairness and consistency.
On mental health, a group of senators primarily from the Executive Committee has had two very productive meetings with Dr. Nancy Fahrenwald, the Associate Vice President for University Health Services and Dr. Connie Langellier, Associate Director of Counseling and Psychological Services to discuss student, staff and faculty mental health issues and resources.
We followed that last Friday with a Senate coffee with Doctors Fahrenwald and Langellier and produced additional examples of issues to consider next month. The Senate and Counseling Services will co-sponsor a workshop for faculty on how to talk to students in crisis. I wanted you to know about our progress and that our work in this area is just beginning.

Minutes- Faculty Senate Meeting December 12, 2022, Attachment B Approved as distributed.

CONSENT AGENDA
The motion passed to approve the January 23, 2023; Consent Agenda – Approved with the exception of the following which I was asked to pull.
NUTR 210
BS-FSTC=INO
BS-FSTC-FSO
BIMS-MINOR

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Senator Angie Hill Price moved to bring items previously tabled at the November 14^th Faculty Senate Meeting to be removed from the table and placed back on the agenda. The Senate voted and this motion passed. Then Senator Price Moved to approve the BMEN 311and BMEN MINOR. The Senate voted and this motion passed.

Senator Blanca Lupiani moved to table BIMS-MINOR which was on the agenda to be inactivated. Further discussion between VETMED and ARTSC is needed. The Senate voted to table this Minor and the motion passed.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Core Curriculum Council Course Report – Attachment C - Approved

NEW BUSINESS
Senate Constitutional Amendments found in attachment D which includes 5 proposed amendments that are approved by the Executive Committee.

Amendment 2.8. 2 Electoral units shall be the University Libraries and the academic colleges and schools, including faculty at Galveston, Qatar campus. Senate voted and the amendment was approved.
Amendment 2.8.5 The number of seats established by apportionment shall not exceed 150. Senate voted and the amendment was approved.
Amendment 2.8.6 Each electoral unit shall have at least one senator. The Senate voted and the amendment was approved.
Amendment 2.B Membership for purposes of the Faculty Senate. Individuals eligible for election shall be all faculty and librarians employed by Texas A&M University; 1: whose appointment was approved by the Provost of Texas A&M University. 2: whose faculty or library appointment at Texas A&M is the persons primary, long-term position, and 3: who is employed at Texas A&M with an annual Full Time Equivalency of .075 other academic appointees who receive full time salary from funds appropriated as teaching or library salaries shall also be counted as faculty. In the case of questioned status, under this provision the decision of the Faculty Senate shall be final. **Senator Blanca Lupiani moved to fix 2B.1: should read: Whose appointment was approved by the Vice President for Faculty Affairs or the Provost of Texas A&M University. ** The Faculty Senate voted and this was approved.
Amendment 2.E.2A. An Executive Committee shall be elected by majority vote from within the Faculty Senate and shall have no less than five members, nor more than 10% of the total membership of the Faculty Senate.

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