Resolutions 2019-2020

Resolution 2019-2020-1 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Promotion Procedures for Non-Tenure Earning Faculty

Whereas, Non-Tenure Earning Assistant and Associate Professors, as well as Assistant and Associate Medical Librarians, who are candidates for promotion currently undergo a review by the UCF University Promotion and Tenure Committee after Dean or Unit Head review but before Provost review, and

Whereas, all other Non-Tenure Earning faculty with titles including Instructor and Associate Instructor, Lecturer and Associate Lecturer, Assistant and Associate Librarian, and Assistant and Associate Instructional Designer do not undergo a review by the UCF Promotion and Tenure Committee after Dean or Unit Head review but before Provost review, and

Whereas, bypassing the University Promotion and Tenure Committee for all Non-Tenure Earning Faculty regardless of title – that is, forwarding such cases directly from the Dean’s/ Unit Head’s review to the Provost – would enable the University Promotion and Tenure Committee to maintain a reasonable workload and focus on tenured and tenure track applications; therefore

Be it Resolved that all Non-Tenure Earning Assistant and Associate candidates for promotion will bypass the University Promotion and Tenure committee and their cases will be forwarded directly from Dean or Unit Head review to the Provost, and

Be it Further Resolved that Section VIII of the University of Central Florida Bylaws be amended to remove paragraph O.2.b.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 24, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 1, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-2 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Nomination and Election of Senators

Whereas, the Bylaws Section II.C. provides basic guidelines for the nomination and election of senators; and

Whereas, additional clarity and guidance is needed for the colleges; therefore

Be it Resolved that the Bylaws Section II.C. be amended as follows:

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 24, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 1, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-3 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Committee Membership

Whereas, Senate operational committees specify the eligibility requirements of faculty; and

Whereas, the Personnel Committee and the Undergraduate Council’s membership contains language referring to comparable rank with multi-year appointments; and

Whereas, faculty with multi-year appointments are non-tenure earning faculty; and

Whereas, by specifying multi-year appointments, non-tenure earning faculty are unintentionally excluded from the membership; therefore

Be it Resolved that the membership for the Personnel Committee and the Undergraduate Council be amended as follows:

Personnel Committee Membership
The committee shall consist of at least one faculty member from each academic unit and the provost and vice president or his/her designee (ex officio). All committee members must be tenured faculty holding the rank of associate professor or professor, associate or senior instructor, associate or senior lecturer, or associate or university librarian general faculty of comparable rank with multi-year appointments or professional librarians of comparable rank. Committee members shall be selected by the Committee on Committees, in consultation with the provost and vice president. Terms of service are two years, staggered. The committee chair and vice chair shall be elected annually by its membership at the first meeting of the committee after the new Faculty Senate is elected, normally in the early fall term.

Undergraduate Council Membership
The council shall consist of all of the members of the committees of the Undergraduate Council and the vice provost for Teaching and Learning and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies (ex officio). All faculty members must be full-time and tenured or tenure-earning, general faculty with multi-year appointments, or professional librarians. The Committee on Committees shall select the faculty members for all committees of the Undergraduate Council and shall solicit nominees from the deans of the respective academic units as well as from the vice provost for Teaching and Learning and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies, among others. The council chair and the vice chair are elected annually by the membership of the council at the first meeting after the new Senate is elected, normally early in the fall term. The elected chair of the council will serve as the chair of the Undergraduate Policy and Curriculum Committee. The vice chair will serve as the chair of the Undergraduate Course Review Committee.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 24, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 1, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-4 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Standard Agenda

Whereas, the Bylaws Section IV.B. specifies the standard agenda of the Faculty Senate; and

Whereas, the Senate desires more direct communication from university administrators to the faculty senators through the addition of the Report of the President to the Faculty Senate agenda; and

Whereas, a Campus Climate report would allow other division administrators and the faculty union to provide updates for increased transparency and feedback; therefore

Be it Resolved that the standard agenda in the Bylaws Section IV.B. be amended as follows:

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 24, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 1, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-5 Travel Policy Guidelines for Faculty

Whereas, faculty travel on official business requires strict following of University policy and involves considerable paperwork and approvals at various levels; and

Whereas, the UCF Travel Manual is intended for use by faculty who travel on official University business, by members of the faculty’s unit that approve and oversee travel, and by members of the UCF Finance and Accounting Department that oversee travel procedures across the University; and

Whereas, the UCF Travel Manual does not provide sufficient clarity for many situations that arise or may arise specifically for faculty as they perform their duties while traveling on official business; and

Whereas, the application of UCF travel policy differs significantly between units in areas such as the issuance of University Purchasing cards (P-cards) to traveling faculty, booking air fare tickets and hotel rooms in advance of travel with UCF-approved funds, advance payment of 80 per cent of estimated lodging and meals expenses for faculty traveling for more than five days, and the level of flexibility allowed for the initially planned budget; and

Whereas, such lack of clarity and inconsistences in travel policy application creates unnecessary burdens and difficulty for the travel faculty; therefore

Be it Resolved that the Finance and Accounting Department, in consultation with stakeholders, will develop a clear set of guidelines for traveling on UCF business. The guidelines will clearly explain to the traveler the policies and procedures for travel, including without restriction information or documentation required for travel approval or reimbursement, policies to be followed while traveling, what reimbursements may be claimed and any conditions thereon, and how to be reimbursed; and

Be it Further Resolved that the Finance and Accounting Department assess the implementation of travel procedures across the university and take appropriate action to ensure uniformity.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on April 18, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on April 19, 2019.
Denied by Provost Dooley on September 10, 2019.

Resolution 2019-2020-6 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – University Promotion and Tenure Committee Duties

Whereas, the University Promotion and Tenure Committee has been exempt from submitting an annual report to the Senate Chair since 2005; and

Whereas, the duties of the committee were never changed to eliminate the requirement; therefore

Be it Resolved that the bylaws for the University Promotion and Tenure Committee be modified as follows:

University Promotion and Tenure Committee

1. Duties and Responsibilities
   1. To review and evaluate all assigned applications for promotion and tenure and make recommendations to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
   2. To maintain the confidentiality of all personnel records and matters under its jurisdiction.
   3. To function as an advisory committee to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
   4. To submit all policy concerns to the Faculty Senate Steering Committee and the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
   5. To submit an annual report of the committee’s activities to the chair of the Faculty Senate by the end of the spring semester, while complying with the rules set out by the Collective Bargaining Agreement relating to confidentiality.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-7 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Commencements, Convocations, and Recognitions Committee

Whereas, UCF Policy 4-404 defines the requirements for awarding degrees posthumously; and

Whereas, the procedures request the Commencements, Convocations, and Recognitions Committee to determine if the student has met the university criteria for a posthumous degree; and

Whereas, the duties of the committee do not indicate the committees review for awarding a posthumous degree; therefore

Be it Resolved that the duties for the Commencements, Convocations, and Recognitions Committee in the Bylaws be amended as follows:

Duties and Responsibilities

1. To examine and review commencement and convocation procedures and to make recommendations for future commencements and convocations, taking into account budgetary implications.
2. To make recommendations to the president regarding speakers for commencements and convocations.
3. To make recommendations regarding the number and kinds of commencements and convocations.
4. To review proposals for awards, emeritus status, honorary degrees, awarding posthumous degrees, and any other recognition or honors bestowed by the university and to make recommendations to the president.
5. To recommend the standards and criteria by which to judge the qualifications for awarding honorary degrees.
6. To recommend criteria for the selection of those to be honored by the university with the designation distinguished alumnus.
7. To serve as a selection committee for those to be named distinguished alumni.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-9 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) Committee Membership

Whereas, the membership for Senate Joint Committees and Councils includes stakeholders around the university; and

Whereas, instructional design faculty of the university are not included in the membership; and

Whereas, instructional design faculty have a stake in research and creative endeavors, professional development, and excellence in teaching and learning activities and would like to contribute to the committee; therefore

Be it Resolved that the membership for the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning in the Bylaws be amended as follows:

Membership
The committee consists of a minimum of at least one faculty member from each academic unit and a faculty member representing UCF Connect who shall be the voting members of the committee. The chair and vice chair of the committee shall be a faculty member elected annually by the membership. The ex officio members of the committee shall be the vice president for Information Technologies and Resources (or designee), an associate or senior instructional designer, and the directors (or their designees) of offices that impact teaching and learning, who shall be designated by the director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. Terms of service shall be three years, staggered. Faculty members of the committee are selected by the Committee on Committees in consultation with the director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and the college deans.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-10 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Library Advisory Committee Membership

Whereas, the membership for Senate Joint Committees and Councils includes stakeholders around the university; and

Whereas, the instructional design faculty of the university are not included in the membership; and

Whereas, instructional design faculty have a stake in learning and teaching, materials and resources, and the enrichment of the academic experience, and would like to contribute to the committee; therefore

Be it Resolved that the membership for the Library Advisory Committee in the Bylaws be amended as follows:

Membership
The committee shall consist of one faculty member from each academic unit, one college dean, and one department chair, all selected by the Committee on Committees (in consultation with the director of Libraries). Other members include an associate or senior instructional designer, one undergraduate student (appointed by the president of the Student Government Association) and one graduate student (appointed by the dean of the College of Graduate Studies based on the recommendation of the president of the Graduate Student Association). The director of the University Libraries shall serve as an ex officio member. The chair and vice chair of the committee shall be a faculty member of the committee elected at the first meeting at the beginning of each academic year. Terms of service shall be three years, staggered, with the exception of the student members, who shall serve for one year.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-11 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Strategic Planning Council Membership

Whereas, the membership for Senate Joint Committees and Councils includes stakeholders around the university; and

Whereas, the instructional design faculty of the university are not included in the membership; and

Whereas, instructional design faculty have a stake in the university’s strategic plan, policies to support the university’s strategic planning process, academic plan and any budget or academic support actions and would like to contribute to the committee; therefore

Be it Resolved that the membership for the Strategic Planning Council Committee in the Bylaws be amended as follows:

Membership
The committee shall consist of one faculty member from each academic unit (selected by the Committee on Committees in consultation with the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs); one student (appointed by the president of the Student Government Association); the chair of the Faculty Senate; one staff member (selected by the USPS Staff Council); one department chair (appointed by the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs); one faculty representing UCF Connect (appointed by the vice provost for UCF Connect); one alumnus or alumna (selected by the senior associate vice president of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving); an associate or senior instructional designer; and the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. The provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (ex officio), in concert with the vice presidents of the administrative and academic divisions, will identify remaining members in an effort to ensure widespread representation across the university. The council chair shall be appointed by the president from the membership of the council. The vice chair shall be elected annually by its membership at the first meeting of the committee after the new Faculty Senate is elected, normally in the early fall term. Terms of service are three years, staggered, with the exception of the student members, who shall serve for one year.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-12 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Information Technology Committee Membership

Whereas, instructional design faculty are impacted by decisions regarding educational media and communications, and can provide expertise regarding information technology resources, and would like to contribute to the committee; therefore

Be it Resolved that the membership for the Information Technology Committee in the Bylaws be amended as follows:

Membership
The committee shall consist of at least one faculty member from each academic unit, selected by the Committee on Committees and the vice president for Information Technologies and Resources or his/her designee (ex officio), and the vice provost for Digital Learning or designee (ex officio). The committee chair and vice chair shall be elected annually by its membership at the first meeting of the committee after the new Faculty Senate is elected, normally in the early fall term. Terms of service are two years, staggered.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019 for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-13 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Bookstore Advisory Committee

Whereas, the University Bookstore Advisory Committee was formed in 1999 to advise the Bookstore management concerning materials and services needed by all segments of the University community; and

Whereas, the duties of the committee were updated to include the selection of textbook scholarships in 2010; and

Whereas, meeting textbook adoption legislative requirements and improving textbook affordability are issues relevant to the State of Florida, the university, and faculty and students; therefore

Be it Resolved that the bylaws for the Bookstore Advisory Committee be modified to include changing the name of the committee to reflect the broader topic as follows:

University Bookstore Advisory Textbook Committee

1. Duties and Responsibilities
   1. To review and recommend to the dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies procedures to meet textbook adoption deadlines and reporting requirements.
   2. To promote a culture that values textbook affordability.
   3. To respect the faculty member’s expertise in choosing appropriate curriculum materials while highlighting the cost-effectiveness for students.
   4. To recommend policies that will foster a cooperative, mutually productive and beneficial relationship between the bookstore and its customers in the university community.
   5. To develop scholarship selection criteria, review applications, and select scholarship recipients each year to receive free course textbooks and other awards for each semester from the university Bookstore.
2. Membership.

   The committee shall consist of one faculty member from each academic unit (selected by the Committee on Committees), one associate or senior instructional designer from the Center for Distributed Learning, two staff members (nominated by the USPS Staff Council), one student (nominated by the president of the Student Government Association), one representative from Academic Affairs the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, one representative from the University Libraries, the bookstore manager, and the director of Business Servicesdean of the College of Undergraduate Studies (or designee). The dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies (or designee) bookstore manager shall identify ex officio members. The chair and vice chair shall be elected annually from its faculty membership. Terms of service shall be two years, staggered, with the exception of the student member, who shall serve for one year.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on January 23, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on January 27, 2020, for information.

Resolution 2019-2020-14 Creative School for Children

Whereas, the Creative School for Children provides child care for kids with the following enrollment priority: children of (1) UCF enrolled Students with 6 credit hours or more, (2) UCF Employees of any rank, (3) UCF Alumni Community member, and (4) Community members; and

Whereas, the Creative School for Children provides opportunities for university students to receive experience and training in working with young children; and

Whereas, the Creative School for Children provides opportunities for faculty and graduate students to conduct educational research; and

Whereas, Current enrollment of the Creative School for Children is 115 with a long waiting list; and

Whereas, , the Creative School for Children building was built in 1976 (renovated during 1981 and 1994), and requires an average of $100,000 each year on maintenance fees; and

Whereas, Currently UCF has more than 68,000 students and more than 13,000 employees while it had about 25,000 students and less than 7,000 employees in 1994; therefore

Be it Resolved that the proper administrative unit of UCF review the facility and financial situations of the Creative School for Children and investigate alternative means for the Creative School for Children to meet the demand of current UCF students and employees

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 24, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 21, 2019.
Approved by the Provost on December 5, 2019.

Resolution 2019-2020-15 UCF Presidential Search – Sense of the UCF Faculty Senate

Whereas, the University of Central Florida is about to enter a Presidential Search; and

Whereas, on July 18, 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a revised Presidential Selection: Process Guide for the University of Central Florida defining the size and composition of the Board of Trustees’ Search Committee to be composed of eight to fifteen members; and

Whereas, in addition to at least three trustees, the Process Guide indicates the search committee will include one or more representative from the faculty, student body, Foundation board of directors, administration who are not direct reports to the President, representatives from the broader community, a Florida Board of Governor’s appointee, and one or more presidents of community colleges who participate in the Direct Connect Consortium with UCF; and

Whereas, in the past, only one or two faculty members have been appointed to the Presidential Search Committee; and

Whereas, the Faculty Senate participates in the governance of the University and renders advisory services to the President; and

Whereas, the University faculty have a significant stake in the selection of the next President from among presidential candidates who have the appropriate academic and leadership skills; therefore

Be it Resolved that in the spirit of shared governance, it is the sense of the UCF Faculty Senate that additional general faculty be included in the Presidential Search Committee.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 3, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley and Board of Trustees Chair Beverly Seay on October 9, 2019.
Approved by the Provost on October 19, 2019.

Resolution 2019-2020-16 In Memoriam – Dr. Mathilda van Niekerk

Dr. Mathilda van Niekerk was our lioness from South Africa with the highest courage, determination, positive energy, and professionalism. Anything she worked on, she did with a style, smile, and perfection. She was a faculty senator representing the Rosen College of Hospitality Management for eight years. She served on the Parking Advisory Committee, Undergraduate Policy and Curriculum Committee, Graduate Policy Committee, University Master Planning Committee, Senate Steering Committee, and Committee on Committees. She was a strong advocate for all UCF faculty and represented the Rosen College faculty well.

For all those who knew her, Mathilda was more than a good colleague – she was a great friend that cared and supported us all. Recognizing that there were hardships for faculty in that many of us live away from our families, Mathilda initiated the “We Care” Rosen College campaign – a hospitable supportive network for faculty, staff and students. Her “We Care” campaign at Rosen College continues to stimulate an environment where faculty and staff members embrace each other as friends and family.

During Mathilda’s seven-year battle with cancer, she openly voiced how appreciative she was to have a support network within the college that helped her face her illness. She also acknowledged that she knew that other UCF faculty facing health hardships were not as fortunate as her to have such a collegial and supportive network. This lack of support network disturbed her. She spoke with the UCF President to ask him to look into how UCF could serve faculty, staff, and students facing health hardships so that those faculty, staff, and students could continue to serve the UCF community. Unfortunately, the time was not right. Thus, it is with this Memoriam and resolution that UCF is asked to examine how the institution may better support faculty, staff and students facing health hardships with a hospitable “We Care” framework such as that developed by Dr. Mathilda van Niekerk of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Whereas, the University of Central Florida strives to make measurable improvements to enhance the quality of life within the regional community, it is necessary to examine how to best improve the quality of life of the immediate UCF community (faculty, staff and students) especially during times that a faculty, staff or student is facing health hardships; and

Whereas, the University of Central Florida is an educational institution that follows a guiding principle for a sense of community; and

Whereas, this guiding principle helps to direct the actions of the University, it is crucial to provide the UCF community with the utmost support during circumstances where faculty, staff, and students may face health hardships; and

Whereas, the University of Central Florida strives to attract a diverse and international faculty body of faculty, staff and students, it becomes essential to stimulate a supportive network that creates a dependable environment that supports faculty, staff, and students to aspire to their best work during both good and challenging times including times of illness; and

Whereas, the University of Central Florida has in place existing policies, procedures, and programs to assist faculty, staff, and students that are facing health hardships these efforts can be improved to include a hospitable support network; therefore

Be it resolved that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate supports the University’s intention to assist faculty, staff, and students that face health hardships; and

Be it further resolved that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate supports the examination of how the existing University policies, procedures and programs used to assist faculty, staff, and students facing health hardships may be improved to include an empathetic, hospitable and friendly support network that will enhance the quality of life and work environment for all of UCF faculty, staff, and students. It is essential that UCF stands beside the faculty, staff and students, cares for them, and provides a community that all faculty, staff, and students may depend upon for help; and

Be it further resolved that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate requests that the University investigates resource opportunities to develop, maintain, and sustain such a program.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on October 3, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on October 9, 2019.
Denied by the Provost on November 12, 2019.

UCF is committed to supporting faculty, staff, and students and has in place several health and wellness programs for employees through Human Resources at hr.ucf.edu and for students at UCF Cares. Seeking support during times of health hardships is a very personal decision and faculty are encouraged to create a network of support within their colleges or units.

Resolution 2019-2020-17 Periodic Faculty Salary Analyses Across the University of Central Florida

Whereas, salary compression may occur when salary differential between junior and senior faculty is smaller than it should be based on external market forces; and

Whereas, salary inversion occurs when salary compression, left unexamined or unadjusted over time, results in junior faculty salaries being greater than senior faculty salaries; and

Whereas, salary inequities associated with gender/race/ethnicity may occur independent of other variables; and

Whereas, salary compression, salary inversion, and salary inequities threaten the integrity of faculty ranks, morale, and retention issues for faculty at the University of Central Florida; therefore

Be it Resolved that the University of Central Florida administration in consultation with the Faculty Senate shall, on a regular basis, collect and analyze both tenure-track and non-tenure-earning faculty salary data across the system to determine the extent of 1) salary compression, 2) salary inversion, and 3) salary inequities based on gender/race/ethnicity. A five-year time interval is suggested for regular periodic studies (years ending in 0 or 5). A report will be made available to all faculty shortly after each analysis is completed, ideally within 3-4 months from completion of the report.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 21, 2019.
Transmitted to Provost Elizabeth Dooley on November 22, 2019.
Approved by the Acting Provost Jana Jasinski on January 16, 2020.

Resolution 2019-2020-18 Faculty Senate Bylaw Change – Joint Committees and Councils Annual Report

Whereas, Bylaws Section VIII. Specifies that Joint Committees and Councils shall submit an annual report by the end of the spring semester; and

Whereas, the Admissions and Standards, University Master Planning, and the Parking and Transportation committees meet during the summer to conduct business; and

Whereas, this results in the annual reports not being submitted until the Fall semester; therefore

Be it Resolved that the Bylaws of the Faculty Constitution be amended as follows:

Bylaws Section VIII. Joint Committees and Councils

Each committee will maintain minutes of its meetings and the chair of each committee shall forward (except for University Athletics Committee, and the University Promotion and Tenure Committee), in a timely manner, copies of meeting agendas and minutes to the chair of the Faculty Senate. Each committee will submit a brief written annual report of its activities to the chair of the Faculty Senate by the end of the second week of August each year.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on February 20 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson for information on February 24, 2020.

Resolution 2019-2020-19 Supplemental Summer Appointments for Graduate Restricted Registration Classes

Whereas, UCF graduate enrollment exceeded 10,000 students for the first time in AY 2019 and continues to grow; and

Whereas, instruction of thesis and dissertation students, whether a Fall, Spring, or Summer semester, is within the course and scope of paid employment of approved Graduate Faculty; and

Whereas, graduate thesis and dissertation students required to register for Restricted Registration courses in a Summer semester expect to (1) receive instruction from their chosen and approved Graduate Faculty committee chair, (2) make tuition payments to UCF for that instruction, and (3) produce Student Credit Hours that add to State of Florida SCH-based supplemental E&G funding of the University; and

Whereas, University of Central Florida BOT-UFF Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) paragraph 8.6 (d) states, “Supplemental summer appointments shall be made in accordance with Section 1012.945, Florida Statutes (the “twelve hour law”)” which mandates assignments and hence compensation be “in proportion to 12 classroom hours”; and

Whereas, while some Colleges issue proportional supplemental summer appointments for thesis or dissertation supervision, others refuse to do so; and

Whereas, Graduate Faculty without summer supplementary appointments have to supervise their own thesis and dissertation graduate students without compensation, or require those graduate students to find an alternative mentor or require those students to take a leave of absence; and

Whereas, the Sr. Associate Dean & Director of Interdisciplinary Studies College of Graduate Studies identified “difficulties that we are faced with regarding 9-month students who have 12-month responsibilities and the need for faculty to serve as mentors during their ‘off’ months” and expects resolution “will require changes in CGS policy, Faculty Senate and perhaps with the union”; and

Whereas, in contrast to the aforementioned situation, the University of Central Florida Division of Digital Learning currently offers equitable opportunity for Faculty to receive a proportional supplemental summer appointments for the Course Redesign Initiative; therefore

Be it Resolved that the Provost in consultation with the deans develop a compensation policy in accordance with the proportionality provisions of Section 1012.945, Florida Statutes (the “twelve hour law”) and administer procedures that enable Graduate Faculty not supported by external research funding or summer teaching appointment to apply for a supplemental E&G summer appointment if they have their own thesis or dissertation students seeking enrollment in one or more required summer restricted thesis or dissertation classes.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on January 23, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on January 27, 2020.
Denied by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on February 26, 2020 with the following comments:

“Discussions with representatives of the university regarding faculty compensation are the purview of the UFF, which has jurisdiction to bargain the terms and conditions of employment. Discussing compensation in other forums has the appearance of bargaining away from the table, which is prohibited. Consequently, I need to deny this resolution.”

Resolution 2019-2020-20 Automatic and Broadcast Email

Whereas, it is sometimes necessary for recipients of automatically generated email messages to obtain additional information before responding or taking the action requested in the message; and

Whereas, some automatically generated messages do not provide a means of obtaining more information, and some do not even identify the actual sender or responsible office, requiring faculty to spend time seeking the appropriate contact information; and

Whereas, some faculty may wish to receive certain non-critical broadcast information that other faculty may not wish to receive, such as announcements of certain types of events, health advice, and topical news; and

Whereas, the volume of non-critical broadcast messages is now sufficient to make a more efficient way to manage subscriptions desirable; therefore

Be it Resolved that UCF Policy 4-006.2 “Broadcast Distribution of Electronic Mail” be amended as follows:

At the end of the “Procedure” section on page 3 add the following:

Each broadcast or automatically generated message shall include the name, position, and contact information of the person responsible for broadcasting the message and, if different, an actively monitored email address for responses including questions about the message’s content.

Be it Further Resolved, that all public, non-essential broadcast lists, such as health advice and departmental public newsletters, must include a method to opt in and opt out. UCF IT, in conjunction with other relevant parties, shall explore approaches and implement an opt-in/opt-out tool, such as a dashboard in my.ucf.edu.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on February 20, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on February 24, 2020.
Partially approved on April 3, 2020 by the Interim Provost Michael Johnson with the following comments:

I am able to approve this in part. I will seek to have each broadcast email include the name, position, and contact information of the person responsible for the message or at least a monitored email address for responses including messages. We will seek to change policy 4-006.2 to require this.
Unfortunately, at this time it is not feasible to require broadcast messages to include the ability to opt in or out. The university uses many systems to deliver broadcast messages, including third party solutions, which do not support this function. However, a committee has been formed to identify all the mass communications tools we use and to try to rationalize the many to fewer. One task of the committee is to look for solutions that would allow for more opt-in/opt-out features. If we do land on better tools, I will seek to have the opt-in/opt-out feature used for messages that are considered non-essential. In the meantime, I will ask units using mass emails to be discriminating in their use, cf. policy 4-006.2

Resolution 2019-2020-21 University Email Access for Faculty Leaving the University

Whereas, a faculty member’s scholarship, teaching, and community and professional service are life-long efforts that transcend employers; and

Whereas, access to colleagues through email is critical to a faculty member’s execution of these missions, especially given the permanence of email addresses on published research articles and elsewhere; and

Whereas, a permanent forwarding address for separated faculty (including researchers) is standard practice at most US research universities; and

Whereas, the competitiveness of UCF in attracting top-quality faculty depends on facilitating an individual’s life-long missions in scholarship, teaching, and service; and

Whereas, colleagues and administrators at UCF have an interest in maintaining contact with a separated colleague to conduct research, transfer grants, transfer knowledge from the former employee to UCF, and for many other reasons; and

Whereas, there are no mechanisms in place or available to advise every interested party of the new email address of a separated employee; therefore

Be it Resolved that:

Faculty members who separate from the university shall be allowed the following:

At the former employee’s option, one of the following actions:

1. forwarding of email sent to the university email address(es) they were known by to an address of the employee’s choosing, forwarding to a Knights email address, or
2. an auto-reply to senders indicating a change of address, or
3. discarding all messages.

   The action must be maintained by the Administration for two academic years after the academic year of termination. The former employee may opt to change actions during this time.

Access to or copies of all the email sent to the former employee’s UCF accounts and still stored on UCF servers, as tagged and organized into folders by the employee, in an open standard format that can be read by standard email client software. Also, all contacts, calendar entries, files, and other information stored by the employee on UCF servers or on computing hardware provided for the former employee’s use by UCF, except for information the former employee may no longer legally access, due to confidentiality, privacy, license, or similar reasons. Data related to the former employee’s non-academic functions (e.g., staff or administrative work) is excluded. The former employee must specifically identify the material to be given and provide the storage media to be used or access to online storage outside UCF that will receive the data. At UCF’s option, the former employee may be required to do the copying themselves and within a reasonable time.

The Provost or President may restrict or alter a former employee’s access to protect the interests of the university. In such cases, the reason, manner, and duration of restriction must be written and reported to the former employee. Such cases should be rare. A summary report of the number, nature, and reasons for such restrictions in the past academic year shall be delivered within 60 days after the end of the academic year to the Chair of the Faculty Senate.

Since the Collective Bargaining Agreement preempts the Resolution process, the Administration may, at their option, restrict the access of groups of faculty whose post-employment email access is covered in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the rights negotiated therein, without restricting the access of other groups.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on February 20, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on February 24, 2020.
Denied by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on April 3, 2020 with the following comments:

“I need to deny this resolution. We currently offer faculty members who separate from the university two options. Faculty who retire may have a knights email address with forwarding from their ucf.edu address for six months. For faculty who separate before retirement, the university upon request adds an automatic reply to notify senders of the former employee’s new contact information. We believe that it is important that former employees do not appear to the outside world to be current employees to avoid liability. Similarly, we cannot give access to email, or encourage copies of email, because of regulatory concerns: FERPA and HIPAA today, and increasing concerns from newer NIST requirements. The university has a responsibility to protect this information, but has no means of enforcing that responsibility with former employees, nor to enforce a separation of emails between those that can and cannot be shared.”

Resolution 2019-2020-23 Shared University Governance

Whereas, collegiality in academic governance at the University of Central Florida is best accomplished by embracing the philosophy of shared governance which establishes the ethos and the structures that enable divergent ideas to be placed on the table, debated for their merits, shaped for the larger good of the University community, and put to use in a timely manner; and

Whereas, shared governance is the keystone that enables trustees, administrators, and faculty to sustain and advance the University’s mission, effectiveness, and reputation; and

Whereas, shared governance is the process by which these constituencies share responsibility and accountability for reaching decisions on University policies and procedures; and

Whereas, shared governance was codified in the “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities,” a statement jointly formulated in 1966 by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB); and

Whereas, the long-term goal of shared governance is to create an academic community based on open communication, accountability, and mutual respect for best advancing the University’s vision, mission, and strategy; therefore

Be it Resolved that shared governance at the University of Central Florida:

1. Refers to the broad participation of trustees, administrators, and faculty sharing responsibility for governing and operating the University;
2. Is a responsibility and a privilege, not a burden, and that it should be recognized, valued, and supported with appropriate resources;
3. Depends on a system of mutual accountability in implementing University policies and procedures; and

    

Be it Further Resolved, that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate affirms and endorses the attached UCF Statement of Shared Governance Principles; and

Be it Further Resolved, that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate calls upon trustees and administrators to affirm and endorse the attached UCF Statement of Shared Governance Principles.

UCF STATEMENT OF SHARED GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES

Shared governance is defined as meaningful participation by trustees, administrators, and faculty in sharing institutional responsibility and accountability in all steps of the process of reaching decisions on University policies and procedures,

Shared governance does not mean that all decisions are made by consensus or that all ideas have merit or will be implemented; rather, shared governance promotes the opportunities for trustees, administrators, and faculty to share input.

1. Shared governance at UCF should be effective, as construed in the following ways

a. It must be proactive in initiating needed and/or beneficial changes on the campus, while permitting trustees, administrators, and faculty to react to external and strategic imperatives as they arise;

b. It must be responsive to the needs of trustees, administrators, and faculty in guiding the University to meet day-to-day and long-term challenges and opportunities;

c. It must be efficient, permitting the timely execution of campus and university initiatives; and

d. It must be worthwhile for its participants, so that they can see and appreciate the fruits of their labor, and recognize their roles and those of others as valuable to the process and outcome of governance at the University.

2. Shared governance at UCF requires legitimacy, as established by the following:

a. It must be firmly rooted in the UCF Faculty Senate Constitution and the principles and standards articulated there;

b. It must be representative of trustees, administrators, and faculty, with clear lines of responsibility and communication between representatives and their constituencies;

c. It must permit deliberation on all matters of import to the University, so that the full, diverse range of faculty opinions may be heard and incorporated into the campus response; and

d. It must be inclusive, so that minority constituencies and opinions are accorded appropriate respect; and

e. It must be accountable to the trustees, administrators, faculty, and University community for actions taken and not taken, and the consequences thereof.

3. Shared governance at UCF requires investment:

a. By individuals, in familiarizing themselves with issues and understanding them in national, state, and University-wide contexts; and

b. By the University, in material resources and in leadership development.

These principles are consistent with the “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities” formulated by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB).

Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 19, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson for information on March 23, 2020. Approved by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on May 14, 2020 with the following comments:

“I affirm my agreement with the principles of shared governance, and my intention to act consistently with the principles. I of course cannot speak for the Board of Trustees, but will, in my interactions with them, affirm the principles when appropriate.”

Resolution 2019-2020-24 Formation of the UCF Council

Whereas, in an institution of over 70,000 members, there inevitably arise concerns that could be resolved easily if heard by those able to resolve them; and

Whereas, in an institution of over 70,000 members, it can be difficult for such concerns to reach those who can resolve them; and

Whereas, in an institution of over 70,000 members, people naturally coalesce towards the separation of constituencies among whom communication is important; and

Whereas, awareness of the concerns of other constituencies can positively influence decisions; and

Whereas, a free exchange of ideas and a fair hearing of concerns is critical to the functioning of any healthy institution; therefore

Be it Resolved that the UCF Council be formed, to provide a public venue at which any constituency within UCF can raise concerns and make suggestions that will be heard by the other constituencies.

The UCF Council shall consist of the following: Chair of the UCF Board of Trustees, President, Provost, Faculty Senate Chair, Faculty Union President, Staff Council President, Graduate Student Association President, and Student Government Association President. To ensure the open exchange of ideas and a fair hearing of concerns, all members of the Council speak with equal voice.

The Council shall meet monthly during the academic year. Each meeting shall be led by one of the members, in rotation. Members are to attend personally, and not by representation, unless on family or medical leave or unavoidable travel. To ensure maximum participation, the meeting time and location will be coordinated by the Administrative Assistant to the UCF Faculty Senate. Meetings shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

The standard agenda for each meeting will contain, in order, approval of minutes, time for public comments, time for reports on action items from the previous meetings, 45 minutes devoted to the leader, and time for facilitated discussion of concerns brought by members. In the section devoted to the leader, the leader may speak, arrange for presentations by others, host a conversation among members, hold an open discussion including audience members, cede the time to the subsequent facilitated discussion, shorten the time, or otherwise use the time for the benefit of UCF, in their sole discretion.

Prior to the adjournment of each meeting, the leader will review a brief summary of items covered in the discussion and also identify, with participant assistance, any items that the group has agreed will need further action, recording which entities agree to address the issues and report their progress at the following meeting(s).

Meetings of the Council are to be held during business hours and on the main campus. They are open meetings, recorded and streamed live, with minutes taken. Each meeting’s time, location, and agenda must be announced at least two weeks before the meeting by the Administrative Assistant to the UCF Faculty Senate.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Governance on February 24, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 5, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 19, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on March 23, 2020
Denied by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on July 9, 2020 with the following comments:

“I strongly believe in the need for good communication between university leadership and faculty, but cannot approve this approach. One reason that the Senate Chair is on the Board of Trustees is to give faculty a voice, and a vote. The Senate, Staff Council and student government leadership are elected in part to be the voice of their constituents with university leadership. The proposal here, in my view, would not improve communication. The requirements of noticed public meetings constrain open conversation. Nor can I as provost speak to the president and board chair’s availability for regular formal meetings. I recommend instead seeking more frequent informal opportunities where president, provost, board members, and others can meet for open conversation with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.”

Resolution 2019-2020-25 Faculty Representation on the University Budget Committee and the Facilities Budget Committee

Whereas, the State University System is funded primarily through the Florida Legislature; and

Whereas, UCF is governed by the Florida Board of Governors and its University Board of Trustees, that delegate authority to the President and Provost in the management of the academic budgets and facility budgets; and

Whereas, since 1971, the Faculty Senate and the President of the university have agreed that the university can properly function only when goodwill is nurtured and maintained by the President, administrators, and faculty through faculty participation in the governance of the university; and

Whereas, in 1978, the Faculty Senate formed the Faculty Senate Budget Committee charged with providing faculty input in the budgeting process and reporting to the Faculty Senate on the university budget; and

Whereas, in 1979-1980, the Faculty Senate passed Resolution 1979-1980-2a Academic Budget Council to involve faculty to be both active and reactive in recommending budgetary policy to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and to participate in discussions concerning the allocation and distribution of university funds; and

Whereas, in 1996, the Faculty Senate passed Resolution 1996-1997-5 Communication of Budget Process to emphasize the importance of clearly communicating and involving faculty in the budget process both at the University level and within all colleges and units; and

Whereas, divisions reporting to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs have a direct impact on the faculty’s ability to effectively perform their professional duties and serve the over 69,000 students they serve; and

Whereas, decisions about new buildings and university initiatives have an impact on the core university budget; and

Whereas, the University Budget Committee (UBC) is responsible for stewarding, optimizing, and investing the university’s financial resources in ways that strategically advance the goals and mission of the university. The committee transparently makes recommendations and decisions based on evidence and input from university constituents. Through its collective leadership, the committee influences the future excellence, productivity, and impact of UCF through the optimal use of limited resources. The Chief Financial Officer and Provost serve as executive sponsors of the committee, and its members include leaders from academic, student, and administrative areas.

Whereas, the Faculty Senate Budget and Administrative Committee is charged with evaluating and recommending policies and procedures concerning the university budget with special emphasis on the academic budget; and

Whereas, the Facilities Budget Committee (FBC) is responsible for the proper planning of major construction, renovation, and deferred maintenance projects and is central to the successful operation of our university. The committee evaluates the university’s space needs to develop a 5-year capital plan with input from university leadership across campus. Once the university president approves the plan, the committee will actively work to identify funding and action plans necessary to execute and periodically update the capital plan. The Chief Financial Officer and Provost serve as executive sponsors of the committee, and its membership includes leaders from academic, student and administrative areas; and

Whereas, the Faculty Senate’s University Master Planning Committee is charged with reviewing short-range and long-range issues related to land use, facilities planning, and future development of the campus, including protection and preservation of natural resources on campus; and

Whereas, the University Budget Committee includes the Chair of the Faculty Senate and one faculty member in its membership; and

Whereas, the Facilities Budget Committee includes the Chair of the Faculty Senate and one faculty member in its membership; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the University Budget Committee charter be modified to include the Chair of the Faculty Senate (or designee), the Chair of the Faculty Senate Budget and Administrative Committee (or designee), and two general faculty members selected by the Chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Facilities Budget Committee charter be modified to include the Chair of the Faculty Senate (or designee), the Chair of the Faculty Senate’s University Master Planning Committee, and two general faculty members selected by the Chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs regularly schedule internal public review and comment session(s) (at Senate, or other scheduled meetings, or an online review) to enable all faculty to hear and see the recommendations and to allow an opportunity for input before final budget approval by the UCF Board of Trustees.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Governance on February 24, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 5, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 19, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on March 23, 2020
Partially approved by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on May 14, 2020 with the following comments:

“I can only approve in part, because the budget process including committee governance is changing. I confirm that I will implement the principle of this – representation by faculty leadership and other faculty – in the new committee structure when it is developed.”

Resolution 2019-2020-27 UCF Downtown Handicap Accessible Parking

Whereas, the UCF Downtown campus in partnership with Valencia College opened in August 2019 with a combined total of 9,202 students enrolled, along with 300 faculty and staff; and

Whereas, the City of Orlando closed a parking lot directly across from the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons once the Parramore parking garage opened in September 2019; and

Whereas, the City of Orlando states that the provision of 13 handicap accessible parking spaces in the Parramore Garage (PG1) and 11 handicap accessible spaces in the Amelia garage (PG3) meets the minimum standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and

Whereas, the distance from the Parramore garage (the closest to UCF Downtown campus buildings) is 520 feet from the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, 600 feet to Union West, and 920 feet from the main entrance to the Communications and Media Building (see attached map); and

Whereas, UCF downtown leadership have received numerous requests to provide handicap accessible parking spaces closer to campus buildings; and

Whereas, while the City of Orlando continues to work with UCF Downtown administration to identify a solution, their staff has concluded that on-street parking spaces closer to these buildings would not meet ADA requirements for ramps, spacing to the sidewalk, and clearances to allow for ingress and egress from the vehicle to the street and sidewalk; and

Whereas, other governments have recognized the need for proximate handicap accessible parking spaces by requiring they must be located within 100 feet (City of Toronto, Canada) or 200 feet (State of North Carolina) of a building entrance; and

Whereas, the City of Orlando has met the letter of the ADA law but not the spirit by requiring those with temporary or physical disability to travel 3-5 times the recommended distance to access Downtown UCF facilities; and

Whereas, the allowance of four free hours of parking by the City of Orlando in its on-street parking spaces is insufficient for UCF faculty, staff, and students who are required to work and/or study on the Downtown campus for 8 or more hours at a time; and

Whereas, the City of Orlando has committed to provide reasonable accommodation to those with temporary or permanent disability upon request; and

Whereas, proximate access to the facilities of UCF and Valencia College, which combined are the largest drivers of economic self-sufficiency in the Central Florida region, aligns with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s vision articulated at the National Disability Institute’s Financial Inclusion summit hosted in Orlando in August 2017, “Orlando is making history by committing to reduce poverty and advance financial inclusion for people with disabilities. I am excited to align our values and vision with action that brings together the financial community with the disability community and government to make the ADA’s goal of advancing economic self-sufficiency a reality for all Americans with disabilities,” and;

Whereas, the University of Central Florida strives to provide a fully accessible and inclusive UCF campus for people with disabilities; therefore

Be It Resolved that the UCF Faculty encourages the Downtown UCF administration and the City of Orlando to designate publicly-available handicap accessible parking spaces that are located within 200 feet of the Union West, Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, and Communications and Media buildings of the Downtown UCF campus to better serve University of Central Florida and Valencia College faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Parking, Transportation and Safety Committee on February 17, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 5, 2020.
Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 19, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on March 23, 2020
Denied by Interim Provost Michael Johnson on May 15, 2020 with the following comments:

“The denial is an acknowledgment that we have not yet found a solution and do not know whether we will find one. However, we are still working on it. As the resolution suggests, street parking in front of DPAC does not appear to be a viable solution physically (for the reasons mentioned) or financially. We are examining the possibility of adding spaces in a small plot between the chiller plant and the Nicholson building. This work is underway. It includes hiring an engineer to determine whether utilities present there would permit parking or not, determining whether the city would allow this, and assessing the cost. We do not know yet whether we will succeed in adding the requested parking spaces.”

Resolution 2019-2020-28 Presidential Search

Whereas, this resolution expresses our deep concern with how UCF is moving forward with the search for our next president.

Whereas, the timeline for a decision was already problematic before we had a pandemic with which to deal. With the COVID19 restrictions, people are unable to attend campus interviews and open discussion forums.

Whereas, this presidential search is the most important hiring decision the university has faced in decades. Now that there is such a significant disruption to our day-to-day lives, as well as to the functioning of the university, it is irresponsible to move forward with the presidential search process as scheduled.

Whereas, there is no significant harm that would come from a delay in the decision. But there is a very real chance that a poor decision, made in haste, would have cascading problems for years to come.

Be It Resolved that the UCF Faculty Senate urges the presidential search committee to delay the search process, to give sufficient time for thorough vetting of all candidates, and for gathering feedback from UCF faculty and students.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 19, 2020.
Transmitted to Interim Provost Michael Johnson on March 23, 2020 for information