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UVI Senate Meeting Minutes ACC 142 (STT) and EVC 807 (STX) Friday, October 10, 2014 MEMBERS PRESENT David Hall Tina Koopmans Haldane Davies Nancy Morgan Raquel Santiago-Silver E. Aracelis Francis Dayle Barry Frank Mills Cherie Wheatley Maria Fleming Donna Nemeth Lois Sanders MEMBERS ABSENT/EXCUSED Shirley Lake-King Camille McKayle Nicole Gibbs Mitchell Neaves Bernard Castillo Joshua Edwards Jacqueline Romer OTHERS PRESENT Dannica Thomas CALL TO ORDER Chair Morgan called the meeting of the Senate to order at 1:13 pm, Friday, October 10, 2014. ROLL CALL A quorum was not established. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR MAY 16, 2014 Chair Morgan entertained a motion to approve the minutes of May 16, 2014 as submitted. The motion was moved by Senator Barry and seconded by Senator Santiago-Silver. The motion carried unanimously and was approved. REPORTS June Board of Trustees Meeting Update – Senator Hall At the June Board meeting, several items were presented for approval, to include the Career Advancement Policy (CAP), which was unanimously approved. Senator Hall indicated that CAP training will be forthcoming for all administrators and employees. The Board also approved the UVINext report and tenures for Timothy Faley and Kula Francis. President Hall awarded the School of Business the President’s Appreciation Award for their leadership and success with the School of Business accreditation process. President Hall thanked Dean Aubrey Washington and Dr. Lonnie Hudspeth for their leadership on this project. Academic Initiatives – Senator McKayle The Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR), which promotes the development of the Territory's science and technology resources through multi-disciplinary research and educational programs, has recently been awarded a 20 million dollar grant from the Nation Science Foundation. In addition, the University continue to work with other universities to provide online programs. The development of the first PhD programs and submission of recommendations are in progress. Dr. Kimarie Engerman, in collaboration with the faculty institute, is working to enhance the advisement process for the University and the Center for Student Success, which will positively affect student retention. The new Associate Provost, Dr. James Maddirala, has been selected to oversee the graduate programs, while attracting students from other countries across the world. The candidates for the Director for the Center for Student Success and the Honors Program have not yet been selected; however, the process is nearing conclusion. There is also a new full-time soccer coach, which will serve as a physical education instructor. Another coach is pending, particularly for basketball, which he/she will also serve as a physical education instructor. The Master Teacher program was implemented during this year; more information will be forthcoming. Each College and School will be presented with a goal for the new and returning students. President Hall and Provost McKayle will meet with the Deans to discuss their roles in recruitment and retention of students. The purge process has already began; hence, the overall enrollment was up 1 percent, with a 14 percent increase in freshmen and 34 percent increase on St. Croix. The numbers referenced will be finalized after the 15th of October, which will be presented to the full Board at the October meeting. At the time of the meeting, enrollment changes remains positive. Installation of New Officers – Senator Hall President Hall installed and charged Ms. Raquel Santiago-Silver as the new chair of the Senate and Dr. E. Aracelis Francis as the new vice chair. Installation of New Senators – Senator Hall President Hall installed and charged Ms. Lois Sanders and Dr. Donna Nemeth as new voting senators. Ms. Lois Sanders will replace Dr. Nancy Morgan and Dr. Donna Nemeth will replace Dr. Patricia Harkins-Pierre. UVINext and other UVI Projects – Senator Davies Recent UVINext town hall meetings were well-attended. The recommendations were clearly explained; the only recommendation that will not implemented is a hiring freeze. There were a number of programs and services that were under strict scrutiny which a taskforce was developed and is actively meeting to review and evaluate programs and services that were included in the recommendations. The taskforce was advised to be thoughtful and transparent throughout the process. The updates, to include the new timelines, will be shared with the Board at the next meeting. Recommendations will be posted on the myCampus portal, which will be included in the official announcement from the Office of the President. President Hall emphasized that changes are made when possible, which will only move the University forward. The first Certified Public Managers (CPM) class graduated in August 2014, with 43 graduates. The group was certified by the Office of the Governor, Department of Personnel and the University of the Virgin Islands. Prior to the conferring of degrees, the program received an official accreditation certification in San Diego, CA. The accreditation body spoke very highly of the University and the CPM program. The program will be accepting new candidates; three persons have already expressed interest and submitted applications. The program will also allow students to earn academic credits toward their degree program, once permissible. The Institute for Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness (ILOE) became an integral part of the election process, hosting election forums on both campuses. Student Affairs, the Student Government Association (SGA) and ILOE invited all candidates to participate in the forums on St. Thomas and St. Croix. The events will also be streamed online. The streaming information will be posted on the University’s website. The Eastern Caribbean Center (ECC), with an external renowned vendor, will conduct scientific polls for the election of the gubernatorial, delegate to congress and senatorial candidates Even though the process was slightly delayed, the process will be worthy and fulfilling. This initiative will present a different perspective and put UVI in a positive light. It will also introduce a new order with measuring the pulse in politics in the USVI. With the vendor’s expertise, telephone calls will be scheduled to local land and mobile telephone numbers. Telephone numbers will be randomly selected to ensure a transparent process. Training sessions for poll workers will commence on Monday afternoon on October, 13th. On Tuesday, October 14th, calls will begin for approximately one week, if the required number of calls has been met. Another poll will be scheduled prior to Election Day. Residents with long distance numbers will not be included in the process – only local numbers with a 340 area code. NEW BUSINESS Student Representative – Graduate and Undergraduate Representation Chair Santiago-Silver inquired about graduate representation on the Senate. Former undergraduate, now graduate student, Jacqueline Romer has expressed interest to continue to serve on the Senate; however, the bylaws do not clearly state if such practice is permissible. Senator Davies indicated that in the past, SGA president and his/her designee served on the Senate, without a formal student election. Senator Hall advised the Senate to consult with SGA for feedback prior to making a final decision. Chair Santiago-Silver has agreed to schedule a meeting with SGA to further discuss and report the decision to the Senate at the next meeting. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will take place on Friday, November 14, 2014 at 1 pm. ADJOURMENT Chair Santiago-Silver entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting at 2:21 pm. The motion was moved by Senator Barry and seconded by Senator Sanders. The motion carried unanimously and was approved.