MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 19, 2004 FACULTY FORUM MEETING

LSC CONFERENCE ROOM

JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY

Ernie DeZolt, Chair

Dick Horwath, Vice Chair

Roland Madison, Secretary

Call to Order: Chair Ernest DeZolt called the meeting to order at 3:30 P.M.

Invocation: As an invocation, Ernie offered a “Poem of Love” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. During the moving reading of the poem, the Secretary heard muffled sobbing sounds from the audience.

Review of Minutes: The minutes of the November 20, 2003 meeting were approved with two corrections: Carl Spitznagel’s name was misspelled and the initials ISF should have read NSF (National Science Foundation).

Announcements: The primary announcement Chair DeZolt made was that at future Forum meetings, there will be minimal announcements made from the podium at Forum meetings. Announcements will be posted on the Forum’s web-page prior to each meeting. Primarily, only those items requiring action (e.g. proposals being moved forward) will be presented for discussion.

New Business:

· Verification of Faculty Voting List Dick Horwath announced the following regarding the verification of Faculty Voting List. We have 257 faculty listed, with 15 on leave this term, leaving 242 active (voting) faculty. A procedural quorum requires twenty percent (20%) present. This is equal to 49 faculty members. A substantive quorum requires forty percent (40%) present. This is equal to 97 faculty members.

· Nominations from the Forum Floor Paul Shick presented the list of nominees for positions on the Faculty Forum and then took nominations from the floor. Based on these nominations, Paul will revise the list and it will be sent out to a ballot of the faculty.

· Academic Vice Presidential Address Ernest DeZolt introduced Dr. David LaGuardia, Academic Vice President. Dr. LaGuardia’s remarks are posted on the Forum’s web site. However the Forum Secretary did note the following: the searches for several significant administrative positions are well under way. Given the time demands of these searches, the search for a Library Director will be deferred to some time in the future. The North Central visit looms near and we should be prepared. The Strategic Plan of the University is complete and posted on JCU Web page for all to read. The next phase is implementation (UPG). The revised strategic plan will be presented to the JCU Board at the March meeting. It contains three major projects. These projects are: an expansion of the Boler School of Business, a Fine Arts Facility, and a Student Center. Before these expansions can occur, other issues of concern to us all must be addressed. Sobering budgeting issues face John Carroll University. Nationwide, over forty-plus states face budget deficits. This may mean decreased aid to higher education. “The big squeeze – revenue decrease and financial aid increase” is causing problems at many institutions. JCU has not escaped this squeeze. At this point, the secretary refers faculty members to Dr. LaGuardia’s prepared remarks posted on the Forum’s web site. Further reporting by the secretary may become influenced by personal views and interpretations of the AVP’s remarks and may not be a fair representation of Dr. LaGuardia’s remarks. However, one observation will be made: Dr. LaGuardia appeared to suggest it is possible that both the timing and the manner in which our recent physical plant expansions (e.g. Dolan, Shula) and acquisitions (e.g. Fairmont Circle, apartments) were funded may have caused us (JCU) added financial pressure. That is a “between the lines” interpretative spin the secretary picked up from Dr. LaGuardia’s presentation and remarks made by Mr. Ivec during the meeting (and remarks made during the subsequent Q & A session).

A Q&A session followed after Dr. LaGuardia completed his sobering remarks. The Chair adjourned the meeting and the attendees were invited to join in a reception sponsored by the AVP’s office followed the meeting.

Minutes prepared by: Roland L. Madison - Secretary, Faculty Forum