LFA Exec - Minutes - November 7, 2018

Library Faculty Association (LFA) Executive Board Meeting Notes

November 7, 2018 (Version 3.01)

Present (in alphabetical order by last name) were Neal Axton, Jill Becker, Marcella Huggard, Lars Leon, Scott McEathron, Angela Rathmel, and Betsaida Reyes.

Lars calls the meeting to order. Minutes

Due to a snafu in emailing the minutes, the last meeting's Minutes to be emailed to the board.

Number of LFA members Discussion

Suggestion to offer 2 proposals for change. One option is to drop the Member-at- Large, thus we would have 6 members on the board. The other option is to have 2 Members-at-Large with diversity of status and thus have 5 members on the board. Maintaining the 7 member board is an option, as well.

Budig Award Process

Lars (from his organizational development perspective) is happy to look at the annual evaluation and how we use Faculty Pro to see if we can utilize any information in that process as one method to help identify nominees.

Neal suggests a portal. Scott points out there is a webpage at https://lib.ku.edu/awards

Dooes there need to be 2 nominees? Especially the "lifetime achievement" award, that seems like it should be a standard of excellence rather than competitive?

Scott suggests that "librarian of the year" used previously is a less onerous standard.

Neal suggests "De Novo" review (with no assumptions) of the criteria and then a simplification of standards can hopefully be achieved.

Two candidates every year for a lifetime award seems odd and it would lead to recycling nominations every year until you get it.

We could have short term suggestions and then a second stage process to review all of the goals.

A question about process. The process to amend the awards is an administrative one and LFA is providing advice, but this does not need to be approved by the Assembly.

Meeting with Dean of Libraries Discussion & New Budget

The Budget process is the most pressing question.

The Budget Model Input Faculty Group is one of several groups of advisors was assembled by the Interim Provost to discuss the budget process. Cabinet recommended Betsaida and Lars as faculty for these groups. Cabinet also recommended Emily Beran and Marla Schleuder for USS/UPS focus groups if the Interim Provost has those. Notes from the Faculty Group’s Nov. 5th meeting were distributed and discussed. Another meeting next Tuesday is also an option for staff and faculty input.

The Vice Provost has been holding town halls and wants to create earlier notifications to Deans of the budget funding available.

Fundamental priorities will be earlier in the process. A cap on tuition was one example shared as a possible fundamental priority..

Allocations are complicated. Some schools are doing well but others are shrinking, so how do we allocate funds to shrinking units? How do you use the money related to University’s Strategic Priorities? Do we reward past success or award money for improvements to meet priorities?

The challenge is to give earlier notice, while basing allocation on old data,.

Timing is challenging. One Strategic Priority is Student Success. How do you evaluate student success? When do you assess it? After graduation or during their time in school?

Scott offers the University Senate President (Ruben) gave a report on the budget process.

The KU Libraries do not have student credit hours so it is being explored on how that part of the formula is being created. One example is Student success. Is affordability part of Student Success? What is the library doing to make college more affordable such as OERs?

Lars wonders if this creates a death spiral for smaller departments because of the eat what you kill model. Scott suggests that small departments will be merged and stabilized.

Marcella asks if there is a deadline for creating the new budget model? Not explicitly.