LFA General Assembly - Minutes - May 9, 2017

MINUTES

Library Faculty Assembly

General Meeting 2017-05-09, Tuesday

2:00-3:30pm

Watson 455

  1. Sara Morris, Library Faculty (LFA) Assembly Chair, called the General Assembly Meeting of the LFA to order at 2:03pm.
  2. LFA Officers Present – Chair: Sara Morris, Vice Chair/Chair Elect: Karna Younger, Secretary: Rebecca Orozco, Member 2: Sherri Brown, Member 3: Josh Bolick, Member at Large: Andi Back
  3. LFA General Members – Lars Leon, Beth Whittaker (Assistant Dean), Amalia Monroe- Gulick, Musa Olaka, Jill Becker, Jamene Brooks-Kieffer, Marcella Huggard, Kevin Smith (Dean of KU Libraries), Scott McEarthon, Judith Emde (Assistant Dean), Angela Rathmel, Kent Miller (Associate Dean), Sherry Williams, Whitney Baker, Jon Giullian, Scott Hanrath (Assistant Dean), Lyn Wolz, Sarah Goodwin Thiel, Becky Schulte, Mary Roach (Associate Dean), Bestaida Reyes, Michael Peper, Julie Waters, Erin Ellis (Assistant Dean), Carmen Orth-Alfie, Callie Wiygul Branstiter, Rosenblum Brian
  4. Library Staff Assembly (LSA) Members: Marianne Reed (LSA Chair), Broadwell Mike
  5. Approval of Minutes
    • Judith Emde moved for approval of the minutes with corrections. Sherry Williams seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
  6. Introduction of New Members
    • Erin Elis introduced and welcomed Michael Peper, the new Head of the Center for Faculty and Staff Initiatives and Engagement, to LFA.
    • Scott Hanrath introduced and welcomed Erin Wolfe, the new Metadata Librarian to LFA.
  7. Dean’s Comments
    • Dean Kevin Smith encouraged people to run for governance position, especially for LFA Vice Chair/Chair Elect, because it not is an opportunity that every librarian has and it is important for University of Kansas (KU) Libraries.
    • Dean Smith explained the situation with Experts at KU database. Librarians are not included because they are not included in academic analytics. Scott Hanrath is working on a data import from PRO. All Librarians need to make sure PRO profile is up-to-date and make sure their publications are displayed on their KU Libraries profiles.
      1. Amalia Monroe-Gulick ask the following: Have KU Libraries ever been included in academic analytics? Dean Smith responded that he did not know, but it was not routine to include librarians. Scott Hanrath responded that it is difficult to compare libraries between institutions.
      2. Sara Morris asked if can we be included to be in the database? Dean Smith said that problem is that KU Libraries does not control academics analytics like PRO. Librarians will be included in the Experts at KU database soon.
  8. LFA Executive Committee Update
    • LFA Executive Committee is waiting to hear from the University Governance, Standards and Procedures on Promotion and Tenure (SPPT) about approval or rejection of Promotion and Tenure Procedures for the Faculty of The University of Kansas Libraries and Criteria for Academic Ranks of Library Faculty. After, the approval of the new documents, the University of Kansas Libraries Code of Governance will require edits and need to be added the KU Policy Library.
    • There is a Library Faculty and Staff Assembly (LFSA) meeting on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 2pm in 3 West, Waston Library.
    • LFA Executive Committee will be collecting committee reports and annual reports.
  9. Committee Reports
    • Library Committee on Promotion and Tenure (LCPT): Scott McEathron, Chair, reported that LCPT had an open meeting that was well attended and the committee attended the University Committee on Promotion and Tenure (UCPT) open meeting.
    • Sabbatical Leave and Post-Tenure Review Committee (SLPTR): Lyn Wolz, Chair, reported that SLPTR completed 4 post-tenure reviews in the spring semester. The reviews went smoothly.
  10. Unclassified Academic Staff (UAS) Working Group Report
    • The original charge of the group was as follows: 1) Gather, review, and analyze KU Libraries, University of Kansas, and Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) policies and related documents concerning unclassified academic staff. Identify gaps and discrepancies in pursuit of potential transition to tenure track positions and the future use of faculty classifications. 2) Propose list of recommendations for LFA executive related to the libraries' support and usage of unclassified academic staff. After all, nine of the UAS faculty members successfully transitioned to tenure-track positions, the charge was revised to exploring the future use of the UAS classification in KU Libraries.
    • Karna Younger reported on the UAS Working Group.
      1. The working group found that UAS classification came from the KU medical school and expanded the KU Lawrence campus. KU policy restricts the UAS classification to School of Law, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, School of Pharmacy. This restriction aligns well with original propose of classification.
      2. The UAS Working Group examined KU employment data and conducted a survey of the deans at KU. They found that most UAS employees have a higher concentration of teaching and professional performance responsibilities compared to research which differs from the 40/40/20 of departmental faculty.
      3. The UAS Working Group recommendations include: 1) Faculty Senate to reevaluate the use of the UAS classification for two reasons. KBOR will review their policy in 2019. Faculty Senate survey from 2011-2012 revealed that deans were having a hard time applying the classification in their schools/colleges. 2) The Library to suspend use until the evaluations occurs.
      4. A discussion of the report ensued. LFA decided on the following actions:
        • Send the UAS Working Group report to Faculty Senate in an email written by Sara Morris, LFA Chair.
        • Dean Smith nor KU Libraries cabinet members see a reason to hire an UAS positions. Dean Smith will come to LFA if leadership would like to use the UAS classification for a new position.
  11. LFA open positions
    • Betsaida Reyes reported on the open LFA positions and encouraged members to volunteer or run for the following position:
      1. Vice Chair and Associate Librarian
      2. The Nominating and Balloting committee would like more than one name for LCPT and SLPRT. She also stated the importance of having people of different ranks and experience participating in governance.
    • Sara Morris, LFA Chair, encouraged people to run for the open positions and briefly described the library governance, its importance, and the time commitment (3-4 hours a month).
    • Dean Smith encouraged people to run by stated that governance was an opportunity to control our futures as library faculty and a unique privilege and right.
    • Ada Emmett added that LFA Executive Board serves as a filter for topics to bring before assembly and helps to shape the density of colleagues.
    • LFA members will have until Friday, May 12, 2017 to put their name in for the open positions. The ballot for LFA Executive Board and committee will need to be send to the assembly by Monday, May 15, 2017.
  12. New Business
    • Library Faculty and Staff Assembly (LFSA) will meet on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 2pm in 3 West, Watson Library.
  13. The LFA General Assembly meeting adjournment at 2:55pm. Amalia Monroe-Gulick moved to adjourn the meeting and Ada Emmett seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.