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The Faculty Senate unanimously approved recommending to the full faculty the first set of proposed changes to the Faculty Manual at its meeting Dec. 5.
The changes, presented by the Faculty Advisory Committee, chaired by Constance B. Schulz, history, reflect the following: the February 2006 revision of the University Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy, new titles and positions following the fall 2006 administrative reorganization of the Office of the Provost, and current University policies.
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| Constance Schulz |
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| Robert Best |
"The Faculty Manual is the core contract between faculty and the University," Schulz said. "The Faculty Advisory Committee recommends these proposed changes to make sure policies are clearly stated to faculty and to bring the Faculty Manual into compliance with current policies."
Faculty Senate Chair Robert G. Best, medicine, reminded the senators that the vote is non-binding and indicates only that the senate has cleared and approved the proposed changes in their current form. For the proposed changes to become University policy, they must be approved in a vote by all faculty at the next General Faculty Meeting to be held April 28, 2008. The University's Board of Trustees must then approve the changes.
During his remarks, President Sorensen reported that the University had dedicated $355,000 in recurring money to salary equity issues. He noted that 127 female faculty members out of 338, or 37 percent, and 53 male faculty members out of 675, or 8 percent, received salary equity adjustments.
Sorensen also noted that 47 percent of the 214 new full-time faculty hired in fall 2007 are women and 30 percent are minorities. "I think that's incredibly impressive," he said.
Sorensen said that he continues to be concerned about the conservation of energy use at the University, adding that the new biomass facility will open at the end of December. The facility operates on pine chips from pine forests in South Carolina and will provide 80 percent of the steam needed to heat and cool building across the entire campus.
Also, Sorensen said that 450 of 1,500 students offered freshmen admission for the spring semester have accepted and will enroll in January.
"I want to improve access to the University, which has the mandate to be the university for all people of South Carolina," Sorensen said, adding that 2,300 more South Carolinians attend the University now than five years ago.
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President Andrew Sorensen
