The Senate meeting started with a report by President Law on the Legislature - in particular, regarding Senate Bill 266 / House Bill 999:
- As of the morning of April 19, the text barring Diversity / Equity / Inclusion efforts was removed, but it still barred funding for programs meeting several parameters - e.g., critical race theory. It is not clear how the Board of Governors will interpret that language. In addition, university lobbying helped win exemptions for federal laws, accreditation, retaining grants and contracts, conditions for Pell Grantees and veterans, etc.
- In addition, the language regarding general education courses was relaxed.
- There were no further changes to the language regarding post-tenure review, and the president retains the power of termination - not subject to arbitration. The president may delegate hiring decisions down the to deans' level, and it appears that this may not change the hiring process much.
(The Senate returned to these issues subsequently.) Then there was some Q&A:
- There was a discussion about how to educate the public about the likely effects of some of this legislation.
- General Counsel said that the post-tenure review process must begin within a year, but for faculty in the Bargaining Unit, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement controls. Who is up for post-tenure review annually is a local decision. Many of the details are to be developed.)
Regarding the budget, President Law reported a new pre-eminence metric: the total STEM-related expenditures, including federal funding of $50 million or more. As of the morning of April 19, the Senate and the House were far apart on the budget, the Senate being more generous overall while the House explicitly funded several priorities. President Law closed that presentation by referring to the new Responsibility Centered Management budget model, which would be more predictable and transparent, was aligned with the USF accountability and strategic plans, and the president encouraged attendees to follow the budget process.
(Later, Professor Tim Boaz and the Senior Vice President for Financial Strategy and Administrative Services reported that USF is working with the Huron Consulting Group on the budget process.)
President Law concluded that the Administration reviewed an encounter between students and police in the Patel Center on March 6. President Law reiterated her commitment to free speech and civil discourse but said that the meeting was a disruptive confrontation and altercation. But the review is ongoing, and the ultimate report will be made public.
Vice President / Director of Athletics Mike Kelly and Coach Aleksy Golesh reported on student-athletes and the stadium. Until recently, student-athletes were prohibited from profiting from their name/image/likeness (NIL), but now they can. USF is building a mechanism to effect this; donors will necessarily support it. Meanwhile, the stadium is in the design phase, and they anticipate breaking ground in the summer of 2024.
USF Information Technology reported that USF employees were receiving a growing number of phishes and other security concerns. Security is being tightened, and IT is encouraging extra vigilance.
The Council for Faculty Issues presented two items to the Senate, which approved both. One recommendation was that the Senate issue a statement supporting greater collegiality in treating non-tenure-track faculty. The other extended the number of positions eligible for emeritus status upon retirement, but all these positions were at the associate professor equivalent level.
Jenifer Schneider will continue as President of the Senate during the next academic year; the newly elected officers are Vice President Brian Connolly, Secretary Richard Manning, Sergeant-at-Arms Robing Ersing, and Member-at-Large Stephen Stark.