The Faculty Senate will meet at 1:30 p.m. March 15, in 112 Kern Building, University Park. The summary of the Senate agenda follows:
-- Travel Task Force report: This informational report, rescheduled from Feb. 1, is sponsored by the Senate Committee on Faculty Benefits. The report focuses on changes to the University's travel polices and procedures and contrasts current practices with proposed revisions. Representatives from the Travel Task Force and the Technology and Implementation Team will present the report and respond to questions.
-- Changes in Outreach: Craig Weidemann, vice president for Outreach, will present new Outreach initiatives focused on increasing coherence, improving access and viability, and articulating a vision for Outreach.
-- Serials and scholarly communication: Bonnie MacEwan, assistant dean for collections in the University Libraries, will present a report focusing on price increases in libraries and how these increases are affecting acquisitions. Examples of cost-containment strategies will be given.
-- Enrollment and admissions: John Romano, vice provost for Enrollment Management and Administration, will give a report on issues facing the University in enrollments and admissions.
-- Senate Scholarship Awards to undergraduates: Anna Griswold, assistant vice provost for Enrollment Management and Student Aid, will provide an overview of the 254 Faculty Senate Scholarship Awards given to undergraduate students during the 2003-2004 year.
-- Report on University long-term borrowing: Gary Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business and treasurer, will present on the University's borrowing patterns, debt policy principles, measures of credit ratings, sources of capital funds and upcoming capital projects.
-- Summary of spring visits to University Park units: During spring semester the Senate officers visited the colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Arts and Architecture, Business, the School of Information Sciences and Technology, the University Libraries and the Division of Undergraduate Studies. This informational reports provides a summary of these meetings with students, faculty and unit administrators.
-- Faculty Salary Report, 2004-2005: The Senate Committee on Faculty Benefits prepares an annual report on faculty salaries with comparisons internally among units at Penn State and externally among peer institutions.
-- Summary of student petitions by college: This annual report gives an overview of student petitions for exception to University policy by type of petition and college/campus.
-- Nominating Committee Reports for 2005-2006: Additional nominations will be requested from the floor of the Senate for the positions of chair-elect, secretary and the Faculty Advisory Committee to the President. Other nominations will be solicited for three extra-senatorial standing committees.
-- Annual Faculty Census Report: This revised report gives the faculty census and total Senate seats for 2005-2006.
-- Roster of senators by voting units for 2005-2006: This annual report gives the names of new, continuing, ex-officio and appointed senators.
Members of the University community may attend this meeting. Any member of the University community not a member of the Senate may request the privilege of the floor on any item of business already before the Senate. Such a request must be made to the chair, through the executive secretary of the Senate, at least four calendar days before the meeting at which the individual wishes to speak. The Senate agenda will be posted on the Senate's Web site one week before to each Senate meeting. The March 15 agenda is available at http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/index.html on the Web.