1. President Howard Bunsis called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. About 16 members attended. Susan Moeller moved (Ken Rusiniak second) approval of the November 17, 2004 minutes. Motion carried.

2. BOARD OF REGENTS: (a) BOR Faculty Affairs Committee: Howard said that some faculty members reported on their research but that there was no discussion of issues. He added that EMU-AAUP has attempted to meet with Faculty Council leadership without success. (b) BOR Meeting: Howard and Mark Higbee spoke at the January 18 BOR meeting. All EMU Vice-Presidents get cars; if one of them would give up his/her auto, that would free up $9,000 for classroom maps. AAUP has submitted FOIA requests for car allowance information. AAUP has called for a cut in administration.

3. TASK FORCE UPDATES: (a) HEALTH CARE: Howard reported this task force has discussed how prescription drugs are purchased. Are Snow Health Center and mail order suppliers options that would save money? REC-IM membership deal may be possible for faculty members. (b) CONTINUING EDUCATION: Lynn Nybell reported that CE has presented information on its operations and that the task force is moving slowly thus far. (c) STUDENT EVALUATIONS: Sally McCracken noted that due to scheduling difficulties, no meetings have occurred this term. (d) PARKING: No meetings so far.

4. MEETINGS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND REGENTS: Mike Homel reported on Executive Committee meetings with State Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith and State Senator Liz Brater. Howard discussed EC’s hosting new regent Thomas Sidlik for a campus tour January 7. A few days earlier, Howard met with new regent Roy Wilbanks and with lobbyist and former State Rep. Kirk Profit. Finally, on January 17, Howard, Susan, and Jim VandenBosch met with regents Phil Incarnati and Karen Valvo.

VP FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS JUANITA REID will meet with the Executive Committee next month.

5. STEWARDS: One-third of the stewards attended either of two sessions yesterday. Grievance updates were provided. The chapter will begin planning for 2006 negotiations. Stewards indicated they preferred emails to meetings. One stewards meeting will occur each semester.

6. OFFICE LOCATION: Our office lease expires this fall. The previous Executive Committee spent about $40,000 on the office, which we rent, not own. EC believes a location closer to campus would serve members better. One member mentioned the need for parking wherever our office is.

7. WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY: There may be a decertification campaign at WMU. Those unhappy with WMU-AAUP say it is too cozy with the administration. MEA is seen as more assertive. We could assist if an election occurs.

8. GRIEVANCE REPORT: Mark Higbee reported (a) we won the restoration of a department head for Geography/Geology. (b) MERC reversed AAUP’s ULP win re administrative promotions. (c) tenure denial and non-reappointment grievances have been filed. (d) We won a grievance against the administration’s mishandling a faculty member’s visa; agreement in principle was reached but details must still be finalized. (e) We grieved the suspension of a faculty member without a hearing. (f) A grievance was filed over depriving a faculty member of his/her classes after a semester began. (g) Graduate School Dean Bob Holkeboer’s Academic Integrity Committee is a potential problem. It criticized a faculty member’s publication, but later found him/her innocent.

9. TREASURER REPORT: Susan Moeller reported a balance of $174,000.

10. OLD AND NEW BUSINESS: (a) Some faculty members are not on the chapter’s email list. (b) EC plans to improve the web site. (c) Some departments are late in informing faculty of teaching schedules. One learned December 29 what he was teaching January 5. (d) There is an erosion of bargaining unit problem in Halle Library. Some faculty positions are becoming twelve-month appointments. (e) Faculty who advise students should get equivalency credit. History and Philosophy has an equivalency list that could be useful to other departments.

Mark Higbee moved (Susan Moeller second) that the meeting adjourn. Motion carried at 4:45 p.m.

Submitted by Mike Homel, EMU-AAUP Secretary