The
Regular session – February 14, 2005 - 3:30 p.m. - Jacobson Faculty Hall 102
office: Jacobson Faculty Hall 206
phone: 325-6789
e-mail: facsen@ou.edu web site:
http://www.ou.edu/admin/facsen/
The Faculty Senate was called
to order by Professor Valerie Watts, Chair.
PRESENT: Barker,
Biggerstaff, Blank, Bozorgi, Bradford, Brown, Burns, Caldwell, Catlin, Cintrón,
Civan, Cramer, Davis, Devenport, Dewers, Dohrmann, Draheim, Driver, Elisens,
Fincke, Forman, Geletzke, Gutierrez, Halterman, Havlicek, Henderson, Hobbs, Houser,
Kauffman, C. Knapp, R. Knapp, Lewis, Liu, Magnusson, Marcus-Mendoza, Raadschelders,
Ransom, Rupp-Serrano, Schwarzkopf, Sharp, Striz, Watts, Wheeler, Wood, Wyckoff
Provost's office representative: Mergler
ISA representatives: Schwiebert
UOSA representatives: M. Deeg
ABSENT: Frech,
Greene, Hayes-Thumann, Lai, Penrose, Scherman,
________________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Announcement: Poll concerning
Security software change
Senate Chair's Report:
Student textbook library
Campus campaign
Nominations for committees
Budget summaries
Issues for 2004-05
________________________________________________________________________________
The Faculty Senate Journal
for the regular session of January 24, 2005 was approved.
In an e-mail sent on February
3, the Faculty Welfare and Employment Benefits committees asked faculty and
staff to send in comments, both positive and negative, about their experiences
with our new medical and dental provider,
Mr. Matt Singleton, Director
of Services in the Information Technology (IT) office, was asked to tell the
senate about the change in security software that the university is undergoing. Mr. Singleton said IT was planning to make a
change in desktop security before the end of the fiscal year. (The handout he distributed at the meeting is
available from the senate office.) Since
1998, the University has had a subscription to Network Associates (McAfee) for
desktop computer virus protection. Under
the agreement, the University pays a certain amount each year to cover a
particular number of clients. A lot of
areas on campus have purchased products other than McAfee that better suit their
needs. In addition, IT has been seeing
more customer demand for managed applications in which end users do not have to
update their software. Instead, the
responsibility for updating software would shift to system administrators, who
will keep the antivirus definitions up to date.
Currently, we experience some slowdowns with the Exchange software because
of the way McAfee scans large attachments.
Network Associates changed the license from an annual subscription to a
perpetual license. From May to September
2004, several products were reviewed by local network administrators, a group
of over 200 individuals that includes faculty. Campus IT leaders and field security officers also
assessed the products. Bidders came to
campus to demonstrate their products.
The final two candidates, McAfee and Symantec, did a mock implementation
for the network administrators. The
campus IT leaders made a recommendation to move from McAfee to Symantec for
several reasons. Symantec has new
offerings in addition to virus protection.
The product includes desktop intrusion detection and intrusion protection,
desktop firewall, and virus protection. Intrusion
detection looks for intrusion attempts on local machines. Intrusion prevention will allow us to be much
more proactive during outbreaks. Updates
for the products will be taken care of centrally so the customer will not have
to worry. Symantec has security
operation centers around the world to monitor outbreaks and new vulnerabilities
and can notify us up to two days before an event happens here. A Symantec engineer will be on campus for three
weeks to help configure areas and train staff to keep the software
running. Symantec offers pre-release
definitions that are sent to their customers as quickly as 40 minutes after the
first signature of an outbreak is found.
If a definition has an adverse effect, the customer can roll back to the
previous definition. The files for Symantec
updates are much smaller, which makes updates faster and causes less saturation
on the network.
Several areas have put
resources forward to implement this project.
The colleges of Engineering and Architecture will test the product. Phase I (implementation planning) runs
through February, phase II (testing and communications) is scheduled for
February15 through March15, and phase III (implementation) will take place
March 15 through the end of June. IT expects
to be done by the end of May in order to allow time to do cleanup. Our license with McAfee expires on June 30. IT has been working with the Information
Technology Council Chair, Prof. Deborah Trytten (Computer Science), to
determine the initial roll out. When
individuals log in on the designated day for their implementation, it will take
about ten minutes for the software to uninstall McAfee and install Symantec
automatically. Prof. Trytten asked IT to
put in an opt-out function, which will allow users to make the change later
through a software download if the ten-minute login is a problem. Customers with enhanced service agreements
will be deployed first. Field
technicians will be available to ensure that everything runs smoothly during
the deployment, and systems people will address any problems that may occur on
the back end. Field technicians can
assist local network administrators and individual faculty and staff with the
migration. In addition, IT will have a
dedicated phone queue to provide support.
Students and home users will be able to download the installation
package at software.ou.edu.
Provost Mergler asked for an
estimate of how many computers would have to be handled by IT. Mr. Singleton said IT expected an 80% success
rate for faculty and staff machines, so 1500 machines may need one-on-one
interaction. He said he was not sure how
IT was going to support students and home users. Provost Mergler said she assumed many faculty
members had computers that they used at home.
Mr. Singleton mentioned that individuals could bring their machines to
any service center and have them worked on for free. They can also try to download the software
from home.
Prof. Striz asked whether the
software applied to Macintosh computers. Mr. Singleton said the software was available
for Mac, PC, and Linux. Prof. Schwarzkopf
commented that customers must use a password to access the download site, so IT
should make sure instructions for the password are on the site. He asked Mr. Singleton to elaborate on the
licensing arrangement. Mr. Singleton explained
that McAfee used to have an annual subscription. The company announced that the only option
would be a perpetual license, which has a very large upfront investment,
followed by a smaller annual maintenance fee.
The new system is based on headcount instead of the number of machines,
so an individual with six machines will have all six covered.
Prof. Burns said his
understanding was McAfee would catch viruses at the desktop level, but the new software
would catch more upstream. Mr. Singleton
said that was true. IT approaches
security in a multi-layer approach. IT
staff members have implemented some other services at the network level and are
catching more and more problems before they reach the machines. Prof. Burns asked whether people who sometimes
use their computers on different networks would have adequate protection from
viruses. Mr. Singleton answered that the
client would be configured to talk to the server on campus or go directly to
Symantec to pull down appropriate files.
Prof. Gutierrez asked whether
the software would be as transparent on Unix systems as it is on Windows. Mr. Singleton replied that in the preliminary
testing, it had been very transparent on Unix as well as Mac.
Prof. Barker commented that there
was a one in five chance he would not be able to do any work at some point between
March 15 and June 24 if he is unsuccessful in the download. Mr. Singleton said the implementation would
not affect anyone’s ability to access other resources on the network. Individuals can continue to run McAfee until
a field technician can come out and take care of the installation. Even after the McAfee license expires, individuals
will not be cut off from resources on the network. The machine will continue to function except
for the time when the software is being installed.
Prof. Schwarzkopf asked about the rights to the software
for computers that are not OU funded. Mr.
Singleton said personal and office machines would be covered for anyone
affiliated with the University. Prof. Schwarzkopf
asked whether retirees were included. Mr.
Singleton said he would check on that. [Note: Per our contract with Symantec, only active
OU employees are covered under our license. However, Faculty Emeriti who currently work
for the university will be covered. This
would include professors who hold office hours or are an advisor. Retired faculty members who no longer work at
the university may purchase a discounted copy at http://itstore.ou.edu.]
Prof. Devenport asked whether
the installation would remove only McAfee.
Mr. Singleton said IT was prepackaging installations to remove McAfee
only. There are other removal options,
however.
Prof. Schwarzkopf asked how
long it would take to install the software and whether naïve users could handle
the download on their own without too much frustration. Mr. Singleton said the installation would
take about ten minutes, depending on the computer’s speed, and users should be
able to handle it on their own. One of
the steps in phase 2 is to work with faculty and staff in the colleges of
Engineering and Architecture on ease of use and communicating the changeover to
campus. Questions can be sent to
msingle@ou.edu.
Prof. Biggerstaff asked
whether the software was available for the different versions of operating
systems. Mr. Singleton said it would
work for Windows 98 and above, Mac OS 9 and above, and versions of Linux. Prof. Schwarzkopf asked whether the new
security could be added to Windows 95. Mr.
Singleton said IT would like to get people up to the latest operating system
but would try to work with those users.
Prof. Magnusson said she was concerned
that some faculty would be away from campus during the time frame for
implementation. Mr. Singleton said IT
was trying to get the download available prior to the end of the semester so
that faculty members could do the installation before they leave. However, IT is trying to avoid touching
faculty machines the week before, the week of, and the week after finals.
“As you may or may not know,
the students have started a textbook library.
The rising expense of textbooks has generated discussion and suggestions
on how to provide access to classroom materials for those students in financial
need. In light of the growing
availability and convenience of electronic textbooks, it has been suggested
that faculty consider using textbooks in their courses that can be resold and,
in general, to be sensitive to cost.
“Last month we had our guest,
Kirk Garton, discuss the fundraising efforts of the campus campaign. I thought I would put an additional plug for
the campaign by reminding you that you can choose the program to receive your
donation, such as the Faculty Senate account and the new scholarship account
for employees’ children. For many years
faculty have asked about some kind of break in tuition for their children. This scholarship account is a perfect vehicle
for us to attend to that request.
“I want to remind you to note
the call for nominations for faculty senate committees has gone out. Nominations are due March 15.
“The president’s office sent
over copies of the University and Higher Education budget revenues and
appropriations to distribute to senators.”
(Copies are available from the senate office.)
“Prof. Alan Witten from
Geology and Geophysics died on February 13.
A memorial service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on February 14 at the
Prof. Watts said she thought this
meeting would be a good opportunity to review the issues achieved this academic
year and, most importantly, to hear the items the senators would like to add to
the following list of issues and concerns identified last fall.
1. Faculty compensation: priority on continued raises and study of promotion increase.
2. Retirement benefits: work with Nick Kelly to educate faculty about retirement options and aid in the transition. Advisor on retirement companies.
3. Health benefits: monitor transition to 2005 insurance company.
4. Faculty development fund: refine the committee structure and granting process. Work for increased support in the future.
5. Ranked renewable term faculty: monitor the number of RT faculty and its impact annually.
6. Legislative relations: work with President Boren to increase state support for OU.
7. Gender issues: endowed chairs, spousal hires.
8. Regents policy manual: final proofing and vote on “Financial Emergency” section.
9. Task force recommendations on classroom renovations: monitor implementation of one-time funds. Annual renovations: Provost to establish advisory committee.
10. Approve Campus Tenure Committee recommendation to discontinue its review of hire-with-tenure cases.
11. Approve recommendation of post-tenure review committee.
12. Work on additional issues with classroom technology management and IT. Consider new and interim ITC policies.
Prof. Watts reported that the
first priority of concern is faculty compensation. President Boren has made continued raises his
top priority. The provost increased the
amount of promotion raises and hopes to meet the amount recommended by the faculty
compensation committee, depending on the budget. We have not been able to work on the issue of
retirement benefits because we are still awaiting IRS approval regarding other
options for those who are with OTRS. The
survey concerning health benefits should help us gather information about
pressing issues. Both positive and
negative comments about
Prof. Raadschelders suggested
that the senate express appreciation to Dr. Dee Fink, who is retiring as
Instructional Development director the end of June. Provost Mergler said she was putting together
a search committee and a job advertisement, which would allow the flexibility
of a faculty or staff appointment for Dr. Fink’s position. Prof. Raadschelders also commented that the focus
of the Instructional Development program is on the development of faculty
members in terms of their pedagogical skills.
Anything that has to do with IT is considered primarily a technical
issue, and the pedagogical consequences are not considered. The role of IT is not just a matter of managing
a network but understanding the pedagogical use of certain technologies. Provost Mergler said it was a more
complicated issue than before because IT is its own separate vice presidential area. When she becomes aware of issues that will
affect faculty, she makes sure IT presents the information to the senate. She has looked at how instructional development
programs are organized at other universities, and the format varies. She is open to increasing the program, as the
budget allows. Prof. Schwarzkopf noted
that one of the problems was how to disseminate novel techniques to faculty and
do it in such a way that IT was not dictating to faculty members how they
should teach. Dr. Fink includes in his instructional
session information on how to use technology.
It is a faculty issue. Prof. Kauffman
said he was in complete agreement. He
pointed out that the
Prof. Kauffman said he
thought the Institutional Review Board (IRB) no longer allowed students to be
principal investigators on projects, even at the thesis and dissertation levels,
and that faculty had to sign off as PI for the project. Prof. Devenport, vice chair of the IRB, said that
policy had been instituted for legal purposes.
Many people are unhappy with the decision. It is being negotiated.
Prof. Forman said he was
concerned about the shortage of classes for students in particular departments
and the prospect that students could not get their degrees in a four-year
period. Provost Mergler said it is tough
to balance the need for faculty compensation with the need for faculty lines. We had a large spurt of students interested
in health-related careers and a larger enrollment in our freshman classes the
past couple of years, which created a demand for two- and three-thousand level
courses. In some cases, she was able to
substitute courses to accommodate students.
Right-sizing the faculty to the student body continues to be a struggle. Prof. Hobbs asked whether the fall’s freshman
class would be larger. Provost Mergler said
the freshman class would likely be smaller.
The demographics in
Prof. Cintron echoed Prof.
Raadschelders’ suggestion that the senate mention some appreciation for Dr. Dee
Fink. Provost Mergler said she would
host a reception for him, and an expression of appreciation could be presented
there. Prof. Watts said the senate Executive
Committee would discuss options. Prof. Schwarzkopf
asked what was usually done to recognize retirees. Provost Mergler said the regents’ office
prepares plaques for retirees and their departments, and the president writes them
a letter. Prof. Watts noted that the
Faculty Compensation Committee had been looking at ways to honor years of
service for faculty.
Prof. Cintron said her
colleagues object to the high fees that faculty members have to pay to use Huston
Huffman center. The new facility in the
stadium does not have all the resources Huston Huffman has. Prof. Watts said her understanding was most
of Huffman’s operating budget comes from student fees. That is why faculty and staff are
charged. She will ask whether something can
be negotiated. Prof. Schwarzkopf explained
that part of the reason the president established the facility in the stadium
was because of the Huffman fees.
Prof. Cintron said she
thought we should include our efforts to increase faculty diversity every year. Prof. Henderson announced that February is
Black History Month. He encouraged his
colleagues to support the university community’s Black History activities. He encouraged faculty, when submitting
nominations for the Faculty Senate, to try to increase the diversity. He asked departments to identify the first African-American
faculty members, undergraduate students, and graduate students.
Prof. Marcus-Mendoza asked how
much the promotion raises increased and when the increases were effective. Provost Mergler said she did not remember all
the details but would send the information to the senate office. [Note:
The promotion raises given to faculty in July 2004 increased from $2000
to $3000 for those promoted to Associate Professor and from $4,000 to $5,000
for those promoted to Professor. Faculty
awarded a Cross, Boyd, or Regents’ Professorship received $7000. The same amounts are budgeted for promotions
that will occur July 2005.]
Prof. Raadschelders asked
whether it made sense to have triennial presentations to the senate by the
deans of the colleges, given that the Liberal Studies dean and other people had
been invited to speak to the senate.
The meeting adjourned at 4:30
p.m. The next regular session of the
Faculty Senate will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 21, 2005, in Jacobson
Faculty Hall 102.
____________________________________
Sonya Fallgatter, Administrative Coordinator
____________________________________
Roger Frech, Secretary