Minutes of the Faculty Meeting -- January 31, 2002

Present were: Drs. Capinera (JLC), Adams, Boucias, Cuda, Fasulo, Foltz, Frank, D. Hall, G. Hall, Hoy, Lawrence, Leppla, Liburd, Maruniak, McAuslane, McSorley, Slansky, Smart, Stimac, Webb, and P. Howell.

The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM.

Dr. Capinera announced that Dr. Everett Mitchell passed away on Friday, January 25. He stated that before Dr. Mitchell died, he called and told JLC that he had Share money remaining and that he wanted it to go to Entomology to be used for students. JLC said that the money will be used for an endowed scholarship in Dr. Mitchell's name.

The faculty was asked to vote on whether to recommend Dr. Rob Meagher of USDA for faculty and Graduate Faculty status. He mentioned that Dr. Meagher had been reviewed by the Graduate Committee and approved. The faculty present voted and unanimously recommended Dr. Meagher for faculty and Graduate Faculty status.

JLC next distributed to all in attendance a draft version of the UF/IFAS Faculty Evaluation Form. He said he was pleased that this draft was one page shorter than the original form, which had a lot of redundancy. He also said that the categories are difficult to evaluate. He said that the draft form has two basic areas: one has a yes/no type answer, while the other has numerical quantitative assessment type answers and has a higher priority. The numerical system allows for greater resolution of answers. JLC said that now is the time to speak up if anyone feels they have a problem with the draft of the form. Dr. Maruniak asked if this form is IFAS wide. JLC said that it will be IFAS wide if adopted. Dr. Maruniak wanted to know why there are so many areas of evaluation. JLC said the form prompts discussion about these areas. Dr. McSorley wanted to know about areas that do not concern the faculty and why isn't there a "not applicable" box to check. JLC said that a third column for "not applicable" should be added. Dr. Cuda said that with the numerical assessment of "1 to 10", there is a lot of gray area left. Dr. McSorley stated that if 4 is "unsatisfactory", then 5 isn't really a very good "average", so "average" should be more in the area of 7. JLC said that is a good point and that is why feedback is necessary. Dr. Smart said if the "yes/no" category is nonjudgmental, that needs to be clearly spelled out

Next JLC distributed to all in attendance the Proposed Plant Science Charge-Back System form. He said that the new Plant Science Center is in Citra. The Agronomy unit is already on-site, while the Hort Science unit will be moving there shortly. JLC said that the new farm is an excellent place for field research and researchers are guaranteed access to space at the farm. The form distributed is a first draft of the schedule of costs for research plots, technician, materials, etc. Dr. Liburd asked if the rate per acre is stated but he uses only a half acre, will be price be the same. JLC said that the cost is proportional. Dr. Boucias said the farm is the best he's ever seen with weekly reports on your research plot by a technician. JLC said anyone who anticipates a need for space needs to get involved now. Dr. Cuda asked about what will happen to the former Plant Science space. JLC said it will be sold once approval is given. He said UF can't buy or sell without approval of the Board of Regents, or whoever operates in their stead.

Next JLC distributed to all in attendance a copy of "Short-term goals and objectives for 2001". With regard to the numbered items on the form he gave the following statements for the past year:

(1) Lepidoptera program, museum and public exhibition area, annex to entomology/nematology building -- The new Lepidoptera exhibit is underway but there won't be (at this time) an annex to our building.

(2) Encyclopedia project, Florida Invertebrate Field Guide series, EDIS -- The encyclopedia project is going along very well but it's going to take up more of his time for the next year. He hopes to get it substantially completed in the next year, if possible. He will welcome any and all volunteers for contributions to the project. Re the field guides, he has D. Hall's and Butler's contribution on caterpillars and Choate's contribution on tiger beetles. He would like to see 1-2 books per year and reminds the faculty that they are to be diagnostic guides for the public (Boy Scouts, teachers, etc.), so need to be user-friendly because the end users are novices. Dr. Maruniak asked if the guides are to be independent but published as a series. JLC confirmed that this is so. He seeks more field guide contributors. Dr. Cuda asked with regard to the field guides, where will submissions for them go in the Accountability Report. JLC said it will go under "Books". JLC mentioned that EDIS is suffering because of personnel issues. He said that the retooled menu system is out for review at this time. He said that "Featured Creatures" will now be available through EDIS. He said that efforts on our side have gone very well, but ther are some personnel problems in EDIS.

(3) Infrastructure/greenhouses -- Three new greenhouses are complete.

(4) Organic farming -- This has succeeded very well with land allocated at Pine Acres (the research farm in Citra) and establishment of a "center" imminent. JLC said that organic farming is one of the few growth areas in agriculture at this time. Dr. Maruniak asked where this research will take place. JLC said one place is at the plot at Pine Acres, but that a great deal of the research will take place at individual farms where the farmers have undertaken organic farming. Dr. Hoy asked if there is a director for this project. JLC said that no announcement has been made, but that selection of co-directors is in the works.

Dr. Hoy asked about budget issues and about gathering funding for student support. She wanted to know if that could be put on JLC's list of priorities. JLC said that is always on the agenda, that it's a continual effort to find donors and approach them, or have third parties "soften them up", with the idea of getting them to donate funds to the department. Dr. Hoy stated that it should be stressed to them how great the need is at this time. Dr. Maruniak asked about the status of the Steinmetz donations. JLC said that they have donated ~$750,000 over the past 2-3 years. Dr. Maruniak asked if we could go back to the Fischer/Davies people that have funded Dr. Hoy's endowed chair. JLC said that he didn't think so because that was a special arrangement by a corporation. The corporation usually donates to Lake Alfred and there is some animosity because of the endowment coming here. JLC said we need to find and court some rich nematologists since it seems that we have always gotten funding for entomology in the past.

Next up, JLC presented information on the budget. He said the budget has been cut deeply. The cuts have come from the operating fund plus from student funding through the Deans. We received a $45,000 cut in teaching, so the grand total cut this year was $100,000. Projections for next year are even worse. The Legislature gave us some temporary funding as a bridge but that won't be forthcoming next year. The Governor will take away that bridge plus some additional in the coming year. JLC said he has already spoken to two staff members about going from permanent status to fixed term status. They will retain their salaries and benefits, but won't be considered permanent employees. JLC said that on Monday he met with Personnel to discuss the process for layoffs. Dr. Cuda said that he had read somewhere that nontenured faculty are in the mix for possible layoff. JLC said yes, that is indeed true, but that he wouldn't lose sleep over it yet because he feels we can rearrange things to prevent nontenured faculty from layoffs. So far, units that have been in line for being eliminated have been protected by the legislature and kept them from being cut out of the system. Dr. Leppla asked that if when we cut appointments, do the reserves to back to IFAS or stay in the department. JLC said if it's faculty salaries, the Deans probably will take them, but that everything is negotiable. Dr. Leppla asked if there is a way that faculty can "hire" each other. Dr. Stimac said that would take advance planning in order to put it in the grants. Dr. Hoy asked if the July 1 deadline for expecting to have to cover 20% of technician salaries is still correct. JLC said yes, and it could even be more than 20%. Dr. Webb asked if USPS is vulnerable to bumping. JLC said yes. Dr. Hoy wanted to know if we should tell the staff of this possibility. JLC said he doesn't want to cause a panic. He also said that IFAS people can only bump within IFAS. Dr. Hoy asked if this means we keep the position but could lose the people in them. JLC said yes, and we will have to take the bumper at his current salary, so we could possibly lose our person and have to pay more to the bumper. Dr. D. Hall asked if the person bumping has to know the job. JLC said no, he/she only has to be able to learn the job within six months of taking the job. Dr. Cuda wanted to know if the USPS people know this or have discussed it in any staff meetings. JLC said this is virgin territory and that Personnel officials are talking to attorneys to determine the legal ramifications.

Next JLC presented some concerns about curricular issues. He spoke about the biochemistry requirement and spoke about Dr. Nation's short course that he's offering. He if would it be better to instead require a molecular biology course. Dr. Cuda asked what would be the prerequisites for a molecular entomology course. Dr. Hoy said she only requires a course in genetics for her molecular genetics course. Dr. Maruniak said he requires nothing other than a biology course because he goes from "ground zero" to sequencing and phylogenetics in his course. A lot of discussion ensued regarding the courses currently required. Dr. Boucias stated that Drs. G. Hall, Maruniak and Hoy should develop new courses. JLC said that he would prefer to have two required courses and rotate the faculty teaching the course. Dr. Stimac said that three faculty should discuss the molecular biology course. Dr. D. Hall said he is concerned that there is a lot of biochemistry that is not molecular biochemistry, and that students need to have the biochemistry course as well. He said he'd like to see general biochemistry required as well. Dr. Hoy asked if all students are required to take insect physiology. JLC said yes. Dr. Maruniak said that if a student doesn't understand biochemistry, they won't understand molecular biology. Dr. McSorley said that we should offer general biochemistry and molecular biology courses and let the students choose which they want. Dr. G. Hall said he shares Dr. D. Hall's concerns about general biochemistry and thinks students need that course. A lot of discussion ensued about the relative merits of each of the biochemistry courses. Dr. Smart asked if we should distinguish between the M.S. and the Ph.D. students and what each is required to take. JLC said a lot of students save the biochemistry requirement until the end of their coursework when it does them the least good. Dr. Cuda stated that when he was a graduate student, they had to take the courses as stated and when stated. Dr. Boucias said he feels students should be encouraged to take the course at the beginning and not wait. Dr. Stimac suggested that we revisit the concept of required courses. JLC said we will do that at the next faculty meeting and asked that the faculty in the meantime talk to some of the graduate students and get their thoughts on the required courses.

JLC asked the graduate coordinator if he had any announcements. Dr. Smart stated that the budget may require cutting out assistantships and that there may not be any department assistantships in 2002 or in 2003. He stated that the two new graduate students in spring got assistantships but that they are paid by their major professor and are not on departmental assistantships.

JLC brought up the subject of cold rooms and to whom they're assigned. He mentioned that the cold room and freezer in the west wing are for everyone and he urged that they be kept clean. The ones in the east wing by Jerry Wenzel's area consist of a double walk-in low temperature refrigerator which was intended for soil and seeds, and a regular walk in. Dr. McSorley said that many seeds do not do well in there because the humidity is too high. JLC said that the inner refrigerator is used by Dr. Frank and the mole cricket lab, while the outer refrigerator is being used by Dr. Dickson and the nematologists. Dr. Adams said he also uses that refrigerator. The faculty agreed that these are multi-user refrigerators and everyone has access to then, but he stressed that they needs to be kept clean, and that items stored there need to be labeled and dated. Dr. Hoy said that in all the refrigerators, items get left and forgotten and they end up taking up space. The refrigerators need to be cleaned 1-2 times per year. It wouldn't hurt to do a clean-up now.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:25 PM.