Draft Minutes 13 May 2026

May 20, 2026 Draft Minutes

Disclaimer: These are draft minutes, which are scheduled for approval at the next open meeting of the 91괵죕 Faculty Senate.

Attendance

Present:

Senators: Henri Akono (President), Jonathan Barron, Timothy Bowden, Seth Campbell, Erin P. Carter, Matthew Chatfield, Bill DeSisto, Heather Falconer, Sara Flanagan, Kathleen Gillon, William Gramlich, Michael Grillo, Nils Ha챘ntjens, Liliana Herakova, Greg Howard, Ellen Hostert, Lauren Jacobs, Steven Kimball, Sarah Lindahl, Will Manion, Brian McGill, Shannon McCoy, Grant Miles, Derek Michaud, William Otto, Jennifer Perry, Danielle Pelletier, Amber Roth, MJ Sedlock, Camerin Seigars, Kathryn Slott, Susan Smith, Jay Wason III (Secretary), Vince Weaver

Guests: Debra Allen, William Biberstein, Jenny Boyden, Jack Campbell, Kevin Coughlin, Scott Delcourt, Joseph DiSalvo, Carter Emerson, Angela Fileccia, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Giovanna Guidoboni, Emily Haddad, Adam Kirkland, Nicole Lawrence, Scott Marzilli, Gabriel Paquette, Daisy Singh, James Ward IV, Ryan Weatherbee

Absent:

Senators: Dean Astumian, Karen Beeftink, Keith Berube, Amy Booth (Nicholas May), Jack Buttcane, Sudarshan Chawathe, Phillip Dickens, Paula Drewniany, Alexis Foster, C. Matt Graham, Jianjun Hao, Matt Hawkyard, Kelly Jaksa, Lee Karp-Boss, Benjamin L. King, Bashir Khoda, Eric Landis, Roberto Lopez-Anido, Colleen Marzilli, Craig Mason, Robert Meulenberg, Glenda Pereira, Ek Han Tan, Timothy Waring

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 3:01 PM. The Land Acknowledgement was read by Grant Miles.

Announcements

President Akono thanked all faculty members who participated in the commencement ceremonies.혻
President Akono congratulated Jenny Boyden and Andrea Gifford on their appointments as Vice President for Finance and Administration & Chief Business Officer (VPFA & CBO) and Dean of Students, respectively, emphasizing that these appointments aligned with prior Senate requests for filling key administrative positions.
President Akono announced that Dr. William (�쏡ee��) Nichols was selected from a pool of nominations as the winner of the Faculty Senate�셲 first annual �쏛ward for Exceptional Service to the Faculty Senate and the 91괵죕.�� Dr. Nichols was nominated by former Faculty Senate President, Amanda Klemmer. Dr. Nichols expressed deep appreciation, describing the award as humbling and an honor given the many distinguished faculty who have served on the Senate, and he reiterated his view that leadership is best demonstrated through service. He reflected that Senate service broadened his perspective, suggested that all faculty should have the opportunity�봧f not the obligation�봳o serve on the Senate, and highlighted how working with colleagues from diverse disciplines taught him to build consensus even when opinions differed.
President Akono offered additional recognitions, beginning with Dean Scott Delcourt, noting his 40 years at 91괵죕 and 30 years in the Graduate School and describing his pivotal role in graduate governance, including his contributions to Graduate Board processes and to the representation of graduate programs within the Senate. Dean Delcourt responded that the occasion was bittersweet as he presided over his final Graduate Board meetings and commencement, expressed gratitude for working with faculty and administrators, and stated that although he is stepping down he plans to remain involved and even volunteer at future commencements.
President Akono also congratulated Secretary Wason as a Presidential Teaching Award recipient for 2026, remarking on his widely praised teaching and acknowledging his recent award video at the campus ceremony.

Approval of Minutes

President Akono requested a motion to approve the 15 April 2026 open Senate meeting minutes. A motion was made and seconded, there was no discussion, and the minutes were approved by a show of hands.

Special Election of Vice President

President Akono reminded Senators that the purpose of this item was to fill the Vice President position for the remainder of the current term. He called for nominations from the floor; none were offered. In the absence of floor nominations, the Senate proceeded with the candidacy of Sen. Colleen Marzilli, who was absent due to professional travel.

A vote was held by a show of hands. Sen. Marzilli received 40 votes with none opposed. President Akono declared that Sen. Marzilli was elected Vice President effective immediately for the remainder of the term.

Updates from the Administration

President Ferrini�멝undy thanked the Faculty Senate for its thoughtful and constructive engagement with the administration and for faculty members�� continuing commitment to the university. She reiterated her appreciation for the time and energy that faculty devote to Senate work and again congratulated faculty, staff, and students for a successful year and commencement season, emphasizing that student accomplishments are a direct result of faculty efforts. She also added her congratulations to Jenny Boyden on her appointment as Vice President for Finance and Administration & CBO and to Andrea Gifford on her appointment as Dean of Students.

Provost Paquette echoed the President�셲 thanks and emphasized the collaborative relationship between Academic Affairs, the deans, the Office of the Provost, and the Faculty Senate. He expressed gratitude for the work of Senate committees and noted that he values the opportunity to partner with faculty in shared governance. The Provost announced that, effective June 1, Shaleen Jain will join the Office of the Provost as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, noting that this appointment will fill a longstanding vacancy and strengthen support for faculty affairs.

Questions of the Administration

Following the invitation for questions, no Senators or guests came forward with additional questions or comments for the administration at this meeting. With no questions raised, the Senate proceeded to new business.

New Business

: Resolution to Support the Implementation of Revised Grade Dispute Policy (Academic Affairs)

The motion was introduced by Sen. Perry (Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee) and discussed in revised form. ��

Sen. Perry reported that language allowing appeals to result in a lower grade than the grade originally assigned, which had appeared in a prior version of the proposed policy, had been removed from the current version.
Sen. Perry shared that the current policy lacks detail regarding the types of grades that can be appealed, potentially allowing students to dispute any graded course assignment. The current policy also lacks a time limit for filing an appeal.
A concern was raised regarding the policy�셲 lengthy time limit for appeals, which would have allowed students to file an appeal up to six weeks following the date that the final course grade was posted.혻
Following brief comments by Senior Associate Provost Scott Marzilli, the committee chair accepted a friendly amendment changing the filing window from six weeks to two weeks. There was no further discussion.

The Senate voted on SM 2620 as amended (including the two�몏eek deadline). The motion was approved with 1 opposed.

: A Motion to Expand Student Access to Course Offering Information (Academic Affairs)

Sen. Perry then presented SM 2621, explaining that the motion had been reframed from an earlier version. The revision, she said, supports forming a committee to explore the best ways to provide students with more information about courses at registration time. It does not predetermine that a centralized repository of syllabi is the only or preferred solution. It emphasizes flexibility, including possibilities such as enhancements to the catalog or other mechanisms, and it adds a resolved clause that any proposal from the committee must be presented to the Academic Affairs Committee by the end of calendar year 2026 before further action is taken.

With no further discussion, President Akono called the question. SM 2621 was approved unanimously.

: Motion to Amend SM 2611 (Academic Affairs)

Sen. Perry introduced SM 2622, which amends optional syllabus statements from SM 2611 about classroom recording and course content accessibility. She emphasized two notable changes: first, the recording statement is revised to explicitly inform students when recording may occur and to stress that unauthorized recording constitutes a violation of the student Code of Conduct. Second, the accessibility statement is updated to remove a now�몂bsolete date and to clarify that changes to course material formats and access will be implemented on a rolling basis.

President Akono opened the motion for discussion. No Senators raised concerns or questions, and the motion was then put to a vote. SM 2622 was approved unanimously.

: Motion to Endorse the Program Elimination Proposal for the Undergraduate Major in Romance Languages (Program Creation and Reorganization Review Committee)

Committee co-chair MJ Sedlock introduced SM 2619 for the Program Creation and Reorganization Review Committee (PCRRC), noting that the text of the motion was unchanged from versions previously discussed with the Senate. She summarized that the proposal had been reviewed through the established curricular process and that the committee believed the endorsement was appropriate based on the information considered.

The floor was opened for discussion, but no comments or questions were raised. President Akono then called for a vote. SM 2619 was approved with 1 opposed and 2 abstentions.

: PBAC Charge Resolution (Finance and Institutional Planning Committee (FIPC))

Sen. Miles introduced SM 2617, which recommends revisions to the official charge of the President�셲 Budget Advisory Committee (PBAC). Sen. Miles stated that the PBAC has been valuable in improving communication about budgeting but that experience over the past three years revealed ambiguities in its charge, especially regarding the scope of actionable items and the handling of constrained or confidential data. The motion urges the President to revisit the PBAC charge, in consultation with FIPC and others, to clarify what the committee can request and recommend, and to better define how and when data can be shared.

The Senate then proceeded to a vote. SM 2617 was approved unanimously.

: Resolution in Support of Out-of-State Enrollment Strategies (FIPC)

Sen. Miles presented SM 2618, a resolution supporting strategic investments in out�몂f�몊tate student enrollment and retention. The motion calls on the administration to continue and expand efforts to identify programs with distinctive strengths that could appeal to out�몂f�몊tate students, to explore targeted investments such as on�몋he�멺round recruitment and relationship�멳uilding with guidance counselors and advisors, and to develop and share marketing plans that highlight specific market segments and 91괵죕�셲 competitive advantages.

President Akono opened the motion up for discussion. Sen. Seigars spoke in favor of the motion, saying that 91괵죕 offers a range of programs and features prospective students might be interested in. In an example, he cited that 91괵죕 has one of the strongest AIAA chapters (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) and our activities and degree concentration could be leveraged to attract students who might not otherwise associate Maine with that field.

Provost Paquette and Vice President for Enrollment Management Coughlin underscored that faculty interaction with prospective students is often the decisive factor in converting admits to enrolled students and thanked faculty for their extensive participation in admitted�몊tudent days and orientations.

Following discussion, President Akono called for a vote. SM 2618 was approved unanimously.

: Bylaws Amendments (Constitution & Bylaws Committee)

Secretary Wason presented SM 2615, explaining that the motion was part of a larger set of amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws that were considered by the Committee over the course of the academic year. For this meeting, the Committee chose to bring forward only the subset categorized as �쐒outine�� or editorial changes to the bylaws�봠larifications and updates that do not alter the substance of Senate functions�봶hile more substantive changes, including constitutional revisions, were intentionally deferred to allow for broader faculty discussion in the fall.

During discussion, a Senator asked why the full extended title of the Provost (Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost) was not used everywhere, given that the full title of the Vice President for Finance and Administration & CBO had been inserted; the committee explained that �쏱rovost�� already appears consistently in other parts of the bylaws and that the proposed edits aim for internal consistency rather than changing every instance to the full title at this time. There was agreement that a future round of edits might standardize titles more comprehensively.

After brief discussion, the motion was put to a vote and passed with 2 abstaining. Importantly, the vote exceeded the two thirds threshold required by Article X of the Faculty Senate Bylaws. Bylaws amendments do not require approval by the full 91괵죕 faculty.

Oral Committee Reports

Research and Scholarship Committee (RSC)

Secretary Wason, co�멵hair of the RSC, reported that the committee had been contacted by the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) regarding a proposed merger with the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). FBRI leadership, including Director Clayton Wheeler, met with Sen. King and Sec. Wason to describe the proposal, which they characterized as originating from FBRI rather than being imposed by ASCC, with goals of enhancing collaboration, improving competitiveness for funding opportunities, and streamlining grant and personnel management.

Sec. Wason emphasized that the merger is primarily a �쐏aper merger�� in the sense that it is not expected to involve large�몊cale relocation of people, equipment, or space; instead, it reorganizes administrative oversight while preserving the mission and external identity of both units under the broader ASCC umbrella. The target completion date is early summer, and RSC has begun gathering feedback from faculty, including those directly involved with FBRI, to ensure broad awareness and input.

In discussion, Senators asked whether the merger would go through a formal approval process at the campus or system level, and whether it would affect promotion and tenure reviews for faculty with joint appointments between departments and research centers. Interim Vice President for Research Guidoboni and Provost Paquette responded that, as currently envisioned, the change is an administrative and budgetary restructuring without adverse academic impact (including to Promotion and Tenure), and it does not require approval by the Chancellor or Board of Trustees under existing Administrative Practice Letters; the mission of FBRI will continue, and the director of FBRI will maintain a defined role within ASCC�셲 leadership structure.

Senators were invited to share additional feedback with the Research and Scholarship Committee co�멵hairs (Sens. King and Wason), who will continue to consult FBRI, ASCC, and the Office of the Vice President for Research to monitor the academic implications and ensure that faculty concerns�봢specially around joint�멲ppointment evaluation�봞re addressed.

Finance and Institutional Planning Committee (FIPC)

Sen. Miles from FIPC reported on , concerning perceived and actual growth in administrative functions and the ratio of faculty to administrative staff. Sen. Miles noted that the motion directed that findings be reported back to FIPC and the Senate; a report titled �쒋�� was provided to the Senate. Using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) categories and institutional data from 2018��2024, the report indicates that the number of senior administrators has remained relatively stable or slightly decreased (from 27 to 25), while faculty headcount has declined and staff numbers, broadly construed, have not decreased and may have grown. Sen. Miles stressed that the analysis focuses on headcount rather than budget.

During discussion, Senators raised questions about how joint faculty�밶dministrative appointments are classified, whether system�멿evel positions or role migrations are accurately reflected, and how to interpret trends in light of recent special retirement incentives for faculty. Some pointed out that while total student numbers have decreased, faculty numbers appear to have decreased even more, potentially increasing workload, and expressed concern that there is no comparably accessible data source for staff as for students and faculty.

Sec. Wason asked Provost Paquette for an update on new faculty being hired for 2026-27. He asked what positions have been searched for and whether faculty should anticipate total faculty headcounts to go up or down moving forward. Provost Paquette responded that he did not have this information in front of him, but Sec. Wason could follow up with him the following day to get that information if needed.

Vice President Boyden and Provost Paquette both acknowledged the limitations of current data systems and indicated a willingness to work with FIPC to refine questions and explore more integrated HR and financial data solutions, while cautioning that not all desired breakdowns may be readily available without substantial new data work. FIPC committed to continuing this analysis in the next academic year, developing more precise questions in collaboration with the administration�봯ossibly via a new or revised resolution�봞nd using those to guide further data collection and reporting to the Senate.

Adjournment

After completion of the agenda and oral committee reports, President Akono thanked committee chairs, Senators, and the administration for their work throughout the year and extended best wishes for a productive summer. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded; the motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 4:25 PM.