On Friday, April 19, the Alabama Council of University Presidents met at the Tom Bevill Conference Center in Huntsville, Alabama. President R.T. Floyd, University of West Alabama, called the meeting to order.

Attendees introduced themselves. Included were: Jeanette Jones, Alabama A&M; Bob Van Der Velde, Auburn University at Montgomery; Catherine Allard, Troy State University; Bob Saunders and Robert Burroughs, Troy State University Dothan; Jo Anne Bryant, Troy State University Montgomery; Jim Miller, Gary Smith, and Stephen Waring, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; Neil Thorne and Brenda Webb, University of North Alabama.

Dr. Gary Smith welcomed the group to Huntsville. Dr. Smith, Special Assistant to the President, UAH, identified funding issues facing higher education in Alabama, and offered suggestions for partnerships and interested groups to become involved in focusing the attention of elected officials and candidates for governmental offices.

The minutes of the November 9-10, 2001 meeting were read and approved after correcting the list of attending representatives from universities by removing The University of Alabama and changing Troy State University Montgomery to Auburn University—Montgomery.

The agenda for the two-day meeting, presented by President Floyd, was approved.  Group discussion focused on Constitution Reform as it relates to funding educational needs in Alabama.  President R. T. Floyd agreed to establish a link from the ACUFP web site to the Public Affairs Research Council web site at Samford University.

Mr. Gordon Stone, Executive Director of the Higher Education Partnership, addressed the group outlining ways to efficiently bring concerns to the forefront while working with stakeholders.  Reinforcing earlier discussions of developing strategies to create a grassroots influence for change, he identified one target group as the university student population for this purpose.  Creating a network system that fostered contacting legislators was identified as a communication need.

A motion was made by Bob Van Der Velde for ACUFP to join the Higher Education Partnership as a group.  The motion was seconded and passed with a vote of six to four.

A reception for the group was hosted by Dr. Frank A. Franz, President of The University of Alabama at Huntsville.  Afterwards the group enjoyed dinner at the Fogcutter Restaurant.

Saturday morning, April 20, the meeting began with the treasurer’s report, e-mailed to President Floyd by Kelly Gregg.  The report was accepted through a motion and vote.

Collaboratively the group reviewed ACUFP’s Constitution, and suggested editorial changes along with a proposed amendment. These were as detailed in the separate document containing all of the changes as proposed by the group.  (See the attached amendment.)

Bob Van Der Velde made the motion that proposed changes are voted on at the fall 2002 meeting.  The motion passed.

The membership voted to draft a resolution to support candidates who are concerned with funding education.  This motion was made by Neil Thorne and was seconded by Jo Anne Bryant.  A resolution was drafted by the group.  It was determined by the ACUFP membership that this resolution would be disseminated through a diverse media approach.  By consensus, President Floyd was granted the flexibility to edit as necessary for media purposes.

President Floyd discussed ideas for updating the Council’s Web Page.  Suggestions from the membership were offered.

Dothan, as host of the Fall 2002 meeting requested a change in the date to November 8-9, 2002.  The University of North Alabama will host the spring 2003 meeting.

                                                                                                Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                                Brenda H. Webb

Amendment to Change ACUFP Constitution

The Amendment below was developed and approved for presentation to the entire ACUFP membership for its review and action.  Action on Amendment 2 is scheduled for the Fall 2002 regular ACUFP meeting which is planned for TSUD.

AMENDMENT 2

            The language of the present Constitution is changed as follows (language added is in bold italicized letters, language deleted is placed in bold strikethrough:

Article I
Name

            The name of the organization established in accordance with the terms of the present Constitution shall be The Alabama Council of College and University Faculty Presidents, hereinafter referred to as the Council.

Article II
Purposes

            As an instrument of the common interests of the members of the academic faculties of the four-year colleges and public universities in the State of Alabama, the Council has the following purposes:

            2.  To facilitate the organization of effective faculty representation in institutions of higher education by mutual assistance among participating representatives; and

            3.  To provide a continuing opportunity for the exchange of intelligence information among college and university faculties by semi-annual and special meetings of the Council and by correspondence and other consultation among members.

Article III
Membership

            4.  The educational institutions, the representatives of whose faculty organizations may be members of the Council, are those accredited colleges and public university universities in the State of Alabama which grant baccalaureate academic degrees.

Article IV
Officers

            2.  All officers shall be elected at the Fall meeting of the Council and shall serve from the adjournment of the meeting at which elected until the adjournment of the next Fall meeting even if, in any case, an officer shall in the meantime have been succeeded in office in his or her faculty organization.  Officers elected at the organizational meeting provided in Article X shall take office immediately upon election and shall serve until adjournment of the next Fall meeting.  It is the responsibility of each officer to maintain complete, accurate records assigned to the office held.  Such records should be transferred to their successors.

Article V
Meetings and Procedures

            2.  Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Executive Committee whenever, in its judgment, such meetings are warranted by the purposes of the Council. , including meetings and votes by electronic means.

            3.  Meetings of the Council shall be governed by the following rules:

                        a. either one-half of the members of the Councilor, alternatively, members representing one-half of the faculty organizations represented in the Council shall constitute a quorum to do business;

                        b.  decisions of the Council shall be made by a simple majority of those members  institutions present and voting unless otherwise provided by the present Constitution;

            6.  The Council may authorize any of its officers or other members to publicize its resolutions and to make representations to governmental officials and to officers of colleges and universities in accordance with such resolutions.

Article VII
Finances

            1.  At each regular meeting of the Council the Executive Committee shall may propose and a budget to the Council. shall consider and approve the budget of the Council.

Article VIII
Amendments

            Amendments to the present Constitution shall come into force when they have been adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the members institutions present and voting at any meeting of the Council and ratified by two-thirds of the faculty organizations represented by the members of the Council.