University President John T. Casteen III announced a new Capital Campaign project of $3 to $5 billion at a Faculty Senate meeting yesterday in the Newcomb Hall Commonwealth Room.
Casteen said the University is becoming more independent of the state budget as grants to the University increase. Despite concerns that donations would decrease after Sept. 11, he said they now total $120 million.
"We are working on a large campaign that is likely to begin its quiet phase in about 18 months," Casteen said. "We do not have a target yet."
The $3 to $5 billion goal is just for planning purposes, he said.
The University ended its previous Capital Campaign in December 2000. The campaign raised $1.43 billion, the second-highest earning campaign for a public university. The University of California-Berkeley raised $1.44 billion in a campaign that also ended December 2000.
The University's original campaign began October 1995.
Casteen also focused on other ways the University will deal with state budget cuts. He said he is working on hiring freeze concerns, as well as research pressures on graduate students.
"We are very grateful for any advice the faculty has for the long term," he added.
The Senate also dealt with the problem of faculty discipline and grievance at its meeting. Faculty Senate Chairman-elect Michael J. Smith introduced a written policy on faculty grievance procedures. The two key measures in the document are a clear written complaint and a principle of peer review prior to dismissal.
History Department Chair Charles McCurdy objected to the provision that required the procedure to take no more than 10 days. He also objected to the additional provision for a friendly conversation among the concerned parties and instead said that "it would be wise to at least consider a mechanism whereby parties can cross-examine," he said.
"That adversarial procedure is not accommodated in this existing document," he added.
But, Smith said the document allows for reasonable time extensions and that "nothing would prevent panelists from directing specific questions on both sides."
Physics Prof. Blaine Norum also was opposed to the document. He proposed that the document be tabled until the next meeting, since many of his colleagues said they had not had the opportunity to give the document serious consideration.
"We should not be forced into this to avoid the censure of the AAUP [American Association of University Professors]," he said. "Many people have not had time to read it."
But, Smith said he didn't think a period of review would end up with a substantially different document.
He added that his proposed motion was simply to gain approval of the general principles of the document, with the understanding that it would be subject to later technical approval.
Despite the concerns, the Senate passed Smith's motion by voice vote.
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