PRESENT: Andrews, Areen, Arend, Attinger, Baigis, Bates, D. Betz, P. Betz, Douglas Brown, Cohn, Cole, Cuddington, Danielson, Davis, DeGioia, Diamond, Dover, Ernst, Fink, Glazer, Hauser, Iglarsh, Jacobs, Kromer, Lieber, Mann, McAuliffe, McFadden,S.J., McGrail, Morris, J. Murphy, A. Myers, Noyes, O’Connor, Puto, Rameh, Richardson, Rom, Ronkainen, Santoro, Serene, Soudee, Suyderhoud, Temple, T. Walsh, Walters, Witek, Zuccarelli

ABSENT: Alatis, Angel, Banchoff, Bloch, Dorothy Brown, Byrne, Collea, Curran, Evans, Gallucci, Glavin, Goldfrank, Haft, Haramati, Hirsh, Ingebretsen,S.J., Lauerman, Lepgold, Martire, McCabe, Mujal-Leon, Oakley, O’Donnell, Pfeiffer, Picken, Regan, Rothstein, Sanz, Sitterson, Spiegel, Tracy, Viksnins, Vroman, Weidenbruch, Whittington, Wiesel

GUESTS: Kenneth Dretchen, Karen S. Frank, Jo-Ann Henry, N. Scribanu, Linda Williams
 

The meeting was called to order by Prof. Bates at 4:25 p.m.   Minutes of the May 17, 2000 Faculty Senate meeting were approved.

New senators were introduced.

The following committee appointments were made:

Search Committee for the Dean of the Graduate School  - Adam Myers
Bookstore Renovation Committee    - Gwendolyn Owens
Medical Center Committee on Faculty   - Michael Lumpkin
Main Campus Executive Faculty    - Carol Dover

Prof. Paul Betz mentioned that the Senate Fringe Benefits Committee did not meet all of last year.

Jo Ann Henry and Dr. Kenneth Dretchen presented some proposed changes in the Georgetown Health Plan.  The sale of the G.U. Hospital has necessitated changes for 2001.  The point of service plan would be changed to a preferred provider plan which will be administered by PHN.  A major change would be reduction from 3 options to two.  The two options would be In-Network and Out-of-Network.  Individuals would not be required to go through a primary care physician to receive In-Network benefits.  Changes have also been made in the behavioral health and other parts of the coverage.  Stop-loss insurance would be added to protect the University from catastrophic losses.  The waiver by G.U. Hospital and for G.U. physicians of deductibles would be discontinued.  PHN will have a claims representative dedicated to G.U. faculty and staff claims.

It was moved, seconded and approved to commend the members of the University Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee for their work on the health plan.

Dean Joe Serene and Dr. Kenneth Dretchen spoke on IRB requirements for the Main Campus and Law Center.  All research involving human subjects will require approval by the IRB, or specific exemption from reporting requirements.  Training sessions will be held.  Several Senators expressed concern that the new requirements should not infringe on academic freedom or cause excessive work for faculty.

Several concerns arose over the spring and summer, and were discussed by Prof. Bates.  Parking was one such issue and concerns both University parking and Medical Center parking.  Medical Center faculty raised serious concerns regarding leadership of the Medical Center and conflicts of interest due to the MedStar takeover of the Clinical business.

Dr. Jack DeGioia and Karen Frank spoke and answered questions regarding parking changes.  A large number of spaces were signed over to MedStar on July 1, 2000.  Prof. Robert Glazer decried the effects on the research community.  Dr. DeGioia stated that there is no chance in the near future of raising the present cap on campus parking.  The University is acquiring some spaces in buildings on Wisconsin Avenue, which will help in a minor way.  Prof. Michael Cole pointed out that 300 additional spaces will be transferred to MedStar in the future.  He also pointed out the vacancy of MedStar parking lots thus far, and his and Karen Frank’s efforts to negotiate a deal with MedStar to lease spaces or trade parking areas.  

Prof. Cole presented the June 28. 2000 resolutions of the School of Medicine Faculty:

1. The Faculty of the School of Medicine strongly supports the intervention of the University Faculty Senate in the MedStar health transaction.  In particular, we support the efforts of Senate President Dick Bates to achieve a swap of parking rights for faculty, staff and students between MedStar Health and the University, whereby spaces in lot T would be traded for Medical Center spaces.  (This resolution passed unanimously (with 191 faculty present), with one abstention.)

2. The Faculty of the School of Medicine votes “no confidence” in Executive Vice President Sam Wiesel.  In particular, we find the following:

He has placed himself in a position of profound conflict-of-interest.  Specifically, he has negotiated on behalf of the University while being in a position to materially benefit by making concessions to MedStar health.  He has negotiated a contract that ensures continuation of his leadership both in MedStar Health and the University.  He is also apparently in a position to accept a financial buyout of his tenure.

We ask for his immediate resignation or removal.  The faculty must have input into the selection of a successor.  (This motion passed unanimously with no abstentions, with 191 faculty present.)

3. The successor to Dr. Wiesel should meet the following requirements:

 -    Be an employee of Georgetown University, and not MedStar Health.
 -    Have a primary commitment to academics and research.

(This motion passed unanimously, with no abstentions, with 105 faculty present.) 

The Medical Center Faculty’s no confidence vote on Dr. Wiesel was the second in recent years.  The May vote was the result of conflict of interest problems and poor decision making in the MedStar Health transaction.

Prof. Myers moved the following proposed University Faculty Senate resolution:

2. In support of the unanimous Medical Center Faculty resolutions of June 28, 2000, the University Faculty Senate urges the University to take all necessary measures to prevent the potential conflicts of interest within Medical Center administration created by the acquisition of the clinical practice and hospital by MedStar Health.  Furthermore, we urge the timely initiation of a search for new Medical Center leadership, and establishment of proper academic governance for the post-transaction Medical Center.  The successor to Dr. Sam Wiesel should be an employee of Georgetown University, not MedStar Health, and have a primary commitment to academics and research.

Dr. DeGioia explained the establishment of the Committee for Transitional Administration of the Medical Center and its role in preventing problems associated with the conflicts of interest.

(This resolution passed unanimously with one abstention.)

A second University Faculty Senate resolution was proposed:

1. In support of the unanimous Medical Center Faculty resolutions of June 28, 2000, the University Faculty Senate urges the University to negotiate with MedStar Health to return parking rights for faculty, staff and students in the Medical Center, in exchange for an equivalent number of spaces in Lot T.

It was supported by a unanimous show of hands (no official vote was taken due to lack of quorum).

A letter from Prof. JoAnn Moran Cruz, regarding the report of her Committee on Tenure Issues for the Medical Center, and related events was distributed.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

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