Approval of Previous Minutes —

The minutes from December 4, 2025 were distributed before the meeting. Katie Batza motioned to approve the minutes.  Jesse Wiley seconded. Hearing no corrections, the minutes were approved.

Guest Speaker Presentation —

Josh Bolick - Process to Implement the Open Access Policy

Josh handles implementation of the KU Open Access Policy. Josh is not advocating for the changes to the policy itself. There is a companion document called Processes to implement the Open Access Policy, which is what Josh was proposing to update. Josh gave the history of the Processes to Implement document. 2024-25 the Open Access Advisory Board recognized that the document needs to be updated. These are updates suggested. The revisions have been in progress. This summer there was a draft that was approved in October 2025. Josh met with FacEx in December. Josh said it would be helpful to have Faculty Senate endorse the newest document. Josh shared some revisions. Josh will send the slides to governance for distribution to the senators. There was a request to provide a redlined document to show the changes. Josh will send this when it is available. Faculty Senate will vote on endorsing this at the next meeting.

New Business —

Brendan Mattingly, president-elect, presided.

Kristi Neufeld gave an update on Union activities. KU administration announced that it did not want to bargain anymore. The Union continued bargaining and there has been some movement, including in salaries. They are proposing a 1% raise. KBOR has ideas and there should be discussion with the Union about any changes in the work of faculty. Administration is going to review the compensation proposal but has not set a date to bargain. Kristi asked all to reach out to Amy Mendenhall in Faculty Affairs and ask her to get a date for bargaining. Kristi discussed other issues on the table: pay, leave time, intellectual property, post tenure review, disputes, and terms or agreement. If you are a member, please help to push forward. If you are not a member and want to be, reach out to Kristi. The Union’s proposal on pay is for three years, and administration is proposing for one year. Academic freedom and shared governance are finished and on the website.

Brendan asked for any new business. A senator posed a question about procurement and IT and explained a difficulty situation the IT policy has created for them. 

If there is any software on the equipment, there is an extensive review that seems to have to go through tiers of software review. Between the IT policy and the auditing office, this has been a lengthy process. Deals with vendors are reaching a deadline and hard-won negotiation deals, including a $150K discount, are being lost. VCR Shelley Hooks and the Pharmacy Dean have been looped in, and they agree it is a huge problem. Can Faculty Senate help with this? How do we invoke our faculty senate status to bring the issues before a body that can impact policy? 

Comments/suggestions were given:

• Invite IT or Provost office to identify the decision-making body to come talk with us.
• See what types of policies exist and we can review, revise, create, etc. 
• This has a negative impact on conversations with others who may consider coming to KU. 
• Come up with a plan at the next FacEx meeting. Decide who to invite to speak to us about this.
• Can FacEx expedite this? What is the policy? This will be investigated and provided. A link to an explanation of the policy was provided in the chat. This was not the same one that was used in the IT issue being discussed.
• Brendan asked it the Faculty Senators were in favor of an expedited meeting of FacEx to help expedite the IT issues/policy the senator was encountering. The read of the room was that all were in favor, and none were opposed.
• Can we ask if there are policies that affect all of us go through Faculty Senate?
• Meeting with someone in IT in person may be an effective means of solving the issue.
• The policy is new and is problematic.

Jesse Wiley motioned that Faculty Senate review the IT Policy of Software Review before procuring any device in the University. Najarian Peters asked to amend the motion to also add “through an expedited meeting of FacEx”.  Katie Batza seconded. 11 were in favor. None were opposed. There was a quorum check. There was no longer quorum. 

Meeting adjourned.