posted Feb. 26, 1997
MEDICAL FACULTY ASSEMBLY
MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 3, 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Attendance by Officers and Members of theExecutivie
Committee
Representation at the Meeting
Approval of Minutes
Report on Matters
Facing the University Academic Senate
Developments Involving
the CPSA and Termination of Faculty
Plans for the Norris
Cancer Hospital
Contracts of
the Basic Science Faculty
New Business and Adjournment
ATTENDANCE BY OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
President Robert Stellwagen present President-Elect Kathyrn Challoner present Secretary Harvey Kaslow present Treasurer Wendy Mack Past President Donna Shoupe present Member-at-Large Silvia Formenti present Member-at-Large Loren Laine present Member-at-Large Laura Wachsman present
REPRESENTATION AT THE MEETING:
Anesthesiology Jim Daniel Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Robert Stellwagen Cell and Neurobiology Children's Hospital Emergency Medicine K.R. Challoner Family Medicine Jerry Gates Medicine Mohammad Akmal Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Joseph Landolph Neurological Surgery Neurology C. Waters Norris Medical Library Obstetrics and Gynecology D. Shoupe Opthalmology Orthopedics Otolaryngology Dennis O'Leary Pathology Arnis Richters Pediatrics Laura Wachsman Physiology and Biophysics Herb Meiselman Preventive Medicine Susan Preston-Martin Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Radiation Oncology Silvia Formenti Radiology Rancho Los Amigos Hospital Surgery Urology
The meeting was called to order by President Robert Stellwagen.
The minutes of the August 6 MFA meeting were approved without change.
2. REPORT ON MATTERS FACING THE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC SENATE.
Dr. Stellwagen presented a report to the MFA describing goals of the
University Academic Senate for the coming year, including:
1. Publication of a revised Faculty Handbook.
2. Revision of the Grievance process.
3. Establishing policies that ensure humane treatment in adverse employment
actions.
4. Establish University policy regarding health benefits for same-sex partners.
5. Establish a Code of Integrity for Faculty.
6. Define the meaning of tenure at USC.
7. Establish a University policy on the roles and responsibilities of department
chairs.
8. Define benefits to be given to retired Faculty.
9. Actively participate in issues and policies regarding the future of
the Health Sciences at USC.
10. Participate in a conference to develop a policies and systems regarding
merit-based faculty compensation.
Dr. Stellwagen also pointed out specific involvement of School of Medicine
faculty in Senate affairs:
Janet Blanks is Co-chair of the Committee
concerning Faculty Rights and Responsibilities.
Suraiya Rasheed is Chair of the Research
Committee.
3. DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVING THE CPSA AND TERMINATION OF FACULTY.
Dr. Stellwagen reported that the Executive Committee had written a letter to Dr. Van Der Meulen expressing grave concern over the letter Dr. Van Der Meulen had sent to senior faculty stating that the University had "identified your position for reassignment or other action by the County, as the County is not providing sufficient funding to the University to maintain that position." Of these faculty, those that were tenured apparently retained their tenured appointment, but those that were not tenured were told that "As you are a member of the special faculty, your appointment with the University expires on June 30, 1996 and will not be renewed."
A response to the letter from the MFA was received not from Dr. Van Der Meulen, but from Robert Lane, General Counsel of the University, dated August 7, 1996, which stated, in part:
"Contrary to the assertion in your letter, the impact of the County reduction was carefully considered prior to the identification of positions for reassignment. The School of Medicine has attempted to obtain restoration of the reduction in funding by the County Department of Health Services which was unsuccessful. In arriving at a course of action the School of Medicine has sought to maintain the consistently high level of care provided at the LAC+USC Medical Center and to minimize the impact on the teaching aspects of internship training provided under the CPSA. In difficult financial times certain actions must be taken to deal with the realities in which we exist.
"It is a pleasure to read of your endorsement of accountability for CPSA dollars and positions funded through the contract. As the School of Medicine committees conduct their deliberations this fall and seeks to monitor and measure productivity for purposes of compensation, your support will be welcome."
In response to the passage of MFA Recommendation 1996-97-001, a letter dated August 11, 1996 was received from Leslie Bernstein, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs which stated that although the School would provide a copy of the CPSA, the School would not release an accounting of expenditures of CPSA funds, nor would the School reveal the names of those faculty who had received the letters from Dr. Van Der Meulen notifying them of reassignment and termination.
In further response to MFA Recommendation 1996-97-001, the FEC met on August 21, and although no formal action was taken, many in attendance spoke negatively concerning the Recommendation. The minutes of this FEC meeting were distributed.
Because Interim Dean Van Der Meulen was in attendance at the MFA meeting,
he was invited to comment on the situation. Dr. Van Der Meulen indicated
that:
The County has not accepted the University's action, and is paying the
affected faculty, who remain at the County Hospital.
He does not know how the County will further react to the University's
action.
There have meetings between County and USC to discuss the future.
The terminated non-tenured faculty might be offered new faculty positions.
4. PLANS FOR NORRIS CANCER HOSPITAL
It was noted to Dr. Van Der Meulen that speculation had emerged that management of the Norris Cancer Hospital might be transferred to Tenet. Dr. Van Der Meulen indicated that involving the for-profit Tenet entity with the non-profit Norris might cause a loss of the DRG exemption granted to Norris, and that loss of this exemption might negate any savings in management that might arise from merging functions at University Hospital with the Norris Cancer Hospital. Dr. Van Der Meulen indicated that the situation is very complicated, but that he expected that the patients would remain in the Norris Hospital structure.
5. CONTRACTS OF THE BASIC SCIENCE FACULTY.
Dr. Van Der Meulen was asked to comment on his letters to the Basic Science Faculty of June 28, and August 20, 1996. The June 28 letter states that this letter was the only contract these faculty now have, and the August 20 letter states that because the faculty are now being compensated with a 12-month salary the University expects these faculty to put forth a 12-month effort. This action apparently reverses, for an indeterminate period, the previous conversion of these faculty to 9-month salaries. Dr. Van Der Meulen indicated a number of committees are working on issues relating to the contract status of the Basic Science Faculty, and that the results of these committees will have to be considered in light of the new structure of the School being worked on by the Dean.
6. NEW BUSINESS AND ADJOURNMENT.
There was no new business, and the meeting was adjourned.