A resolution proposing an elective furlough plan sparred debate at the Faculty Senate meeting Thursday night, causing senate members to table the discussion until November. The state government asked the LSU community to propose an array of alternative plans for dealing with the current revenue shortfall while inflicting minimal damage on the state’s Flagship University. According to Resolution 09-07, “Conditions and Procedures for Furlough Plans,” the University must provide at least three elective ways of taking the furlough — for example, through payroll deductions to go to the University via the LSU Foundation, one-time donations via check or other payment instrument via the LSU Foundation, or multiple smaller payments or deductions. Kevin Cope, Faculty Senate president, said the resolution offers a sufficient compromise. The resolution produced conflicting responses from the senators. Many were hesitant to agree to a resolution with so much uncertainty. The senators said the resolution lacked a refined language. Patrick McGee, English    professor, said the idea of an elective furlough seemed ridiculous and created a false sense of support. Chancellor Michael Martin unveiled PS-36, the University’s policy statements governing the appointment, evaluation, promotion, retention and tenure of faculty members. “I hope we treat this as a living document,” Martin said. The committee spent five years working, laboring and negotiating over the documents, encountering every obstacle a person can encounter before finally succeeding, Cope said. The Faculty Senate divided PS-36 into two versions: one pertaining to tenured and one to non-tenured colleagues. Following the ceremony, Martin addressed the current economic situation. “We are entering a year in which the only thing we can be certain of is uncertainty,” Martin said. Martin said despite a still unclear University budget situation, he will continue to move forward with revitalizing and updating the campus. Martin said he is satisfied with the institution’s progress and commitment to academic excellence. The meeting also included an update on Moodle. “Moodle has had its ups and downs,” Cope said. Spurred by a survey showing roughly 82 percent of faculty did not understand most of Moodle’s nomenclature, Moodle is about to release a new interface to make the program easier for faculty to manage, according to Andrew Christie, accounting professor and member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. “I’m confident it’s going to work better,” Christie said. “It couldn’t work worse.” The new format will have simpler terminology and navigation. The Faculty Senate passed Resolution 09-06, “Inactive Course Policy.” A course will become inactive if it isn’t taught in five years, according to the policy. After 10 years without teaching the course, it will be dropped completely. Andrea Houston, information systems and decision sciences professor, said the current catalog is deceiving for students who try to plan their curriculum based on an inaccurate catalog.The Faculty Senate elected Ken McMillin, animal sciences professor, to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.—–Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]