Report from Faculty Senate Executive
Committee Meeting
1.
Meeting of
Attending:
1.1
Faculty
Senate President’s Report
Melinda Lawson reported that ACUFP
was supposed to meet but the meeting was cancelled. The President of ACUFP resigned and Andrée
Reeves is taking over. Because the 30
day notice deadline was missed we will be meeting on line and Melinda will report
information back to you when she has it.
Melinda Lawson will keep you
informed regarding the Presidential Search when we have information.
1.2
Reports from
Administration
Dr. Franz reported the roads may be open by summer. The lakes and roads are ahead of the building. The building should be open in fall 2007. We should be able to occupy it in late summer so that departments have a chance to move in before fall semester.
Dr. Franz reported we will start soon on the first phase of the intermodal system. We are still looking at a transit system on campus. We continue to move houses in the Sanderson Subdivision. We continue waiting and working with those remaining. There are about seven.
The baseball and softball fields are going great.
The expansion of the dining facility should start soon and we will move the wall out and it will become a glass wall and we will move the ceilings higher. They will start the expansion in the summer and then finish for fall.
Dr. Frendi asked about the green space between Morton Hall and the Residence Halls. Dr. Franz responded that will happen later. It is a million dollar project.
Other projects may become more important. We have to prioritize and look at the money.
Dr. Radonovich reported that Dr.
Diana Bell accepted the Academic Resource Center Director position. She will be ARC Director full time. The
Dr. Radonovich announced that the person who runs WebCT gave his notice and will go to work for someone else in November. He has been offered more money from someone here in town. WebCT is used extensively by faculty. Blackboard bought WebCT and they have us. To run it next year will cost $162,000. We can solve that problem. Good news is that Blackboard will now maintain the new servers for this program. Dr. Radonovich is proposing that during the transition while we are seeking new person that we train a person in CNS to push the buttons and keep WebCT running and then we do a search and hire someone to do Instructional Technology with the faculty. They will answer indirectly to Dr. Radonovich and will be housed in the Library. Dr. Radonovich will keep you updated. Mr. Halverstadt has bought the module for WebCT to talk to Banner.
Dr. Radonovich announced that John Maxon will talk about Freshmen Housing tomorrow at the Academic Council and then at the next Senate Executive Committee Meeting we will talk about it.
1.3 Committee Items and Chair Reports
1.3.1 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (Sharon George).
Shari George was not present but Melinda gave the report on her behalf that the Committee is looking at the Course Repeat Policy.
1.3.2 Personnel (Michael Anderson).
Dr. Anderson reported the Committee is meeting with Delois Smith soon regarding faculty and student dating. It was suggested the Committee look at the AAUP guidelines and follow those.
1.3.3 Governance and Operations (Richard Fork for Jeffrey Kulick).
Dr. Fork reported the Committee met. He distributed minutes from the meeting. The Committee has looked at the University Committees and Faculty Representation on those Committees. University Review Board does not have representation but it really doe not seem appropriate for a representative to be appointed to that Committee. The Faculty is already represented on the Committee and there is a report at the end of the Committee work each year. In the absence of any complaints we do not see the need for appointing anyone to that Committee. There will be no appointment to the URB but we will appoint someone to the EOAA and Human Subjects Committee. Dr. Fork stated the Committee was appreciative to Peggy Bower for her assistance with this task. Dr. Fork stated he asked for suggestions from the Committee of what they might do as a Committee. The Committee discussed reviewing the Faculty Senate Bylaws and they agreed to continue the discussion of revising the Bylaws and possible changes to them. Dr. Fork asked for input from the Executive Committee on any suggested revisions or changes.
Dr. Fork pointed out that the Research Council does not have faculty representation on it. It is not a University Committee but it does make decisions that affect faculty and meets regularly. Should there be representation on that Committee. Things happen that are of interest to faculty and having representation there might be a way to inform faculty. It was stated that the thought was that deans represent the faculty and are to communicate to the faculty but it is difficult for deans to communicate the information because they have so much information and tasks to deal with. Dr. Fork solicited input from others. It was suggested Melinda Lawson meet with Dr. Greenwood and talk about having faculty representation on the Council. It might be that the Faculty Senate President could automatically be a member of the Council. This is a good suggestion but again the Faculty Senate President already has so many responsibilities and it might better to have someone research active and someone who does not have as much responsibility. We are a different institution in that our research and academics are intertwined and not separate. The Committee agreed this is an area to look at and Melinda Lawson should meet with Dr. Greenwood. Dr. Fork will go with her to the meeting. The goal is transparency of information flow and development of a continuing relationship.
1.3.4 Faculty and Student Development (Kader Frendi).
Dr. Frendi reported the Committee has met and discussed all the items they were assigned. The Committee will probably will make recommendations as opposed to bills. The Committee received data for faculty resignations and terminations, etc. They will continue to look at this and make recommendations on the results of the analysis. The Committee was unclear about what is happening with the ARC and faculty representatives to the Oversight Committee. It was stated the Committee needs to make recommendations for faculty to serve on that Committee. Dorothy Foote is contacting Delois Smith on the additional Nurse Practitioner. Melinda Lawson stated she talked with Delois Smith and Delois Smith has gotten approval to hire a second Nurse Practitioner and is looking at the possibility for longer hours for the Clinic.
1.3.5 Finance and Resources (Harry Delugach).
Dr. Delugach reported the Committee met and talked to Dr. Vogler about the REU program. The Committee will come up with guidelines for the proposals. The proposals will still be somewhat informal. The Committee will meet November 2 to formalize the call for proposals. The deadline for the proposals will be December 1. The President has allocated $25 to $30K for the proposals. The Committee has recommended not paying the students hourly but paying them a stipend. It was a major hassle to do the hourly pay. The Committee will recommend $3000 per student as a stipend. The Committee would like to reduce the paperwork if possible. It should not be necessary for the Committee to review every transcript. The Faculty member sponsoring the student should know if the student is qualified. The proposal should justify anything not fitting the form of the guidelines. The Committee is looking at including things other than research such as creative works. The Committee’s goal is to get the word out early and make decisions early. It was pointed out that the communication flow is important. It was requested the Committee look at having or allowing opportunities any time not just in the summer.
1.3.6 Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs (Deborah Heikes).
Dr. Heikes reported the Committee is also discussing the Course Repeat Policy. The Committee is looking at a posthumous grading policy. They will look at a pass fail option as opposed to a letter grade. There was a question regarding students who become ill and are dying and have an incomplete. The Committee will look at this and discuss it as well. The Committee has the Academic Misconduct Bill today. There is a typo on last the sentence. It should read “Only students….” Also should correct the “et” to “etc.” Dr. Boyd moved to accept the bill as written, with a second from Dr. Neuschatz. Senate Bill 306 passed at first reading and will be on the agenda for the Faculty Senate Meeting October 26.
1.3.7
President-Elect—Lynn
Boyd
Dr. Boyd stated that last year we worked with OSP and that went well but then we were supposed to look at Contracts Grants Accounting and that has not happened. Dr. Franz thinks the problem is a University problem and has to do with the new computer system. We are looking at solutions. There was some discussion regarding the problem existing before Banner and that it is more than a Computer System problem. One problem occurring since Banner is that the balance disappears on statements. You can see that there were transactions but no beginning and ending balance. One of the problems that has existed and still exists is that companies are not receiving invoices. The statements were showing funds but the funds were not coming from the outside. Dr. Franz and Dr. Radonovich will talk with Ray Pinner about this. We will find out how to fix it.
1.3.8 Melinda Lawson brought up a concern with regard to Banner and access to information. The course managers do not have access to the list of students in the labs. Is it possible to get this? It was stated that it may require extending access and this then becomes a security issue. Melinda Lawson will call Janet Waller regarding this. We need information in timely manner.
1.3.9 Dr. Frendi stated the SIE needs to include more information all along the way and make it more useful for assessment, etc. We might consider adding questions along lines of those asked by ABET and SACS. It was stated we do not want to increase the length of the SIE too much because the students then will not want to complete them. Dr. Frendi and the Faculty and Student Development Committee look at this and see what can be done. Some schools are already moving in that direction.
1.3.10 The
Agenda was set for the