Report from Executive Committee Meeting

23 September, 2004

1.      Meeting of 23 September, 2004

Attending:   Karr, Lawson, Williamson, Pakhomov, Neuschatz, Hillman, Gaede, Reeves, Franz, Radonovich

Absent: Wren

1.1.      Faculty Senate President’s Report –Information

Dr. Karr called the meeting to order and asked for reports from Administration.

1.2.      Reports from Administration

Dr. Franz announced the dedication ceremony for the Bud Cramer Building will be held Monday, September 27, 2004 at 9:30 a.m.

Dr. Radonovich asked for input from the Faculty Senate regarding the Outside Teaching Policy.  This will become a part of the Faculty Handbook as a new policy.  This will go to the appropriate committee for consideration.  There were some questions and discussion regarding the policy and the terminology and exactly what is included.  Dr. Franz asked that the appropriate committee review it for faculty friendly phraseology. 

Dr. Franz announced he has asked the President of the Faculty and Staff Senates and the Deans to look at the University Mission and Goals and comment on these.  Dr. Karr asked that the Mission and Goals be sent to the Senate Executive Committee for review.

Dr. Franz reported he has received the Sexual Orientation Resolution and is having the lawyers look at it.  He will respond when he hears from the lawyers.  We must conform to the Alabama laws and this will not affect benefits.

Dr. Franz asked the Curriculum Committee to look at a bill to change the number of hours required for a student to be classified as a sophomore.  The current rule states a student is not classified as a sophomore until they have had 33 hours.  Dr. Franz would like to see that changed to 30.  Students are already in their sophomore year before reaching the 33 hour mark and are therefore taking courses in their sophomore year but still classified as a freshman.

There was some discussion regarding examination of courses and number of hours for a degree in engineering and the possibility of reducing the number of hours based on an examination of the core requirements.  This will not be dealt with at this time.

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1.3.      Committee Items and Chair Reports

 

1.3.1.   Undergraduate Curriculum (Rhonda Gaede)

Dr. Gaede reported her Committee Meeting was cancelled due to the storm (Ivan).

 

1.3.2.   Personnel (Brent Wren)

No Report.

 

1.3.3.   Governance and Operations (Joan Williamson)

Dr. Williamson reported she met with the Benefits Committee and they are looking at a vision policy that involves discounts. 

They are looking at the possibility of paying Nurse Practitioners and a Wellness Center for Faculty and Staff with preventative medicine as the key.

 

1.3.4.   Faculty and Student Development (Melinda Lawson)

Ms. Lawson reported the Committee Meeting was cancelled due to the storm (Ivan).  The Committee is working on several items.

1.3.5.   Finance and Resources (Andrew Pakhomov)

Dr. Pakhomov reported the Committee has made two attempts to meet.  They are working on several items.  They will revisit the parking issue.  Dr. Franz reported the administration distributed notes to NCRH to ask residents to park in the adjacent parking lot and not the one next to Morton Hall.

There was a question regarding adding more parking along the strip between the ramp from Sparkman and Ben Graves Drive.  The Distinguished Speaker series continues.  They will look at the Undergraduate Research Program.  They will investigate the wireless network and the bus system for the campus.  There is still a safety issue with individuals crossing Ben Graves from Spragins to Nursing and vice versa.  They will look at ways to make this crossing a safer pedestrian crossing. 

Dr. Franz will check on the trip for the light at Holmes and Ben Graves as it fails to trip for individuals turning left onto Holmes. 

The Committee will investigate the possibility of adding sidewalks to an area between Optics and OBKH.

 

1.3.6.   Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs (Jeffrey Neuschatz)

Dr. Neuschatz reported he has received a request from Dr. Johnson to look at a couple of items.  One item is moving the withdrawal date to the end of the semester.  The second item is to look at the time progress reports are due and move the date to the end of the eighth week.  Dr. Franz would like to bring a proposal to the Committee to discuss.  There is currently not much time to give grades for the progress report and it would be more helpful to give grades that let the student know if they are making good progress.

Dr. Neuschatz reported that records does not want to mail grades to students anymore due to having bad addresses and having parents see students grades before they do.  They want to have the grades on the web. 

He also reported there will not be grade rosters when we move to Banner, the grades will be entered on the computer.

Dr. Karr distributed a request from Rosemary Robinson for the inclusion of a statement regarding disabilities and disability services on course syllabi.  The Committee will consider the request and make a recommendation.

1.4       Agenda

The Upcoming Faculty Senate Meeting was CANCELLED.