UAH FACULTY SENATE

DRAFT MINUTES OF MEETING #469

22 SEPTEMBER 2005

PRESENT:

ADSC: Patnayakuni, Gramm

LBAR: Bollinger, Ferris, Neff, Heikes, Reeves, Marcus, Neuschatz, Colclough

            ENG:   Gaede, Joiner, Kulick, Tippett, Karr, Frendi, Lin

            LIB:     Vaughan

NUR:   Lawson

SCI:     Wiemer, Bishop, Paddison, Delugach, Ravindran, Ai

ABSENT WITH PROXY:

ADSC: Tseng, Schnell

ENGR: Banish, Anderson

LBAR: Moore, Meister, Martin, Coward

SCI: Cox, Oluseyi

 

ABSENT WITHOUT PROXY:

LBAR: Jones, Eaker

            ENGR: Frederick

            NUR: Williamson

            SCI:     Mecikalski, Boyd, Miller

0.   President Andrée Reeves called the meeting to order at 12:50 p.m.

1.   Draft Minutes of Meeting Number 468 were approved. Motion by Ms. Lawson, seconded by.

2.   Senate Executive Committee Reports accepted.  Motion by Ms. Lawson, seconded by Dr. Bollinger.

3.   President Franz’s Report.

Dr. Franz reported they had a good Board Meeting and Dr. Reeves attended her first meeting as the President of the Faculty Senate.  The Board approved the degrees conferred in May. 

Dr. Franz reported the Fraternity and Sorority Housing Groundbreaking was very good.  There was approximately 500 people there.  This will add a new dimension to campus life.

Dr. Franz stated we had another good year for salary increases. 

Dr. Franz reported enrollment is up slightly and credit hour production is up.

Dr. Franz stated he is sorry for the problems that occurred in Banner during the fall registration and they have determined it was a capacity problem.  He has authorized additional equipment and it should be ordered and installed this semester so that we can attempt to prevent the same problem from occurring during spring registration.

4.   Dr. Radonovich’s Report.

Dr. Radonovich reported that work continues on the Banner Problems.

Dr. Radonovich introduced Dr. John Severn as the Acting Associate Provost, filling in for Dr. Fran Johnson since her retirement and until recruitment for a replacement begins.

There were some questions regarding the continued problem of access to Banner.  The Provost will work on this.

Dr. Radonovich announced that the Faculty Senate’s concern for promotional increases has been addressed and the increase for faculty from Assistant to Associate is now $3000 and from Associate to Full Professor is now $5000.  These increases were effective this year.  Both increments were increased to $3000 in the 03/04 year.

5.   A.  Senate Committee Reports:

1. Executive:  The report was distributed with the minutes.  The report was approved. 

2. Faculty and Student Development:  Dr. Delugach reported the Committee is following up on the monitoring of Student Integrity using turnitin.com.  The Committee will gather some data on the use and training in turnitin.com.  The Committee will also request some summary information on the University Judicial Board Cases.  The Committee is asking The Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs Committee to look at the impact of the NC grade and the data on NC grades.  Dr. Franz suggested the Committee find outliers and determine if they have and are receiving appropriate counseling.  Find out if the NC grade is actually assisting retention. 

4. Governance and Operations:

Dr. Tippett reported the Committee has achieved Senate Representation on all University Standing Committees.

5. Personnel: No Report.

6. Undergraduate Curriculum: Dr. Gaede discussed the definitions for Prerequisite, Prerequisite with Concurrency and Co-requisite.  The definitions are in the catalog.  We need to get the catalog to line up with the definitions.  There was some discussion regarding a statement in the catalog under the prerequisite with concurrency section.  There was some discussion regarding making the catalog line up with the Banner terminology and vice versa.

Dr. Gaede reported the Committee is looking at the Course Approval Form to determine if it is serving too many purposes.

7. Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs: Dr. Neuschatz reported the Committee will meet next week in Morton Hall 101A.

8. Finance and Resources:  Melinda Lawson reported the Committee met and discussed the Distinguished Speakers Series requests for this time and the request that goes out and possible changes to that request.

B.         University Committees: No Reports

C.                 Officer Reports:

Parliamentarian: No Report.

Ombudsperson: No Report.

President-Elect: No Report

President: No Report

6.         Pending Resolutions/Recommendations from the Faculty Senate to the Administration (SR 04/05-05: Establishment of Research Experience for Undergraduates, REU), (SR 04/05-04: Sanctions for Academic Misconduct), (SR 04/05-01: Inclusion of Sexual Orientation in the Anti Discrimination Clause), (Morton Hall Parking Policy Recommendation).

Dr. Franz reported that the Morton Hall Parking Policy Recommendation was tried and did not work.  Mike Finnegan was charged with examining the situation and is to come back with recommendations.  He reported there is consideration of a shuttle bus for transporting students around campus.

Dr. Franz reported the Sexual Orientation statement has been included in the Anti Discrimination Clause.

There was some misunderstanding on the REU but it was clarified in the meeting and Dr. Franz stated they will approve this.

The Sanctions for Academic Misconduct have not been approved yet.

They have not resolved the crossing from Spragins Hall to the Nursing Building issue. 

7.                              Student Success Rates and How They Affect Faculty

There is some concern among faculty regarding the use of Student Success Rates.  Are they used in determining pay increases and Promotion and Tenure?  It appears to some faculty this may be an invitation for grade inflation and it may violate Academic Freedom.

Dr. Radonovich explained he does two things with the Student Success Rates.  He looks at the sum of the grades excluding Ws.  He gets a sense of the student success rate overall.  He looks at the lower division courses, primarily freshmen courses.  He looks for how successful the students are.  He looks for significant problems.  How much significant effective learning is taking place?  He looks for serious problems and is it consistent, and if it is, then he takes action.  He will generally start with the dean and they will take action to correct the problem.  He has not used it in Promotion and Tenure because this is just one piece of data and a large compilation of data is used in Promotion and Tenure.  It is not usually used in determining salary increases either.  Student Success Rates are a way of looking at problem areas and where resources should be directed.  Dr. Franz shared the example of Math and how corrective action was taken in problem areas and Student Success Rates were improved.  These issues are usually dealt with at the department level but the concern is with Student Success Rates and Retention and Deans and Department Chairs are encouraged to take action where needed.

8.         Bookstore Information—Jeff Davis

Mr. Davis distributed information and coupon for the faculty.  He reported the Bookstore has been remodeled and the students like it much better.  He shared that he would like to come and talk to faculty at their department meetings and share information about the bookstore and find out how the bookstore can better serve them and work with them.  Mr. Davis reported this has been the best year regarding information coming in to the bookstore in a timely manner and with students being able to get the books they needed and being able to get used books for their classes.  He reminded the faculty that book orders are due October 14 for spring semester.

9.         Library Information-Linda Vaughan

Linda Vaughan requested that faculty when telling students not to use the Internet for research consider the fact that the Library is almost completely internet based not and tell the students specifically that they being encouraged to use academically sound internet sources and not Google or Yahoo.  She reported she would be glad to give a more in depth overview of what is available and talk about the new Super Search at another time. 

10.                       There was some discussion regarding difficulties with OSP and a request for a dialogue between faculty and OSP.  It was suggested that Dr. Radonovich and Dr. Franz talk with Dr. Greenwood and then arrange a discussion off line with OSP.  Dr. Reeves asked the Personnel Committee to research the issue.

11.                       Dr. Reeves adjourned the meeting at 2:05 p.m.