UAHuntsville FACULTY SENATE

DRAFT MINUTES OF MEETING #491

4 DECEMBER, 2008

PRESENT:

LBAR: Bell, Johnson, Gyasi, Heikes, Smith J., Harwell

ENG: Banish, Anderson, Gaede, Coe, Wessling

LIB: Vaughan

NUR: Lawson, Showalter, Ferguson, O’Keefe, Linsky

SCI: Mecikalski, Bishop, Zhang, Etzkorn, Ravindran, Wu, Miller, Takahashi

ABSENT WITH PROXY:

BA: Schnell, Burnett, Bao

LBAR: Pritchard, Smith, E., Reeves, Seemann

ENGR: Gholston, Cassibry

SCI: Maria Davis

ABSENT WITHOUT PROXY:

BA: Wilhite

LBAR: Ragsdale

ENG: English, Kulick, Lin

SCI: Scholz, Edmondson

0. President Gaede called the meeting to order at 12:45 p.m.

1. Draft minutes of Meeting Number 490 were approved. Motion by Lawson, seconded by Linsky.

2. Senate Executive Committee Report approved.

3. President Williams’ Report.

Dr. Williams was not present.

4. Dr. Karbhari’s Report.

· Dr. Karbhari reminded everyone that Commencement is next week.

· The Huron Report is in and Dr. Karbhari will meet with the Committee and then put it on the web and implement announcements on that.

· Health Sciences Committee is progressing with faculty from different colleges. They will present a report soon.

· Dr. English is chairing the Gender Equity Committee. Dr. Karbhari hopes to give the charge next week.

· Dawn Utley will chair a team on Distance Learning. We will determine the things to look at. We will have a series of seminars from speakers from here and outside in January.

· The review of Deans is underway. We are doing the five year review of Dean Luquire, Fix, and Raines. The Committee is charged and will be contacting faculty soon. In addition to forms for the evaluation the Committee will have sessions to have faculty, staff, and student come talk to them.

· There was some discussion and questions regarding the schedule and exams.

· Dr. Severn announced the Commencement is divided into two parts. Friday night is the PhDs, Honorary Degree, and speaker. The Commencements will be shorter. The faculty will be in rank order and traditional on Friday night but will be by department on Saturday. Students will march through the faculty on Saturday in the front hallway.

6. A. Senate Committee Reports

1. Faculty and Student Development

No Report.

2. Finance and Resources

Dr. Wessling reported the Committee received the proposals for the REU. They are evaluating about 25 proposals.

3. Governance and Operations

No report.

4. Personnel

Dr. Anderson reported the small Committee looked at the partner benefits issue and what we can do.

5. Undergraduate Curriculum

The Committee is looking at some things coming in recently.

6. Undergraduate Scholastic Affairs

Dr. Heikes reported t he Committee will have two bills today, one on attendance and one on the Academic Action Threshold.

7. Faculty Handbook Committee

Linda Vaughan reported the Committee will meet on Monday to talk about one chapter and extended the deadline to 2009.

B. University Committees

C. Officer Reports

1. President

Starting in January Dr. Gaede will hold forums for faculty to address various issues. There is some faculty unrest.

2. President-Elect

3. Ombudsperson

7. Senate Bill 312: Amendment to Student Attendance Policy (Second Reading): Add “Make arrangements no later than one week in advance” in line 29. “must not be penalized” in line 24.

26 in favor; 3 opposed.

8. Senate Bill 313: Academic Action Threshold Revision (Second Reading): Departments are notified if students drop below the threshold. Amendment 1.7 and 2.0. 22 in favor, 4 opposed. Bill: 23 in favor and 3 opposed.

9. A motion was made to adjourn by Melinda Lawson and seconded by Rose Linsky. The meeting was adjourned at 1:45 p.m.