Senators Present: Anderson, Conroy, Hays, Irvin, McGee, Renick, Sawey,
Skerpan, Stimmel and Winek.
Absent: Bible, Gillis, Gordon and Pascoe
Liaisons Present: None
Guests: Ron Becker (Crim Justice), Michael Hennessey (Eng), Priscilla Leder
(Eng), Kent Reilly (Anthro), Joycelyn Pollock (Crim Justice) and Mike Moore.
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENTAL LEAVES PRESENTATIONS
Ron Becker
Michael Hennessey
Priscilla Leder
Joycelyn Polloch
Kent Reilly
NEW BUSINESS
COMMITTEE ACTION (Patent, FRC & Susp Appeals)
NEW SENATE COMMITTEE
PARKING FEE PROPOSAL
MINUTES OF 4-7-99
The meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Hays at 4:00 p.m.
DEVELOPMENTAL LEAVE PRESENTATIONS
Ronald F. Becker: The Austin Police Department and the San Antonio Police
Department both participate in the recovery of drowning victims. These
drownings have historically been treated as accidental but both agencies have
launched a new approach and appreciation for the possibility of residual
forensic evidence. Working with these agencies will evolve a new protocol
that hopefully will become the standard in the industry. Every agency treats
drownings differently. Most presume them to be accidental. A few have
recognized that all unattended deaths, including drownings, should be presumed
homicides until proven otherwise. It is to these agencies that my interest is
directed.
MICHAEL HENNESSEY: I wish take a leave in order to broaden my knowledge of one
of the most rapidly developing areas of my discipline: the use of online
resources for writing instruction. I plan to do systematic reading and
research in this area, studying journal articles, web sites, professional
books, and textbooks with three aims in mind: (1) to use what I learn to help
my students become more skillful researchers and writers; (2) to prepare myself
to train English Department TAs in the use of online resources; and (3) to
gather background material for possible revision of a textbook.
PRISCILLIA LEDER: I would like to take developmental leave in the Spring
semester of 2000 in conjunction with the Fulbright lectureship I have been
awarded to teach American literature and culture at University of
Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) in Vila Real, Portugal. Developmental leave
will support me as I prepare to teach in Portugal and as I apply and process my
experiences after my return. Funds that I receive for the three months (March,
April, and May) I will actually be teaching in Portugal will be returned to
SWT, since SWT funds will be used for my salary.
JOYCELYN POLLOCK: If I receive the developmental leave, I plan to work on two
projects. l. I have received permission to access a new data set held by Dr.
Ben Crouch at Texas A&M. This survey was administered to a large sample of
both male and female Texas inmates entering the prison system in 1998. It was
funded by the Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and covers a wide range
of demographic, lifestyle, criminal history, and drug use issues. It is an
extremely rich data set and could shed light on the relationship between drug
use and criminal behavior. I would like to explore the data, refresh my
statistical skills, and produce 1 to 3 articles on the information. 2. I
would also like to spend some time at Bedford Hills Prison for women in New
York. I have received permission from the Superintendent to explore the
feasibility of evaluating the prison nursery. I would need to spend time in
New York to see if I could access social service and criminal records to track
those children who spent their first year in the prison nursery 20 years ago.
I cannot do this project during a teaching semester. If it appears feasible,
then I would prepare an National Institute of Justice grant proposal to
complete the project.
KENT REILLY: The primary function of my developmental leave will be to take
courses in the Choctaw Language at the University of Oklahoma. The linguistic
skills I will gain from taking those courses will be used in my investigation
of the role of symbols and certain aspects of ritual objects in the
sanctification of rulership at Eastern US archaeological sites during the
Mississippian Period (A.D. 900-1600). The linguistic interpretation of these
same ritual objects, and their accompanying symbols and motifs, will be used to
reveal the shamanic ideology that provided the validation of rulership in the
ancient American Eastern Woodlands.
NEW BUSINESS
COMMITTEE ACTION (Patent, FRC & Susp Appeals) Senators discussed several Senate
Committee assignments, clarified a prior standing Committee assignment and took
the following actions:
1. Sen. Bible's previous selection as the Senate's representative on the Patent
and Copyright Committee was reiterated;
2. Sen. Conroy will clarify for Prof. Temponi, Chair of the Faculty Research
Committee (FRC), the appropriate selection process when a person serves on both
the FRC and their school's Research Advisory Committee; and
3. Due to retirement, the unexpired terms on the Suspension Appeals Committee
of Profs. Alvin Short and Patti Barrett will be filled respectively by Profs.
William DeSoto (LA) and Jovita Ross-Gordon (ED).
NEW SENATE COMMITTEE Senator Skerpan-Wheeler reported that Professor John Blair
will prepare a recommendation that the Senate establish an International
Studies Committee. It will be presented to the Senate at a later date.
PARKING FEE PROPOSAL Senators were reminded that the Parking Fee Proposal
reviewed with the Senate on April 7 by VP Abbott will be voted on at University
Council on April 29.
MINUTES OF 4-7-99 Incorporating a change suggested by Senator McGee, the
Minutes of April 7, 1999 were approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:35p.m.
