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Jan 19, 2005 Minutes

Present: Chair Stone, Senators Sawey, Rao, Homeyer, Montondon, Hazlewood, Fleming, Bell-Metereau, Brennan, McKinney, Sorensen, Conroy (4:45)

Guests: University Star reporter, Dr. Milt Nielsen, Micky Henry, Carrie Ross, George Restivo, Mary McCulley. 

 

Meeting was called to order at 4:00.

 

I.  Instructional Technology Update

Dr. Nielsen reported on the new website and open labs.  We don’t have an increase in printing in the open labs, because of equitrack, including ASB201, three in MCS, Jowers 201, and Ag 301.  There are over 60 departmental labs, owned and managed by departments.  There is a project going on that will create a 3-tier software lab for all labs.  First tier is for all labs; 2nd tier includes pieces of software with a high level of use, for example, SPSS.  Tier 3 is unique to a lab, and the department will fund that.  We will negotiate annually in order to get a better price, and a clerk will keep track of licensing for the entire university.  Two pieces of software—equitrack and another software management software—will help keep track of computer use. 

 

Senator Shah asked about statistical packages, and Dr. Nielsen said that would be on Tier 2, with the departments paying for part of the cost.

 

Deans and chairs have received requests for information on departmental needs, and lab managers will have the summer to prepare for the fall semester. 

 

Senator Shah asked for the survey results from the questionnaires distributed by Bob Goss’ office.

 

Web development and ten organizational servers have been brought into the group. Use of mailgroups has increased.  152 classrooms have fully equipped multimedia teaching stations.  Blackboard is growing, at 26 million range.

Courses using blackboard are in excess of 5,000.  Turnitin is also available. 

 

Equitrack is being used in the open labs to track printing.  This limits students to 25 pages per print job.  It can track multiple printers, amounts of

printing, etc.   This will handle having a limit to student printing if this

occurs in the future.   We have reduced our printing 30%.

 

ITV had 8 courses in Fall 2004.  Distance learning courses include geometry and math modeling and business courses.  Summer workshop will include two next summer.  One will be a tech only workshop, and the other will include integrating a program, teaching, and technology.  Academic computer committee is currently preparing for reading the proposals for $500,000 in lab upgrades and development. 

 

Portfolio builder allows users to build an electronic portfolio.  Business has piloted this, and Liberal Arts will be the next to try it.

 

II. Announcements:

PAAG dates will be 2/9, 3/9, 4/6 and 5/4.  Jon Bible is still the hearing officer until a change is made.  CAD is discussing faculty salary equity and incentives for teaching at Round Rock.  Charles Matthew is the new chancellor; Association of Faculty Senates will  meet Feb 18th and 19th.

 

III. University Council Nominations

Business and Science need nominees.  Jian Shen is willing to serve from math. 

 

IV. Equity Market Committee

Gene Bourgeois will chair this committee, and faculty senate will have a couple of representatives:  Senator Shah and Chair Stone.

 

Micky Henry said that the CIP codes are problematic in some departments. 

 

V. Nominations for Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence Committee Senator Brennan said that in the past there has sometimes been an imbalance of representation among the schools, so perhaps we should see who is on the committee before selecting.

 

VI. PPS Changes

2.02 on small classes, we requested a change from “changes” to “corrections.”

2.06 on contact with coordinating board was approved, and 2.11 academic and

administrative units was practically all new.   The senate will look at 2.11

and RTA the item next week.  PPS 2.15 articulation agreements brought no suggestions.

 

VII. Overview of Spring Activities

Evaluations, elections, and test of electronic voting.  We will need to update email addresses.  Senators Sawey, Bell-Metereau, and Chair Stone are in the role of the chair committee.  Wording for the language of the chair evaluations will be determined.  There are certain elements that all chairs have in common.  A few items could be added to apply to specific disciplines.  Step-down salaries is another issue which needs to be resolved, since it has been handled in extremely varied ways in the past. 

 

Senator James asked when the senate would be able to see the PPS draft, and Chair Stone said it would be wrapped up by April.  Senator Sawey will be on a subcommittee on step-down salary, Chair Stone will be on a subcommittee on evaluation, and I will be on a subcommittee that will wordsmith the definition of the role or the chair in the PPS.  Evaluation methods vary dramatically, with some colleges using IDEA, and others being very informal.

 

Evaluation should be anonymous, to protect the privacy of evaluators. 

 

Major projects for the semester.  Newsletter.  Susan sent an article to Chris Frost with revisions.  The handbook is another important item. 

 

Senator Sawey asked if we know of any Ph.D. proposals coming up this semester.

Math and Computer Science are pending at this point.  Criminal Justice will not come through for a couple of years. 

 

New Business:

 

Follow-up to calendar committee about changing the dates.  We need to check to see if Senator Fleming is legal this semester.  He was a temporary replacement for Bill, and so we need to check the constitution.  Chair Stone will do that, and we can decide next meeting.

 

Senator Fleming asked if Gene Bourgeois’ position was in the flow chart.  The deans do not report through Gene.  He supports the provost’s office, but he is not in the reporting line.

 

Senator Shah moved and Senator James seconded to approve December 1, 2004 minutes. 

 

Meeting adjourned at 5:50.

 

Minutes submitted by Rebecca Bell-Metereau.