Feb 21, 2007 Minutes

Members present:

Chair Stone, Senators Brennan, Conroy, Davidson, Feakes, Hazlewood, Hindson, McGee, McKinney, Montondon, Sorenson,Warms, Winek,Wiley

Guests: Dr. Jack Ransone, HPER, Dr. Bobby Patton, Chair HPER, Dir of Curr. Ser. Micky Autrey, Dr. Joe Tomasso, Chair Biology, Dr. Mark Fronstad, Geography ,Scott Thomas, University Star

Meeting called to order at 4:00.

University Curriculum Committee Recommendation: The University Curriculum Committee made the following recommendations:

• Add a graduate certificate in Music Performance (attached proposal is revised from earlier version due to Curriculum Committee questions)
• Change the Master of Science major in Aquatic Biology to a Master of Science major in Aquatic Resources
• Change the entrance requirements for the undergraduate Geography programs
• Change the graduation requirements for the undergraduate Geography programs
• Delete the Bachelor of Arts major in Geography-Resources & Environmental Studies
• Delete the Bachelor of Arts major in Geography-Urban & Regional Planning
• Change the Bachelor of Exercise & Sports Science major in Athletic Training to a Bachelor of Science major in Athletic Training
• Add a Master of Science major in Athletic Training (attached proposal is revised from earlier version due to Curriculum Committee questions).

Representatives for the various proposals fielded Senate questions.  The Senate will vote formally on the recommendations at the next meeting.

Annual Survey of Upper Level Administrators: Joe Meyer, Institutional Research, will run the Senate survey of faculty perceptions of deans, the provost and president soon after spring break.  There was some discussion of expanding the survey to other administrators, but the general tenor was not to expand.  There was also some discuss regarding a possible disclaimer for the comment section due to the potential perils of someone being identified by their comments.  The item will return to the agenda before the survey.

HB960: There was a brief discussion regarding the introduction of House Bill 960, which would legislate a policy standardizing textbooks used in core curriculum courses offered by public institutions of higher learning.  While the apparent intent is to reduce the cost of student textbooks, there is some apprehension that its enactment might impinge on academic freedom and drive up textbook prices through lack of competition.  Section e) of the bill states: “The governing board must determine whether good cause exists for changing a textbook requirement…”  It was pointed out that the governing board, composed of political appointees, does not have the expertise to make textbook decisions.

Break:

120-Hour Policy and Core Curriculum: There was some discussion about a request by AVPAA Thorne that the University Curriculum Committee make a recommendation to her on the 120-Hour Policy and the Core Curriculum.  The reaction of the Senate was that the UCC should make any recommendations to the Senate since it is a Senate committee.  A motion was made and seconded that the UCC be charged to come up with an independent recommendation to the Senate with respect to the 120-Hour Policy and the University’s Core Curriculum.  A majority approved suspending Senate rules in order to act on the motion and the motion passed.  No time-line for a UCC recommendation was indicated, but it was mentioned that there was some urgency to make a recommendation during the current semester.  The Chair of the UCC indicated he would copy any UCC recommendation to the Senate to AVPAA Thorne.

Presidential Awards Committee: Senator Linda Homeyer and Dr. David Pino were recommended as Senate appointees to the Committee for Presidential Awards for Teaching.  The Chair will work with Liberal Arts to fill a third vacancy before the next meeting.

New Business:

·         Faculty Handbook:  Senators Conroy, Hazlewood and Hindson will meet with APAA Bourgeois to discuss electronic revisions to the Faculty Handbook.

·         Faculty Hiring:  There was discussion that a particular college dean has requested a list of unranked names from the department search committee rather than a specific recommendation for a faculty position as stated in PPS 7.02 on Faculty Hiring.  The Chair will try polite negotiation to correct the situation.

·         M & O Committee:  The M & O Committee has been meeting. Its charge is to make a recommendation on how the tuition increase enacted to offset course fees will be distributed to departments.  The committee has compiled a list of approximately fifty categories for expenses that course fee now cover and is working on a possible formula for equitable reallocation.

·         Faculty Workload:  There are still workload issues that need to be addressed.  Some departments reduce credit in creative/scholarly activity and /or service if teaching credit is too high in order for a faculty member’s workload to be close to the twelve-hour legislated requirement.