ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES

 

 

DATE:            April 10, 2008

 

PRESENT:     Agnes Samples                                     Jeff Sanders

                        Bruce Brumley                                      Kay Streeter

                        Lorrie Steerey                                      Gershon Bulgatz

                        Craig McKenzie                                   Steve Coffman

                        Alicia Esteves (student)                         Tasneem Khaleel (ex-officio)

                        Mary Susan Fishbaugh (ex-officio)        John Cech (ex-officio)

 

ABSENT:       Rakesh Sah*                                        Sandie Rietz*

                        Johanna Mitchell*                                 Keith Edgerton*

                        Mark Hardt*

                        David Garloff (ex-officio)                      Gary Young (ex-officio)*

                        Karen Heikel (ex-officio)*                    George White (ex-officio)*

                        Terrie Iverson (ex-officio)                     Stacy Klippenstein (ex-officio)

* excused

 

GUESTS:        Mike Havens                                        Susan Balter-Reitz

                        Dan Gross                                            Cindy Rossmith

                        Dave McGinnis

 

PRESIDING: Lorrie Steerey, Chair

 

 

Lorrie Steerey called the meeting to order at 3:44 p.m. in room 206 of the new COT Health Sciences Building.

 

The minutes of March 27 were accepted as presented.

 

I.          ITEMS – FIRST READING

 

Tabled by Senate 1/24/08

Item 17  PSYC 527 Psychological Assessment of Clinical Disorders.  New course.

Item 17.a  PSYC 537 Psychotherapy Outcomes.  New course.

Item 17.b  PSYC 541 Graduate Statistics for Behavioral Sciences.  New course.

Item 17.c  PSYC 550 Childhood Psychopathology.  New course.

Item 17.d  PSYC 555 Psychology of Religion.  New course.

Item 17.e  PSYC 525 Psychological Assessment.  Change title to Psychological Assessment of Cognitive Abilities and change course description.

 

Ž Motion by Steve Coffman, seconded by Bruce Brumley to take Items 17, 17.a, 17.b, 17.c, 17.d, and 17.e off the table.

 

Ž Motion carried [4 for, 2 abstentions:  a 2/3 vote is necessary to take an item or items off the table if the original maker of the tabling motion will not make the motion to take the item(s) off the table].

 

Mike Havens, Chair of Psychology, noted that all these courses have been offered as seminars for several years, so the courses are now being made into permanent courses.  There is no impact on current faculty loads and there is no need for part-time instructors.

 

It was stated that the Senate will not be involved in departmental problems.

 

Ž Motion to approve on first reading carried.

 

Ž Motion by Bruce Brumley, seconded by Steve Coffman to waive second reading of Items 17, 17.a, 17.b, 17.c, 17.d, and 17.e.

 

Ž Motion carried with one abstention.

 

Item 37  Graduate Faculty Membership Policy.  As proposed by the Graduate Committee and approved by the Graduate Faculty.

 

Ž Motion by Bruce Brumley, seconded by Craig McKenzie to approve Item 37 on first reading.

 

Sue Balter-Reitz, Chair of the Graduate Committee, stated that the Committee did not realize they had not brought the new policy to the Senate.  In October of 2006, the Committee called a meeting of the Graduate Faculty as a whole and proposed a rather convoluted policy.  After much discussion, Sandie Rietz helped write the new policy.  In April of 2007, the new policy, which is on today’s agenda, was sent out electronically to the Graduate Faculty.  They voted in favor (though there was low participation).  The intention of the policy is not to exclude anyone.  There is no grandfathering of previous Graduate Faculty, but there is no longer an application process.  It is the departments’ responsibility to submit a list to their Dean of which faculty should be designated as Graduate Faculty.

 

Ž Motion carried with 2 abstentions.

 

II.         ITEMS – SECOND READING

 

Item 35  Academic Senate Bylaws:  Modification of the Budget Committee bylaws composition.

 

Ž Motion by Craig McKenzie, seconded by Bruce Brumley to approve Item 35 on second reading.

 

Ž Motion carried.

 

III.       DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

 

A.  Commencement Walking Order

 

It was noted that recently the walking order was reorganized and the COT faculty were all lumped together at the end of the line.  It was noted that since Level III and IV COT faculty are now included in the Emeritus Policy, they should be given equal positions in the marching line.

 

Ž Motion by Jeff Sanders, seconded by Alicia Esteves that the Commencement Walking Order be:

Professors and Level IV Instructors

Associate Professors and Level III Instructors

Assistant Professors and Level II Instructors

All other Instructors together

 

It was noted that this order will help faculty get to know each other.

 

John Cech, Dean of the COT, stated that he applauds the Senate’s recommendation.

 

Ž Motion carried.

 

The walking order will be forwarded to the Provost and Chancellor.

 

B.  BSLS Discussion

Guest:  Dan Gross, Chair, Communication & Theatre

 

Dr. Gross thanked the Senate for their recent hard work.  He noted that he did not know where to turn regarding his concerns about the BSLS.  The two major issues are workload for the faculty of Communication & Theatre, and the substance of the degree.  The Department of Communication & Theatre has 150-200 BSLS students in addition to their 200 majors.  Dr. Gross himself has about 100 advisees.  Many of the BSLS students are online, and attempting to advise them online only makes things more difficult.  There also seems to be great ignorance about the requirements of the degree.  Students—and parents—think the BSLS is a major, and it is not.  We suffer from poor presentation of what the BSLS really is in our catalog and other materials.  It seems to be sold as a degree, rather than a completion program, as it was intended.  Dr. Gross noted that he has so many BSLS advisees, he cannot spend adequate time with the Communication & Theatre majors.  Dr. Gross recommends that all the students and all the advising of those students be moved to the Advising Center, and the Advising Center then needs to clearly articulate what the degree means and what is required of the students.

 

Tasneem Khaleel, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, noted that she sees each and every application for graduation for the BSLS, and many are done wrong.  About 20% are degree-completion students, and the other 80% actually sought this degree.  Problems with this degree are getting worse, and we need a strategy to deal with them.

 

It was noted that the Department of Communication and Theatre used to have part of a position dedicated to advising BSLS students, and that position was cut.

 

Dr. Gross agreed to set up a meeting of himself, Dean Khaleel, Dr. Steerey, someone from the Advising Center, Provost White and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stacy Klippenstein.

 

It was cited that in some departments the Advising Center holds onto the BSLS students for two years or more, so when the students are finally advised by a faculty member, their plan of study is quite a mess.

 

C.  Provost Search

 

Dr. Steerey reported that Chancellor Sexton said he is working on the Search Committee and should have it done by Friday.  He also said the ad for the position should go out Monday.  Previously, Dr. Sexton stated that half of the Search Committee would be faculty, but that may not be the case.  It was noted that if George White is not selected as Provost, he will return to his position as Dean of the College of Education.

 

D.  Budget Committee Report

 

It was noted that the budget spreadsheet of the Committee’s recommendations that was sent out to all faculty requires some explanation.

 

Steve Coffman, Chair of the Budget Committee, noted that they exceeded the targets set by the Chancellor.  The Chancellor said he would attempt to adopt to the fullest extent possible the recommendations of the Committee.

 

E.  Bylaws Revision:  New Program Quality and Productivity Committee

 

It was stated that the idea for this committee came up in the Budget Committee—a group to decide what quality and productivity mean.  It was cited that this group is also a response to an NWCCU suggestion.  The Senators were asked to review this and it will be on next week’s agenda.

 

F.  Remaining Senate Meetings

 

It was noted that many of the Senators will be out of town on April 24.  It was agreed that the last meeting of the year will be April 17.  Any curriculum approved by the UCC or Graduate Committee on April 16 will be considered by the Senate on April 17.  Faculty proposing changes will be required to attend the April 17 Senate meeting or the curriculum will be postponed until Fall 2008.

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 4:38 p.m.

 

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