ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES

 

 

DATE:            April 26, 2007

 

PRESENT:     Agnes Samples                                     Mark Hardt

                        Sandie Rietz                                         Bruce Brumley

                        Audrey ConnerRosberg                        Johanna Mitchell

                        Keith Edgerton                                     Gershon Bulgatz

                        Craig McKenzie                                   Suneetha de Silva

                        Jeff Sanders                                          Mary Susan Fishbaugh (ex-officio)

 

ABSENT:       Rakesh Sah – excused                         Lorrie Steerey – excused

                        David Garloff (ex-officio)                      Tasneem Khaleel (ex-officio)

                        Gary Young (ex-officio)                        John Cech (ex-officio)

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

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

 

GUEST:          Christy Low

 

PRESIDING: Audrey ConnerRosberg, Chair

 

 

Audrey ConnerRosberg called the meeting to order at 3:44 p.m. in the Bridger room.

 

The minutes of April 19 were accepted as presented.

 

I.          WELCOME OF NEW SENATORS

 

            Jeff Sanders, CAS Representative

            Sandie Rietz, returning as COE Representative

            Mark Hardt, returning as an At-Large Representative

            Suneetha de Silva, At-Large Representative

 

II.         ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

A.  Three Vice Chairs

 

̃ Keith Edgerton nominated, and Johanna Mitchell seconded: Sandie Rietz, Bruce Brumley, and Lorrie Steerey (if she is willing) for vice chairs.  Dr. Reitz and Mr. Brumley agreed to serve.

 

Dr. Steerey will be asked via email.  If she is unable, a third vice chair will be elected in fall.

 

̃ Motion carried unanimously.

 

B.  Secretary

 

̃Keith Edgerton nominated, and Sandie Rietz seconded Mark Hardt for secretary.  Dr. Hardt agreed to serve.

 

̃ Motion carried unanimously.

 

III.       ITEMS – FIRST READING

 

Item 65  Certificate of Teaching and Learning Online.  New program.

Item 65.a  EDCI 574 Adaptations and Accommodations for Diverse Learners.  New course.

Item 65.b  EDCI 575 Assessment of Learning Outcomes Part I.  New course.

Item 65.c  EDCI 577 Assessment of Learning Outcomes Part II.  New course.

Item 65.d  EDCI 573 Instructional Design.  Change title.

Item 65.e  EDCI 672 Instructional Materials Design.  Change number to 576 and change prerequisite.

 

̃ Motion by Keith Edgerton, seconded by Craig McKenzie to take Items Items 65, 65.a, 65.b, 65.c, 65.d, and 65.e off the table.

 

Christy Low, Department of Educational Theory and Practice, stated that this new graduate certificate is based on the Master in Educational Tech.  This certificate is meant to be an expansion beyond the College of Education, to healthcare and corporate fields.  Continuing education for businesses is increasingly online, and those instructors need experience in teaching online.  This is a 21 credit certificate which will help students learn what they need to be an online instructor.  All the courses will be offered online and after completing the certificate, students can continue in the Master of Education program as well.  However, the master’s program is not yet fully online.  There will be a modification to the master’s program next year.

 

 

Dean Mary Susan Fishbaugh noted that there is increasing concern for qualification for people teaching online, especially at the secondary level.  This new program will address that concern, and we will then lead the way for preparation of online teachers, both secondary and post-secondary.

 

Dr. Low stated that the new courses will be taught by existing faculty.  Dean Fishbaugh cited that almost all online courses in the COE are in-load, and these will be as well.

 

̃ Motion to approve carried (original motion made April 19, memo #506, page 1912) with one abstention.

 

̃ Motion by Mark Hardt, seconded by Craig McKenzie to waive second reading of Items 65, 65.a, 65.b, 65.c, 65.d, and 65.e.

 

̃ Motion carried with one abstention.

 

IV.       ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

 

Item 76  Committee Roster.  Faculty appointments for Fall 2007.  For information.

 

It was noted that the Budget Committee is now active and will need additional faculty members.

 

̃ Motion by Sandie Rietz, seconded by Bruce Brumley to accept Item 76 for information.

 

̃ Motion carried.

 

V.        DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

 

A.  Miles City Board of Regents Meeting (May 30-June 1)

 

Dr. ConnerRosberg noted that she is unable to make it to the May/June BOR meeting because she will be teaching.  It was noted that the topic of discussion for the Regents will be the legislature and possibly doing away with the GRE for graduate students.  Also, the Senate budget is gone, so we will have to request additional funds from Provost White to travel to Miles City.  It was suggested that we probably don’t need to send a representative to this meeting.  If anyone is interested in going, we will request the funds.

 

B.  One Online Course Required for Each Student

 

Dr. ConnerRosberg noted that the Provost Council discussed the Senate’s response that it would be unfair to force all students to pay the $40 per credit fee.  The Council noted that for students who can’t or won’t pay the fee, an exception can be made.  Students today need online and technical experience.

 

It was noted that it is arrogant to think that taking an online course will teach a student about the internet or technology.  It was cited that right now we are using eCompanion to assess some of the Academic Foundations courses, and soon it will be all of the Academic Foundations courses.  The students would get the same amount of experience using eCompanion as they would taking an online course.  It was further noted that the new Information Literacy category of Academic Foundations will basically cover the technology learning needs of our students.

 

It was stated that this is just an attempt to keep CPSLL, the downtown projects, and all the other outreach projects alive.

 

The Senate agreed that it is adamantly opposed to the idea of requiring all students to take an online course.

 

C.  Budget Committee

 

It was noted that Chancellor Sexton responded to the Senate’s memo regarding the Budget Committee.  He requested the Committee’s membership so summer meetings can be set as soon as possible.  Keith Edgerton, Chair of the ad hoc budget group, agreed to respond to the request.

 

D.  Summer 2008 Schedule

 

Chancellor Sexton also responded to the Senate’s request to form a committee to discuss Summer Session calendar changes.  He states that decisions need to be made by the start of the Fall 2007 semester, and requests four faculty who would be willing to serve on the committee.  It was noted that Provost White would like to have the Summer 2008 calendar settled by July 1, 2007.

 

It was cited that the Senate’s request was for a moratorium on changes to the Summer 2008 calendar until the committee can have some discussion.  Data needs to be gathered, and that can happen this summer with students who are actually here taking classes.  There is no reason for such urgency.

 

It was noted that Dean Heikel has been successful at other institutions with this new summer schedule.  It was observed that we do not have traditional-aged students.  We have to be able to serve the needs of many different groups.

 

It was agreed that the Senate does not see the urgency to change the Summer 2008 calendar—it does not make sense.  The faculty are against the calendar changes and more data needs to be gathered on how the new calendar will impact students.  The Senate is willing to participate in a discussion of the summer calendar starting in Fall 2007.

 

It was stated that the Senate should ask all summer instructors for Summer Session 2007 to survey their students about the implications of the proposed Summer 2008 calendar.  Mark Hardt agreed to draft some questions for summer faculty to use.

 

It was observed that for years, many sections in summer were eliminated due to low enrollments.  We are now reaping the results of that continual cutting in the form of low summer enrollments.  It was further noted that we lose money every summer because they take have the summer budget to pay other bills.

 

E.  Faculty Input on Decision-Making Across Campus

 

It was noted that there seems to be an assumption developing on campus that because one faculty member participates in a given committee, all faculty know what happened in that committee.  There was considerable miscommunication about whether the Summer 2008 calendar was proposed or decided.  The Senate needs to work to alert faculty to situations of concern.

 

F.  Fall Meeting with President Gamble

 

The Senate agreed they should once again meet with President Gamble at the beginning of the Fall 2007 semester.

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

 

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