ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES

DATE: November 4, 2010

PRESENT: Scott Murray Don Larsen

Sandie Rietz Paul Bauer

Lorrie Steerey (via conf. phone) Craig McKenzie

Keith Edgerton Mark Hardt

Bruce Brumley Chase Slade (student)

Tasneem Khaleel (ex-officio) Mary Susan Fishbaugh (ex-officio)

Gary Young (ex-officio)

ABSENT: Stephen Eliason* Rakesh Sah*

Doug Brown* Patricia Vettel-Becker*

Diane Duin (ex-officio) Tim Wilkinson (ex-officio)

John Cech (ex-officio)* Terrie Iverson (ex-officio)

Stacy Klippenstein (ex-officio)

* excused

GUESTS: Ben Barckholtz Deb Johnson

PRESIDING: Keith Edgerton, Vice Chair

Keith Edgerton called the meeting to order at 3:43 p.m. in the Chancellor’s Conference Room.

The minutes of October 28 were accepted as presented.

I. WELCOME NEW SENATOR

Scott Murray was appointed as the new Senator to represent the College of Allied Health Professions.

II. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

Item 12.a EDU 354 Secondary Junior Field. New course.

Þ Motion by Bruce Brumley, seconded by Craig McKenzie to accept Item 12.a for information.

It was noted that the error in the course description has been corrected.

Þ Motion carried.

Item 17 SOCI 372 Development of a Meaningful Life. Delete course.

Item 17.a BA major in Sociology. Modification of an existing program.

Item 17.b BS major in Sociology. Modification of an existing program.

Item 17.c Minor in Sociology. Modification of an existing program.

Þ Motion by Sandie Rietz, seconded by Bruce Brumley to accept Items 17 through 17.c for information.

Þ Motion carried.

Item 18 BCH 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.a BIOB 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.b BIOM 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.c CHMY 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.d ERTH 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.e GEO 491 Special Topics. New course.

Item 18.f GPHY 491 Special Topics. New course.

Þ Motion by Sandie Rietz, seconded by Craig McKenzie to accept Items 18 through 18.f for information.

These courses are being added as a result of common course numbering changes.

Þ Motion carried.

Item 23 Minor in Native American Studies. Modification of an existing program.

Item 23.a NASX 406 History of American Indian Women. New course.

Þ Motion by Mark Hardt, seconded by Sandie Rietz to accept Items 23 and 23.a for information.

NASX is the new common course numbering rubric for Native American Studies

Þ Motion carried.

Item 26 BUS 440 Business and the Environment. Change prerequisite.

Þ Motion by Bruce Brumley, seconded by Paul Bauer to accept Item 26 for information.

Þ Motion carried.

Item 27 Minor in Business Geographic Information Systems. Delete program.

Þ Motion by Sandie Rietz, seconded by Craig McKenzie to accept Item 27 for information.

It was noted that we will not be using the staff we never got to run this program.

Þ Motion carried.

III. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

A. Proposed Required Reading Course for All Students

Guests: Ben Barckholtz, Director of the Academic Support Center

Deb Johnson, COB faculty member

Mr. Barckholtz stated that it’s not really feasible to require a reading course for all students because of the number of instructors needed (perhaps 40 sections, 25 students each). Instead, the Academic Support Center has been considering, as a result of the Noel-Levitz consultant visit, a COMPASS cut-off score for reading. Students below the cut-off would be required to take the reading course. Right now, the Advising Center gets many students who need a reading course into RD 101, and we offered the most sections ever of RD 101 this fall. The mandatory cut-off score would not greatly increase enrollments in RD 101, but the ASC still needs another reading instructor since Leanne Frost moved away. RD 101 is a for-credit course and the credits count toward graduation.

It was noted that RD 101 is mostly about strategies for using a textbook. It is not a literacy course, and some of our students need that. In the past, the College of Education has proposed tying a reading component to Arts & Sciences Gen Ed courses like history, math, psychology, sociology, etc. This module would be built alongside the course and would not change the course content. However, that was a grant-based program which has ended.

It was cited that we as instructors have become enablers of students who cannot read well. Students don’t read the text, and instructors see that the students need more information, so we give it them rather than forcing them to read the text. A first step is to stop enabling students to avoid reading.

It was stated if the Senate endorsed the proposal that students below the COMPASS score cut-off be required to take a reading course, it would strengthen the ASC’s request to hire an additional reading instructor.

Mr. Barckholtz noted that the cut-off score has not yet been established. Michael Barber, Chief Information Officer, is researching the past scores to help decide what that number should be.

Mary Susan Fishbaugh, Dean, College of Education, suggested that the COE work with the ASC to solve this problem. Perhaps graduate students in reading could work as tutors in the ASC. It was suggested that the grad students could also be teaching assistants in this proposal to add a reading component to Gen Ed courses.

It was noted that we could create a policy wherein students must pass the reading course before they are allowed to register for a wide range of Gen Ed courses.

The data on student reading issues, collected by Sandie Rietz, will be brought to the next Senate meeting.

B. BOR Meeting in Missoula November 18-19

Dr. Steerey may be unable to attend due to health reasons. It was suggested that MSUB could skip attending this meeting if Dr. Steerey cannot go.

C. Chancellor Search

The Search Committee met this week and forwarded their strong recommendation to President Cruzado. She will most likely make the decision and it is very unlikely the BOR will overturn that decision. We are waiting to hear the decision because one of the candidates (Dr. Groseth) is currently out of the country.

The meeting adjourned at 4:29 p.m.

rjrm