Millersville University, Faculty Senate
Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
17 September 1991
Chairperson Gregoire called the Faculty Senate meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.
in Ganser Auditorium. All departments were represented except Computer
Science and Economics. A. Lingenfelter, A. Cronis and C. Foster represented
the Student Senate.
Minutes
Senate approved the 3 September 1991 meeting minutes.
Student Senate President
President C. Foster stated that Student Senate has two goals for this year.
The first goal is to work with the Presidents of the fourteen State
Universities to increase the students voice with the Governor and to voice
students concerns. The second goal is to rewrite the Student Senate
Constitution which is outdated. He said that most of the committees are
completed and hopes to finish them at the next meeting. President Foster
announced that they expect to move into their new offices by Friday,
September 20 and extended an invitation to all faculty to attend their
meetings which are on the Thursday following the Faculty Senate meetings.
President Gregoire asked the student representatives to stand and encouraged
them to ask questions during Senate meetings.
Administrative Officers
President J. Caputo noted conversation developing on campus concerning the
lack of student involvement at the lectures and cultural events on campus.
He encouraged the faculty to foster student participation in a curricular
sense. Caputo said MU is extremely fortunate to have so many outstanding
learned people visit our campus; intellectuals, scientists, artists and
people who represent the accomplishments of teh Academy not to mention the
very fine cultural events.
Some departments on campus require their majors (students) to attend various
lectures/events related to their area of study. Caputo stated that some
students pass through MU never having attended these events. He encouraged
the faculty and staff to continue to support these events and to develop a
systematic and systemic means in a curricular sense to encourage student
involvement at these outstanding programs.
Vice President for Advancement G. Eckert reminded the Senate of the new
cultural events calendar and stated the President directed the Advancement
Office to look at a larger and longer scheme to provide resources with major
improvements on campus as well as additional dollars to go to operating
costs. With an ongoing decline of state support, his office must garner
resources for larger issues which he called "Interstructures." MU needs to
have good facilities for faculty and students to come together. Myers,
McComsey, Roddy and Lyte plus other buildings need to be improved. Eckert
also stated that we need to garner resources for endowment money for the
library.
The fiscal year ended June 30, 1991, with private gifts totaling $1,051,002,
public grants $1,437,453 for a grand total of $2,488,455. The MEDAL Fund is
in its eleventh year and is doing quite well with one half million dollars
raised by MU employees. The Development office works with the Faculty Grants
Committee and the faculty will be receiving information concerning grants
from the State System of Higher Education along with State and Federal
Offices. Eckert was complimented for the attractive Cultural Affairs
Calendar.
Academic Policies Committee
Chairperson D. Eidam requested that a motion expanding the committee
membership be placed on the next meetings agenda (see attachment A).
Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee
Chairperson C. McLeod needs two student members for his committee in order
for it to be complete. He requested the proposals for changes within an
approved major for the Psychology department be attached to the minutes
(See attachment B) and be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
Graduate Course and Program Review Committee
Chairperson R. Wilson said his committee will be meeting September 25 and
will continue to meet the fourth Wednesday of every month. Should a faculty
member submit a course to his committee, fifteen copies should be sent. He
announced the job search for Dean of Graduate Studies and Extended Programs
will be re-opened. He will keep the Senate informed as to its progress.
International Studies Curriculum Committee
Chairperson L. Miller announced the committee will be having their first
meeting of the semester on Thursday, September 19.
Faculty Senate Committee on Co-Operative Education
Chairperson G. Weiss reported he is looking into services and equipment that
can be provided for the program. Thirteen departments on campus have policy
statements concerning co-operative education and possibly five more
departments are to be added. He announced that there has been a significant
increase in students this year. The increase may be due to a combination of
things such as public relations, and more awareness concerning the co-op plus
a general increase on the part of the faculty. Associate Vice President for
Academic Affairs J. Stager said a Federal Government regulation requires a
ten percent increase in students per semester which could mean a tripling
of students over the next five years.
Faculty Emerius
Senator O. Iglesias of the foreign language department presented a resolution
that Dr. Simone Vincens be recommended for the honorary title of Professor of
French Emerita (see attachment C)> Senate passed the O. Ingesias/S. Luek
motion unanimously.
Proposed Courses and Programs
Senate approved the following three courses under the three meeting rule:
ESCI 345: Storm and Cloud Dynamics, a new course, 3 s.h.
ESCI 347: Satellite Meteorology, a new General Education course,3 s.h.
EDFN 312: Women and Education: Socialization and Liberation, a new
Perspectives General Education Course, 3 s.h.
Senator M. Klinedinst requested that EDFN 312: Women and Education be
considered a retroactive perspectives course. Senate asked that the request
go back to the Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee for
consideration.
Elections
Senate continued the elections that it did not complete at the September 3
meeting.
Academic Policies Committee
Senate needed to elect two members, one from Education and from Social
Sciences, for a two year term.
Nominees for membership on the committee were:
Education R. Winkeljohann (R. Wilson)
Soc. Sci. None
A L. Miller/D. Eidam motion to close nominations passed. With no nominee in
the Social Sciences unit, senate will hold an election for that position at
the October 1 meeting. With only one canidate for the Education position,
the chairperson declared R. Winkeljohann elected by acclamation. Her term
expires in 1993.
Commencement Speaker Committee
One member had to be elected for a two year term from the Social Sciences
unit. Since there was no nominee, Senate will hold another election for the
position at its October 1, 1991, meeting.
Noonan Endowment Fund Committee
Two members had to be elected, one each from social sciences and non-school,
for two year terms.
Nominees were:
Social Sciences None
Non-School D. Cross (C.McLeod)
S. Lotlikar (G. Benson)
A B. Schneller/R. Clark motion to close nominations passed. Senate elected
S. Lotlikar for a two year term. Since there was no nominee from the Social
Sciences unit, senate will hold an election for the postition at the October
1 meeting.
Senate requested that the Social Sciences faculty submit names to fill the
vacant postions. Faculty Senate committee will be complete when these
members are elected.
Creating a Task Force to Examine a University College Concept
Chairperson K. Gregoire entertained discussion on the subject. Provost
B. Taggie initiated the discussion by explaining that several months ago MU
had a consultant, Robert Ley, visit the campus. Ley came to MU to review our
admission policies, registration and many other areas. He consulted on
numerous items and his final report had suggestions for many areas. However,
his major concern was undecided students.
MU has many truely undecided students who lack a feeling of being a part of
the University. Twenty-five to thirty percent of our enrollment is
undecided. These students have a variety of problems. Taggie said that in
his report, Ley proposed that MU establish a unit called "University
College," although it could go by some other name. Ley said the idea is
neither new nor original, many schools created such a unit in the seventies
and eighties. The unit typically has various functions which vary from one
institution to another.
When Taggie presented the idea, the President's Advisory Council (PAC) was
enthusiastic and interested in the concept. The Deans' Council proposed
that Taggie bring the concept to the faculty senate for discussion.
Taggie stated there are many models to examine and they can be as simple or
comlex as the University would like it to be. It could be a "home" for the
twenty-five to thirty percent of our incoming undecided Freshman students and
tie into the Academic Affairs Advisement initiative. Taggie said a senate
proposal concerning a Freshman seminar could be part of the "University
College." Should it be approved, the Freshman seminar could be related to
developmental courses.
Discussion followed with questions and statements. Would the proposal take
existing funds and resources from other departments? Taggie said no, not
unless MU were to make faculty shifts. Taggie did not envision that the
proposal would increase costs unless it involved transfer of staff and
personnel.
Is the idea to have a chairperson? A unit with hundreds of students would
require some type of administration should it be a chairperson, director,
coordinator; yes it would need an adminstrator.
Would regular faculty be needed? The Ad Hoc Committee would have to look at
this total concept. Taggie said it could have a stewardship of the
interdisciplinary course. There are many models to look at and the Ad Hoc
Committee could come up with a model you would choose.
Taggie asked Vice President for Student Affairs G. Reighard to give his
views on the PAC meeting. Reighard stated that even though it is still
early in the process, there are many loose ends that could be tied together
and considered by the task force. An identified unit could better meet the
needs of undecided majors. Concluding the discussion, Taggie requested that
a study be done to look at all the various models that are out there and to
ask the question does MU want to pursue this? If the answer is no, the
matter dies immediately. If yes, then we continue. taggie asked senate to
consider the idea and to look at what is out there.
T. Madonna/L. Miller moved to create an ad hoc university college task force
to examine a university college concept (see attachment D). B. Schneller
moved to table the motion. Her motion failed when there was no second. A
G. Weiss/W. Dorman motion to postpone action until the next senate meeting
passed.
Senate requested that the secretary present as much background and discussion
as possible on the subject in the minutes.
Proposal and Approval Policies for Interdisciplinary and Divisional
Courses
Chairperson D. Eidam presented two items that were a carryover from the 7 May
meeting concerning amendments to the Goverance Manual on Interdisciplinary
and Divisional Courses (see page 3039 in the 2 April minutes).
Committee motions
Motion 1: Item C: New and exisiting courses shall be listed separately
by division in the undergraduate catalog and all class
schedules.
Motion 1 passed.
Motion 2: Item D: Area Studies Programs, which are approved by the senate,
are exempt from specific department labels and sponsership.
Motion 2 passed.
SSHE Proposed Policy on General Education
Chairperson K. Gregoire informed the senate that she has corresponded with
the other fourteen state universities concerning the subject but has not
heard from all of them as of this meeting. The view of those universities
that have responed is that the state universities should be autonomous.
She will keep the senate informed as she receives more information.
Provost B Taggie spoke on the history of the proposal and has some alarm of
curricular ownership and stewardship. Should the policy be approved MU would
have to immediately make a major change in its general education requirement,
and we are still in the stages of implementing it. The curriculum is the
possession of the university faculty.
It appears unclear if the proposed poicy contains guidelines or requirements.
Taggie said they are sometimes called guidelines and other times called
requirements. What are they? He requested that they call them quidelines
but has had no response form the Chancellor's office. Senator G. Weiss plans
to tke the information to the APSCUF meeting as other schools also plan to
talk to their APSCUF representatives. Taggie said it is the process that he
is opposed to and is Harrisburg going to control all the curriculum?
After much discussion, a M. Arnold/L. Woskowiak moved:
The MU faculty senate deems it inapproriate for the State System of Higher
Education Administration to develop curricular guidelines of any kind,
including general education goals.
The motion passed unanimously.
Chairperson K. Gregoire adjourned the meeting at 5:37 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy E. Hungerford
Acting Secretary
Note: The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 1, 1991, at 4:00 p.m., in
Ganser Auditorium.