Faculty Senate Minutes, 20 February 1996

MINUTES

FACULTY SENATE MEETING

20 February 1996

Chairperson D. Eidam called the meeting to order at 4:07 p.m. in Chryst Hall, Room 210. All departmental senators attended except for the Development Studies, Educational Foundations, and Industry and Technology Departments. Student Senate President E. Kobeski and T. Miskelly attended for student senate.

Minutes

Senate approved the 6 February 1996 meeting minutes with the following corrections: on page 3932, Chairperson's Report, first paragraph, second line, change H. Fisher to C. Counihan. On page 3937, Proposal for Minor Changes in a Curriculum, first paragraph, fifth line, add in the italicized words, "....been in effect in the Mathematics Department for Mathematics Majors for several years." Change page 1 of the 20 February 1966 Agenda, item VIII, Proposed Courses and Programs, to say that Chem 476 is a non General Education course.

Reports

Chairperson's Report

Chairperson D. Eidam asked senate's unanimous consent to defer for two weeks Item X on today's Agenda. C. Denlinger is scheduled to discuss Item X but can not meet with senate today because of a department meeting. Senate consented. Eidam noted also that for Item VIII, Proposed Courses and Programs, that CHEM 476 is not requesting C, Q, and L designations.

Eidam distributed a document that he received from J. Sheridan (see Attachment A). He said that a student senate member of the Task Force on the General Education Curriculum and Its Resources was omitted from the document. He said that Item IV, Process, contains the actual schedule. Eidam listed for senators the meetings that are currently scheduled. He asked if the meetings listed were adequate.

A summer senate meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 1996, from 4:05-5:45 PM in McComsey's Myers Auditorium. Eidam asked if senate needed to schedule a second summer meeting because he needed to reserve a room now. The task force on the general education curriculum items will be on senate's agenda at that time. A R. Wismer/W. Dorman motion to have a second summer meeting passed. Senator C. Stameshkin proposed that the meeting be the Thursday of the fifth week of Summer Session I. Senate will meet Thursday, July 11, 1996, from 4:05-5:45 PM, in Roddy 137.

Eidam said he represents senate on the Commencement Committee. The committee recommended that honors graduates be recognized by wearing colored cords. PAC has approved the recommendation. MU will implement the recommendation for Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude, and Magna Cum Laude as well as University Honors Program and Departmental Honors graduates. Commencement starts at 10 AM not 11 AM this May. The rain plan is still 2 PM in the afternoon.

Eidam said he represents senate on the Medal Management Board and some other committees. Eidam said that he is the only nondesignee on the Board. He serves ex-officio. He invited senators to get in touch with him if they are interested in serving on the Board or the committees in his place.

Eidam has updated the faculty senate guide. If you would like a copy, put a message in his voice mail or email. The course approval form that everyone is using was last revised in the Fall of 1990. It is in error in that it talks about a general education course that should be liberal arts core, it does not separate Cs and Qs. It no longer allows for an indication that a proposal has been amended from one approving body before it goes to another. Eidam did an informal survey of secretaries and asked them what form they used. He wanted to know what form they used and where did they get it. Eidam is volunteering to redesign the form and show it to the UCPRC. After the UCPRC and Eidam agree on the form, they would submit it to senate.

Eidam said he often gets requests to know exactly where in the faculty senate minutes someone can find some information. He would like to catalogue the Action Summaries in a separate file. Eidam keeps an updated but unofficial version of the Governance Manual in Word for Windows. Each time senate passes new rules, Eidam enters it into the Governance Manual with hidden text telling when senate passed the rule. When a senator's committee manages to get the governance manual changed, please give a disk copy for Eidam's file.

Student Senate

Student Senate President E. Kobeski said he went to Harrisburg to attend a board of student president's meeting. He said that Governor T. Ridge discussed the recent flooding in Pennsylvania rather than the budget. He hopes to keep informed about the negotiations between APSCUF and the SSHE.

Administrative Officers

President

President J. Caputo said that at the last senate meeting, Governor T. Ridge had just delivered his budget message. The presidents of the 14 SSHE schools traveled to Harrisburg to speak with legislators recently. The presidents met afterwards to share their stories. For the first time in several years, the members of the General Assembly were not angry with the state supported universities. The legislators did not complain about waste. Some disclaimed any interest in the Lawless issues.

The legislators were concerned with sabbatical leaves. They do no like them. They will probably pass legislation to remove state mandates for the leaves in school districts. Governor T. Ridge said that if the legislators pass the legislation, they will give the school districts six percent extra money. The school districts may have to eliminate the sabbaticals completely.

Caputo said the situation was not much better at the University level. Caputo justified the sabbaticals as a reinvestment in human capital. The corporate sector frequently reinvests in human capital. Legislators say the faculty have the summers off. Caputo does not sense a critical mass of legislators to change legislation concerning sabbatical leaves. There will have to be bipartisan support to get the governor's legislation through.

At the last senate meeting Caputo was asked what his projection of the budget shortfall would be for next year. He said about $1.5 million at the meeting. MU has not completed its projections, but Caputo believes that the shortfall will now be less than one-half the $1.5 million. On a $72 million base the shortfall is less than one percent. MU is not in a financial crisis. It does need to continue to tighten and improve its efficiency. Caputo will have more precise estimates in two weeks. MU would not like to face four or five years of continual declines.

Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Provost F. McNairy shared two items of information. At the last senate meeting, she reported that MU would be determining how to share information from two task forces. One task force focused on class audit schedules and the other on the curriculum cost analysis. The two task forces will make presentations to senate.

The Provost also gave an advance reminder of the open house scheduled for March 9, 1996. At the last open house there was a snowstorm. Even so about 375 individuals attended. Because MU canceled one open house in December, MU anticipates that 1500-2100 individuals will come on March 9. MU is counting on senate's and the departments' cooperation.

At the last senate meeting the Provost also said that MU wants to make more of an effort to enhance the yield of students that apply and subsequently are accepted. MU is not in a crisis mode and continues to have a high number of applications comparable to what it had in the past. There is no danger. MU is attempting to improve the return of the top quality students who apply.

The Provost said it was her pleasure to introduce to senate Dr. J. Roller. Roller came to MU from Hawaii to be MU's Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Services. One major area of Roller's responsibility will include the following programs that will report to her: Advising, Tutoring, PACE, Act 101 Program, Upward Bound, Honors, Co-Operative Education, and the Lancaster Partnership. She also will work with MU in developing enrollment management from a holistic approach, that is, not just how many come in the door but how to retain our students. Finally, she will serve as the Provost's designee on the Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee and the General Education Review Committee.

Roller said that she was happy to be in Pennsylvania. She said that after being in Millersville for seven days, she was ready to meet with senators and take their phone calls.

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs J. Stager distributed two handouts (see Attachments C and D). Attachment C is a preliminary report on the Spring enrollment. MU must still correct some errors before finally reporting. The numbers might change slightly when the official figures arrive. The total FTEs increased by 76 for undergraduates. Enrollments have increased for the last two Springs; they are close to MU's targets.

Attachment D concerns the Campus Wide Information System (CWIS). The official CWIS release date is April 15, 1996. Last Thursday afternoon MU switched from what was previously up on the WWW to a much more attractive view. School council goaded MU to make the change. The new WWW information is not complete and some parts may not work correctly. It is a WWW site for MU, a World Wide Information System. Anyone in the world can access MU's homepage. The address is http://muweb.millersville.edu . MU will continue to develop and add things to it; the changes will never end.

Stager encouraged each senator to go back to his/her department and talk about developing a WWW presence. MU already has many departments doing this. Attachment D (second side) contains a list of groups that are actively working to create homepages. There are three groups officially organized to keep the project going. One is an administrative oversight team consisting of J. Stager, A. Dmitzak, C. Jaeger, and T. Mordosky. They represent four administrative areas of the University. Each has the assignment to assure that each area works in a coordinated way to develop a WWW page.

Stager encouraged other bodies to develop homepages including senate. Already the Physics, English, and History departments have homepages up. Earth Sciences created the first one. WIXQ-FM and Gordy's to Go are also up. MU wants to encourage everyone to get involved in a University wide project.

MU is planning to erect kiosks in key locations hopefully starting this Spring. The site will eventually contain many things. Students will be able to apply to MU electronically by April of this year. MU already has received four applications on-line in the Admissions Office. Students can request an application now on-line. In the future students will fill out the application on-line. They will be asked how they want to pay for the application. Any application that comes in will feed automatically into MU's central information system. It will automatically generate a response. Once MU admits the student it will send the student electronic mail to that effect.

Once students are here, they will register via the WWW. They will be able to drop add, request transcripts, grades, and information that students now go to the Registrar's office for. MU will also put the Governance Manual on the WWW including the pictures. MU printed the Governance Manual two years ago. Stager hopes that will be the last time it is published. It already exists in Microsoft Word for Windows form. The Governance Manual will be updated whenever senate passes a new rule and as soon as the rule is accepted. Faculty will no longer have to wait two years to get accurate information.

Institutional Research wants to put up a factbook. MU will also put the Snapper on-line. Lots of student organizations will have a presence. All bills will be paid this way. Students will access financial aid and the degree audit system. MU will do all this with existing staff and with your help. This will be one more thing that the computing staff will have to do. Stager encouraged people to do it themselves.

MU will set up standards, guidelines to assist computer users. The development team consists of J. Robinson, K. Chaudhary, T. Russell-Loretz. Technical people from Computing Services will also be involved. There will also be a Standards Committee chaired by A. Dmitzak that will set up guidelines. It will also give faculty help to do this type of things. MU is concerned about what it looks like to the outside world. It is a public relations and marketing item. MU must be careful in what it presents on the WWW. MU knows it can not control the WWW completely nor does it intend to control it. Students will be allowed to have home pages. The Exchange carried the article on the back of the list. The next Exchange in two weeks will contain the draft standards developed by the Standards Committee.

Stager said most academic buildings were wired according to a three year process of wiring. MU started with the main academic buildings first. MU has 42 modems; if you try to get on in the evening you cannot. You can get on at 6:30 in the morning. You can also get on through your own private service. MU's network implementation committee is looking to install a PPP, a point-to-point protocol server, later this year. There are security issues involved with the PPP. MU must insure that people who are not associated with the University do not use it as their onramp. One dormitory is already wired.

Chairperson D. Eidam sampled the opinion of the senate officers at the front desk. All said senate needed a WWW homepage. He polled senate members for their consensus opinion on establishing a senate WWW homepage. Many senators agreed. Eidam asked if senate preferred an ad hoc committee to establish senate's homepage with a Webmaster. Senate agreed to establish the committee. Eidam said he would contact potential members of the committee. Stager said senate would not need to buy software; it was all free. The hardest part is getting the personnel to design the pages and keep information up-to-date after it is on the homepage.

Committee Reports

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson, T. Woo, introduced four new courses under the two meeting rule:

PSCI327:

Canadian Government and Politics, a new three credit hour Perspectives course seeking credit retroactive to Spring, 1995.

AFAM201:

Introduction to African American Studies, a new three credit hour liberal arts core course to be first offered in the Fall of 1996 if approved.

AFAM401:

Senior Seminar in African American Studies, a new three credit hour nongeneral education course to be first offered in the Fall of 1996 if approved.

AFAM496:

Topics in African American Studies, a new three credit hour nongeneral education course to be first offered in the Fall of 1996 if approved.

Woo also introduced BIOL345: Applied Ecology, a new three credit hour Writing course to be first offered in the Fall of 1996 if approved.

Normally senate approves a new course in two meetings. Woo asked that senate approve BIOL345 in one meeting as an agenda item. Senate Chairperson D. Eidam asked for senate's unanimous consent to do so. Senate did not object to approving the course after one meeting.

University Theme Committee

Chairperson J. Piperberg said the committee received two formal and two informal proposals for the 1999-2000 academic year theme. Piperberg did not have the exact titles for the two formal themes. One topic deals with leadership in the next century while the other deals with technology and manufacturing. He has also received two informal contacts.

Joint Senate Conference Committee

Chairperson J. Piperberg is trying to set up a meeting of the committee. The goal is to complete topics started last semester. One issue is the number of student representatives on each committee. The major issue now is looking at the possibility of forming a contract with students for graduation in four years. The Iowa State contract requires that students hit many requirements. Failing that, the agreement is null and void. The committee will look at what terms both parties will have to honor. The Provost has given the committee a list of questions it should address.

Faculty Emeritus

An M. Houlahan/J. Piperberg motion to recommend Associate Professor of Music John W. Colangelo for faculty emeritus status passed unanimously (see Attachment E).

Proposed Courses

Senator Y. Soong spoke to the Chem 476 course. According to the proposal, the course will have seven contact hours, three hours of lecture, one hour of laboratory discussion, and two hours of laboratory. Soong asked how could the proposers justify so many hours. Senator R. Wismer responded that environmental chemistry is one among several courses in an environmental option for chemistry students. Soong said that students who take the course and have a 15 hour load would spend over half their time on the one course. Wismer said there was a difference between contact hours and credit. It is a senior level course; freshmen will not take the course. Soong said he did not oppose the course; he only wanted to clarify the hours requirement.

Senate approved one undergraduate course and one minor:

CHEM 476:

Environmental Chemistry II, a four credit hour nongeneral education course to be first offered in the Spring of 1997.

Minor in Biochemistry:

a 25.0 hour new minor program.

The minor in biochemistry must also be approved in Harrisburg.

Business

Senate Elections

The following senate committee positions are currently vacant:

Humanities and Fine Arts representative to the Academic Policies Committee;

Social Sciences representatives to the Academic Outcomes Assessment, Academic Policies, and the UCPRC,

and an Alternate to the International Selection Committee.

Proposed Change in Senate Bylaws Concerning Senate Voting Procedures

A Y. Soong/S. Peters motion that senate change its Bylaws, Section II, subsection C, item 5 (page 20 of Section 1 of the Governance Manual) passed. The proposed change from the present: "All elections are by ballot." is to the following: "All elections are by ballot, except that when there is only one candidate, and in the absence of an objection, election may be by motion and voice vote."

The Millersville University Grading System

Senator Y. Soong asked that senate discuss MU's grading system. He proposed that MU have plus and minus (+/-) additions on A, B, and C grades. Although senate discussed the issue six years ago, he felt that MU needs a more accurate grading system. He introduced a new Earth Science Department colleague, A. Lathrop, who spoke to the issue.

Lathrop said that when she arrived at MU, she was surprised that it did not have plus/minus grades for students. When she was a student, she could only remember being graded by plus/minus schemes. At MU, students with an 81 final average earn the same grade as a student with an 89 average. She found that dissatisfying. Plus/minus grades would provide more delineation and give students an incentive to work harder.

Y. Soong/C. Stameshkin moved to change MU's grading system to introduce plus/minus grades for B and C grades. They also moved that there be an A- grade but no A+ , D+ , nor D- grades. A long discussion followed. Some senators said they needed time to discuss the issue with their colleagues. A J. Lynch/O. Iglesias motion to postpone the motion until the next senate meeting failed. More discussion followed. A R. Mainzer/S. Thompson motion to postpone action until two senate meetings from now passed.

Proposal for Minor Changes in a Curriculum - Returned to the Agenda

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson T. Woo asked that senate consider proposals for prerequisite changes in certain courses in the Mathematics Department (see Attachment A, Minor Changes in Curriculum, of the 21 November 1995 minutes). The changes ask for minimum grades of C or better. The proposed policy has been in effect in the Mathematics Department for several years. The earlier courses are prerequisites for the later courses. Chairperson D. Eidam will relinquish the chair when senate acts on the item.

Senate adjourned at 5:30 PM. The next meeting will be Tuesday, 5 March 1996, from 4:05 - 5:45 p.m. in Chryst 210.

Respectfully submitted,

Marvin Margolis, Secretary
Faculty Senate

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