Millersville University, Faculty Senate

MINUTES

FACULTY SENATE MEETING

3 December 1996


Prior Minutes
Reports
...| Chairperson | President | Assoc Provost Acad Admin |
Committee Reports
...|UCPRC | Joint Senate Conf
Faculty Emeritus
Proposed Courses
Business
...| Election | Program Approvals | Gen Ed Task Force |

Chairperson D. Eidam called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. in Chryst Hall, Room 210. All departmental senators attended except those from the Counseling and Human Development and Music Departments.

Minutes

Senate approved the 19 November 1996 meeting minutes without correction.

Reports

Chairperson's Report

Chairperson D. Eidam announced changes in today's agenda: Item IX will be the election of an Academic Policies committee chairperson for a term to end in August 1997. Item X will be Program Approvals and Item XI Report of the General Education Review Committee. Eidam distributed a copy of the latest round of administrative course approvals (See Attachment A). The provost sent a message to Eidam that the Dean's Council Curricular Meeting scheduled for this Friday is canceled. The December 18 meeting will approve pending courses including those approved today.

Dr. G. Reighard is retiring and Eidam asked that each senator sign a card that Eidam circulated. J. Sheridan called Eidam to say that the General Education Task Force has been added to the agendas of student senate and representative council. Student Senate president P. Leahy requested eight copies of the General Education Task Force report.

Senators may still sign up for Commencement. Call the Provost's Office. Senate Vice Chairperson J. Piperberg will represent senate in place of the chairperson. At the next senate meeting, 4 February 1997, senate will elect its officers. Eidam noted that MU will introduce (imminent and intermediate) plus and minus grades next semester. Someone needs to go through the governance manual to make appropriate changes. He gave senators a table of items that he suggested senate refer to the Academic Policies Committee regarding plus and minus grades (See Attachment B). S. Peters/W. Dorman moved to refer the items listed in Attachment B to the Academic Policies committee for an agenda item for thier first Spring 1997 meeting. The motion passed.

Administrative Officers

President

President J. Caputo said that he came to listen to senate's discussion of general education matters. Caputo said that several weeks ago he had an opportunity to look at some MU statistics. He shared one indicator with senators. MU's retention rate, especially its six year graduation rate, is among the highest in the country. The statistic is an important indicator of the success of the institution. MU is not strong in the four or five year graduation rate only in the six year rate.

Caputo said that he often speaks in favor of public higher education. He stresses how important a college education is to the future success of young people. College graduates earn more than non-college graduates do. They express greater satisfaction with their life. They are more likely employable in bad economic times.

Public higher education may be seen as a private rather than a public good. Legislators may feel that the commonwealth citizens do not gain if the commonwealth's students receive public higher education. The legislators may feel that the individual student is getting the benefit and not the taxpayers. Therefore, the individual student should pay more of the cost of public higher education and taxpayers should not share so much of the burden of educating the students. There will be a national campaign to change this rhetoric to emphasize the public good nature of public higher education. Pennsylvania needs a more educated society.

Associate Provost for Academic Administration

Associate Provost for Academic Administration J. Stager said a few words about registration. MU completed registration two weeks ago. Some students may have said that they can not get the courses they want. MU is investigating these problems and has a wait list. Some courses were oversubscribed and others undersbuscribed. There will be some adjustments to schedules after consultations with chairpersons. Tonight there is a special orientation event for new ACE students. This Saturday there is a registration-orientation for all other new students who are starting the Spring semester. MU plans a special registration day for transfer students some time in January. MU will try to give transfer students better advice. The faculty will receive more information about the event.

Stager emphasized that registration is open again starting Monday. Any student can try to drop and add directly at the registrar's office. Please inform your advisees that they can do that. MU is seeking to find additional seats in various places. Students should consult their advisors but do not need their signatures. Stager tells students with problems to see their advisors since advisors know the best way to work the system.

Committee Reports

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson, R. Wismer, introduced one new course proposal under the two meeting rule:

Wismer introduced a modification to an existing course:

A C. Koslofsky/J. Piperberg motion to approve the changes to the History 251 course at today's meeting passed.

Wismer introduced two program changes for the next meeting agenda:

Chairperson Eidam noted that the above Computer Science proposal is under the one meeting rule. Yet it refers to CSCI435, Compiler Construction, that is under the two meeting rule. Senate voted to consider CSCI435 under the one meeting rule.

Joint Senate Conference Committee

Joint Senate Conference Committee chairperson, J. Piperberg, said the committee met last week and is near to writing a report. It will meet with Provost F. McNairy next week.

Faculty Emeritus

A S. Peters/J. Piperberg motion to recommend J. Rodney Bimson as Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education emeritus passed unanimously (See Attachment C).

A M. Rosenthal/C. McLeod motion to recommend Dr. John O'Donnell as Professor of English emeritus passed unanimously (See Attachment D).

A F. Erickson/J. McCade motion to recommend Dr. F. Perry Love as Professor of Educational Foundations emeritus passed unanimously (See Attachment E).

A R. Wismer/W. Price motion to recommend Dr. Gerald S. Weiss as Professor of Chemistry emeritus passed unanimously (See Attachment F).

Proposed Courses

Senate approved the following courses:

Business

Election of the Chairperson of the Academic Policies Committee

Senate chairperson D. Eidam asked that the minutes express senate's gratitutde to the interim chairperson of the Academic Policies Committee, V. Hauck, for his service to senate. Eidam called for nominations for a permanent chairperson of the Academic Policies Committee. The chairperson's term ends in August of 1997. Senator C. Koslofsky nominated senator K. Bookmiller. With no other nominations, senate elected Bookmiller unanimously.

Program Approvals--Options and Program Changes

BUAD Option in International Business

Senator B. Nakhai spoke in favor of the option in international business. It would be another option for Business majors along with management, accounting, finance, and marketing. Senator A. Borger-Reese asked why foreign language courses were only optional. Nakhai said the option was not a major and there was not space for language courses. Senator S. Thompson noted that the terms of the option permit students to take all Business Administration courses even though the option advertises itself as humanistic and cross-cultural. Thompson felt that students should take a course in some other discipline. After considerable discussion, R. Mainzer/A. Borger-Reese moved to refer the International Business Option back to the Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee. The motion failed.

R. Wismer/R. Mainzer moved to amend the option requirements listed on page 2 to require students to take at least one course outside of the Business Administration Department. After considerable discussion, D. Hutchens/Y. Soong moved to postpone action on the motion to amend until the February 3 senate meeting. The motion to postpone passed.

Senate approved A Program Change for Geography Majors: A proposal to change the completion of the major policy for geography majors. Beginning with courses taken in the Spring 1997 semester, the Geography Department requires that in order to graduate with a BA or BSE degree in geography, each student must have a grade of C or better in each course taken to satisfy major requirements: geography courses and requred related courses. To be implemented Spring Semester 1997.

Governance structure for the Women's Studies Program. Senators noted that the women's studies program can not initiate courses on its own. A department must sponsor a course. A R. Wismer/W. Dorman motion to refer to the Academic Policies Committee interdisciplinary majors and minors policy matters passed. After a long discussion, a C. McLeod/R. Kerper motion to refer the proposed governance structure for the Women's Studies Program back to the Academic Policies Committee failed. A call for division showed a vote of 9 for and 11 against. A motion to postpone action until the next meeting failed. After a long discussion, senate voted to approve the proposed governance structure for the Women's Studies Program.

Report of the General Education Task Force

The General Education Review Committee reported to senate on the report of the General Education Task Force (See attachment G). Task Force chairperson J. Sheridan and senate chairperson D. Eidam have agreed that February 19, 1997, is the senate's deadline for submitting revisions or suggested recommendations. Senate has two meetings to discuss the Task Force Report.

General Education Review Committee chairperson C. Stameshkin said the committee has a reflector on Marauder. Since the hour was late, senate had to adjourn. A C. McLeod/A. Borger-Reese motion to continue the discussion at the next meeting with the highest possible priority passed.

Senate adjourned at 5:45 PM. The next meeting will be Tuesday, 4 February 1997, from 4:05-5:45 p.m. oin Chryst 210.

Marvin Margolis, Secretary
Faculty Senate


Prior Minutes
Reports
...| Chairperson | President | Assoc Provost Acad Admin |
Committee Reports
...|UCPRC | Joint Senate Conf
Faculty Emeritus
Proposed Courses
Business
...| Election | Program Approvals | Gen Ed Task Force |

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