Faculty Senate Minutes

MINUTES FACULTY SENATE MEETING 4 March 1997

Chairperson D. Eidam called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. in Chryst Hall, Room 210. All departmental senators attended except one from the Earth Sciences Department. K. McGinnis and D. Strong attended for student senate.

Minutes

Senate approved the 18 February 1997 meeting minutes with the following correction: the 18 February 1997 minutes page numbers duplicate those of the 4 February 1997 minutes.

Reports

Chairperson's Report

Chairperson D. Eidam distributed a handout to senators listing senate recommendations so far to the Task Force on General Education in response to its report submitted to senate on 11/19/97 (see Attachment A). Senators have not yet received the printed copies of the 25 February 1997 special meeting minutes but the Web version is available on senate's homepage. Eidam noted the following correction to the 25 February meeting minutes and to Attachment A: Instead of "clarify part (a) of the rationale for Phase 1, item 1," it should read "clarify item 1, Phase 1, and eliminate part (a) of the rationale." Senate will approve the 25 February 1997 special meeting minutes at the 18 March 1997 senate meeting.

Eidam has invited Assistant to the President for Special Projects, L. Suskie, to come to senate two weeks from today to give a report. Eidam represents senate on the Medal Fund Management Board. The Board has elected as officers, E. Thomson, S. Luek, and L. HOpkins. If senators do provide handouts, please include your name and the date in which you provide them. Sneate has a Fall elections problem because by tradition it will schedule the elections on the first class day. In the Fall of 1997 MU does not start classes until after Labor Day. Eidam will make suggestions about the elections at the next senate meeting.

Attachment to 2/27/97 memo from Provost to chairs

Administrative Officers

Vice President for Student Affairs

Vice President for Student Affiars, R. Thomas, asked senate's advice on a matter. In addition to the summer orientation program, MU has a supplemental orientation that occurs two days immediately prior to the Fall semester. After the freshmen move in, they participate in the supplmenetal orientation activities. Because of this Fall's calendar, classes will begin the day after Labor Day. There will be orientation activities during Labor Day and the day before it.

One traditional activity has been a picnic for new students and the faculty on Sunday evening. MU's objective has been for faculty to welcome new students to campus. All faculty are invited to the picnic and last year the event was well attended. New students can seek out members of the faculty from particular departments. If MU has the event in the Fall, it must fall on Labor Day, the night before classes begin. Thomas asked if MU should plan to have the event in the Fall. Please check with the departments and report back at the next senate meeting.

Associate Provost for Academic Programs

Associate Provost for Academic Programs, J. Roller, and C. Deen are making the rounds of the academic departments to discuss DARS, the degree auditing system. MU has been working on DARS for three years. The two will provide background information on the current state of DARS and listen to issues that are surfacing in departments. The two will also discuss related advising issues such as exception processing. They have already gone to ten departments. Between now and May, they will visit the remaining departments. Two issues involve the formatting of the audit and access. They welcome comments and suggestions and any feedback from the faculty about what is working and what is not.

Committee Reports

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson, R. Wismer, introduced three new courses under the two meeting rule:

HNRS/BIOL212:

GEOG333:

SOWK405:

New program for the agenda of the next senate meeting.

Applied Mathematics Option

Graduate Course and Program Review Committee

Graduate Course and program Review Committee chairperson, F. Erickson, introduced two courses for senate's approval at the next meeting.

PSYC517:

BIOL647:

Joint Senate Conference Committee

Joint Senate Conference Committee chairperson, J. Piperberg, said the committee will meet next week to complete the report on the four year contract. The committee has written and revised several drafts. It has distributed the drafts to relevant people and received feedback from them.

University Theme Committee

University Theme Committee chairperson, J. Piperberg, said he is trying to schedule meeting with the people who proposed themes. The committee will consider them and have a report for senate within a month to six weeks.

Academic Policies Committee

Academic Policies Committee chairperson, K. Bookmiller, said the committee first met on 20 February 1997 and will meet again on Thursday. The committee has several issues that will keep it busy for several meetings. It is considering the issue of interdisciplinary majors and minor in terms of combining them, an international studies major, and the counting of courses that are interdisciplinary. The committee is checking the governance manual concerning plus/minus grade matters. It is also investigating the 50 percent rule applying to options for transfer credit in the same way it works for majors.

Proposed Courses

Senate approved three courses:

CSCI450:

CSCI456:

BIOL447:

Business

Faculty Senate Elections

Senate needs to replace S. Lotlikar on the University Theme Committee, a nonschool position ending in 1998. Chairperson D. Eidam called for nominations. Hearing none for the second meeting in a row, he said senate would advertise the posiiton one more time. If none apply at the next meeting, he will declare the position vacant for the time being.

Report of the General Education Review Committee

Senate returned to the report of the General Education Task Force of 19 November 1996. Chairperson D. Eidam said there were 38 minutes left to make specific recommendation regarding the remaining items in Group 3. C. McLeod/W. Dorman moved that "...Where necessary, departments would create a productivity plan that would both increase enrollments and preserve the department's quality of education. Each department's plan should take into consideration specific factors and situations that exist within that particular department." After considerable discussion, the motion carried.

D. Hutchens/S. Thompson moved to suggest to the task force that item 4, Phaw 1, be dropped. Chairperson D. Eidam stepped down temporarily to speak to the motion. Chairperson pro tempore, J. Piperberg, acted in Eidam's place. The motion passed.

After considerable discussion of C and Q labels without a motion, senate completed the 38 minute limit. A J. McCade/D. Eidam motion to extend senate's discussion of group 3 items for 30 additional minutes passed unanimously although only a two/thirds majority was needed. Again senate discussed the group 3 items without a motion for thirty minutes. Once the time expired, senators asked that the task force report be an agenda item for the next meeting.

Expansion of the Academic Standards Committee - Returned to the Agenda

Academic Standards Committee chairperson, J. Piperberg, requested that senate raise the committee's size to give students more attention and better handle the committee's workload (see Attachment B). A J. Piperberg/R. Mainzer motion to expand the committee passed.

Senate adjourned at 5:30 PM. The next meeting will be Tuesday, 18 March 1997, from 4:05-5:45 p.m. in Chryst 210.

Respectfully submitted,

Marvin Margolis, Secretary
Faculty Senate

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