Faculty Senate Minutes, 4 May 1999

Millersville University, Faculty Senate

Minutes

Meeting of the Faculty Senate

May 4, 1999

Chairperson Joel Piperberg called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m. in Chryst 210. All departments were represented except Developmental Studies and Special Education. Graduate Student Organization Representative, Christine Schwarz, was also present.

The minutes of the meeting on April 20 were approved with the following wording changes on p. 4628 under Distance Learning Approval Process. Item c. should now read: The first sentence of the second paragraph was deleted and the second sentence revised.

"Faculty are presently learning how to implement the necessary methods for distance learning. Eventually these methods will be incorporated into the repertoire of the effective and efficient instructor, somewhat in the way that an overhead projector has become incoporated into the range of available technologies."

Chair Piperberg also removed Theater 220 and 222 from the Proposed Course and Programs on the Agenda.

Reports

Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson

Chairperson Piperberg referred to an e-mail message he had sent and requested unanimous consent to move item XII (General Education Objectives) on the Agneda to the place of item X. The Senate agreed.
Committee Chairpersons were reminded about informing the Senate Chairperson of committee vacancies for the Fall of 1999.
Discussion on SOCY 313 and CSCI 380 was deferred to await the necessary Deans' Resource Statements.

Student Senate
No Report.

Graduate Student President
No Report. Representative Schwarz announced that this would be her last meeting. She will be graduating in August. Ms. Schwarz said she appreciated the opportunity to serve. Chairperson Piperberg thanked Ms. Schwarz for her service and congratulated her on her upcoming graduation.

Reports of Administrative Officers

Provost McNairy. Provost McNairy reminded Senators about the Honors Convocation (May 8) and the Commencement Ceremony (May 15).

Senator Dorman thanked Provost McNairy for overseeing the opening of the Hash/Bassler complex.

Associate Provost James Stager. Dr. Stager reported that despite some shortcomings Registration had gone well and he thanked Senators for their participation. Dr. Stager said he had received some questions regarding which courses counted and which courses did not count for the G4 General Education Block. Students are not permitted to use a course from their major area of study in G4. Any courses that would not be counted in G1, G2, or G3 may not be used in G4. In cases where such courses have already been counted in G4, the prohibition will not be retroactive, but the policy will be enforced for new students entering their major in the Fall Semester 1999.

Associate Provost Roller. Dr. Roller extended the appreciation of the students to the faculty for assistance with Registration. she announced that a search is in progress to hire a permanent Director for academic Advisement. Patricia Brislin (Math) will oversee Pre-Session and Summer I and Charles Nissly (International Studies) will oversee Summer II.

Reports of Standing Committees

UCPRC Chairperson R. Wismer presented an Art Department proposal to add psychology 100 (General Psychology) and Psychology 227 (Child and Adolescent Psychology) as required General Education related courses to the curriculum of the department.

He also presented Humanities 380 Latino Issues of Identity (General Education/Perspectives Course) for consideration.

Senator Wismer raised two questions and asked that these be reflected in the Senate Minutes:

May a departmental perspectives course count in G4?
Whether students must take half of the courses for their Minor (as is the case with the Major) at Millersville University?

Dr. Stager answered both questions in the affirmative.

General Education Review Committee Chairperson C. Stameshkin thanked Senators who visited with the consultant the previous week. She announced that several objectives were to be assessed, that funding requests have been made to compensate participants who are willing to give up time this summer, and that assessment groups will be established. M. Warmkessel will head the group on Objective 10--Scientific Reasoning.

Honors Committee Chairperson M. Warmkessel said that the committee had been considering a possible transition from an Honors Program to an Honors College. Early in the Fall 1999 Semester a series of open meetings will be held to discuss what would be involved. She asked Senators to encourage their colleagues to attend. (see attachment) (see attachment).

Hiring/Searches Senator G. Yelagotes referred to failed searches for faculty and distributed a letter for consideration (see attachment). He said that it is difficult to find good people because of the length of time it takes to bring candidates on campus. The delay resulted in candidates that might have been interested in coming to Millersville accepting employment at other universities. He suggested that this matter should be looked at closely.

Senator Wismer reported that the Chemistry Department had witnessed a failed search because a candidate delayed for a month before rejecting an employment offer.

Senator Rosenthal remarked that the Department of English experiences the same problem with time. The prohibition on interviewing at the discipline's major venue (MLA between Christmas and New Year) results in a delay in the process until February.

Provost McNairy said that the Administration shares the concern of the faculty when searches are not completed and that suggestions for improvement in the process are welcome. It is necessary to bear in mind that the university is mandated to follow certain procedures to satisfy legal requirements. Departments are able to commence the search procedure as early as August 1. In addition, the curriculum, with Fall and Thanksgiving breaks, complicates the interview process.

Faculty Emeritus No Recommendations

Proposed Courses and Programs

chairperson Piperberg said that the question on the wording relating to ITEC 456 Digital Imaging had been satisfied. The course was approved.
ITEC Departmental Honors--approved.
BIO 462 Molecular Biology--approved.
Applied Musicianship Package--approved. The wording for the catalog (see minutes p. 4627) is to be discussed.

General Education Objectives Section III
M. Rosenthal said that the Department of English wished to go on record as requesting a change in the wording "will be able to" to "should be able to" in the objectives. Discussion was deferred until after consideration of the remaining proposed objectives. This will be placed on the Agenda for the Summer meeting of the Senate.

The following objectives were passed without discussion:

13. Coherence
14. Diversity
15. Historical Consciousness (see Senate Minutes pp. 4624 and 4625)

Considerable discussion on the wording of Objective 16 ensued.

A D. Eidam/M. Warmkessel amendment to replace "and defend with reasons" in 16a with "rationally support" was passed.

A C. Desmond/B. Dorman amendment to delete "their own" in 16a was passed.

A B. Mowery/W. Wolf amendment to change the wording of 16b to read "Understand and treat with respect the perspectives of others" was passed.

A B. Dorman/C. Stameshkin amendment to eliminate "real life" on item 16c was passed.

An R. Davis/G. Yelagotes motion to delete "academic" in item 16d was passed.

Item 16, as amended, was passed by the Senate.

With time about to expire, the meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m. Agenda items not discussed will be added to the Agenda for the Summer Meeting of the Senate on June 15 at 3:00 p.m. in Myers Auditorium, McComsey.

Respectfully submitted,

Jane Alden, Secretary

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