Millersville University, Faculty Senate
Minutes
Meeting of the Faculty Senate
October 15, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 4:12 pm. All academic departments were
represented except Geography.
I. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the October
1, 2002 Faculty Senate Meeting were approved as distributed.
II. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson
- The chronology of the Attendance Policy including the current policy,
the policy proposed by the Academic Policies Committee and the Provost's
suggested modifications was made available.
- Also made available was an additional document from Kirsten Bookmiller
that is relevant to the discussion of the International Studies issue {see
attachment}. Senators were asked to pick it up and read it in preparation
for discussion. Chairperson Piperberg will scan the non-electronic
portions of Marlene Arnold's handout from the last meeting {see
attachment}. Also, the attachment of Dr. Arnold's document to the Minutes
contains an extra section entitled "Equal Opportunity", which was not
handed out at the last Faculty Senate meeting but she mentioned the
material included in it during her remarks.
- Since the last Faculty Senate meeting, the chair received
the following administrative approvals:
The reduction in required credits for General Education (the deletion of
the G4 elective)
III. Report of the Senate Student President
- Student Senate President B. Danz commended the faculty for
their efforts in teaching and helping students at Millersville, in light
of an unflattering editorial that had recently appeared in The Snapper.
- He reported that the Millersville Persons-of-the-Year had
recently been announced by Student Senate.
- He announced that the Student Senate was participating in
a mentoring program with students at McCaskey High School this year.
- He also stated that the Student Senate will be working
with the Office of Social Equity to plan a Dialogue on Race and Gender
this year.
IV. Report of the Graduate Student Organization -- No
Report.
V. Reports of Administrative Officers
- Provost McNairy announced that she has approved a
proposal by the Earth Sciences Department to place three geology options
on moratorium. Those options are Engineering Geology, Geochemistry, and
Geophysics.
- Provost McNairy updated the Senate on the 120 credit hour
policy, which originated in the Chancellor's Office. This policy is to
take effect beginning with the Fall, 2003 semester. She mentioned that
the University will seek exceptions to the 120 credit hour policy for the
B. S. Ed. and Respiratory Therapy programs.
- Provost McNairy has approved the elimination of the
General Elective from the General Education Curriculum G4 block. She
reminded Senate that this change will not apply to students currently
enrolled at Millersville.
- Associate Provost Phillips discussed the Common Calendar,
which will take effect in the Fall, 2003 semester. She announced that the
fall semester will be essentially identical to the current fall semester,
but that the MU version of the Spring, 2004 semester calendar has not yet
been finalized. She also mentioned that the University intends to
maintain a Winter Session, but in a modified form. A number of approaches
to a modified Winter session have thus far been discussed, but no final
decisions have yet been made.
VI. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees
UCPRC
- Senator R. Wismer announced three proposals:
The Computer Sciences Department seeks to add prerequisites to some
existing courses in order to ensure that these courses are taken in the
proper sequence.
The Geography Department seeks to add GEOG 245 (Geography of Pennsylvania)
as a new course.
The Foreign Languages Department seeks to make HUMN 280 (Spanish
Literature in English) a General Education (G1) course. Senator Wismer
also moved consideration of this proposal at the current meeting. The
motion to waive the One-Meeting rule for this proposal passed without
dissent.
- Senator R. Wismer also mentioned that UCPRC will not require
assessment methods to be included in undergraduate course proposals until
guidelines for these methods have been received from the combined Outcomes
Assessment and General Education Review Committees.
- Senator R. Wismer mentioned a Board of Governors requirement for
40% of coursework (48 credits) to be composed of junior and senior level
courses. He suggested that the definition of a junior level course
needed to be firmly established to facilitate compliance with this BOG
requirement. This matter was referred to the Academic Policies Committee
upon passage of a R. Mowrey and R. Bookmiller motion, which included a
charge to resolve any inconsistencies between the Governance Manual, the
University Catalogs and any other relevant documents. Included in the
motion to refer to Academic Policies was a charge for them to report back
to Senate expeditiously.
GCPRC
Senator R. Mowrey introduced a proposal by the Communication & Theatre
Department for a new graduate course, COMM 510 (Communications in
Organizations).
Academic Theme Committee
Senator S. Yalda, outgoing Chair of the University Theme Committee, moved
that next year's theme for the University be "Unity, Excellence and
Strength Through Diversity". {see attachment} The motion passed without
dissent.
Academic Standards Committee
Senator R. Kerper, Chairman of the committee, introduced a motion from the
Committee to add the Director of Learning Services to the Committee
membership. {see attachment} The motion passed without dissent.
General Education Review Committee
Senator J. Fenwick mentioned the idea of creating a Task Force or Ad Hoc
Senate Committee to consider changes in the structure of the general
education curriculum in the light of current nationwide trends in thought
about General Education. He sought guidance from the Senate about the
advisability of such a committee and what form it might take. He
suggested that a formal proposal might be forthcoming at a future Senate
meeting.
VII. Report of the Faculty Senate Special Committees -- No
Report.
VIII. Proposed Courses and Programs
The change in HUMN 280 (Spanish Literature in English), introduced earlier
in the meeting, was approved.
HUMN 280 - Spanish Literature in English 3 cr.
Requesting G1 General Education designation. Desired effective date is
Spring 2003.
IX. Elections
- A R. Mowrey/B. Dorman motion, which closed nominations and
directed the Senate Secretary to cast a ballot for all of the nominees,
passed without dissent.
- J. Fenwick asked that nominees be accepted to fill empty
seats on the General Education Review Committee on a one-year, At-Large
basis as has been done for the last couple of years. The request was
honored and W. Archibald and J. Wimer were nominated to fill the seats. A
similar request was made by R. Kerper, chair of the Academic Standards
Committee. B. Ikenaga and S. DiBartolomeis were then nominated to fill
vacancies on this committee on a one-year, At-Large basis. The nomination
of M. Arnold to fill the Social Sciences seat on the Commencement Speaker
Committee was also accepted. The elections for these seats will be held
at the next meeting.
X. Changes in the Status of the International Studies Program and
Related Issues
- K. Bookmiller addressed the move of the International
Studies program to the Department of Government and Political Affairs and
presented the rationale for the move. She introduced the proposal {see
attachment} to replace the current International Studies Curriculum
Committee, a Faculty Senate standing committee, with a committee that
includes involved faculty from each department, which contributes courses
to the program. The proposal also states that the chair of the committee
would be a member of the Department of Government and Political Affairs.
Course and program proposals approved by the committee would not require
separate approval by the Department of Government and Political Affairs.
Instead proposals would be funneled directly to the appropriate School
Curriculum Committee(s) and then to UCPRC and Faculty Senate.
- M. Arnold presented an opposing viewpoint {see attachment}
to this proposal based on the history of the International Studies
program's design and development.
Senators posed a few questions, which were answered. The intent to
revisit this issue at the next Senate meeting was stated.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Paul Studdard
Senate Secretary
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