Millersville University, Faculty Senate
Minutes
Meeting of the Faculty Senate
December 3, 2002

The meeting was called to order at 4:15 pm. All academic departments were represented except the Social Work Department.

I. Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the November 19, 2002 Faculty Senate Meeting were approved as amended. On p. 5186 under the UCPRC report, item (2) should read "SOCY 310, status to be changed to Perspectives."

II. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson

Elections of Faculty Senate officers will be held at the first meeting of the Spring 2003 semester, which will be on February 4, 2003.

Faculty members were urged to attend Commencement on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2002 at 2 pm.

Discussion of a Teaching Award will begin at today's meeting as Item X. Fifteen minutes at the end of today's meeting was reserved for election of the General Education Task Force, the replacement on the Academic Standards Committee and any other vacancies for which there are nominations.

Faculty Senate will be notified in February which Faculty Senate seats are due for an election during the Spring 2003 semester.

Committee rosters attached to the last Faculty Senate Minutes were incorrect. An updated version of the rosters will be attached to the current minutes when they are distributed.

III. Report of the Senate Student President

Student Senate President B. Danz reported that the Student Senate Retreat occurred recently and was a success.

IV. Report of the Graduate Student Organization -- No Report.

V. Reports of Administrative Officers

Provost F. McNairy announced that final exams should not be given before the Evaluation Period.

The Proposal Review Committee will be reestablished to help produce quality proposals to be sent to Harrisburg for SSHE grants. Grant proposals have a maximum award of $5,000.

The Physics/Engineering Program Option will be eliminated after all current students in the option have graduated. No new students will be admitted to this option.

Associate Provost C. Phillips announced that the Common Calendar Committee has forwarded its recommendations to the Deans' Council. She also invited ideas for planning and scheduling the Summer sessions, especially with regard to what each session should be called and the number of weeks for each session.

VI. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees

UCPRC Chair R. Wismer introduced five new proposals:

  1. MATH 472 B Financial Mathematics, a new course;
  2. GEOG 278 B Transportation Geography, a new course;
  3. UNIV 101, Freshman Seminar - for students with undeclared majors;
  4. ENGL 292 B Science Fiction, to add W status
  5. CHEM program options - changes in electives to comply with the 120-credit hour graduation requirement.

R. Wismer also urged departments to complete and submit proposals for changes in programs for the purpose of complying with the 120-hour graduation requirement as soon as possible. Since it is anticipated that UCPRC will need to handle a large number of proposals in a very short time, expediting this process is essential.

General Education Review Committee Chair J. Fenwick announced that the committee had updated the governance manual to eliminate outdated portions related to the General Education curriculum.

GCPRC Chair R. Mowrey introduced the proposed ESL Certification Program along with its new proposed courses, EDUC 561, 562, 563, and 564. She also made a motion to suspend the Faculty Senate rules and to allow a vote at today's meeting on this proposal. The motion passed.

Academic Policies Committee B R. Kerper introduced the proposed Class Attendance Policy. An E. Blazer/B. Stengel motion to amend the policy passed. A R. Wismer/B. Stengel motion to amend the policy passed. The amended policy passed {See Attachment #1 for amended policy}.

VII. Report of the Faculty Senate Special Committees--No report.

VIII. Proposed Courses and Programs

  1. NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
    ENGL 347 - Studies of Ethnicity in Film B Ethnicity*, 3 credit hours, a G1, Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (W) course. Desired effective date C Spring 2003.

    *Title will incorporate the semester's focal ethnicity. Ethnicity could be African-American, Asian-American, etc.

  2. NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
    ENGL 484 B Brave New Worlds: exploring Technology in Film, 3 credit hours, a G1, Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (W) course. Desired effective date B Spring 2003.

  3. CHANGES IN COURSES/CURRICULA
    Involving SOCY 303 (formerly SOCY 401) - Sociological Theory, 3 credit hours., an existing non-GenEd course. The proposal is to require that Sociology and Sociology/Criminology majors taking SOCY 303 (401) receive a minimum grade of C- or better in order to satisfy the graduation requirements for the Sociology and Sociology/Criminology majors. Desired effective date B Spring 2003.

  4. NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
    BIOL 467 (Graduate level is BIOL 667) B Human Genetics: Analysis and Applications, 3 credit hours. Requesting Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (W) status. Desired effective date C Fall 2003.

  5. CHANGES IN COURSES/CURRICULA
    SOCY 310 B Sociology of Religion, 3 credit hours. An existing GenEd course requesting Perspectives (P) status. Desired effective date C Spring 2003.

  6. NEW GRADUATE COURSE
    EDUC 561 B Second Language Acquisition: Theory, Programs and Assessment, 3 credit hours. Desired effective date B Spring 2003.

  7. NEW GRADUATE COURSE
    EDUC 562 B Methods for Teaching English Language Learners, 3 credit hours. Desired effective date B Summer 2003.

  8. NEW GRADUATE COURSE
    EDUC 563 B Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in the Classroom, 3 credit hours. Desired effective date B Summer 2003

  9. NEW GRADUATE COURSE
    EDUC 564 B Current Trends in Local Areas, 3 credit hours. Desired effective date B Spring 2003.

  10. CHANGES IN COURSES/CURRICULA
    Completion of Program Specialist B ESL (English as a Second Language) Certificate Program. Desired effective date B Spring 2003.

IX. Faculty Emeritus--None.

X. Discussion of Teaching Award Proposal

The proposal to reestablish an Educator of the Year award was discussed at length, and the proposal was returned to the ad hoc committee.

XI. Election

An election was held for the General Education Task Force and a replacement for the Academic Standards Committee. {See attachment #2 for an updated committee roster.} Alex Szollos was elected to an At Large seat on the Academic Policies Committee, Kazi Hossain was elected to an At Large seat on the Academic Standards Committee, John Ward, Behnam Nakhai, Dorothee Blum, Barbara Bensur, Paul Studdard, Michele White and John Dooley were elected to seats on the General Education Task Force.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:47 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Paul Studdard
Faculty Senate Secretary


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