Millersville University, Faculty Senate

Attachment #2
Faculty Senate Minutes
April 15, 2003

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES REPORT

Approved by Academic Policies Committee April 9, 2003
Submitted to Faculty Senate by Richard M. Kerper, Chair

Action Policy Finding & Reasoning
1. A decision made by the Administration moved the International Studies program into the Department of Government and Political Affairs and gave them administrative duties for the program. GM Section 2: Undergraduate Academic Programs - Undergraduate degree programs
(excerpt from table of degree programs)

Baccalaureate Degrees Options Department

International Studies B.A. East Asia (Interdepartmental) Latin America

GM Section 1: Faculty and Administrative Units of the University - Departments D. The following departments exist in the University and are responsible to the administrative officer listed in parentheses.

  1. School of Education
    Educational Foundations, Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Health and Physical Education, Industry and Technology, Psychology, Special Education (Dean, School of Education).
  2. School of Humanities and Social Sciences
    1. Humanities Academic Unit--Art, English, Foreign Languages, Music, Philosophy, and Communication and Theatre.
    2. Social Sciences Academic Unit--Economics, Business Administration, Geography, History, Political Science, Social Work, and Sociology/Anthropology.
      (Both academic units are responsible to the Dean,School of Humanities and Social Sciences.)
  3. School of Science and Mathematics: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Nursing, and Physics (Dean, School of Science and Mathematics).
  4. The following departments do not offer courses for credit and report to the administrative officer indicated in parentheses:
    1. Counseling and Human Development (Vice President for Student Affairs)
    2. Department of Developmental Studies (Associate Provost for Academic Programs & Services)
    3. Library Department (Director of Library Services)

CBA Article 10 Rights of the State System/Universities B.
As provided by Act 195 (Section 702), matters of inherent managerial policy are reserved exclusively to the STATE SYSTEM/ UNIVERSITIES. These "include but shall not be limited to such areas of discretion or policy as the functions and programs of the public employer (STATE SYSTEM/ UNIVERSITIES), standards of services, its overall budget, utilization of technology, the organizational structure and selection and direction of personnel."

GM Section 1: University Structure and Governance - Faculty Participation in University Governance - Faculty Senate/Curriculum Committee - L. Functions 1. The Faculty Senate reflects the professional judgment of the faculty and recommends policy in writing to the University president in such areas as curriculum, admissions and standards practices, educational programs, University organization, advisement and counseling, student affairs and matters of similar import.

Section 2: Undergraduate Academic Programs - Interdepartmental Major Program - Policy and Implementation 3. A committee composed of one representative elected by each of the participating departments shall develop and implement the major. c. The committee shall carry out the administrative duties inherent in offering a major (i.e. developing new course proposals, scheduling, advisement, etc.).

Finding: International Studies is an interdepartmental program,not a department.

Reasoning: Departments are enumerated in the Governance Manual. International Studies is explicitly identified as interdepartmental. Placing it in one department is contradictory.

Finding: Administrative duties for an interdepartmental major are carried out by an interdepartmental committee.

Reasoning: When the Administration exercised its authority over programs and organizational structure by approving the Interdepartmental Major Program policy and placed it in the Governance Manual, they established agreed-upon practice and structure for interdepartmental programs, giving administrative duties to an interdepartmental committee

2.
a. The Administration dissolved the International Studies Curriculum Committee, notifying the committee of this action, and later retracted the decision, notifying faculty in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of this new action.

b. The Administration, without any involvement of the International Studies Curriculum Committee, appointed a coordinator of the International Studies Curriculum.

Section 1: University Structure & Governance - Faculty Participation in University Governance - Contract Committees, Judicial Committee and Amending Procedures - Faculty Senate/Curriculum Committee D. Organization 5. (sic)
Committees

The Faculty Senate may create ad hoc committees either from its own membership or from the University as a whole to consider or investigate matters of concern. All committees not elected at large shall have equal faculty representation from the four a cademic units, i.e., Education, Humanities, Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences and one from non-school faculty. The following are the standing committees of Faculty Senate:

  1. Academic Outcomes Assessment Committee
  2. Academic Policies Committee
  3. Academic Standards Committee
  4. African-American Studies Curriculum Committee
  5. Committee on Cooperative Education/Internship Program
  6. Admissions, Advisement and Student Affairs Committee
  7. Faculty Senate By-Laws
  8. Faculty-Student Athletic Committee
  9. General Education Review Committee
  10. Graduate Course and Program Review Committee
  11. International Selection Committee
  12. International Studies Curriculum Committee
  13. Joint Senate Conference Committee
  14. Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee
  15. University Honors Program Committee
  16. University Theme Committee
  17. Women's Studies Curriculum Committee

Section 1: University Structure & Governance - Faculty Participation in University Governance - Contract Committees, Judicial Committee and Amending Procedures - Policies in Force and Amending Procedures B. Amending Procedures 3. Amendments to section IV, Faculty Senate/ Curriculum Committee must be introduced at a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate and approved by a majority vote, but not at the same meeting at which the amendment is introduced.
7. Amendments to Faculty Senate committees do not require approval by the entire faculty.

Section 1: University Structure & Governance - Faculty Participation in University Governance - Contract Committees, Judicial Committee and Amending Procedures - Faculty Senate/Curriculum Committee - International Studies Curriculum Committee
1. Membership
f.
An International Studies Curriculum Coordinator is appointed as follows:
The International Studies Curriculum Committee solicits and receives nominations for the position of Coordinator of the International Studies Curriculum Committee. They review the applications and recommend one or more candidates for the president's o r designee's consideration for appointment. The coordinator serves at the pleasure of the president or designee.
g. The Coordinator of the International Studies Curriculum and the provost or designee are non-voting ex officio members of the committee.

Finding: Faculty Senate has sole authority to amend its standing committees.

Reasoning: The International Studies Curriculum Committee is a standing committee of the Faculty Senate. The Governance Manual explicitly states the procedure by which it may amend its own committees.

Finding: The International Studies Curriculum Committee participates in the selection of the program coordinator by soliciting and receiving nominations, reviewing applications and recommending candidates to the president or his/her designee.

Reasoning: The Governance Manual explicitly states the role that the International Studies Curriculum Committee plays in the selection of a Coordinator.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Academic Policies Committee finds that the following documents fail to establish a coherent framework, including administrative and curricular processes, for interdisciplinary studies at Millersville University.

Millersville University Governance Manual

2002-2004 Undergraduate Catalog

Therefore, the Committee recommends that

  1. Faculty Senate direct the chair of the Academic Policies Committee to convene a joint meeting of all curricular bodies and groups that are involved in interdisciplinary studies. These shall include:
  2. in the interim, the deans of each academic unit hold elections to fill vacant seats on the International Studies Curriculum Committee.

  3. the International Studies Curriculum Committee solicit nominations for the position of Coordinator of the International Studies Curriculum Committee, review all applications, and recommend one or more candidates for the president's or designee's consideration for interim appointment.


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