The minutes were amended as follows. This will replace Executive Assistant to the President Phillips' report, "Dr. Phillips shared that the new writing portion for the SAT was implemented in March 2005. We need to determine how we wish to use the new test in our admission processes. She suggested that the Senate's Admissions, Advisement and Student Affairs Committee would be an appropriate group to address the new test, and she further suggested that a member of the English department be included in the committee's deliberations.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires all BSE majors to complete two English courses, one in composition and one in literature. This requirement will be phased in over the next several years. Beginning in fall 2005, all current freshmen, sophomores, new transfers and post-baccalaureate certificate students will be required to have completed the literature course before beginning Advanced Professional Studies. In order to assure that current students will be able to progress, the 200-level on-campus literature courses scheduled for fall semester 2005 have been reserved for their registration. Once registration closes, we will determine the need for additional course offerings in literature

Faculty were encouraged to attend the service learning workshop on April 7 and the International Education Roundtable on April 15."

The discussion on the defibrillator also should be deleted from Executive Assistant to the President Phillips' report. It should be included at the end of the administrative reports.

Minutes were approved as amended.

II. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson

No Report.

Student President Albright announced the names of the recipients of the Student of the Year Award and the Faculty of the Year Award. Ms. Martha Glass received the Faculty of the Year Award. The Appeals/Allocations meeting will take place this week. Students who experience difficulty casting their ballots during the Student Senate Elections will have the chance to vote on April 21. Provisional ballots will be available on line.

IV. Report of the Graduate Student Organization

No report.

V. Report of the Administrative Officers

Provost Prabhu

Provost Prabhu encouraged the faculty to complete the Advisement Survey that has been sent to all faculty members.

Executive Assistant to the President Phillips

Executive Assistant to the President Phillips asked the faculty to explore the My MU website

VI. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees

First Readings
Academic Policies Committee - Distance Learning Revised Policy
Dr. West, chair of the Academic Policies Committee will be available at the next Faculty Senate meeting to answer questions.

Second Readings
UCPRC - new course / changes in a course name and prerequisites respectively
MUSI 140 - The Singing Voice in Music Theatre - Effective Spring 2006 - Approved
PHIL 371 - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy - Effective Fall 2005 - Approved.

VII. Reports of the Faculty Senate Special Committees

No Report.

VIII. Election

Dr. Aimee Miller was nominated for Faculty Senate Secretary. Borger-Greco/Luek motion passed to close nominations and to direct the secretary to cast one vote for the nominee. Dr. Miller was elected Faculty Senate Secretary effective fall 2005.

IX. Faculty Emeritus

Fenwick/Luek motion - Professor Marshal D. Anderson was granted the honorary title of Associate Professor of Mathematics Emeritus.

DiBartolomeis/Wismer motion - Dr. David S. Ostrovsky was granted the honorary title of Professor of Biology Emeritus. [see Attachment #1]

DiBartolomeis/Wismer motion -Dr. William J. Yurkiewicz was granted the honorary title of Professor of Biology Emeritus. [see Attachment #2]

X. Other/New Business

University Awards - Dr. Labant discussed some issues related to the process followed by the Honors and Award Committee during the spring of 2005.
• Ballots were available during Spring Break making it inconvenient to vote.
• Process of printing the ballots was cumbersome.
• The list of awards seemed to be incomplete.
Dr. Labant recommended that voting be better timed and the process friendlier. Provost Prabhu expressed the need to review the process

XI. Old Business

General Education Task Force Recommendations

Senator Wismer suggested bringing the discussion of the principles for General Education to the Faculty floor as it has been traditionally done.

Dr. Foster-Clark Chair of the General Education Task Force requested that Faculty Senate accept the report of the Task Force and disband the committee. He expressed that the product of the Task Force work is owned by the Faculty Senate and the Faculty as a whole. The Task Force was disbanded effective September 1. The General Education Review Committee chaired by Senator Fenwick will continue to work on this reform.

Blazer/Borger-Greco motion to accept the principles for General Education (A-F) was passed. After a lengthy discussion related to the language utilized in most principles, and its redundancy, Principles B and C were the only ones that the Faculty Senate agreed to be appropriate as presently stated.

Respectfully Submitted,

Elba I. Rohena
Secretary of the Senate

Summer meeting: June 14 @ 3 p.m. in Armstrong Auditorium in Caputo Hall