I. Minutes of previous meetings

The minutes of the February 21, 2006 meeting of the Faculty Senate were approved as written.

II. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson

Dr. Börger-Greco reported on administrative approval of curriculum proposals.

The following curriculum changes have received administrative approval:

1. PHIL 345: new course.
2. EDFN 398: new course.
3. ESCI 322: new course.
4. CHEM 375: require lab component.
5. MUSI minor: reduce credits from 23 to 18.
6. BA in PHYS: require PHYS 266
7. BIOL Marine Biology option: require BIOL 375.
8. BSE CHEM: waive P requirement to meet 126-credit limit.
9. ART: EDAR 330 and ART 310 deleted.
10. BFA Art

III. Report of the Student Senate President

Student Senate President Fayth Balsam reported that Student Senate will be in the SMC this Thursday to inform students about advocacy. They hope to inform students about the role of legislative appropriations, how to contact legislators and potential tuition increases. She also clarified that the Person of the Year Award given by Student Senate to one faculty/staff and one student each year is independent of the Educator of the Year Award just approved by Senate.

IV. Report of the Graduate Student Organization

None.

V. Report of the Administrative Officers

None.

VI. Election of Faculty Senate Officers

Elections were held for the positions of Chair, Chair Pro-Tempore and Secretary to serve during the 2006-2007 term.

A Luek/Igyor motion was made to nominate Dr. Ana Börger-Greco as Faculty Senate Chair. A Schaffer/Saunders motion to close nominations and cast a unanimous vote for Dr. Ana Börger-Greco as Faculty Senate Chair was approved without dissent.

A Miller/Blazer motion was made to nominate Dr. Melinda Rosenthal as Faculty Senate Chair Pro-Tempore. A Edeh/Saunders motion to close nominations and cast a unanimous vote for Dr. Melinda Rosenthal as Faculty Senate Chair Pro-Tempore was approved without dissent.

A Mowrey/Mollah motion was made to nominate Dr. Aimee Miller as Faculty Senate Secretary. A Blazer/Schaffer motion to close nominations and cast a unanimous vote for Dr. Aimee Miller as Faculty Senate Secretary was approved without dissent.

VII. Faculty Emeritus

None.

VIII. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees

UCPRC

Senator White distributed a grid developed by Dr. Carol Phillips outlining the approval process for academic proposals [see Attachment #1]. Included on this document was the proposed process for distance learning proposals. APSCUF Representative Carol Heintzelman reported that DL approval was discussed at Meet & Discuss to determine how to accommodate the 30-day stipulation and also have the proposals reviewed at both the departmental and university level as indicated in the CBA. It was recommended that for current courses requesting a change of format, there would be approval by the department followed by either UCPRC or GCPRC, as appropriate, acting as a university curriculum committee. This approach will be reviewed after one year. Concern was raised about this process bypassing school curriculum committees. However, it was noted that this procedure applies only for courses that have previously been fully approved at all levels.

First Reading:

(1) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
ART 368 - Collage, 3 credits
The distributed proposal indicated a cross-listing of this course with ART 568. However, GCPRC reported that they received a different proposal indicating a different instructor. It was noted that this proposal needs clarification for further consideration.

GCPRC

Senator Mowrey reported that the proposal for the new Master of Science in Emergency Management degree is online (http://muweb.millersville.edu/~CDRE/disaster_studies.html) for review. In addition, Dr. Börger-Greco reminded Senators that several hard copies are available for review in Ganser Library, the Office of Graduate Studies and Research (Lyle Hall), the Center for Disaster Research and Education (Nichols House) and in her office (McComsey 244). A question was raised regarding the designation of Master of Science rather than Master of Arts. Dr. Henry Fischer indicated that, although a thesis is not required, the Field Experience Practicum requires students to carry out research and propose how their findings apply to their own workplace situation. He also noted that this is a unique program that parallels Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendations.

First Reading:

1. NEW GRADUATE PROGRAM
   MASTER OF SCIENCE in EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
   NEW COURSES:
   Required (24 credits)
   
   EM 601 (3): Principles & Practices of Emergency Management
   EM 603 (3): Technical & Professional Writing for EM Personnel
   EM 605 (3): Social Dimensions of Disaster
   EM 607 (3): Emergency Mental Health & Trauma
   EM 614 (3): Natural Hazards Primer
   EM 615 (3): Emergency Preparedness for Industry
   EM 653 (3): Theoretical Perspectives & Methods Applied to EM
   EM 693 (3): Field Experience Practicum
   
   Electives (Students choose 6 credits)
   
   EM 616 (3): Terrorism, WMD & Homeland Security
   EM 617 (3): EM Issues in Communication & Mass Media
   EM 618 (3): Humanitarian Responses to International Disasters
   EM 629-632 (3): Special Topics Course
   EM 689 (1-3): Independent Study
   

Academic Policies

Senator West presented the Distance Learning Course Approval Process with some recently added clarifications, including specification of a maximum of 33% face-to-face time for blended courses.

A Blazer/DiBartolomeis motion to revise item II under Course Approval Process to read "Existing credit bearing courses shall be reviewed by the department and a University curriculum committee (UCPRC/GCPRC), which shall each provide its recommendation to the President or his/her designee. This review should be completed within thirty (30) days of receipt of the course proposal." was approved without dissent.

A Edeh/Saunders motion to include the specification that student fieldwork is counted as face-to-face time was made. After further discussion, a Edeh/Blazer motion to revise item II under Distance Learning to read "Blended - Millersville University defines a blended course as a distance learning course that blends online learning with face-to-face meetings. The face-to-face meetings (including fieldwork and on-site labs) cannot exceed 33% of the entire course. The remainder of the course must be taught online." was approved without dissent.

Discussion was held regarding the fact that courses where online content makes up less than 67% would no longer be termed blended. Concern was raised about professors replacing class time with online or outside-of-class activities. It was noted that while distance learning is primarily a pedagogy issue, the approval processes being implemented are required by the CBA.

Senator West then noted clarifications made to item IC under Course Approval Criteria. A DeCaria/Blazer motion to postpone discussion of additional clarifications until next meeting was approved without dissent.

Senator West also distributed a document highlighting proposed changes to the Academic Load policies in the MU Governance Manual. She noted that wording had been clarified and that the 16-credit maximum was increased to 17 to accommodate lab courses and 5-credit courses. She also noted that the summer limit of six credits per session was replaced with specification of two courses per session. This is intended to allow for registration in extended courses that may overlap with other summer sessions. The proposal was approved without dissent.

IX. Reports of the Faculty Senate Special Committees

None.

X. Proposed Courses and Programs

None.

XI. General Education Review Committee

Senator Ward distributed a progress report from GERC, including a curriculum proposal, along with the survey grid with a tally of departmental responses [see Attachment #2]. Several departments requested a more qualitative summary of comments submitted with the surveys. Concerns were expressed regarding how the curriculum proposal was developed from the proposals and departmental surveys. Senator Ward indicated that the survey summary was referred to during the GERC discussion of goals and objectives for General Education. He also noted that persons involved in developing curriculum proposals were consulted regarding the GERC proposal. Senator Schaffer noted that not everyone who put forth a curriculum proposal was included in this discussion. Further discussion addressed whether or not more departmental input should be given at Senate regarding the General Education proposal. It was noted that both GERC and departments across campus have invested considerable time and energy into envisioning a revised General Education. GERC requested that an upcoming Senate meeting be dedicated to discussion of General Education curriculum issues.

A Schaffer/Bookmiller motion to dedicate the April 4, 2006 Faculty Senate to General Education after addressing curriculum matters was approved without dissent.

XII. Other/New Business

None.

XIII. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 5:49 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Aimee L. Miller
Faculty Senate Secretary

Action Summary