I. Minutes of previous meetings
II. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson
III. Report of the Student Senate President
IV. Report of the Graduate Student Organization
V. Report of the Administrative Officers
President McNairy commended Ms. Terenzoni for her work with Student Senate. Dr. McNairy commented on the 2008 winner of the PASSHE Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence and noted that Highmark Foundation added awards for 2nd and 3rd place students. She also noted the outstanding performances at the Student Research Symposium, the quality of students honored at the annual awards ceremony and the importance of faculty participation in graduation.
Dr. McNairy also indicated that she had met with the candidates for Chancellor and that PASSHE presidents had expressed a need for the new Chancellor to become familiar with the unique characteristics of the schools that comprise PASSHE. A question was raised about whether the candidates have experience in higher education. Dr. McNairy replied that all three have academic credentials and experience in system universities and that two have also served as university presidents.
Provost
Provost Prabhu welcomed Ms. Farrelly and noted her previous activity in Student Senate. He also reported that three science and technology faculty, Drs. Rich Clark, Sharon Brusic and Stephanie Elzer, and a number of students made a presentation to the Board of Governors that was well received. Dr. Prabhu echoed the invitation to join our students at graduation.
Comments were made about some students missing classes immediately following the April 1 lockdown because they commute from significant distances and others having just gotten out of class and not knowing where to go. Dr. Prabhu noted that these would be considered along with other issues being addressed in light of things learned from the emergency situation.
A request was made for clarification on possible changes to the weather delay policy. Dr. Prabhu indicated that the idea of starting classes at the opening time if they would normally be in progress will be discussed by APSCUF this week.
VI. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees
Senator White reported that the W and D sub-committees are reviewing courses and that department chairs and course proposers will hear from the committees. She also reported on approval of the following FYI courses: Public Health: Science and Art in Action; Public Cultural Understandings, Cultural Misunderstandings; What turns you on? Minds, Motivation and Learning; Ethnic Studies: A Focus on African American and Latino Experiences; The Amish and the Media; The Deindustrialization of America: Jobs Today, Gone Tomorrow?; Homes and Homelessness; Culture, Science and Mathematics; A Different View: How we can Change the World; Liberty and Justice for All; The Great IQ Debate; Biodiversity and the Sixth Great Extinction.
First Readings
(1) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BIOL140: Introductory Ecology, 3 credits, G2, L. Proposal to create a course to introduce ecology principles to non-biology majors.
(2) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
ART410: Fine Art Digital Photography, 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to introduce digital photographic equipment, theory and processes.
(3) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
ESCI443: Climate Dynamics, W. Proposal to add the W label.
GCPRC
Senator Mowrey alerted senators that a degree proposal will be coming forward from Educational Foundations for first reading at the June meeting. She also clarified that the new +/- grading for graduate courses will be implemented in fall 2008.
GERC
Dr. Fred Foster-Clark announced that information about a D-course workshop to be held May 19-20 will be e-mailed soon. The event will include both speakers and interactive work sessions for persons interested in developing a D course. He also noted an associated $300 incentive. A suggestion was made for recording the input and making it available to faculty with teaching conflicts.
Joint Senate Conference
Senator Rosenthal reported that plans for identifying representatives for the Educator of the Year Selection Committee are in place. It was mentioned that the Alumni member would be determined by appointment rather than election.
VIII. Proposed Courses and Programs
(1) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
WSSD454: Leadership Development in Sports, 3 credits. Proposal to create a course that covers key leadership issues and skills relevant to coaching was approved without dissent.
(2) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
PHYS: BS majors. Proposal to reduced credit hours in PHYS233 and PHYS334 and add PHYS471 to required courses was approved without dissent.
A minor revision needed on the curriculum sheet had been communicated to Physics.
(3) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BIOL352: Nutritional Science, 3 credits, W. Proposal to create a course that emphasizes biological and biochemical aspects of nutrition to be taken by Biology majors/minors instead of BIOL256 was approved without dissent.
(4) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BIOL256: Nutrition. Proposal to specify that course does not count towards Biology major/minor was approved without dissent.
It was clarified that this course already has a W label and retains that.
(5) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BIOL291: Marine Biology, 4 credits, G2, L. Proposal to change course credits from 3 to 4 and add G2 and L labels was approved without dissent.
(6) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BUAD364: Cost Accounting. Proposal to add C- or better in BUAD306 as a prerequisite was approved without dissent.
(7) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BUAD362: Intermediate Accounting II. Proposal to add C- or better in BUAD341 as a prerequisite was approved without dissent.
(8) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
BUAD: BS majors. Proposal to create an 8-course “Business Foundations Block” that must be completed by BUAD majors with grade and QPA restrictions before taking upper-level business courses was approved without dissent.
Dr. Prabhu noted that this proposal has serious implications for student scheduling and progress through degree programs. A question was raised about the affect this would have on transfer students. Senator Dillon indicated that an important goal was to make sure that classes are available to students already in the pipeline. Concerns about limiting access to business courses were also expressed. Senator DiBartolomeis shared that Biology previously instated a cap on majors with similar intentions that caused significant drops in enrollment for their program. Senator White commented that Business Administration had presented the proposal to UCPRC as a way to better prepare students for successful completion of their degree. A Luek/Igyor motion to postpone the vote on this proposal was later withdrawn.
(9) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
ENGL280: Rhetoric of the Color Line, 3 credits, W. Proposal to create a course that studies how rhetorical principles can be used to critique the way race relations have been shaped through racial dominance and resistance arguments was approved without dissent.
(10) NEW UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
ENGL: Writing Studies option. Proposal to create an option for ENGL BA or BSE majors to study the discipline of writing and its sub-fields was approved without dissent.
It was noted that the curriculum sheets and resource implication documents were not present in the electronic files for this program. Senator White indicated that the proposal does have those documents attached and noted that proposers are responsible for ensuring that submitted electronic files are complete. A clarification was made that the option is a focused version of the ENGL degree while the minor requires 18 credits.
(11) CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
ENGL: Writing Studies minor. Proposal to change the minor name from Writing to Writing Studies and introduce a new course of study was approved without dissent.
A Scott/Igyor motion that Carol Sperry be granted the honorary title of Assistant Professor Emerita of Educational Foundations was approved without dissent. [see Attachment #2]
X. Senate Committee Elections
Additional nominations were requested from the floor. A Mowrey/Miller motion to close nominations and unanimously elect all unopposed candidates was approved without dissent.
XI. Other/New Business
Meeting was adjourned after elections.
Respectfully submitted,
Aimee L. Miller
Secretary of the Senate