Faculty Senate Minutes, 6 February 1996

MINUTES

FACULTY SENATE MEETING

6 February 1996

Chairperson D. Eidam called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. in Chryst Hall, Room 210. All departmental senators attended except for the Social Work Department. J. Bernstein attended for student senate president E. Kobeski. T. Miskelly also attended for the student senate. K. Smith attended for the Snapper. M. Homer attended for a journalism class.

Minutes

Senate approved the 5 December 1995 meeting minutes with the following correction: on page 3905, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, first paragraph, first line, change Dr. J. Bolder to Dr. J. Roller.

Reports

Chairperson's Report

Chairperson D. Eidam announced that R. Kerper will serve as senator for the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department for the next two semesters. Also H. Fisher will serve as senator for the Sociology and Anthropology Department. Eidam said the Joint Senate Conference Committee has been asked to consider the finishing in four years issue. Instead of a regular SPARC meeting next Monday, there will be a retreat. Eidam may ask to put the meeting on the senate agenda. He has received many reports prior to the meeting.

Eidam distributed a handout (see Attachment A) concerning the major versus minor course and program modificiation policies. The governance manual does not clarify this issue and gives it to the Provost. Finally, on a social note, he noted the recent engagement of senator J. Lynch.

Student Senate

J. Bernstein substituted for student senate president E. Kobeski. She said that at the first meeting of the semester, student senate discussed the level of student activity fees. It voted to raise the activity fees. Student senates's allocation process is currently underway.

Administrative Officers

President

President J. Caputo said that we are in the State of Pennsylvania's traditional budget season. He said that this morning he had listened to Governor T. Ridge's budget message live. Caputo said that T. Madonna was the commentator before Ridge came on. Caputo said that Madonna gives Millersville significant exposure around the state. Caputo said the governor's address was one of his better presentations. Ridge said that Pennsylvania received $600 million less from the Federal Government.

Ridge has recommended a flat budget for the SSHE. Caputo was relieved since he had been afraid that the governor might cut our budget. The governor rolled the tuition challenge grant into this year's budget and sustained all line items from last year. The budget provides exactly the same amount of money this year as last year in all areas.

Ridge said that this year's total state budget is smaller than last year's budget. This year state government spending will decrease by $30 million. There was one chance of additional funding for higher education in the state budget, a $7 million line item for instructional technology. The SSHE has asked to discuss the item with the governor.

Today launches the annual advocacy program. Tomorrow morning the presidents of the 14 SSHE schools will travel to Harrisburg to speak with legislators. The presidents try to gather intelligence about where the legislators stand on the budget. Together with APSCUF, they will try to get more dollars for higher education.

President Caputo asked for senate's help on a lighter matter. He said the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee proposed for the May Commencement that MU invite a serious actor, for example, Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy came to MU once before for the Arthur Miller theme. McCarthy would give a commencement address as Harry S. Truman. After he finished speaking as Truman, McCarthy would give a brief presentation as himself.

Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Provost F. McNairy welcomed senators back for the Spring Semester. She thanked senators and their colleagues for supporting the open house the past Saturday. The weather conditions caused MU to cancel one open house. Nevertheless, 75 students arrived the night before for that open house. The Admissions office conducted a mini-version of the open house for them. Many senators and their colleagues came to the mini-open house.

MU had close to 90 percent of the people invited to attend an honors luncheon.

MU is in the middle of its recruitment season for next year's freshmen. MU wants to make a more concerted effort to enhance the yield of students that apply and subsequently are accepted. MU continues to have large numbers of students who apply. We accept as regular admits about 50 percent of those who apply. We would like to look at the number of outstanding, topnotch students who accept MU in return.

The Provost met with Department Chairs yesterday to tell them that MU will use new strategies to enhance the yield of students. The strategies include phone calls from senators, department chairs, or students majoring in a department. Department chairs send a letter out to all students who have been accepted Some departments will invite students to come and sit in on their classes. Alumni and student government officers will also contact the students. The hope is to connect the University with new students.

MU is in very competitve times; it does not just compete with the privates. Competition also comes from our sister schools in Western Pennsylvania. Edinboro, IUP, and Clarion have recruitment offices in our region. They are seriously trying to increase the number of their students. We must be more assertive and aggressive in attracting students. MU will talk to senators through the department chairs about this.

The Provost discussed freshmen scheduling and the concerns of department chairpersons. Under the present scheduling system, second semester freshmen often do not visit advisors. Freshmen need to select their majors early in their academic careers. MU has looked at how to modify freshmen scheduling to address student and departmental needs.

MU will no longer provide students with a one-year schedule; instead it will only design the first semester schedule. It will require second semester freshmen to work with advisors to schedule the second semester. That will insure a better advising process and reduce the number of courses that students are adding and dropping in the Spring Semesters. MU will schedule freshmen immediately after seniors in the Spring so that the freshmen can obtain the courses they need. The Provost will provide more information at a later date.

Last summer MU developed three administrative task forces focusing on the audit of the schedule, curriculum, and complement. The task forces have completed their reports. MU is looking into the best method of sharing the information.

Finally Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs J. Stager and the Provost met with R. Mainzer concerning outcomes assessment. The SSHE and Middle States place heavier emphasis on outcome assessment. MU does not know which departments are involved with outcomes assessment; it needs to determine what activities are taking place. The three individuals will work together with the General Education Committee.

Committee Reports

Academic Standards Committee

Chairperson J. Piperberg said the committee met January 17 and 18, 1996 (see Attachment B). He summarized the results of the committee's January meetings with students. 113 students were dismissed and 55 appealed their dismissals. The committee denied a larger number than usual of the appeals. Seven students requested and received academic amnesty.

University Theme Committee

Chairperson J. Piperberg said the committee had just solicited proposals for a theme for the 1999-2000 academic year. The committee has not received a suggestion at this point. The deadline for theme proposals is next Thursday. The committee named two themes last year. Please send suggestions to chairperson Piperberg in the Biology department.

Joint Senate Conference Committee

Chairperson J. Piperberg is trying to set up a meeting of the committee. The goal is to complete topics started last semester. One issue is the number of student representatives on each committee. The major issue now is looking at the possibility of forming a contract with students for graduation in four years. The Iowa State contract requires that students hit many requirements. Failing that, the agreement is null and void. The committee will look at what terms both parties will have to honor. The Provot has given the committee a list of questions it should address.

University Honors Committee

Chairperson M Warmkessel said that B. Stengel of the Department of Educational Foundations has been named assistant director of the University Honors Program. She will be acting director next academic year.

The Academic Policies Committee

Chairperson B. Nakhai has one item to bring to senate--Academic Honesty and Dishonesty. The committee had no old business. New business involves credit for life experiences. After considerable discussion on the issue, the committee decided not to proceed with a proposal for senate. The committee will meet Wednesday, February 14, 1996. The registrar has spoken with Nakhai about some policy suggestions. Nakhai is waiting to receive the suggestions in writing.

General Education Review Committee

Chairperson R. Wismer said the committee completed the five year program review and has written a preliminary first report. The general education preliminary report is forty pages long. The committee will continue to work to improve it for the remainder of the semester. Wismer asked for senate's consent to release the report to the task force that is investigating the general education curriculum. Senate gave its consent.

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson, T. Woo, introduced one new course and academic minor:

CHEM 476:

Environmental Chemistry II, a four credit hour C, Q, and L course to be first offered in the Spring of 1997.

Minor in Biochemistry:

a 25.0 hour new minor program.

Normally senate approves a new course in two meetings. Woo asked that senate approve the course in one meeting as an agenda item. Senate Chairperson D. Eidam asked for senate's unanimous consent to do so. Senate did not object to approving the course after one meeting.

Cooperative Education Committee
Chairperson W. Dorman said a Millersville University co-operative education student was chosen as the best co-op student of the year in the nation. He complimented D. Fleishman, head of the co-op office, for recommending the student to the national co-op organization. Fleishman received many complimentary phone calls from her peers around the nation. The student competed against co-op students from Drexel, Northeastern, and so forth.

Faculty Emeritus

An M. Margolis/F Erickson motion to recommend Associate Professor of Economics Secunderabad N. Leela for faculty emeritus status passed unanimously (see Attachment C).

Proposed Courses

Senate approved one undergraduate course

BIOL 463:

Virology, a new four credit hour course.

and the following graduate courses

NURS 586-587-588: 686-687-688:

Topics in Nursing, new 1-3 credit hours per course graduate courses.

Business

Senate Elections

Senate needed to elect its officers: a chairperson, chairperson pro tempore, and secretary for one year terms (1996-1997) beginning in September, 1996. C. McLeod/B. Nakhai nominated D. Eidam for chairperson. Senate elected Eidam by acclimation. F. Erickson/R. Wismer nominated J. Piperberg for chairperson pro tempore. Senate elected Piperberg by acclamation. R. Davis/B. Nakhai nominated M. Margolis for secretary. Senate elected Margolis by acclimation.

Senator M. Warmkessel nominated M. White for the open position for non-School representative to the General Education Review Committee. Senate elected White.

The following senate committee positions are currently vacant:

Humanities and Fine Arts representative to the Academic Policies Committee;

Social Sciences representatives to the Academic Outcomes Assessment, Academic Policies, and the UCPRC,

and an Alternate to the International Selection Committee.

Academic Honesty and Dishonesty at Millersville University

Academic Policies Committee chairperson B. Nakhai requested senate approve the committee's proposal (see Attachments B and C, pages 3885-92, of the 7 November 1995 meeting minutes) concerning academic honesty and dishonesty at MU. Page 3890 summarizes the proposal. Nakhai said the proposal defines academic dishonesty and categorizes the sanctions as major or minor. A long discussion followed with many senators participating.

A D. Hutchens motion to amend the first sentence of the second to last paragraph on page 3890 to say, "The student has the right to appeal..." instead of "The faculty member is obligated to apprise the student of his/her right to appeal..." passed. A C. Stameshkin motion to amend the third from the last paragraph on page 3890 passed. The amendment changes the number of academic dishonesty occurences that will trigger a review of the student's record from (3) to (1). At 5:45 PM senate ran out of time. A R. Wismer motion to suspend the rules and continue for five additional minutes passed. The main motion passed as amended.

Proposal for Minor Changes in a Curriculum - Returned to the Agenda

Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee chairperson T. Woo asked that senate consider proposals for prerequisite changes in certain courses in the Mathematics Department (see Attachment A, Minor Changes in Curriculum, of the 21 November 1995 minutes). The changes ask for minimum grades of C or better. The proposed policy has been in effect in the Mathematics Department for several years. The earlier courses are prerequisites for the later courses. Chairperson D. Eidam will relinquish the chair when senate acts on the item.

Senate adjourned at 5:50 PM. The next meeting will be Tuesday, 20 February 1996, from 4:05 - 5:45 p.m. in Chryst 210.

Respectfully submitted,

Marvin Margolis, Secretary
Faculty Senate

Attachment D

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