The meeting was called to order at 4:08 p.m. All departments were in attendance except Interdisciplinary Studies.

I. Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the October 4, 2011 meeting of the Faculty Senate were approved as corrected.

II. Proposed Courses and Programs

Second Readings

A question was raised about the change in SPED student-faculty ratio and shift in complement. It was noted that implementation of Act 49-2 will cause changes while the old program shifts to the new program, but any issues are expected to be worked out within the school.

(1) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
SPED341: Early Intervention to Kindergarten: Integrating Curriculum, 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to train teacher candidates in assessment of young learners with disabilities and development and implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans to meet their needs was approved without dissent.

(2) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
SPED412: Formal Assessment for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities, 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to help teacher candidates develop competencies related to using formal assessment devices to identify student needs and develop Individual Education Programs was approved without dissent.

(3) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
SPED441: Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Supports for Specialized Curriculum (Strand I), 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to train teacher candidates to effectively implement Individualized Education Programs for instructing students with severe/profound and multiple disabilities was approved without dissent.

(4) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
SPED452: Individualized Educational Planning: Focus on Transition for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities (Strand II), 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to prepare teacher candidates to plan, design, and deliver effective instruction within Individualized Education Programs for students with mild to moderate disabilities was approved without dissent.

A question was raised about availability of new COMM courses beyond the major. It was noted that sections in summer or downtown would be open and that students can ask faculty for an override. It was also confirmed that the new courses are not limited to a specific faculty member’s expertise and can be taught by more than one person.

(5) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM203: Small Group Communication, 3 credits, G1, W, D. Proposal to create a course to introduce the theory and practice of small group communication and problem solving was approved without dissent.

(6) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM225: Communication in the Nonprofit Sector, 3 credits, G1. Proposal to create a course to explore communication processes relevant to the design, management, and functioning of nonprofit/civil society organizations was approved without dissent.

(7) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM227: Communication, Culture, and Community, 3 credits, G1, W, D. Proposal to create a course to explore the role of communication in understanding how various aspects of culture and lived practices impact social participation and community involvement was approved without dissent.

(8) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM333: Gender and Communication, 3 credits, D. Proposal to create a course to examine how the intersection of gender, communication, and culture impacts individuals and society was approved without dissent.

(9) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM431: The Body in Communication, 3 credits, P. Proposal to create a course to explore communication that occurs between bodies in a variety of ways beyond speech was approved without dissent.

(10) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM450: Communication and Conflict Management, 3 credits, P, D. Proposal to create a course to explore communicative processes inherent in development and management of conflict at various social levels was approved without dissent.

(11) NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
COMM461: Health Communication, 3 credits, P. Proposal to create a course to focus on forms and functions of interaction in health care settings and impact of cultural context on construction and interpretation of health related messages was approved without dissent.

(12) CHANGE TO UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
BS Speech Communication, Communication Studies option. Proposal to reorganize the communication studies option to align with changes in relevant topics and expertise of faculty by replacing three outdated courses (COMM311, 324, and 430) with seven new courses (COMM203, 225, 227, 333, 431, 450, 461) was approved without dissent.

(13) NEW GRADUATE COURSE
HIST520: Historiography and Historical Research, 3 credits. Proposal to create a course to explore traditions of history writing and provide training in methods of historical research and writing was approved without dissent.

(14) NEW GRADUATE POLICY
Common Policy for Comprehensive Exams: guidelines relevant to the use of comprehensive exams within graduate programs, including administration, grading, reattempts, and appeals was approved without dissent.

III. Report of the Faculty Senate Chairperson

Faculty Senate Chair Börger-Greco announced the Transformation Action Fair on November 1. Faculty are encouraged to attend and get involved with related initiatives on campus. Dr. Börger-Greco also expressed concern that faculty are often feeling pulled away from their primary role as teachers and hope that transformation efforts will be thoughtful rather than hurried. She suggested APSCUF might also consider the impact of broader campus expectations on faculty.

Dr. Prabhu commented that faculty will be introduced to a number of themes of action for student success, including curriculum development and retention. The intention is to provide faculty with opportunities to engage in ideas that are especially exciting to them. He noted that faculty will be able to get involved via an online site and that students are urged to attend as well.

IV. Report of the Student Senate President

Mr. Jordan Smith reported that there were four nominees put forward for Student Senate Faculty Advisor and that Dr. Rebecca Mowrey has agreed to be interviewed for the position.

V. Report of the Graduate Student Association

Ms. Lauren Heslin reported on traveling socials and flood-relief efforts.

VI. Report of the Administrative Officers

Provost

Dr. Prabhu reported that State Senate Appropriations Committee will hold public hearings on education and funding at Millersville on November 3. Discussions will address the Higher Education Modernization Bill currently being considered. Dr. Prabhu noted that several students will be sharing their experiences conducting undergraduate research.

A question was raised about the major technical breakdown on campus. Dr. Prabhu noted that this was an issue with server storage and that restoration of services is requiring fixes of individual components. E-mail and D2L access are again working and there seems to have been minimal loss of data. It was noted that many faculty lost access to course material on server drives and that students relying on campus computer labs were significantly impacted.

Associate Provost for Academic Administration

Dr. Adams reminded faculty of the call from University Theme Committee for applications for Scholars in the Classroom funding and upcoming CAE events.

VII. Reports of the Faculty Senate Standing Committees

Dr. Börger-Greco had requested that chairs of all standing Faculty Senate committees report on recent and current activity.

AOAC

Senator Anderson was unable to report due to work with the computer issues.

APC

Senator Aimee Miller reported work on enhancing clarity and efficiency in the curriculum review process.

ASC

Dr. Eric Blazer reported on general statistics and a sub-committee headed by Dr. Rick Kerper to explore academic amnesty. Interest was expressed in knowing the long-term statistics of student success after academic appeals.

AASAC

Senator Hardy reported this committee has not met recently and needs to be reviewed in light of technological advances that have impacted related procedure. One area that this body could be redirected to is retention. Dr. Prabhu agreed that faculty input on retention is important. Senator Saunders noted from her experience chairing AASAC previously that administrative input for this committee is also important.

In general, it was noted that some committees may need to be reinvented to be relevant to current issues on campus.

Cooperative Education

Senator Igyor noted a need for clarity in the faculty and administrative roles in leadership for this group. It was suggested that an expansion in the name and scope of this committee may be warranted and could be discussed with Dean DeSantis.

Cultural Affairs

The specification that a chair be elected internally from the committee members leads to a lack of clarity. An alternative would be to elect the chair position directly. It was noted that there is also a President’s Commission of Cultural Diversity, but this body was intended to address culture as in the Arts. There was discussion of funding of events in the past but there have not been recent notice of these opportunities. There seems to be a need for clarity for this body. Senator Saunders will consult.

EOYSC

This body also has a chair elected internally which can delay initiation of work. They are currently working to put out the call for the 2012 award.

FSAC

This committee has altered function as funding for athletics has shifted. There has been a role of placing representatives on search committees for coaches.

GERC

Senator Cardwell reported work on the W course description and competencies, clarification of P and D guidelines, and consideration of reducing GenEd credits to enhance flexibility. She also noted the current call for a General Education Coordinator. There are plans to increase communication about the benefits of General Education for students.

GCPRC

Dr. Rebecca Mowrey reported on the new Graduate Appeals Committee and two new master’s degree programs. She indicated additional graduate programs are being developed and encouraged faculty to submit new proposals. There is also work being done to clarify strategic directions for graduate studies.

ISC

This body was established to contribute to faculty exchanges that are no longer relevant. It was noted that Global Education is led by Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller and is active in developing new international partnerships and study opportunities. This committee should be discontinued or put into moratorium.

JSC

Senator Saunders reported that this committee works as needed when relevant issues arise.

UHCC

Dr. André Moine reported on the expansion of student membership on the committee, expected updates to UHCC bylaws documents, newly-approved courses, five-year review in 2010, consideration of thesis format and structure, and new delivery forms for honors courses. A question was raised about the student composition within the Honors College, but UHCC works on curriculum and program structure. Dr. Prabhu noted that there is increased retention of students of color and work to increase recruitment.

UCPRC

Senator Kelly reported that 130 proposals were reviewed last year, including 26 new courses, 22 modifications, 19 conversions to DL, 17 D label additions, 26 W recertifications, 5 P recertifications, 2 FYI courses, and 13 academic program proposals. There are already more than 20 proposals under consideration this year. She noted that DL proposals are only presented by proposers if there is a major issue to address. The expedited review process for D labels is still in effect. Notice has been sent to departments needing to undergo recertification of D, P, and W courses this year.

VIII. Reports of the Faculty Senate Special Committees

None.

IX. Faculty Emeriti

None.

X. Other/New Business

None.

Meeting was adjourned at 5:48 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Aimee L. Miller
Faculty Senate Secretary

Action Summary