Faculty Senate Minutes September 9, 2009 Meier Hall 306
Members present: Randy Royer (Pres.), Jami Stone (VP), Laura Colmenero-Chilberg (Secretary), Jim Hesson, Parthasarathi Nag, Sasha Pursley, Gina Gibson, Len Austin, Tom Termes
3 PM -- Senate called to order. Agenda approved. Minutes were not available from the May meeting. Introductions were made.
Old Business
• Laura Colmenero-Chilberg and Randy Royer met with President Schallenkamp in May. Dr. Jack Warner, the new Executive Director of the BOR, was discussed and President Schallenkamp was asked for her impressions on where he looked to steer the University system. The president also talked about widening faculty participation in issues of campus importance. Dr. Myers was to meet with chairs of the curriculum committees during the summer to discuss streamlining the process. Online submissions were one idea that has been proposed. Discussion was also held about salaries and salary compression.
New Business
• Meeting days and times were discussed. Wednesdays at 3:15 on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays were identified as official meeting times with the first meeting required and the second if there was a need. No meetings would be held during university breaks.
• A special election needs to be held for the following individuals: Tom Termes – as department chair he is not eligible to serve on Faculty Senate; Len Austin – he will assume department chair responsibilities in January, so the election will be held now; Sheng Yang – a class on Wednesday afternoons during the Fall semester requires a replacement for that semester only.
• A print version of the university catalog was discussed. The following motion was made by Jim Hesson and seconded by Jami Stone:
The Faculty Senate would like to discuss with the president the possibility
of printing a limited number of modified academic catalogs which will more effectively facilitate the process of advising and registration of our students, consistent
with our student-centered approach.
• The wording about the requirement that community service be discipline specific in the COHE/BOR contract is seen as not being in alignment with the president’s priorities. This is particularly of concern for junior faculty.
• Jami Stone will work with the Appointments Committee to fill the Faculty Senate committee slots that are open.
• Faculty Welcome Week was discussed. There was concern with the poorly done online presentation and the workshop sessions that seemed to target a younger population of students.
• Also indicated by some as a concern were the lists that are being generated on attendance at workshops and on the retention of students tied to particular faculty members. Questions were asked about how these lists were to be used.
• The Civility Clause was also an area of concern.
4:45pm. Senate meeting adjourned
Respectfully submitted by Laura Colmenero-Chilberg
Faculty Senate Secretary