Senators Present: Anderson, Bible, Conroy, Gillis, Gordon, Hays, Irvin, McGee,
Pascoe, Renick, Sawey, Skerpan, and Stimmel.
Absent: Winek
Guests: Ron Brown (General Studies) and Mike Moore.
CONTENTS
GENERAL STUDIES CORE CURRICULUM
FACULTY RESEARCH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
UNIVERSITY CLUB COMMITTEE
PLUS/MINUS GRADING
FACULTY HANDBOOK UPDATE
NEW BUSINESS
Chair Bible called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m.
GENERAL STUDIES CORE CURRICULUM
Acting Dean Brown presented the General Studies Council's recommended changes
to the Core Curriculum. The core will now consist of 46 hours. Among other
things, the International Perspective will be removed, although the dean noted
that in most departments courses with an international perspective have already
been infused into the curriculum. He also observed that recent legislation
regarding the core may have the unintended effect of causing transfer students
to have to take MORE courses. For example, "logic" courses now satisfy the
mathematics requirement of the core, so if schools want students to have to
take Math 1319 and 1329, they will have to make those courses part of their own
core; thus, a student who transfers to SWT having taken a "logic" course
elsewhere will have to take a total of nine hours in math rather than six under
the former policy. Half of the core courses will be reviewed in alternating
years.
Dean Brown also discussed some of the issues concerning transfer of courses
from other universities and whether legislation concerning transfer courses
will increase or decrease total credit hour requirements.
A motion was passed to accept the recommendations of the General Studies
Council changes with the addendum that the Senate is alarmed at the way
community colleges are driving our curriculum via the State Legislature.
FACULTY RESEARCH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Because of the inability of Faculty Research Committee Chair Beverly Penn
to attend this Senate meeting, consideration of proposed changes in research
enhancement program guidelines and the appointment of a new chair for the
committee was postponed until next week.
UNIVERSITY CLUB COMMITTEE
A motion was passed to appoint Drs. Larry Patterson and Russ Hodges to
replace Drs. Bill Kurtz and Walt Johnston on this committee. The Senate
voted to ask Dr. Patterson to replace Dr. Kurtz as chair.
PLUS/MINUS GRADING
The Senate has been asked to consider recommending to the administration
that a system of plus/minus grading be instituted at SWT. The Senate voted
to ask its Academic Standards Committee to complete a report on the advantages
and disadvantages of moving to such a system. The report should be based on
a review of the literature as well as correspondence with experts on both sides
of the issue.
FACULTY HANDBOOK UPDATE
On Monday, Chair Bible will meet with VPAA Gratz and Gaye Krampitz to discuss
issues concerning the new Faculty Handbook.
NEW BUSINESS
Chair Bible reported that Prof. Swinney has advised that the VPAA's office
has begun working with him to compile a permanent faculty salary data base.
Chair Bible distributed a new draft PPS on merit and promotion pay which has
been prepared by the VPAA. The Senate will consider this draft next week.
The Senate adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
