Senators Present: Anderson, Conroy, Gordon, Hays, Irvin, McGee, Pascoe, Renick,
Sawey, Skerpan, Stimmel and Winek.
Senators Absent: Bible and Gillis
Liaisons Present: Linda Thomas (HIM)
Guests: Mark Todd (Art), Louise Brister (Mod Lang), Vickie Bynun (Hist), Miriam
Echeverria (Mod Lang), Diane Gregory (Art), Ruby Kishan (Fin/Econ), Cecilia
Temponi (Mgt/Mrk), Debra Monroe (Eng), and Mike Moore.
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENTAL LEAVE PRESENTATIONS
Mark Todd
Louis Brister
Vickie Bynum
Miriam Escheverria
Diane Gregory
Ruby Kishan
Cecilia Temponi
Debra Monroe
NEW BUSINESS
MINUTES OF 11-4-98
Vice-Chair Hays convened the meeting at 4 p.m.
Senator McGee had advised Chair Bible that because of class obligations
he would arrive late for the meeting. This precipitated a discussion
among the Senators concerning whether a Senator had to hear all Faculty
Development presentations in order to vote on the applications. It was
decided that Senator McGee could not vote, and he was informed of this
decision when he arrived for the meeting.
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT LEAVE APPLICATIONS
The Senate heard eight development leave presentations; four more applicants
will appear on November 18. Following are summaries of the applications (taken
verbatim from the applicants' abstracts):
Mark Todd, Art & Design
I am applying for developmental leave for Fall 1999 in order to serve as
collaborator and creative consultant in a project with Derek Besant, a Canadian
artist. The project involves the digital display and animation of visual images
and their integration with sound. The work will be done in a multi-media lab in
Toronto. The results will be produced on a disk and included within a book
published in conjunction with a touring exhibition of the work. The sites of
the exhibition and presentation will include museums in Toronto, Paris and
Brussels.
Louis Brister, Modern Language lb21@internet
I plan to write a general history (in English) of German immigration
to the Republic of Mexico during the first half of the nineteenth century.
This study will examine the participants' motives for emigration, and will
recount the experiences of the colonists, the mining speculators and
engineers, the artists, the merchants and their families who traveled to
Mexico seeking economic opportunity, independence, and often adventure.
The sources for this investigation will be official reports, personal
correspondence, the participants' journals, and several published studies
in German, Spanish, and English about individual German immigrants,
available in my personal research files, the American History Center and
the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
This project is the culmination of several earlier studies I have published
on the German presence in Mexico during the period 1820-1850.
Victoria Bynum, Department of History vb03@internet
In fall 1999, I propose to study the Southern yeomanry during the Civil
War by focusing on the Collins family of Hardin County, Texas. Part of
the Collins family moved to Texas from Mississippi around 1853. In both
states, brothers from this family supported the Union during the Civil
War and refused to take up arms for the Confederacy. I have already
researched the Mississippi version of this conflict; I now propose to
study the Texas version. My research will take me into county
courthouses, the Center for the Study of History at UT Austin, and the
Texas State Archives.
Miriam Echeverria, Modern Language me01@internet
During my developmental leave for the fall 1999 semester, I intend to
complete a manuscript of a book-length study, Memory and History: The
Theatrical Space of Isidora Aguirre and Latinoamerican Women Dramatists
which represents the research I have been doing for several years on women
reinterpretation of history. I have two articles already published and read
several papers at professional meetings on the subject. I will make a trip to
Chile during September 1999 to observe the work Aguirre is doing now, directing
and training women at the outskirts of Santiago, Chile theaching them to
produce collective theatre. After my trip I will be working at the Benson
Latinamerican Collection at the University of Texas at Austin where I will
have access to other sources related to the subject and I will be finishing
the first draft of the manuscript.
Diane Gregory, Art & Design dg09
I will write a book proposal for a 250-300 page book which I am currently
calling Humanizing Technology: Teaching Computer Technology Effectively. The
book will be written primarily for high school and university teachers of any
discipline who sometimes teach computer technology to help their students
become more productive in their respective disciplines. Some of the topics
are: Why computers are inhuman and why they don't have to be; Personality
characteristics of effective computer technology teachers; Effective and proven
learning principles, techniques and strategies for effective technology
instruction and Creating a nurturing computer technology learning environment.
There is no such book on the market to date. Through this books, other
writings and public speaking, I hope to effect a humanistic and spiritual
reform movement in the way computer technology is taught throughout society.
Ruby Kishan, Fin & Econ rk02@business.txstate.edu@INTERNET
Utilizing a risk/return model of bank asset behavior, this study will examine
the role of bank capital in determining asymmetrical effects of monetary policy
on GDP. I intend to show that the effectiveness of monetary policy in bringing
an economy out of recession depends on the health of its banking system. This
argument will be first developed with a theoretical model. I will then
empirically test the predictions of the model. Borrowing and lending
decisions of every insured commercial bank will be examined over the
period 1976 - 1997.
Cecilia Temponi, Mgt/Mkt ct01@internet
I intend to write a book on the foundations of fuzzy systems and its
applications to social sciences in a friendly and concise manner, but
with rigorous treatment of concepts. The target audience is senior
college students and graduate students in the fields of business,
psychology, anthropology, and other sciences. We expected to make this
book a classic in the social sciences. I will rely on archive literature
to develop a more in-depth understanding of the methodology on fuzzy
systems. For the development of applications, I will rely first on my
own research work. My students, the University at large, and the
Business School will benefits from this project.
Debra Monroe, English ml09
I plan to write a novel, "The Sad, Dead Life of Photographs." Its
subject is charity, institutional and personal. The protagonist, Delia Arco,
a social worker who teaches parenting and coordinates day care for high school
students who are parents, get assigned an intern: an ingratiating young woman
who describes herself as "brilliant but not quite sane" and talks openly about
how her parents were murdered by her sister. The intern becomes obsessed with
Delia as a mother substitute. As gang activity at school escalates and the
intern's emotional stability deteriorates, Delia is forced to reexamine basic
assumptions about her profession.
PAAG AGENDA
The Senate identified the following issues to discuss with President Supple and
VPAA Gratz at the November 18 PAAG meeting.
1. Report on Regents Meeting
Please update us on what transpired at this meeting.
2. System Faculty Senate Council
As you may know, there is a move afoot to formalize the current Texas Council of
Faculty Senates as a faculty council which would be recognized by the Board of
Regents and the Chancellor as representative of the faculty senates and
assemblies in our system. We would like to know your thoughts on this.
3. Advisor Liability
It has been suggested that we need to explore the issue of whether advisors have
any potential liability if they allegedly mis-advise a student and cause that
person to take unnecessary classes and in turn be rendered ineligible for the
legislative rebate for graduating with the minimum number of hours. Where would
the university and its advisors stand with respect to possible claims of
negligence, for example? Would the entity and/or individual likely be immune
from liability? And in any event, would not prudence dictate keeping records of
advice given to students, possibly including disclaimers in appropriate
publications, and the like? We recognize that Bill Fly needs to be drawn into
this conversation, but what are your thoughts?
4. Plus and Minus Grading
There is some interest on the Senate in exploring the issue of assigning a plus
or minus in final grading, where appropriate. What are your thoughts on this?
I have circulated Bob Gratz's memo on this issue, but we would like to spend a
few minutes on it at PAAG.
5. Field of Study
What are your thoughts on the "field of study" initiative moving through the
Coordinating Board? How can we protect the integrity of our programs in light
of this proposal?
6. Bonus Criteria
Where do we stand on the issue of deans developing written criteria for the
awarding of faculty bonuses? Are we to the point where all faculty can view
such criteria?
7. Budgeting
Can you touch on the proposed changes in the role of the deans in the budgeting
process and how this might affect departmental budgets.
The Minutes of 11-4-98 were approved as corrected.
The meeting adjourned at 6 p.m.
