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August 29, 2001 Minutes

APPROVED FACULTY SENATE MINUTES 43RD FACULTY SENATE AUGUST 29, 2001



Approved Faculty Senate Minutes

August 29, 2001

Senators Present: Peeler, Gillis, Stone, Hays, Renick, Stutzman, Brennan, McKinney, Hindson, Stimmel, Blevens
Senators  Absent: Blanda, EAPS Appointee

Guests:  Meg Grant, Bob Olney, Bob Northcutt, James Studer

Meeting was called to order by chairman Renick at 4:00 pm.

SENATE PRIORITIES
    Meg Grant then reviewed the goal setting process from previous senate meetings and presented the 8 goals selected as most important by senate members.  The desire was to prioritize these goals and to determine how best to implement them.  Senator Sawey suggested that we add a 9th goal, faculty representation on the search committee for our new university president and the Senate agreed that this was an important addition.  After extensive discussion it was determined that these nine goals would not be prioritized but would become ongoing goals for the Senate for this year.  It was reiterated that these goals would not exclude other issues that need to come before the Senate but that they would help the Senate achieve meaningful changes for the university faculty.  Senators were allowed to select those goals which held the greatest interest for them.  Because most showed interest in three of the goals Stimmel moved and Stone seconded a motion that they become goals that the total senate would pursue.  The motion was accepted unanimously.   Stone then moved and McKinney seconded that small groups of or individual senators could spearhead committees to work on the other 6 goals.  The various Senate committees would be drawn into this effort where appropriate.  This motion was also accepted unanimously.  These groups are expected to report with a plan of action within three weeks.

BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT FOLLOW UP
    Dr. Northcutt, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, and Dr. Studer, VP of Student Affairs, addressed the Senate concerning budget /cost factors of the Division IA move.  Dr. Studer reviewed some of the reasons for initiation the shift to Division IA for SWT.  (Seems to me weíve heard this song before.)  Issues such as size of the student body and academic quality were part of the considerations, as well as geographic placement.  There is already some maneuvering among the various conferences that has encouraged SWT to try to position itself for a more appropriate conference.
     In assessing progress of the five-year plan to move to Division IA they are short of the financial goals set for this point in time.  They have increased ticket sales but not enough(partly due to the weather).  It is hoped that increased marketing will help this.  Cost of the football and athletic programming will increase but up to this point has not been a drain on general revenue funds.  There is an expectation, however, that there will possibly be a short fall in the projected budget of about $60,000.00.  Possible future conference schools were discussed.  The hard questions were concerning how much this program was likely to cost(annual short fall) from university funds once it gets up and running.  The best case scenario projections suggest short falls of about $500,000.00 per year.  Dr. Sawey pointed out that this was about the cost of a new Ph.D. program.

NEW BUSINESS
 Dr. Blevens reported that the committee reviewing Dean Cheatham had not followed the PPS and that the Senate member chairing the committee is no longer actively seated on the Senate.  Sawey moved and Hindson seconded that the Senate suspend the rules to allow motion concerning this issue.  It was accepted unanimously.
Stone then moved and Hays seconded that the action of the review committee for Dr. Cheatham be suspended until a new senator can be appointed to serve as chair of the committee.  This motion was accepted unanimously.

Draft minutes for Aug. 15, 2001 and July 25, 2001,  Committee Assignments and Circulation File were RTAíd.

Meeting was adjourned at 6:25 pm.  This is your Senate in action!