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Mar 26, 2008 Minutes

Members present:  Senators Stone, Bond, Feakes, Furney, Hazlewood, Hindson, Hurt, McGee, McKinney, Melzer, Ogletree, Shah, Wilson, Winek

 

Guests: Dr. Michael Willoughby, Dean of the Graduate College; Rebecca Swindal, Staff Council Representative; and David Rauf and Scott Thomas, University Star

 

Meeting called to order at 4:00.

 

Graduate Enrollment Issues:  Dean Willoughby responded to an issue where an undergraduate student had been admitted to the Graduate Program, but who failed to meet the requirements for such admission. The rules for a graduating senior to be admitted early require the student to have a superior academic record, lack 12 or fewer hours necessary for the baccalaureate degree and fulfill all requirements for regular admission.  The student must also have a recommendation from the graduate advisor of the proposed major program.  The student in question withdrew from all classes in January.  Such admission is not unusual, and while most students complete requirements in one semester after admission, an addition semester extension toward completion of requirements can be granted at the request of the program’s graduate advisor.  At that time, the student becomes a non-degree seeking student until the undergraduate degree is completed and then the student must reapply for regular graduate admission.  Dean Willoughby emphasized that all decisions are made with in consultation with a student’s graduate advisor.

 

Faculty Survey Issues:  The Senate subcommittee reached agreement with Provost Moore regarding the Faculty Survey of Academic Administrators.  The Provost agreed that survey results and comments will be web-accessible to voting faculty for ninety (90) days, after which comments will be available only by specific request to the Chair of the Faculty Senate.  The Senate approved a motion to accept the posting settlement.  It was noted that some deans were not happy with the Provost’s decision to allow posting of the comments.

 

University Curriculum Committee:  The Senate, after some discussion, approved the recommendation of the UCC for the program proposal of a Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industrial Management.  The issue raised was whether an industrial type board which contributes funds to a program should have any say in what courses are offered in the program.

 

Break:

 

University Curriculum Committee:  Offered for approval by the Senate was a motion to accept the UCC recommendation to accept the recommendation of the various College Curriculum Committees to meet the 120-hour mandate and all exceptions.  The motion will be considered at the next meeting.

 

The Avent Dedication:  President Trauth is hosting all past Senators, current Senators and Senate Liaisons to a dedication of  the Senate Offices as the Avent Room which honors Dr. Henrietta Avent, a former Senator and Senate Chair from HPER.  The program will feature the SouthWest Brass Works: Jack C. Laumer, Trumpet; Stephen Hager, Horn; Charles R. Hurt, Trombone; Raúl I. Rodríguez, Tuba -- all from the School of Music.

 

New Business:

  • Developmental Leave Applications: Review of applications for Faculty Developemental Leaves will be considered at the April 9th meeting.
  • Fire Alarm Issue:  A complaint was raised that fire alarms in some building are too loud.  General agreement was that the alarms should be loud enough to guarantee that persons in a building are properly warned so they can leave the building safely. The Chair agreed to make a preliminary inquiry to UPD/Emergency Services to make sure that the noise level of alarms is not so high as to cause injury.
  • Low-fat Selections:  The question was raised whether there should a low-fat selection in the campus vending machines. 
  • Late Transportation to Distant Parking Lots:  There are still complaints regarding the late transportation provided to reach distant parking lots.  One particular issue raised was that the off-road vehicles used transport were unsafe on city streets and did not provide enough room to carry extra materials that faculty had with them.

 

Minutes:  Minutes for 03/19/08 were approved as amended.