Present: Anderson, Bible, Conroy, Deduck-Evans, Gillis, Hays, Hunter,
Irvin, Oliver, Pascoe, Sawey, Simpson, and Stimmel
Absent: McGee and Winek
Guests: Chris Frost (Psychol), John Baccus (Biol), Carroll Bandy (Math), Eugene
Curtain (Math), Frank delaTeja (Hist), Dennis Dunn (Hist), Nancy Granato (FCS),
Alan Groeger (Biol), M. Moore, and Dylan Sides (Star).
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENTAL LEAVE PRESENTATIONS FOR SPRING 1999
John Baccus
Carroll Bandy
Eugene Curtin
Frank de la Teja
Dennis Dunn
Chris Frost
Nancy Granato
Alan Groeger
PART-TIME FACULTY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
NEW BUSINESS
MINUTES OF 4-1-98
The meeting was called to order by Chair Bible at 4:06
Before the developmental leave presentations the Senate met briefly to consider
a motion by Senator Simpson to forward, for approval, only those applications
which receive an average evaluation score of 1.0 or greater. After brief
discussion on the motion, it passed 9 yes 1 no and 1 abstention.
The following faculty members presented their proposals for developmental
leave. Abstracts of the proposals, taken from the applications, are provided.
JOHN BACCUS
I have conducted research for 20 years at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area.
There have been 12 published papers and reports, 23 presentations at scientific
meetings and 12 Master's theses written on using prescribed burning to restore
habitat for endangered species, resource competition between exotic ungulates
and white-tailed deer, habitat improvement for song birds and small mammals by
holistic management, and genetic implications of antler size and
conformation in
white-tailed deer. There is a need to compile this information into a common
source--a book on holistic management of wildlife at the Kerr Wildlife
Management Area.
CARROLL BANDY
Let B(X) be the Stone-Cech compactification of a normal topological space X. It
has been shown [Russell Walker, The Stone-Cech Compactification] that if X is a
metric space and B(X)-X is a locally compact topological space, then X is a
locally compact topological space. I would like to show that if X is a
topological space and B(X)-X is locally compact, then X is locally compact.
This would be a first step in classifying as many topological invariants as
possible by studying one-point compactifications of B(X)-X.
EUGENE CURTIN
I propose to spend the period of leave studying and conducting research in
aspects of the mathematics underlying digital signal processing. The goal of
this research is to clarify and further develop the mathematical theory and
computational techniques underlying the analysis of multi-dimensional signal
filters. My focus will be on methods for measuring the stability of these
filters. I will proceed by deepening my knowledge of the relevant literature,
forming and testing algorithms and conjectures by computer experimentation, and
endeavoring to prove the correctness of the algorithms mathematically.
FRANK de la TEJA
Over the last several years I have undertaken and published various projects
regarding Texas's role as Mexico's northeasternmost province at the end of the
Spanish-colonial period and during the Mexican national era. In the course of
completing these projects and doing archival research on an unrelated topic
during the same chronological framework, I have compiled considerable primary
and secondary source material. It is my goal to employ developmental leave
during the Spring 1999 semester to complete the necessary research and write
the first draft of a book-length monograph on the subject of Texas's role in
the Mexican war for independence.
DENNIS DUNN
I intend to write a book which will study Truman's ambassadors in Moscow and
their relationship to Truman and Stalin. The major method of research will be
to read, evaluate, and synthesize the published and unpublished papers of the
primary actors in this period of American-Soviet history. The project builds
on a research effort in which I have been engaged for some 17 years and which
led to the publication of a book this year called Caught Between Roosevelt and
Stalin: American Ambassadors in Moscow (Lexington, 1998). It also directly
benefits my teaching.
CHRIS FROST
Eastern European countries, including Romania, continue to experience upheavals
in their social transformation. In monitoring progress, it is important to
question whether the desired end is a complete adoption of Western values and
goals. My research will examine Romania's transition within emerging
psychological literature that examines life aspirations as they relate to
self-reported well-being. If approved, I will use the leave to (1) analyze
data; (2) collect additional samples from Bulgaria; (3) complete journal
articles; and (4) develop and administer a qualitative instrument, one designed
to understand in more depth life aspirations and well-being for Eastern
Europeans "in transition.
NANCY GRANATO
I am applying for developmental leave to enhance my skills in teaching, and to
pursue a newly acquired research interest to restore scholarly productivity,
enhance my expertise and develop new skills while continuing my teaching
career. ABSTRACT: TEACHING DEVELOPMENT: Teaching computer-aided design and
drafting (CADD) and hand-sketch and rendering techniques both need refinement
for the current interior design students preparedness in today's marketplace.
Auditing a course in each would better prepare me to teach these skills.
RESEARCH: Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese art and religion regarding the
harmonious relationships of objects placed in living spaces, has been recently
discovered by the design community as another formula in planning such spaces
beyond using the traditional Western rules of art and design. The Pyramid
School of Feng Shui, based on scientific fact rather than Chinese tradition,
inspires a new research interest. Do the rules of Feng Shui placement align
with Western theories of visual harmony? Can the art and science of planning
space for human habitation be advanced through the absorption of Feng Shui into
the existing aesthetic and functional standards of space planning? My F97
design research class (FCS 4323) topic was committed to an investigative design
proposal for a local couple interested in using Feng Shui in their historical
home renovation, so some work has begun. A review of the literature can
identify areas of confusion and misuse of Feng Shui, and help formulate a
hypothesis. Thorough analysis of the comparisons should produce
publication-oriented materials about a popular but misunderstood art.
ALAN GROEGER
The primary purpose of this developmental leave will be to think, analyze, and
write up and synthesize our work on Canyon Lake reservoir, the reservoirs of
Texas, and the general principles of reservoir limnology. I have been invited
to spend the spring and summer of 1999 at the Biological Station at Murray
State University on Kentucky Lake reservoir in Kentucky. This is the single
academic program within the U.S. that has multiple faculty and researchers
dedicated to the study of reservoirs (state funded Center of Excellence for
Reservoir Research), and will provide a quiet, and intellectually stimulating
environment for me.
PART-TIME AND TEMPORARY FACULTY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Senate re-visited the recommendations presented by its Temporary and Part-
time Faculty Committee. Senator Conroy made a motion to accept the committee's
recommendation number 5 which was that the committee membership remain the same
for another year. The motion passed unanimously. The other elements of the
committee report involve on-going projects which are not yet ripe for Senate
consideration.
NEW BUSINESS
Senator Conroy brought up a concern regarding the conduct of elections. After a
brief discussion it was decided that this topic will be placed on another
agenda soon.
MINUTES OF 4-1-98
The minutes of 4-1-98 were approved with the stipulation that its recent memo
to VPAA Gratz, CAD, and PC regarding the Regents Rules provisions on faculty
promotions and drug use be added as an addendum.
The meeting adjourned at 6:07 PM
