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Feb 8, 2006 Minutes

Approved Faculty Senate Minutes 02/08/06

Members present:

Chair Stone, Senators Brennan, Conroy, Davidson, Hazlewood, Hindson, Homeyer, James, McKinney, Montondon, Rao, Shah, Sorenson, Warms, Winek

Guests: Micky Autrey, Dir Curr Ser, Margaret Vaverek, Ref/Fac Outreach Librarian, Leigh Kilman, Ref/Dist Ser Librarian

Meeting called to order at 4:00.

 

Univ Curr Comm: The recommendation for the approval of several course additions, and the creation of a Public History Studies graduate certificate and an Honor Studies minor by the University Curriculum Committee was approved.

 

Institutional Repository: Librarians Margaret Vaverek and Leigh Kilman presented information on the new digital institutional repository, eCommons that has been developed at Texas State University.  It provides a digital archive for the intellectual products created by the faculty, research staff, and students at Texas State University.  Faculty advisors for the repository are Michael Blanda, Chemistry, Daniela Ferrero, Mathematics, Ron Sawey, Computer Science, Gary White, CIS, and David Wiley, HPER.

The library group members are Selene Hinojosa, Collection Development, Sam Khosh Khui, Cataloging, Todd Peters, Computer Info Services, Paivi Rentz, Serials Acquisitons, Margaret Vaverek, Reference/Faculty Outreach, and Joan Heath, Administration.  The purpose for the repository is to provide a digital archive at Texas State for:

·         pre-prints and post-prints

·         masters theses and PhD dissertations

·         undergraduate senior and honors theses

·         images, sound and video files, data sets

·         conference papers

·         book chapters

·         reports

·         journals

·         presentations

·         etc

The eCommons site has been set up and is now available and seeking content from colleges, departments, institutes, centers and individuals.  Their web site is http://ecommons.txstate.edu.  The librarians welcome the university community to participate in the new endeavor.

 

Perception Survey of Administrators:  The administration’s survey of departmental chairs is to be distributed this month.  This survey and how its results are handled may have some impact on what the Senate will do with its survey of other administrators that will be distributed later in the semester.  There are still some questions that need to be answered regarding the Senate survey:

·         Should the format differ from prior surveys?

·         Should the comments be published?

·         Electronic versus hard-copy delivery

Senators Montondon, James, and Winek will work up a recommendation to the Senate by 3/10/06.

 

AVPAA Search:  Senator Davidson was named to be the Senate representative on the search committee to replace AVPAA Cassidy who has elected to return to his faculty position in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

 

Updates:

1)       Equity Cycle:  The Provost will reactivate the equity study committee to look at issues that have arisen during the prior equity cycles.  The intent is for the committee to act quickly to avoid any delays since the equity cycle and the merit/performance cycle are being done at the same time this year.

2)       Round Rock Teaching Appointments:  The Provost has sent a directive to the deans/chairs that teaching appointments at the Round Rock facility should never be used as punishment to faculty members.

3)       Stokes Chair:  The Stokes Chair appointment will be moved from the Testing Center to the School of Music.  Funding for a replacement position will be provided by the Provost.

4)        Senior Lecturers:  The current lecturers on campus that will be earmarked as senior lecturers will probably not have that designation officially until the fall semester contracts are issued.  Someone asked the question about what will be the role of departmental personnel committees in the process.  It was reported that the Provost seems to think that lecturers who have been at Texas State for three years or more will be made senior lecturers unless someone objects.  Although nothing has been announced officially, the Provost, deans and chairs seem comfortable with the idea.  The Senate chair will ask if a pps is being written on the issue.

5)       Tenure/Promotion Cycle: It was reported that the current tenure/promotion cycle was proceeding without any major hitches.

6)       Voting System: The electronic voting system seems to be in place for the next Senate elections.  The new definition of voting faculty seems to be causing the major problem with identifying faculty, but it is anticipated that will be resolved by ballot time.

7)       Admissions Data:  It was announced that weekly enrollment statistics would be distributed by e-mail to the powers that be; currently the President, the President’s cabinet, the council of deans, the undergraduate admissions staff, and others.  The Chair circulated a copy of the January 30, 2006, report.

8)       Withdrawal Dates:  The discussions on changes to the current class withdrawal dates have been postponed.  Discussions among the deans are in flux.  The issue will return to the Senate later.

 

Break:

 

Summer Employment:  Concerns were expressed about what will happen with regard to summer teaching appointments in the future.  There is a lot of talk about money being tight for summer.  Will this have an impact on who teaches summer classes?  Will expensive regular faculty be replaced by cheaper adjuncts?  The Senate will keep an eye on the issue.

 

Invitation to AVPIT:  The Senate discussed whether to invite AVPIT Milt Nielsen to meet with the Senate.  It was decided to ask Dr. Nielsen consider the following questions at the 2/22 meeting:

1.        Were any faculty consulted before the decision was made to delete SPSS and SAS from the VMS system?

2.        Part of the IT software documentation process was the proposal to provide upgrades to the current editions of lab software like SPSS. When will the upgrades occur?

3.        When will the IT division support the upgrade to newer versions of productivity software like MS Office 12?

4.        In the conversion to the new exchange system the faculty are encountering a number of functionality issues. Were any faculty consulted as to their needs before the system was adopted?

5.        It is our understanding that Blackboard is being replaced by a new software package. What is the new package and were any faculty consulted in the selection   of the new software?

6.        When do we anticipate going to a broader application of wireless technology on the Texas State campus, for example, regional towers instead of building by building?

7.        When will the Senate receive its new web page?

 

 Replacement to President’s Excellence in Teaching Committee:  Senator Warms was named as a replacement on the President’s Excellence in Teaching Committee.

 

 

 

New Business:

1.        E-mail:  It was announced that several faculty members are dissatisfied with the new e-mail system.  The major complaint seemed to be that the new system was not mac friendly.

 

2.        New PPS:  Some concern was expressed about a new pps that would disallow the distribution of prizes, giveaways, and drawings on campus.  Organizations that have such functions should be aware that it is in the works.

 

Minutes:  Minutes for 02/01/06 were approved as amended.