June 27, 2007 Minutes
Chair Stone, Senators Bond, Feakes, Hazlewood, Hindson, McGee, McKinney, Ogletree, Wiley, Winek, Wilson
University Curriculum Committee Recommendation: The Senate received the recommendation of the University Curriculum Committee to change the Master of Arts and the Master of Education major in Education Administration to a major in Education and Community Leadership together with the appropriate course additions and deletions. The changes are recommended to reflect the discipline more accurately. The motion to approve will be considered at the next meeting.
Senate Representative for Health Professions: Dr. Barbara Melzer, Physical Therapy, was installed as the Senator representing Health Professions.
Avent Room Proposal: The proposal for a Senate office and meeting room to be named after former Professor Henrietta Avent has been sent Vice Pres. For Univ. Adv. Rebecca Prince and will be forwarded to President Trauth before the fall semester.
Senate Representative on the University Facilities Committee: Senator Ted Hindson, Political Science, was named the Senate’s representative on the University Facilities Committee.
Macebearers of Summer Graduation: Senator Stone, Criminal Justice, and Senator Ogletree, Psychology, were named for the Applied Arts & Business and the Liberal Arts & Science graduation ceremonies. The macebearer for Education & Health Professions will be named later.
Info from CAD: The Deans seem to be suggesting a change in the general university requirement of thirty-nine (39) advanced hours to thirty-six (36). Emphasis is coming from Science and Fine Arts and is probably related to the 120-Hour requirement to be implemented in fall, 2008. There was also some discussion of residency requirements. No specific changes were mentioned. The fact that a number of programs are shifting from offer a Bachelor of Arts to a Bachelor of Science was also discussed. The BA may be a dying degree. Class GPA’s were also discussed. Academic Foundation Courses seem to have the largest deviation in grade distributions.
Drug Testing PPS: The draft PPS suggesting random drug testing for faculty and staff seems to hit a roadblock. While the Deans offered no support to block its institution, the University Attorney has indicated that in its present form it is unconstitutional unless some provision is made to require some evidence of need for the test to be administered, i.e., some evidence of reasonable suspicion.
Personnel Item: The Senate went into a short executive session to discuss personnel issues associated with the Senate Survey of Academic Administrators and a termination of a faculty member.
Faculty Development Committee: Dr. Beth Weust, University Advancement, distributed a handout describing the support her office provides including various workshops on grant writing, Fulbright applications, special learning needs and large classroom management. She is seeking support from the Senate to create a faculty committee to better advise her office on what workshops would be of most interest to the faculty and also to provide oversight for funding provided by the Merrick Foundation.
University Council Representatives: Senator Stone asked for candidates as tenure-track representatives to the University Council.
Minutes: Minutes for 04/25/07 were approved.