Faculty Senate Meeting
Attendance
The Faculty Senate met on Thursday, January 19, at 3:40 pm in Reynolds 205. Senators in attendance were Stacy Clanton, Jan Duke, Dan May, Vikram Bhadauria, Sam Riner, Pat Clanton, Karen Ferneding, Tim Schroeder, Tim Daniels, Scott White, Shannin Schroeder, Pierre Boumtje, Abdel Bachri, Mary Armwood, Hong Cheng, Bernadette Fincher, Jennifer Logan.
The following senators were absent with proxies: Pat Clanton served for Denise Moseley.
Ex-officio: Dr. David Rankin, Dr. Donna Allen, Dr. David Crouse, Amber Allen, Daniel Page
Visitors included: Raishad Glover, Jeremy Langley, Jasper Lewis, Christopher Harris, William Harris, Dr. Chrisanne Christensen, Dr. Linda Blake, Claudell Woods, Judge Larry.
Call to Order: Pres. S. Clanton called the meeting to order at 3:41 p.m. Proxies read.
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the November Faculty Senate meeting were approved electronically on November 30, 2011.
Special Orders of the Day
Issues Brought before the Senate by Constituents:
Pres. Clanton announced that the Committee on Committees will arrange a time to meet with the Research Committee to address concerns that have been raised regarding the processes of reviewing and awarding research grants. The two groups will review the committee’s mission and guidelines. Concerns regarding this matter should be shared with S. White as the chair of the Committee on Committees.
Report of the November 2011 SAU Board of Trustees Meeting:
Senator S. White attended the SAU Board of Trustees meeting on November 3, 2011 and reported the following: Dr. Rankin updated board members on the progress of the following campus construction & renovation projects on the SAU-Magnolia campus and other important events: Rodeo Arena, Overstreet Hall Renovations, Heating/Cooling Loop, ARE*ON Network, Goodheart Field (including conference championship ring ceremony), Bell Tower Restoration, and the Pea Ridge Mule Jump. Dr. Rankin also reviewed tax revenue data from the state department of finance. Dr. Lamkin reviewed construction updates relevant toward replacing structures that were damaged by the tornado on the SAU-Tech campus and the Fire Academy. He also reviewed the existing and new academic programs that would be housed in these areas.
Dr. Donna Allen (VPSA), Shelly Whaley (Assistant Dean of Advising & Transfer Retention), and Jana Walker (Early Intervention Services Director) reported on the development of the Early Intervention Services program that is designed to improve retention. The purpose of the Early Intervention program is to provide ways for faculty, staff, housing assistants, and other individuals to provide information that can address retention issues due to changes in financial aid and state funding. They reported the following submitted alerts: 403 from Faculty, 121 from non-faculty (i.e. Staff, students). Alerts include missed assignments, class absences, and general behavioral issues. Departments that receive/respond to alerts include the Early Intervention Services staff, Advising, Student Life, Student Support Services, Counseling & Testing, University Housing, and the University Police.
Dr. Marla Strecker (Director of Developmental Division) reported some very positive results from the work in this new academic area at SAU. The division reduced the class sizes to a 40 student cap, integrated technology into the curriculum, instituted a 7-week course design and mandatory supervised study time. Dr. Strecker reported the following pilot data from the first 7-weeks of College Algebra and Developmental Math during fall 2011 semester: College Algebra success rates (C or better) increased from 52% to 78%. Developmental Math success rates improved from 37% to 71%. The exams used to assess the students were unchanged from the previous year.
Ms. Sandra Smith, Dean of Students, reviewed the assembly of SAU-Magnolia’s Threat Assessment Team.
University Update: (provided by Dr. Rankin)
Dr. Rankin discussed new construction efforts on the SAU campus including plans for the Livestock Facility and Agriculture Center as well as renovations to Overstreet. He also explained changes in state funding allocations based on the newly devised system of Performance Funding. Increases to fringe benefits for SAU employees were discussed, showing an increase of 25.03% compared with the previous school year. Dr. Rankin shared information regarding the new Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network that SAU will shortly be part of. This technological development will increase telecommunication speeds on campus and improve online education. Lastly, Dr. Rankin discussed the new state required changes regarding General Education and SAU’s determination to meet this challenge by working together.
Old Business:
Implementation of Revised Academic Integrity Policy:
The newly created ad hoc committee (consisting of the following senators: Ferneding, Wise, Duke, and Boumtje) was requested to look into the current Academic Integrity course and discuss plans for further action. The time and location of the meeting was announced.
Request from Senate President regarding student possession of textbooks:
Pres. Clanton discussed the importance of students having the required textbooks to ensure an adequate learning environment for many classes on campus. Efforts by Financial Aid and other offices on campus to meet this problem were discussed. The consensus of the Faculty Senate was that a coordinated effort is needed among various offices/groups on campus to fully address this matter. The ad hoc committee created to explore various opportunities for addressing this issue (consisting of the following senators: Bhadauria, Moseley, May, and Bachri) was requested to look into this matter and report back to the Faculty Senate. The time and location of the meeting was announced.
Parking Committee Recommendations:
M. Armwood, chair of the Parking Committee, reported that faculty/students had provided feedback regarding the recommendations made by the committee at the November 2011 Faculty Senate meeting. The committee was requested to follow up on the feedback provided and report their findings to the Faculty Senate. The time and location of the meeting was announced.
Allusers/Blanket-excuses:
The Technology Committee was requested to follow up on the recommendations made by the Handbook Committee at the November 2011 Faculty Senate meeting and to report their recommendations to the Faculty Senate at the February 2012 meeting.
Interim Status of VPAA:
Dr. Rankin reported that a search for a new Vice President of Academic Affairs was now underway with the goal of finishing the interview/hiring process by the end of the Spring 2012 semester.
Equity Pay Adjustments:
The Budget Committee, using the data provided by Mr. Giles at the November 2011 Faculty Senate meeting, reorganized the data into what they believed to be a “more workable form.” Pres. Clanton distributed handouts showing this reorganized spreadsheet of salary adjustments over the past five years. Senators were asked to look over the information to determine if further discussion on the matter was needed.
Committee Reports
There were no committee reports given.
New Business
Faculty Awards Banquet:
The SAU Faculty Awards banquet is currently in the planning phase. Recommendations for faculty awards must be submitted to the Office of the VPAA by Friday, February 10. The date of the event is currently a topic of discussion. Lastly, faculty are encouraged to assist Ms. La’Tricia Davis with matters such as decorations and planning. Those interested in helping should contact Ms. Davis in the office of the VPAA.
Request for addition to the minutes: Dr. Rankin requested that his written response to the resolution passed at the November 2011 Faculty Senate meeting be included in the minutes for this meeting. T. Daniels then made a motion on behalf of Dr. Rankin’s request. J. Duke seconded. The motion passed.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, February 16, 2012 in Reynolds 205.
Adjournment:
The motion to adjourn was made by T. Schroeder and seconded by S. White.
Submitted by Jennifer Logan, Faculty Senate Secretary, January 24, 2012.
