Faculty Senate Meeting
September 19, 2013
Attendance
The Faculty Senate met on Thursday, September 20, at 3:40 pm in Reynolds 205. Senators in attendance were Shannin Schroeder, Christie Hough, Sara Day, Shane Warrick, Svetlana Paulson, Charles Keller, Stacy Clanton, Pat Clanton, Matt Lammers, Marek Dojs, Tim Daniels, Scott White, David Sanson, Copie Moore, Abdel Bachri, Jennifer Logan.
The following senators were absent with proxies: Pat Clanton served for Neelie Dobbins and Karen Ferneding.
Ex-officio: Dr. T. Berry, Paul McLendon, Dr. H. Langerbein, Dr. D. Allen
Visitors included: Jodie Westfall, Dr. Tim Schroeder
Call to Order: Pres. S. Schroeder called the meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. Proxies read.
Seating of Newly Elected Senators: The Faculty Senate welcomed newly elected senators Charles Keller and Marek Dojs.
Approval of Minutes
Motion to approve the minutes by S. White, T. Daniels seconded. The motion passed.
Special Orders of the Day
Election of 2013-2014 Faculty Senate Vice President
A. Bachri nominated T. Daniels while S. Day nominated D. Sanson. The election was conducted by secret ballot. T. Daniels was elected and will serve as Faculty Senate Vice President.
Appointment of Senate Liaison to University Standing Committees:
Appointments were provided in a handout distributed at the meeting. The handout is provided as an attachment.
Elections to Standing Committees of the Senate:
Senators self-selected onto the 3 committees by college. Pres. S. Schroeder then formally appointed these Senators to the respective committees as volunteered. The committee members for each are listed below. Budget Committee: S. Warrick, M. Lammers, K. Ferneding, S. White. Handbook Committee: C. Hough, S. Clanton, P. Clanton, A. Bachri. Parking Appeals Committee: J. Logan, C. Keller, N. Dobbins, D. Sanson. Motion to accept by S. White, T. Daniels seconded. The motion passed.
Reports by University Administration
Dr. Berry reported the following:
- SAU enrollment has increased from last year. This year’s freshman class is the largest in the school’s history!
- SAU is one of only 4 state institutions of education experiencing an increase in enrollment relative to last year. More specifically, SAU was the only 4-year college south of the Arkansas River to observe enrollment growth.
- Due to a high graduation rate last year, graduate student enrollment has decreased slightly (approximately 20 students).
A lengthy handout regarding Federal Compliance Requirements from the Higher Learning Commission was also distributed.
New Business
Suggestions for Amending the Student Appeal Process in the Handbook
A handout was distributed showing a suggested amendment to the current student non-grade appeal process. S. White motioned that this matter be addressed by the Faculty Handbook Committee and that the Senate conduct an electronic vote by email in order to resolve the situation prior to the AQIP visit in October. The committee was requested to respond to the Faculty Senate President within two weeks. T. Daniels seconded. The motion passed.
Clarification of the Grade Appeals Timeline and Process for Summer Courses in the Handbook
Senators also received documentation showing the suggested amendment to the grade appeals process and timeline. C. Keller motioned that this matter be addressed by the Faculty Handbook Committee. S. Day seconded. The motion passed.
Questions for the Administration
- How many students who earn concurrent enrollment credit through SAU-Magnolia enroll at SAU-Magnolia as beginning freshmen or freshmen?
Dr. Berry replied the SAU concurrent enrollment contributed to 1143 SSCH (student semester credit hours) and 76 FTEs (full-time equivalents) in 2012. He added that these students graduate at a higher rate than others and explained concurrent enrollment serves as a useful recruiting tool. Discussion ensued and the following concerns were raised: no tuition dollars raised for SAU, non-faculty teach the classes, syllabus not shown so unsure what is covered, and a difficulty in maintaining relationships with teachers. Dr. Allen explained that the same university syllabus is required and that the SAU administration is involved with testing as well as maintaining relationships with regional teachers and students.
- The faculty completed an extensive administrative evaluation survey for chairs, deans, the president and others. Where are those documents kept? What do administrators do with that information? With whom is it shared? Who is responsible for recommending goals or evaluating improvement? What are the consequences for an administrator who does not meet recommended improvements? Dr. Berry responded that the survey results are kept in the Office of Human Resources, with copies also distributed to the individual as well as their supervisor. Each administrator then meets with their supervisor to discuss the results. Depending on the nature of the responses, it is possible that an administrator could lose their position for cause and not be renewed when contracts are issued.
- Some faculty members are uncomfortable with the electronic student evaluations. How many students actually complete them? How can faculty be assured that evaluations are for the correct classes or sections? Dr. Berry reported that according to Mr. Giles and Mr. Argo, about 60% of students completed evaluations last spring. There have been problems in the past concerning student confusion when completing evaluations. S. Day explained that student evaluations are currently being discussed in an AQIP Action Project. Pres. S. Schroeder then recommended we wait to hear a report from the Action Project committee at the next meeting. The issue could then be addressed by the Faculty Handbook Committee to incorporate changes.
- When is academic misconduct introduced to students? Are all Freshman Seminar courses covering this topic? Could all entering students be required to take the pass/fail academic integrity workshop when starting at SAU? Dr. Berry responded that this suggestion would certainly be considered, but suggested we continue to focus on academic misconduct using the Academic Integrity Workshop as well as programs such as Turn-It-In that have led to a dramatic decline in plagiarism cases. He suggested these procedural improvements may be resulting in a “cultural change” among students.
As May Come Before the Senate
S. White reported concerns with the recent changes to the university purchasing system. The new initiative to reduce paper usage on campus has led to some very useful improvements. However, travel permits are now submitted electronically and are not seen by department chairs of the faculty. As a department chair, he found it disconcerting to be left out of the loop and asked if this matter could be addressed. Mr. McLendon responded that chairs were intended to be kept in the loop and that his office would look further into this matter to get it resolved.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2013 in Reynolds 205.
Adjournment:
The motion to adjourn was made by S. White and seconded by T. Daniels.
Submitted by Jennifer Logan, Faculty Senate Secretary, September 21, 2013.
2013-2014 Chairs and Faculty Senate Liaisons
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
Archives
Chair – Donna McCloy
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Charles Keller
Buildings and Grounds
Chair – Ronnie Watson
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Scott White
Commencement
Chair – Ed Nipper, Registrar
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Shannin Schroeder
Discipline
Chair – David Crouse
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Marek Dojs
Faculty/Staff Appeals and Human Rights
Chair – Deborah Wilson
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Stacy Clanton
Fringe Benefits Committee
Chair – Roger Giles, Vice President for Administration
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Jennifer Logan
Intercollegiate Athletics
Chair – Steve Sutton
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Charles Keller
Library
Chair and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Karen Ferneding
Public Information
Chair – Mark Trout
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Karen Ferneding
Scholarship and Student Financial Aid
Chair – Sarah Jennings
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Neelie Dobbins
Student Affairs
Chair – Sheryl Edwards
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Copie Moore
Student Media
Chair – Gerald Plumlee
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Marek Dojs
Technology Services
Chair and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Marek Dojs
2013-2014 Chairs and Faculty Senate Liaisons
ACADEMIC COMMITTEES
Academic Affairs
Chair – Trey Berry, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Neelie Dobbins
Academic Integrity Council
Chair – David Sanson
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Shane Warrick
Academic Suspension Appeals
Chair – Hasan Shehada
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Stacy Clanton
Animal Subjects
Chair – Claude Baker
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – David Sanson
Annual Faculty Performance Review Monitoring
Chair – Trey Berry, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Christie Hough
Assessment Review Council (ARC)
Chair – Denise Moseley
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Pat Clanton
Faculty Development in Teaching with Technology
Chair and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Abdel Bachri
General Education
Chair – Helmut Langerbein, Dean of the College of Liberal and Performing Arts
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Shannin Schroeder
Graduate Council
Chair – Kim Bloss, Dean of School for Graduate Studies
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Tim Daniels
Honors College
Chair – Ed Kardas, Director
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Svetlana Paulson
Institutional Review Board for Treatment of Human Subjects
Chair – Jennifer Logan
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Matt Lammers
Research
Chair – Ben Johnson
Liaison to Faculty Senate (ex officio) – Sara Day
Teacher Education
Chair – Zaidy MohdZain, Dean of the College of Education
Member and Liaison to Faculty Senate – Sara Day
