March 20, 2014
Attendance
The Faculty Senate met on Thursday, March 20, at 3:40 pm in Reynolds 205. Senators in attendance were Shannin Schroeder, Christie Hough, Sara Day, Shane Warrick, Stacy Clanton, Matt Lammers, Marek Dojs, Karen Ferneding, Abdel Bachri, Jennifer Logan, Pat Clanton, Neelie Dobbins, Charles Keller, David Sanson, Copie Moore, Tim Daniels.
The following senators were absent with proxies: Charles Keller served for Svetlana Paulson and Tim Daniels served for Scott White.
Ex-officio: Dr. D. Rankin,Dr. T. Berry, Mr. R. Giles, Dr. D. Allen, Mr. P. McLendon, Mr. J. Lewis
Visitors included: Dr. Langerbein, Dr. Bloss, Mr. S. Dingman, Ms. J. Rowsam, Megan Gabbard
Call to Order:Pres. S. Schroeder called the meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. Proxies read.
Approval of Minutes
Motion to approve the minutes by P. Clanton, S. Warrick seconded. The motion passed.
Special Orders of the Day
Reports by the Standing Committees of the Senate
- Budget Committee – S. Warrick reported that the committee had not met.
- Handbook Committee – S. Clanton reported that the committee had recently met and developed the following recommendation: All Standing Committees of the University are encouraged to meet and review their mission as stated in the Faculty handbook. Committee members could then suggest needed changes such as merging similar committees. A handout was distributed detailing the recommendations for this process. Additionally, the Faculty Handbook Committee also recommended the creation of a committee to deal with policy matters regarding online classes such as the recently implemented Online Primer. Discussion ensued. The report and recommendations were accepted.
- Parking Committee – D. Sanson reported that the committee had not met.
Reports by Liaisons to University and Academic Committees
- Research – S. Day reported the committee had recently met and approved 7 applications
- Discipline – M. Dojs reported the committee had met recently. The committee reviewed 1 appeal and agreed with the initial decision.
- Inter-Collegiate Athletics– C. Keller reported the committee had recently met and reviewed their mission statement.
Administrative Reports
- Update on Faculty Searches– Dr. Berry discussed reported the following:
- Art and Design – candidate hired today
- Nursing (chair) – candidate recently hired
- Nursing – candidate recently hired
- Criminal Justice – candidate recently hired
- HKR – candidate recently hired
- Biology – ongoing search
- Biology – candidate recently hired
- Teacher Education – ongoing search
- MAT Education – ongoing search
- Math – ongoing search
- Management – candidate recently hired
- Engineering – candidate recently hired
AQIP Update from Academic Advising Action Project
- Prof. Steve Dingman shared the results of advising surveys and shared the committee’s recommendations for improving current advising procedures. These recommendations included:
- Make advising part of promotion and tenure process
- Provide Professional Development for advising
- Develop an SAU Advising Handbook
- Develop a survey tool to evaluate academic advising
- Include as part of performance review
- Creation of Advising Committee
Discussion ensued. T. Daniels moved to accept the committee’s recommendation for the creation of an advising committee as recommended by the AQIP Academic Advising Action Project. K. Ferneding seconded. The motion passed.
AQIP Information about SPUR
- Pres. Schroeder shared information regarding the newly created SPUR (Sharing Progress, Uniting Resources) program. SPUR provides a campus-wide “idea generator” where any SAU community member can submit ideas/proposals for continuous improvement as well as share success stories from improvement efforts. Senators were requested to share this new resource with faculty members in their college.
Old Business
Ad Hoc Committee on Lost and Found Policy
- Pres. Schroeder reported the ad hoc committee’s proposal for Handbook language on the matter. A handout was distributed showing the proposed language as well as a process for collecting lost items and making information on lost and found items available. A copy of that handout is included at the end of the minutes. The report was accepted unanimously and the motion passed. Discussion then ensued. S. Clanton moved that the Faculty Senate should share their report and feedback received with the Staff Senate so that the policy could be updated in the respective handbooks. D. Sanson seconded. The motion passed.
New Business
Independent Studies Courses: Issues of Inconsistent Compensation
Pres. Schroeder recommended the creation of an ad hoc committee to deal with issues of inconsistent compensation of independent studies and overloads. The ad hoc committee will be comprised of the following senators: N. Dobbins, J. Logan, S. Schroeder and S. White.
Faculty Senate Elections
Pres. Schroeder reminded senators that election time is here again. She requested that all nominations be submitted by Tuesday, April 1 and that all college elections should be completed prior to Thursday, April 17. A. Bacchri made a motion for this request. S. Clanton seconded. The motion passed.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 24, 2014 in Grand Hall Salon B of the Reynolds Center.
Adjournment
The motion to adjourn was made by C. Keller and seconded by D. Sanson.
Submitted by Jennifer Logan, Faculty Senate Secretary, April 16, 2014.
Report of the Faculty Handbook Committee and Recommendation From That Committee to the Faculty Senate
The Faculty Handbook met on Thursday, March 6. The committee consists of Senators Abdel Bachri, Pat Clanton, Christie Hough, and me, and the committee was joined by Mr. Roger Giles. By consensus, the committee decided to ask the Faculty Senate to do the following:
Ask each Standing Committee of the University to meet before the end of the semester for the purpose of determining whether their mission, as stated in the Faculty Handbook, is an accurate reflection of their current functioning and to suggest any changes that would more accurately reflect their function so that next year’s Handbook Committee could incorporate them.
Specifically, the Handbook Committee suggests that the following committees consider the change indicated:
- Archives Committee: merge its function into the Library Committee
- Discipline Committee: Develop language to specify the appeal process
- Faculty-Staff Appeals and Human Rights Committee: Change (expanding to student appeals) already passed Senate, awaiting Faculty approval
- Library Committee: Add “professional development” into its name and mission
- Public Information and Student Media: merge into a single committee
- Research Committee: incorporate language which reflects the committee’s function of funding research grants
- Technology Services Committee: currently working on revision of its mission
- Academic Integrity Council: merge its functions into the Academic Suspension Appeals Committee
- Annual Faculty Performance Review Monitoring Committee: revise mission to incorporate changes in student surveys
