Academic Senate: Minutes 1/18/2011

I.     Call to order:  4:02PM
II.    Roll call
Present:    Brian Adams, Robin Anderson, Jim Baillie, Ray Bard, Rev. E. William Beauchamp, CSC, Genevieve Brassard, Hillary Burrelle, Lauretta Frederking, Sally Hood, Aziz Inan, Larry Larsen, Shannon Mayer, Laura McLary, Kathleen McManus, Hillary Merk, Nick McRee, Stephanie Michel, Elise Moentmann, Hans Nordstrom, Stephen Rowan, Katie Scally, Br. Donald Stabrowski, CSC, Karen Ward, Joanne Warner, Kaye Wilson-Anderson, Teri Woo. Absent: Rich Gritta
III.  Invocation: Kathleen McManus
IV.  Approval of minutes from meeting from 16 November 2010
V.   Review of revised Online Student Evaluations Proposal adopted at 16 November 2010 Senate meeting. 
   a.   No issues were raised; the resolution is adopted as written.
VI.  Standing Committee Reports:
   a.   Executive Committee, Dr. Larry Larsen
      1.   Met December 7. 
      2.   Senate elections will occur in April.
      3.   Larry Larsen and Elise Moentmann will evaluate proportion of senate membership to ensure that it reflects proportion of faculty within university schools/colleges.   
   b.   Committee on Committees, Dr. Elise Moentmann
      1.   No new business. 
      2.   Committee notes that although untenured faculty are not excluded from serving on Senate, Senate committee chair positions must be filled by tenured faculty. Thus, it is helpful if faculty elected to serve on Senate include tenured faculty. 
   c.   Committee on Rank & Tenure, Dr. James Baillie
      1.   Work on post-tenure review and promotion files will begin on January 31. 
   d.   Committee on Teaching & Scholarship, Dr. Nick McRee
      1.   Committee has not met. 
      2.   Information about Butine applications and Teaching and Scholarship awards will be posted early next week. 
   e.   Committee on Faculty Welfare, Dr. Laura McLary
      1.   Met November 22 with Karen Nelson to discuss data related to faculty salaries. Based on reports from Karen Nelson and Denis Ransmeier, salary increases will be limited in the near future. 
      2.   Committee wishes to follow up on question about how (or if) colleges award merit raises.
      3.   Tom Greene discussed the Human Resources subcommittee role in reaccreditation process. Faculty Welfare committee has been reviewing the Human Resources accreditation documentation. Final draft has been submitted. 
      4.   Committee chair met December 6 with Bryn Sopko. Bryn seeks input from the committee about:
         a)   Scheduling open enrollment for health insurance and FSA enrollment to take place at the same time. 
         b)   Committee’s input on potential topics for wellness seminars for faculty and staff.
         c)   Input on investigating health care options other than Kaiser, to be available by Fall 2011.
   f.    Committee on Curriculum & Academic Regulations, Dr. Brian Adams
      1.   Met at end of November to discuss proposals from: Engineering, Business, Nursing/Biology, and College of Arts and Sciences (Catholic Studies/Social Justice minors).  
VII. Presidential Advisory Committees: 
   a.   Committee on Student Media, Dr. Kaye Wilson-Anderson
      1.   Met in early November; will meet again in spring to discuss election of student officers.
   b.   Committee on Athletics, Dr. Aziz Inan
      1.   Committee has not met.
   c.   Committee on Health and Safety, Dr. Hans Nordstrom
      1.   Met last Wednesday. 
      2.   PCB remediation to shield light ballasts in Buckley Center has been completed.
      3.   Committee will no longer review smoking policy; policy will retain smoking ban 20 feet from a building and 50 feet from a building’s entrance.
      4.   Mehling crosswalk remains an ongoing issue; committee has decided not to raise this issue again until broader campus changes are being considered.
      5.   There have been numerous bike thefts recently; Public Safety recommends registering bikes. Bikes that are unlocked and unregistered will be seized by Public Safety; if they are not reclaimed they will be auctioned.
      6.   Committee has decided not to address bike and skateboarding safety issues again; committee has asked Public Safety to work with ASUP to make sure students are aware of safety issues with bicycles and skateboards.
      7.   Building inspections have been taking place.
      8.   Spoke with Denis Ransmeier about cleaning building HVAC systems, especially in Buckley Center. HVAC cleaning will become part of building maintenance plans. Print Services is considering HVAC renovations due to emissions of new copier.
      9.   In response to question about the crosswalk on Willamette, the committee stated that an audible alert should be added by early March. This process was delayed while the city and the university determined who would pay for this change (UP will pay for alerts). 
   d.   Committee on Information Technology, Dr. Teri Woo
      1.   Committee has met twice since last Senate meeting.
      2.   Activities of the three subcommittees include: 
         a)   One subcommittee is collaborating with BUS456 to conduct a gap analysis of information technology needs of students, faculty, and alumni, covering web-based learning and classroom technology. 
         b)   Another subcommittee is working on improving communication tools in the classroom, as well as improving network and software access from off-campus. This committee is planning two programs for Faculty Development Day about teaching with technology. 
         c)   The third subcommittee is focusing on online testing, which is increasingly being used on campus. Concerns have been expressed about how to do secure online testing when students have access to the web.  A program is being planned for Faculty Development Day; programs may be offered for faculty just getting started as well as a more advanced program. 
      3.   Franz 033 will open later this week as a faculty playroom for experimenting with technology (such as SmartBoards or other teaching technologies). The room will have regular office hours or faculty can make one-on-one appointments. 
   e.   Committee on Sustainability, Dr. Hillary Merk
      1.   Committee has been meeting regularly and will meet again on Friday. 
      2.   Committee is providing input on strategic planning as it relates to sustainability.
VIII.       Other Reports:
   a.   Fr. William Beauchamp
      1.   Strategic plan update: university is on schedule for revising strategic plan:
         a)   Fr. Beauchamp attended the cross-divisional meeting yesterday to discuss the strategic plan. 
         b)   Board has approved mission statement and mission commitments.
         c)   Teaching, Faith, and Service (now: Teaching & Learning; Faith and Formation; Service & Leadership) remain core mission themes. 
         d)   Has appointed a Steering Committee to create a small number of broad-based goals; feedback has been gathered both internally and externally. The 5 goals are:
            (1) Develop and promote recognized, premier academic programs and services in the Holy Cross tradition of educating the whole person: head, heart, and hand. 
            (2) Recruit, develop, and retain excellent mission-centered students, faculty, and staff.
            (3) Foster a campus-wide culture promoting human formation that integrates reason, faith, and ethical values.
            (4) Promote a community that demonstrates service and leadership for the common good.
            (5) Exercise innovative and sustainable stewardship of resources in support of the mission.
      2.   For each goal, 3-4 strategies have been approved to address the goal. 
      3.   Next step: units and divisions on campus will develop tasks that address the goals and strategies.
      4.   Documents developed thus far will be posted on Strategic Planning page in PilotsUP for input. All divisions will address the process for gathering input from their constituencies.
      5.   Metrics will be developed to measure how goals and strategies have been accomplished.
      6.   Strategic plan will be a focused and limited plan.
      7.   University is developing this plan in a position of strength; our purpose is to determine how we can take the university to the next level.
      8.   Plan will go to full Board for approval during the Spring meeting. Board approves goals and strategies, but not tasks.
   b.   Preliminary 2011-2012 budget will be presented at Board meeting next week. 
      1.   Anticipate that a 3% increase will be available for salaries; this includes cost of living increases, merit increases, and addressing specific areas that need to be adjusted. This increase does not include new positions or promotions. 
      2.   Comparison over time: 2 years ago there were no raises; last year there was a 2% increase; this year there will be a 3% increase.
   c.   Graduation speakers and awards:
      1.   Christus Magister medal: Larry Cunningham, a renowned author on Catholic faith, faculty at University of Notre Dame. 
      2.   Honorary degrees (emphasizing service to local community): 
         a)   Dennis Keenan, executive director of Catholic Charities (Portland, Oregon)
         b)   Mother Francine, founder of Franciscan Montessori Earth School & Saint Francis Academy
         c)   Don Romanaggi, a Board member and a doctor, and namesake of Romanaggi Hall.
         d)   Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, judge of the Ninth Circuit.
         e)   Miguel Diaz, the American ambassador to the Vatican. 
         f)    Invited but not confirmed: Dr. Geraldine “Polly” Bednash, executive director of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing who oversees accreditation for all US nursing schools.
   d.   Dean’s Meeting (Br. Donald Stabrowski)
      1.   Deans met briefly last week. Regular schedule of Dean’s meetings begins tomorrow.
      2.   Reviewed Rank and Tenure files over Christmas break; the President now has the files. Deans are now working on post-tenure review and promotion to full professor.
      3.   Br. Donald Stabrowski is participating in faculty candidate interviews.
   e.   ASUP
      1.   Off-campus students are increasingly concerned with safety in the university neighborhood, due to an increase in thefts and peeping Toms. Harold Burke-Sivers and ASUP are planning an event for mid-February to teach off-campus students how to keep themselves and their homes safe.
      2.   ASUP is teaming with the Moreau Center and Student Activities for six weeks of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. day.
      3.   A donation drive is underway for new socks to be given to children in Haiti. 
      4.   Elections will occur in the next few weeks; ASUP is working with Jenny Walsh to simplify electronic process for online voting. ASUP is also revising the advertising policy outlining what candidates are permitted to do, as well as how ASUP can promote voting (including an upcoming backpack sticker campaign).   ASUP encourages faculty/staff to encourage students to vote (for example, making announcements in class).
IX.  New Business:
   a.   Proposal for changes to Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering programs
      1.   Proposed curriculum changes taking effect in Fall 2011. Changes include:
         a)   THEP course may be taken to satisfy both a theology and a subject requirement without increasing total credit hours.
         b)   Mechanical Engineering majors will be required to take BIO203 instead of BIO205. 
         c)   Computer Science majors must take either EGR360 or MTH361 instead of a math/science elective.
         d)   Computer Science major technical electives reduced from 15 to 12 credit hours.
         e)   Computer science minor reduced from 22 to 18 credit hours.
      2.   Question: Computer Science minor proposal shows 14 upper-division credits; Bulletin states that the minimum is 15 upper-division credits; this will be addressed.
      3.   Proposal was passed.
   b.   Proposal to more closely align Catholic Studies and Social Justice minors
      1.   Proposal recommends:
         a)   Creating a common entry and capstone course for both minors.
         b)   Will allow opportunity to put more resources into both programs.
         c)   Students will understand connections between Catholic Studies and Social Justice.
         d)   Both programs include service to community; both have study abroad opportunities.
         e)   Programs will be managed under Dean of College of Arts and Sciences to make these signature programs.
      2.   Students may take the foundational course after they have already completed some courses that would count toward the minor. Foundation course is also cross-listed as THEP.
      3.   Proposal was passed.
   c.   Point of information from Nursing: Biology is creating a new course sequence for Anatomy and Physiology
      1.   Nursing and Biology worked together to revise the sequence of Anatomy and Physiology to better meet students’ needs.
      2.   Point of information only; approval not required.
   d.   Pamplin School of Business Administration proposal to dissolve the current Marketing and Management major and create two separate majors: Marketing and Sustainability and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
      1.   Proposal will create two distinctive and more desirable programs to offer a greater degree of focus in these areas. 
      2.   Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management major includes four new classes; includes more experiential learning.
      3.   Question: Marketing and Sustainability proposal only lists one course with “Sustainability” in title. Sustainability is being integrated into upper-level courses; building on foundation of Sustainable Marketing class (which is a pre-requisite). Suggest adding sustainability to other course descriptions or titles.
      4.   Question: will these proposals require adding new faculty? No new faculty will be required; however a new faculty being hired to replace Bruce Drake will have a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management.
      5.   Proposal was passed.
X.   Announcements:
   a.   Executive committee will meet February 1; email Larry Larsen with any items to be discussed.
XI.  Adjournment: 4:53pm.

Note: All members of the University community are welcome to attend any meeting of the Academic Senate. The meetings begin promptly at 4:00 pm .