Academic Senate: Minutes 4/19/2011

Present:    Brian Adams, Jim Baillie, Ray Bard, Genevieve Brassard, Mike Eom, Drew Harrington, Sally Hood, Aziz Inan, Larry Larsen, Laura McLary, Kathleen McManus, Hillary Merk, Nick McRee, Stephanie Michel, Elise Moentmann, Tamar More, Meike Neiderhausen, Dann Pierce, Stephen Rowan, Alex Santana, Br. Donald Stabrowski, CSC, Karen Ward, Joanne Warner, Teri Woo. Absent: Rev. E. William Beauchamp, CSC, Kristin Johnson, Hans Nordstrom, Chloe Ruffin, Kaye Wilson-Anderson

I.     Call to order: 4:04pm
II.    Announcements: None
III.  Roll call
IV.  Invocation:  Larry Larsen
V.   Approval of minutes from meeting from 15 February 2011
VI.  Standing Committee Reports:
   a.   Executive Committee, Dr. Larry Larsen
      1.   Committee met April 5. 
      2.   Larry Larsen recognized those Senators who have completed their terms on Senate: Robin Anderson, Lauretta Frederking, Shannon Mayer, Elise Moentmann, Hans Nordstrom, and Stephen Rowan. He also welcomed new Senate members. 
   b.   Committee on Committees, Dr. Elise Moentmann
      1.   The committee has not met, as it had no pending business.
      2.   Described purpose of Committee on Committees. Recommended that as Senators elect members to the Committee on Committees, they consider appointing members representing different disciplines on campus; it is also helpful to appoint more experienced as well as newer faculty. 
   c.   Committee on Rank & Tenure, Dr. James Baillie
      1.   Committee has completed its main work for the year.
      2.   Committee is currently revising the guidebook; a more user-friendly version should be online soon. 
      3.   Committee will host a workshop at 1:30pm on Faculty Development Day.
   d.   Committee on Teaching & Scholarship, Dr. Nick McRee
      1.   Committee’s scheduled work is completed. 
      2.   Faculty Development Day schedule is complete. Joe Gallegos will be the plenary speaker, followed by many panels and workshops. 
      3.   Next year the committee will explore methods to supplement student evaluations. 
      4.   Dr. McRee’s role as committee chair has ended, although his Senate term continues for one more year. 
   e.   Committee on Faculty Welfare, Dr. Laura McLary
      1.   Committee met March 24. 
      2.   Committee discussed campus meetings hosted by Bryn Sopko discussing health benefits.
      3.   Faculty should have received the flyer describing our health care benefits for the upcoming year; Bryn Sopko negotiated a reasonable increase. The rate is locked in for 18 months to accommodate the upcoming change in our open enrollment period (so it will coincide with the open enrollment period for the Flexible Spending Account). Due to federal health care changes some costs that previously were subject to the deductible are now covered by Kaiser.
   f.    Committee on Curriculum & Academic Regulations, Dr. Brian Adams
      1.   The committee has new business to discuss.
VII. Presidential Advisory Committees: 
   a.   Committee on Student Media, Dr. Kaye Wilson-Anderson 
      1.   Committee has met. 
      2.   Dr. Wilson-Anderson served on the sub-committee that appointed the yearbook editor.
   b.   Committee on Athletics, Dr. Aziz Inan
      1.   Committee met March 25.
      2.   Dan McGinty reported about student athletes and their progress. He plans to improve the process by which student athletes that travel for sports make up missed work/exams.
      3.   Larry Williams reported on upcoming tasks to be built into the university’s strategic plan.
   c.   Committee on Health and Safety, Dr. Hans Nordstrom
      1.   Dr. Hans Nordstrom was not present, but Sally Hood, a committee member, raised one item for discussion:
         a)   The university is required by law to have 2 fire drills per year. The committee is considering running the fire drills during the first 2 weeks of each semester during the last 5 minutes of class and between classes. Fire drills should last 15-20 minutes total. All buildings would have fire drills at the same time.
         b)   The following questions and concerns were raised:
            (1) Will guidance be provided on what faculty should do, where people should gather, or whether attendance should be taken? Response: 1 administrative person in each building has been trained in fire drill procedure.
            (2) Will faculty know in advance when the fire drill will take place? Yes.
            (3) How should science faculty handle fire drills that take place during the middle of a lab? 
            (4) Concern that some classes give quizzes at the end of class.
            (5) Instead of conducting fire drills all at the same time, could one building have a fire drill each semester?
   d.   Committee on Information Technology, Dr. Teri Woo
      1.   Committee has met twice. The most recent meeting was April 14.
      2.   The three sub-committees are completing their work:
         a)   Online learning subcommittee is developing guidelines for online testing that will be submitted to the president at the end of the year. They are planning 2 presentations at Faculty Development Day: 1 covering online testing for arts, and the other for the hard sciences.
         b)   Another subcommittee is conducting a gap analysis on information technology on campus, including: web-based learning, classroom technology and life, and communications and technology. Committee is partnering with BUS456; students are giving their final presentations, and the committee should receive the data soon.
         c)   Use of technology in the classroom subcommittee is working to increase faculty awareness and use of technology already in the classrooms. 
            (1) FH33, a technology work room, is now open; Information Services is trying to increase use of the room. 
            (2) IS has hosted luncheon meetings this year on different technologies. 
            (3) New additions to the IS staff have significantly helped increase skill development. 
            (4) Committee has recommended low cost maintenance solutions for classroom equipment.  
            (5) Faculty would like more access to files and software to facilitate working from home. 
            (6) Subcommittee has submitted two panel presentation proposals for Faculty Development Day. 
            (7) Committee also is recommending to Fr. Beauchamp that funds for faculty technology development be increased.
   e.   Committee on Sustainability, Dr. Hillary Merk
      1.   Committee has submitted their work input for strategic planning, which completes their work.
VIII.       Other Reports: 
   a.   Fr. William Beauchamp – not present
   b.   Dean’s Meeting (Br. Donald Stabrowski)
      1.   Thanks faculty for a very successful Founder’s Day. He received much positive feedback and was pleased to see the level of student attendance.
      2.   Deans are preparing for commencement. Commencement will occur on Mother’s Day this year because otherwise Easter Monday, when classes are out of session, would have been the Monday of Finals week. Br. Donald Stabrowski requests faculty participation during Commencement, which reflects well on the university, and notes that faculty are the heart of the institution.
      3.   First Doctorate of Nursing Practice students will graduate this year.
   c.   ASUP - not present.
IX.  New Business:
   a.   Proposal for Neuroscience minor
      1.   In 2007, the Biology and Social and Biological Sciences departments received a National Science Foundation grant to establish three new courses covering neuroscience. In the same year, Julio Ramirez, a national expert in neurological education, was on campus for a grant review and recommended that UP had the resources to create a neuroscience minor.
      2.   The proposed minor will be created using existing resources, with classes from the Biology and Psychology departments, as well as the Philosophy of Mind class. New classes may be added at any time according to the process described in the proposal. 
      3.   Each class addresses the learning outcomes for the minor, and the assessment plan ensures that the learning outcomes and success of the program will be periodically reviewed. 
      4.   The program includes a foundational course to introduce the program as well as a capstone course to complete the experience.
      5.   Letters of support were received from all deans.
      6.   Several faculty have expressed interest in connecting new or existing courses with the program; they may contact Susan Baillet to begin this process.
      7.   The proposal passed.
   b.   Proposal to eliminate Spanish Certificate program
      1.   This program is no longer needed. Only 1 student remains in the program, who is about to graduate.
      2.   This program required 21 credit hours but does not appear on a student’s transcript. Alternatively, a student could obtain a Spanish minor with 12 credit hours, or a student could seek a major for 27 credit hours; a major or a minor would appear on the student’s transcript.
      3.   The proposal passed.
   c.   Elections for Academic Senate Chair, Secretary, and Committee chairs, 2011-2012
      1.   The Senate Executive Committee proposed the following slate of candidates, which was approved:
                  Senate Chair – Larry Larsen
                  Chair of Committee on Committees – Genevieve Brassard
                  Chair of Committee on Rank and Tenure – Jim Baillie
                  Chair of Committee on Faculty Welfare – Laura McLary
                  Chair of Committee on Teaching & Scholarship – Aziz Inan
                  Chair of Committee on Curriculum & Academic Regulations – Brian Adams
                  Senate Secretary – Stephanie Michel
   d.   Election for members of the Committee on Committees, 2011-2012
      1.   The following members were elected to the Committee on Committees: Jeff Gauthier, Gary Malecha, Diane Sotak, and Aaron Wootton.
X.   Announcements:
   a.   The Senate Executive Committee will meet September 6. The next Senate meeting is Tuesday, September 20.
   b.   Larry Larsen thanks all Senators for a good year.
XI.  Adjournment: 4:47pm

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 .