Academic Senate: MINUTES 01/21/2003

Present: Dr. Amelia Ahern-Rindell, Ms. Colleen Bender, Dr. Susan Brown, Rev. James Connelly, Mr. Walt Dawson, Dr. Will Deming, Dr. Thompson Faller, Dr. Laura Genik, Dr. Greg Hill, Dr. Mark Kennedy, Mr. Larry Larsen, Dr. Marlene Moore, Dr. Steve Royce, Dr. John Schouten, Ms. Heidi Senior, Dr. David Sherrer, Br. Donald Stabrowski, Dr. Agnes Tenney, Dr. Anita Wynne, Dr. Zia Yamayee

Absent: Dr. Jack Kondrasuk, Dr. Bohn Lattin, Dr Rich Christen, Rev. David Tyson, Dr. Dakshina Murty, Dr. Larry Lewis

Invocation: Dr. Faller gave the invocation

Minutes of the November meeting were approved as written.

Standing Committee Reports

Executive Committee: Dr. Thompson Faller gave the report. The Committee met in December to set the agenda for today’s meeting and review Committee work. The Ad hoc Committee on Bylaws is meeting. Anybody aware of something in the bylaws that needs attention, please give the information to the Executive Committee and it will be passed on to the Bylaws Committee. They expect to report next month.Another issue addressed the timing of grades to the registrar at the end of the semester. The Registrar will be contacted to see if a later time or date is possible for students who will not graduate at the end of that semester.

Committee on Committee: Dr. Steve Royce gave the report. No business since the last senate meeting.

Committee on Rank & Tenure: Dr. Faller gave the report since Dr. Murty has a class at this time. The committee has submitted their rank and tenure recommendations to the President and will begin working on tenure review.

Committee on Teaching & Scholarship: Mr. Larry Larsen gave the report. Calls for the scholarship and teaching awards will go out next week, with the deadline of February 14.

Committee on Faculty and Welfare: Dr. Agnes Tenney gave the report.No new report

Committee on Curriculum & Academic Regulations: Dr. Mark Kennedy gave the report. The Committee met in November and has two proposals on the agenda today.

Presidential Advisory Committee Reports

Committee on Student Media: Dr. Rich Christen was absent and there was no report.

Committee on Athletics: Dr. Jack Kondrasuk has a class conflict this semester, so he has resigned from the senate.The School of Business will elect a replacement. No report from the committee. A question was raised about replacement of a Senate representative on the Committee on Athletics since Dr. Kondrasuk currently has that role. After some discussion, it was determined that the Constitution of the Senate requires a Senate representative on each Presidential Advisory Committee. Dr. Faller will ask the Committee on Committees to designate someone to fill this role.

Committee on Health & Safety: Dr. Anita Lee Wynne gave the report. No meeting since the last one.

Committee on Computers & Telecommunications: Ms. Heidi Senior gave the report. There has been no meeting.

Student & Faculty Court: Dr. Laura Genik gave the report. There has been no meeting.

Other Reports

Deans Report: Bro. Donald Stabrowski gave the report. The Deans met last week and received two reports. Regina Largent presented an overview of the characteristics of freshman that have left between first and second semester. Karen Nelson presented a report comparing of surveys taken by the senior class with comparison to the same survey data that they took their freshman year looking at any changes of attitude. The new director of student activities, Jeromy Koffler, was also introduced. The Dean of Arts and Science requested that the Committee on Teaching and Scholarship sponsor having Karen Nelson present her data to the university faculty.

ASUP: Walt Dawson gave the report. ASUP has a new advisor and held its first meeting of the semester. Julie Stillwell was elected CPB director.Currently there are 11 open senate seats. Colleen Bender (Secretary of ASUP Executive Committee) reported that elections for next year’s Senate would occur at the end of February. A tailgate party is planned before the Gonzaga game. CPB has a new event, the Black and White ball, which will be at the Grand Ball room on February 1.

New Business

Proposal for new courses to meet the metaphysics requirement: Mark Kennedy, Chair of CAR presented the proposal. The faculty of the Philosophy Department presented a proposal to CAR to address concerns they had about the metaphysics course.Philosophy 330 Metaphysics is no longer a core requirement (It is now only required for the BA degree in the College of Arts and Sciences). Review of the course suggested that the current course was not fulfilling what is needed for metaphysics knowledge. The proposal is to substitute five courses (Philosophy 331-335) that would be in more depth. These courses are briefly described in proposal.The courses relate to the university core in terms of the questions that they try to answer.There is a common theme running through them and they share the same outcomes. When full syllabi are developed there will be more detail with respect to the assessment techniques.CAR passed the proposal unanimously. It would go into affect in the fall of 2003, if the senate should pass it. Discussion followed related to whether each of these courses would essentially address the same core questions but in diverse ways. It was also pointed out that, by focusing on the expertise of diverse faculty members, there would be more richness and better teaching in this content area.

Action: The proposal passes unanimously

Proposal to change the University core requirements for transfer students.
Mark Kennedy, Chair of CAR presented the proposal. The essence of the proposal is that all students, including transfer students, would meet the core requirements. This would result in the elimination of the current THEO 350 and PHIL 350 courses for transfer students. Discussion centered on the openness of the Theology and Philosophy departments to courses accepted in transfer, and this was satisfactorily resolved.

Action: Proposal passed unanimously.

Adjournment: 4:45pm

Respectfully submitted, Dr. Anita Lee Wynne, Secretary to the Senate