Academic Senate: MINUTES 9/19/2006

Present: Dr. Brian Adams, Dr. Susan Baillet, Dr. Carol Dempsey, Dr. Karen Eifler, Dr. Jeff Gauthier, Dr. Chris Hallstrom, Dr. Angela Hoffman, Dr. Joanna Kaakinen, Dr. Ken Kleszynski, Dr. Lora Looney, Ms. Caroline Mann, Dr. Louis Masson, Dr. Terry Misener, Dr. Elise Moentmann, Dr. Marlene Moore, Ms. Tara O’Boyle, Ms. Megan Olmstead, Dr. Katie O’Reilly, Dr. John Orr, Dr. Peter Osterberg, Dr. Michael Rabby, Dr. Bart Rylander, Dr. John Schouten, Br. Donald Stabrowski, Dr. Jackie Waggoner, Dr. Zia Yamayee

Absent: Fr. William Beauchamp

Invocation: The invocation was given by Dr. Angela Hoffman.

Minutes of the April senate meeting were accepted.

Standing Committee Reports

Executive Committee: Dr. Jeff Gauthier gave the report. He reported that the main objective of EC this year is to carry out Senate functions as intended in the constitution. He explained that as senate members we are makers of academic policy; in addition, the senate body is an advocate for non-academic matters concerning faculty. EC meeting was consumed with computer and telecommunications concerns with the following conclusion: In teaching and academic research, perhaps Senate should have a policy role, instead of just advisory. No proposal was made at the meeting. Dr. Gauthier appointed the EC to review by-laws. 

Committee on Committees: Dr. John Orr gave the report. The committee met May 12 to make committee appointments. The committee was asked by Fr. Beauchamp to provide a pool of eight candidates to appoint a library task force, and committee has met to make these decisions. Dr. Susan Decker has replaced Dr. Jim Carroll on Committee on Teaching and Scholarship . Dr. Bohn Lattin was replaced by Dr. Ken Kleszynski on same committee. Dr. Orr identified issue of very few senior faculty members available to serve on committees. Dr. Orr recommends that varying term lengths be provided for the Committee on Rank and Tenure to address this problem.

Committee on Rank & Tenure: Dr. Louis Masson    gave the report. The committee is meeting and deliberating.

Committee on Teaching & Scholarship: Dr. Carol Dempsey gave the report. Dr. Carol Dempsey provided a hand-out on the Butine application process and announced two faculty workshops for writing a Butine grant. She reported that $85,000 in Butine funds will be distributed this year. She has met with Br. Donald Stabrowski to discuss the return of faculty colloquia, and two colloquia in fall and spring to focus on scholarship have been proposed.   Writing across the curriculum is one topic proposed for the May Faculty Development Day (it will be one of several topics). A subcommittee has been appointed to plan the Faculty Development Day. Dr. Dempsey is conducting archival research to create a historical profile of all Butine awards from the past to the present day.

Committee on Faculty Welfare: Dr. Susan Baillet gave the report. The committee has not met. Dr. Baillet has met with Fr. Beauchamp to discuss needed changes to the sexual harassment policy including an on-line education program to be required of all employees. She has met with Bro. Donald to discuss the absence of a maternity leave policy in the faculty handbook. Salary raises were also discussed with Bro. Donald but Dr. Baillet was referred to CAS. In the Senate meeting Dr. Moore stated that she has made a request to the officers to develop a plan for allocating university funds for significant salary raises for faculty. 

Committee on Curriculum & Academic Regulations: Dr. Karen Eifler gave the report. The committee has not met.

Presidential Advisory Committee Reports

Committee on Student Media: Dr. Jeff Gauthier gave the report. The committee has not met.

Committee on Athletics: Dr. John Schouten gave the report. The committee has not met.

Committee on Health & Safety: Dr. Joanna Kaakinen gave the report in absence of Linda Birenbaum. The committee has not met.

Committee on Information Technology: Dr. Chris Hallstrom gave the report. The committee has not met.

Student & Faculty Court: Student & Faculty Court has been dissolved.

Other Reports

Fr. William Beauchamp: Bro. Donald Stabrowski gave the report in Father Beauchamp’s absence. Father Beauchamp will hold scheduled lunches with faculty again this year.

Dean’s Report: Bro. Donald Stabrowski gave the report. The FreshmanResourceCenter reported a successful Freshman Service Day. The Registrar requested that faculty report students not attending. Karen Nelson has compiled results of the National Survey on Student Engagement which are available on her website including freshmen characteristics. Bro. Donald reported that Roy Heynderickx reminded the university community to watch the budget carefully. Roy Heynderickx has been updating policies with Committee on Faculty Welfare. Roy Heynderickx reminded faculty and staff that how and when we destroy academic records is important. The Northwest Commission on Collegues and Universities will visit in October to evaluate our updates to nine standards, and our responses to five recommendations made by Northwest. The largest portion of the report includes the need to continue to develop our assessment plans. An explanation of DNR was given by Dr. Terry Misener.   Faculty hiring was discussed, and job openings have been posted on website. A faculty meeting will be held January 11 to review the university core curriculum. Bro. Donald singled out one question asked in core evaluation work of recent months: how has core affected upper-division coursework? The May Faculty Development Day will report on this question. In addition, this question will be posed to alumni at Alumni Reunion next summer. The Board of Regents is discussing Triangle property as there are frustrating delays in the negotiation process. The Triangle property is valued at 3.1 million dollars.

ASUP: Ms. Megan Olmstead reported. Senator elections underway. ASUP has purchased two flat screens for student spaces on campus. A proposal was made to start “Last Lecture” series in which students vote for a favorite professor who is then asked to give a lecture as if the last of his/her life (this is a Notre Dame tradition).

New Business

Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 4:51 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,Lora Looney, Secretary to the Senate