MUW Faculty Senate

October 28, 2005

Minutes Approved: November 18, 2005

 

Members present: Bonnie Oppenheimer, VP–presiding (A&S); Brian Anderson, Sec. (A&S); Jimena Aracena (A&S); Shawn Dickey (A&S); Bobby Fugitt (proxy for Cathy Young–LIB); Richard Holden (ED/HS); Ellen Jackson (ED/HS); Dee Larson (BUS); Scott McKenzie (CAI); Jim Roth (ED/HS); Glenn Rhyne (BUS); Van Roberts (A&S); Cathy Smith (NSLP); Theresa Sparks (NSLP)

 

Guests present: Pres. Claudia Limbert; Sam Gingerich (Provost/VPAA)

 

Members absent: Tom Velek, Pres. (A&S); Lea Helen Evans (NSLP); Robert Swanson (NSLP)

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1. The meeting was called to order at 12:15pm.

2. No new agenda items were added.

3. The meeting agenda was adopted by unanimous vote.

4. Consent Agenda

A. The Sept. 23 minutes were approved unanimously.

B. The Senate voted unanimously to approve the following Fund A disbursements.

 

 

Disbursed this month: $2,611                         Remaining in Fund A: $3,839

 

5. Updates

A. Administrative Council: No report.

B. Academic Council: In two meetings the Council discussed enrollment plans, placement exams, synchronized clocks (?), non-degree credits, department chair searches, and faculty evaluations. Commencement will be May 6 at 9:00 and 11:30; Mag Chain is TBA. Also, the health center and library need to be informed when students withdraw from MUW. Honoraries need multiple advisers and perhaps should be watched over by Eric Daffron (Director, Honors College). A committee has taken up the matter of organizing W web pages more uniformly. Senior Convocation is being moved. There will be advising training for dept. chairs. The IERs need format changes to reflect reorganization. Changes to the core curriculum are being mulled: perhaps allow students to take any two courses in History and Lab Science. Transfers and “original” MUW enrollees need to be treated the same on EN 101: the current policy is that original enrollees cannot take English Composition at a community college. There is a need to develop an articulation agreement with community colleges re: Family Studies curriculum. Due to Hurricane Katrina, the United Way campaign this year is low key. On-line sexual harassment training is being developed. There will be a review of on-line courses.

C. Meeting with Pres. Limbert: Discussion of the campus decorum issue.

D. PIE Council: Institutional Research made a presentation on W demographics. There was discussion of IER assessment and reform, and the planning calendar.

.           E. UCC: No report.

6. Old Business

* Campus Decorum: The Special Issues Committee will address the issue of campus decorum, discussed at the previous two meetings. The SIC will be composed of Jackson, McKenzie and Roberts.

7. New Business

A. Review Committees: Still no volunteers for the vacant Standing Committees (Faculty Development, Faculty Welfare, Social)./// Roberts agreed to join Jackson on the Parking Committee./// Roberts will also join the Sexual Harassment Committee.

B. Dr. Gingerich: A review of student evaluations of faculty is underway. MUW is an early purchaser of a new system that can scan images, allowing paper evaluations to be uploaded to the web. The system also has features useful for Student Services and the Registrar. Discussion: Dickey–The evaluation review committee has met, under the leadership of Anne Balazs (Interim Dean of BUS). The aim is to move toward a one-page form modeled on the pre-ETS instrument. There will be a campus-wide set of questions and then five college/program-specific questions./// The core curriculum is currently under review./// The Academic Master Plan presentation is today (2:30). Comments from faculty are welcome as the plan is finalized.

C. Policy Review: The following policies are under review by the Senate: PS 1301 Employment of Faculty or Professional Staff in the Area of Academic Affairs; PS 1302 Standards for Initial Appointment & Continuing Employment of Faculty; PS 1303 Promotion of Faculty; PS 1304 Tenure of Faculty. Discussion: Gingerich–Changes have been made to reflect the campus reorganization. There is no escape clause (i.e., no procedure for an applicant to withdraw), and there should be one. Comments are requested before the 60-day review period ends in Dec. Action: The Senate decided to address the matter at the next meeting due to limited copies of the policies and the absence of the president.

8. Announcements

* Oppenheimer–Faculty are encouraged to attend the MUW theater production of “A Year with Frog and Toad”.

9. Adjournment at 12:50pm; next meeting Nov. 18.