MEMORANDUM
To: Bill Haltom, Chair of Faculty Senate
From: Bruce Mann, Chair of Professional Standards Committee
Subject: Report of Activities for the Year 2000-2001
Date: May 3, 2001
Most of the work of the Professional Standards Committee during this year continued to
be the review and approval of departmental statements for standards, criteria, and procedures
regarding evaluations. This has been an on-going project of the Committee for the past four
years. Most departments now have approved documents, a few are nearly complete, and a few
are still engaged in the process. In particular, this year we completed and approved statements
for:
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Foreign Language,
Politics and Government,
English
Classics
Economics, and
Philosophy.
The following departments are still in the process of review:
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Art,
Biology,
Geology,
Occupational and Physical Therapy,
Exercise Science, and
Religion.
These departments should be able to complete their reviews in the next year.
All other departments, schools, and programs have completed the review process and
have documents on file with the Office of the Academic Vice President.
The Committee appointed a subcommittee (Beardsley, Mann, and Moore) to meet with
the University’s Trustee committee regarding the current Faculty Code revision
recommendations. The sub-committee met with the Trustees twice and reported to the full
Faculty at a special meeting. Since the Faculty elected to continue attempts to reconcile the
differences, Beardsley will agreed to act as the liaison between the appointed ad hoc faculty
committee (established in consultation with Professional Standards Committee) and the Trustees.
The Committee started the process of reviewing departmental statements and guidelines
concerning the use of teaching assistants. This periodic review is called for in the Code
interpretation on the use of student assistants for courses. The Committee obtained a number of
individual departmental statements, reviewed them, and is in the process of constructing a
general form for use. This matter will carry over to next year.
The Committee dealt with, and continues to address, two particular personnel issues. At
the request of the Academic Vice President/Dean, the Committee concurred with a
recommendation for a faculty suspension. In addition, the Committee is in the process of
preparing for a grievance hearing under Chapter VI of the Faculty Code.
Professional Standards Committee Report for 2000-2001
May 2001
Page 2
The Senate forwarded to the Committee a request to review the current Instructor
Evaluation Form. This request came near the end of the year. The Committee did not feel it
would be prudent or advisable to commence such an undertaking at the that time. Hence, this
request should be forwarded to the Committee next year.
Finally, the Committee was consulted a number of times during the year for informal
interpretations and discussions about a variety of Code related issues. None required a formal
interpretation or action.
Respectfully submitted,
Bruce Mann, for the Professional Standards Committee