MINUTES #140, FACULTY SENATE
bruary 10, 1993
The Faculty Senate met on Wedn sday, February 10, 1993, at 3:15 p.m. in the
Senate Room of the University enter with Benjamin H. Newcomb presiding.
Senators present were Aranha, enson, Bliese, Bradley, Burnett, Cismaru,
Couch, Curzer, Daghistany, Dra ga, Dunn, Dvoracek, Elbow, Freemar, Goebel,
Green, Haigler, Henry, Hensley Higdon, Hopkins, Huffman, Jonish, Kiecker,
Miller, Pen, oy, Shroyer, StOune, Strawderman, Trost, Urban, Wagner,
Zanglein, and Zartman. Senators Coulter, Fedler, Meek, Morrow, Fayne,
Troub and Weber were absent because of University business. Senator Dunne
was absent with notification. Senators D. Mason, J. Mason, and Vitra were
absent.
I.
INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS
President Newcomb ca:led the meeting to order at 3:20 and welcomed the
following guests: Virginia Sowell, Associate Vice President; Donald
Haragan, Executive V:_ce President and Provost; Len Ainsworth, Vice Provost;
Robert Sweazy, l Vice Provost for Research; Denise Jackson, Office:of
Development; David Proctor, LiOrary; Sandra Pulley, Universit y Daily; and
Bill Orr, Avalanche Journal.
Professor Clarke E. Cochran, Political Science, served as Parliamentarian.
II. CONSIDERATION Or MINUTES
The minutes of 20 January 1993 were approved as distributed.
1
III. ANNOUNCEMENTS
410 Senator
Weber,: who chairs the Committee considering athletics, requests
that faculty cpmments and ques#ions be submitted to him by 19 Fetruary 1993
so that the committee can reconsider its earlier report.
Senator Dunne is sol:_citing nol4nees for university committees. Senators
need to help recruit faculty tO serve in these positions; senators going
off the Senate: might volunteer to participate in this responsibility of
academic governance.
IV. COMMENTS OF PROVOST HARAGAN
Provost Haragan was asked to respond to earlier Senate resolutions on the
grade replacement policy and or the proposal on Academic Freedom and
Artistic Expression. Haragan as recommended adoption of a grade
replacement policy that would how students to replace any grade with a
better grade earned later. He rejected the Senate's recommendation that
grade replacement be limited t 12 credit hours because he persorally did
not like the cap. The grade r placement policy is now back before the
Academic Council. Haragan was queried to reconcile this very liberal
policy with efforts to improve academic standards. He answered that the
only real issue invoLved in le ting students repeat courses was the cost
this imposed on the state. He pointed to the current effort in the
legislature to limit to 158 th number of undergraduate hours a Student
might take at instate tuition ates at any Texas state institutiOn. Such a
policy would harm programs lik4 architecture, which require more hours to
complete, as well as students taking double majors.
Haragan reported that the Senate's proposed academic bankruptcy policy is
now being studied by the Academic Council. Haragan felt that the Senate-
Page 2.
recommended,
Traditional a
in their col
discard a sell
licy
adem
ge
cted
as unlil traditional academic bankruptcy
licies.
bankrupt y permits students who had a bad `-.art early
eer to st rt over; the Senate policy allows L student to
emester. I
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The policy cinLAcad
approved by the Pr
official operating
submitted to he B
ic Freed
and Artistic Expression was unan mously
ost's Coul cil. It is now in the process of becoming
olicy of 1 he academic affairs office. It w. 11 not be
rd of Re nts at this time.
v. REPORTS FOM
VERSITY 4UNCILS AND COMMITTEES
Provost
file in Senate off
jamin H. iiewcomb (report distributed to Senators and on
Senator Newc as
situation. araga
performance trdeasur
these measures set
non-performance ba
performance-based
enrollment, hot by
enrollment; this w
institutions in th
legislature also w
raise. Money for t
the biennium but
reduced and will ha
d ProvostiHaragan to comment on the current
noted tha current appropriations bills inc
that are not good for TTU. In Haragan's
p new fo
las that redistribute funds acco
d criteri . A large portion of what is cal
ding wou d be determined by actual minorit
erformanc at meeting goals of improving mi
id redire t funds away from schools like
valley an border areas. The bills before
I force c tbacks to pay for the state-manda
is raise s included in funding for the fir
t for the second. State ORP contributions
e to be m de up by the university itself.
When questioned abo
and about the role
did not wantto emb
Strategic planning
projected budget Cu
leaving time for fa
there probaT woul
but might i n Stead b
1
Provost Hara an als
students be ncreas
Haragan note that
and Texas A&b and $
parking fees to corn
response so that th
t how. TTUd expected to respond to projected
f strateg c planning in this, Haragan state
rk on sho t-term solutions that made probl
as going n, and the major impact of the cu
$ would n t come until the second year of t
ulty part cipation. When questioned he sta
not be a ross the board cuts of non-tenure
programa ic cuts, possibly including tenur
Council--B
March meeting. The
maintenance Oosts o
fees also pa d for
about this b t thou
noted that t e prop
salaries had not go
proposal wil be su
March Senate meetin
proposed
d. Displ
s park
t forth a
arable le
proposal
fee incre
roads an
ampus pol
ht that m
sed incre
e up this
mitted to
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budget
uded
inion,
ding to
ed
Ority
and into
he
ed 3%
t year of
re also
Udget cuts•
that he
$ worse.
rently
e biennium,
el that
Eaculty
d faculty.
that parking fees for faculty, st fE, and
ying a set of figures on a transP rency,
ng fees were lower than those at T-Austin
series of annual increases to bri g TTU's
els. Haragan asked for a quick S nete
et their
could be presented to the Regent
meet
ses were necessary, he argued, t
if parking
parking lots. Senator Perl ask
ce services. Haragan said he wa rot certain
st fees went to maintenance. Se tor Newcomb
ses would raise parking fees by 0%, while
much, especially for minimum wag staff. The
a committee for study and discus lo) at the
Academic Coucil--C ndace Hai ler (report distributed and on f le in Senatip
office)
ors and
Catherine Miller (report distributed to S na
Graduate Couricilon file in Slnate o fice)
I
Page 3.
Research Council
Senate office
0
-- Fred P. Wagner, Jr. (report distributed and on file in
Student Senate—Leon Higdon
The Student Senate net twice
heated discusIsions concerned
VII.
ince the last Senate meeting. The most
udget deadlines for student organ;:_zations.
REPORTS! FROM STANDING C MMITTEES OF FACULTY SENATE
Nominating Committee—Paul Go4bel
The nominating committee met 4nd spoke with candidates for Senate office
for next year. After the repOrt was delivered, the floor was opened for
further nominations; none was raised. the nominees for Senate office in
93/94 are as follow::
Secretary: John Bliese, Marvin J. Dvoracek and Jayne Zanglein
Vice President: Oliver Hensley, Leon Higdon and Richard Zartman
President: JoLn H. Buritt and Sue Couch
The Senate will elect new off ices at the 10 March 1993 meeting.
0
Study Committee A —Zohn Blies reported on the requirements for
provisionally admitted studen s. The committee recommended that the Senate
endorse the pplicy suggested y Provost Haragan on 17 November 3992.
Provisionally admittedstuden s would be required to take a minimum of 9
hours of course work, 6 of wh'ch might be remedial, or 6 hours if only one
course were remedial. Senato Haigler noted that UT-Austin and Texas A&M
require that provisional studelnts take courses off a prescribed list. She
suggested that TTU ffight establish a similar requirement. The requirements
at those schools are also more rigorous than those proposed for TTU; Bliese
noted that Texas AO! severely limits the number who can participate in its
program of provisional admissions. Haigler proposed an amendment to the
committee report to require that provisionally admitted students take at
least one 3-hour course from he list General Education requireffents. The
amendment cartied. The committee's recommendation as amended was approved
by the Senate,
VIII. OLD BUSINESS
No old business was raised.
IX. NEW BUSINESS
Provost Haragan was asked to r port on the administration's effcrts to
address Senate and student con erns about advising. Haragan commented that
a number of models of advising had been discussed and submitted to the
recruitment and admissions comtuittee for examination. The committee should
report before the end of the s ring semester, with deliberations on
proposed changes taking place in the next academic year.
A suggestion 'Chat Ataletic Director T Jones be invited to the Stnate
meeting at which the Athletic Pepartment reported on the academic progress
of athletes was apprpved.
0
A question wa raised about the dates on which final grades are due. In
some semesters grades are due he Monday after commencement; in others the
Friday before. It was suggest d that this date should be consistent,
preferably the Monday followin commencement to allow adequate time to
evaluate examinations. This i sue will be referred to committee for
recommendation.
Page 4.
A concern waS raise
racial tensicn on c
Haragan notinç that
issue. SenOcrs wh
focus on the long-t
that the •enate might need to address the grOwing
pus. Dis ussion of this issue was fairly brief, with
ome "posi ive things" were happening to res1)3ve the
expressed opinions on the issue urged cautich and a consequ nces of'any action that might be :iiken.
Senator Hensley int
as the governing bo
Senate merely "react
university. e pro
order to tran form
First, that t e Sen
Senate commit ees o
that the Facu ty Se
academic year to se
that the Sent ini
faculty membe , is to
Hensley hopedito ad
and the faculty. .0
issues of imp tanc
administrator5l of v
structure of vern
university. her s
not the partib lars
was establishe1 in 1
appropriate cb itte
uced a p
of the u
to the a
sed three
from a r
e's commi
research
te call a
an agenda
ate its o
th monito
ess was t
rently, h
to the fa
ious sort
ce to set
nators co
of the pr
79 or 198
for stud
0
oposal to improve the Faculty Senate's role
iversity. He argued that currentiiy the
inistration rather than leading be
changes in the structure of the Senate in
active to a proactive governing body.
tee structure be revamped and permanent
teaching, and service be created. Second,
convocation at the beginning of each
for the university for the year. Third,
strategic planning committee composed of
and direct this process. The problem
e relationship between the adminiitration
argued, university committees dealing with
ulty are dominated by deans and
; the faculty needed an alternative
a faculty agenda for the direction Df the
ented that they supported the sentiments, if
posal. The committee structure tka: exists
This proposal will be referred t the
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X. ADJO
The Senate adjourned at 4:33 p4m.
Respectfully submitted,
aigtvim AA; /4/
M. Catherine Miller
Secretary 1992-93
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