College of Education Senate
University of Northern Iowa
January 29, 2007
Minutes #354
I. Call to Order
The meeting of the College of Education Senate was called to order at 3:18
P.M. on Monday, January 29, 2007 in the Dean‟s Conference Room in
Schindler Education Center.
Senators in attendance [in bold]
Dave Christensen [At large]
Rod Dieser [At-large]
Dave Else [ELCPE]
Mary Herring [At-large]
Elana Joram [EPF]
Chris Kliewer [SPED]
Kurt Meredith, Chair [C&I]
Rick Vanderwall [TCHG]
Windee Weiss [HPELS]
Robin Lund [At-large]
Alternates
Maribelle Betterton
Susan Hudson
Robert Decker
Donna Douglas
Melissa Heston
Amy Staples
Penny Beed
Michelle Swanson
Kevin Finn
Tom Dompier
Ex-Officio Members in attendance
Guests
Dr. Todd Evans
II. Approval of Minutes of November 20, 2006 [#353]
It was moved by Vanderwall and seconded by Christensen that the
minutes [#353] of the November 20, 2007 meeting be approved as read.
All ayes. Motion carried.
III. Welcome Guests
Meredith welcomed Dr. Todd Evans who has been working on curriculum
issues for the college in recent months.
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IV. Reports/Announcements
A. Update on Dean Search: Meredith stated that the Dean‟s Search
Committee has been formed and is working well. Advertisements have
been placed in various journals and publications. He encouraged
everyone to recruit people who they think might serve the college well.
Letters will be sent to those individuals who have been nominated.
Meredith stated that there are currently about 20 deanal searches
nationwide.
B. Plans Related to College Visit: Meredith reported that President Allen
and Interim Provost Lubker have asked for a „College Visit‟ with each
academic college. The College of Education visit has been scheduled
for February 9th beginning at 2:00 P.M. The schedule will include a 45
minute period where programs from the College of Education will
highlighted; a 45 minute Open Forum and Q&A with all COE faculty
and staff; and a 30 minute meeting with the Dean‟s Leadership.
Meredith asked Senators to be thinking “individually and collectively
within [their] respective departments and units of compelling
questions to ask of the President.”
C. Elections Committee: Vanderwall distributed copies of a draft Call for
Nominations and a description of COE and University committees
showing their functions, membership, etc. He thanked Bartlett for her
work on pulling this information together. He stated that all college
committees are composed of departmental representation. It was
suggested that we might want to post the committee descriptions on
the Web.
Vanderwall stated that it is anticipated we will have the final draft for
Call for Nominations prior to February 1st. After that time, the Call will
then be sent to faculty both in hard copy and by e-mail along with a list
of the committee descriptions attached. He will provide the Senators
by e-mail with the last draft prior to finalizing the ballot. The deadline
for submission of nominations is February 23rd and the final ballot will
then be sent out on March 1st. Vanderwall stated that this year all
voting will be done on MyUNIverse. Faculty will have the opportunity
vote for a period of two weeks. After that time, it will come off
MyUNIverse and the results will be tallied. Vanderwall stated that the
election process is set by the Election Committee. In the past the
winner was the person who received the highest number of votes.
Meredith stated that the college has had some difficulty in recent years
in getting people to run for office and he asked Senators to think about
how we might promote greater participation. He feels this should be
promoted at the departmental level. In addition, he would be willing to
include a letter from the Senate encouraging shared governance. It was
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moved by Else and seconded by Herring to accept the report of the
COE Election Committee. All ayes. Motion carried.
D. Awards: Meredith stated that Dr. Timothy Weih is the 2006-07
recipient of the University Book & Supply Award for Outstanding
Teaching by an untenured faculty member. Unfortunately, there have
been several instances in the past where the College of Education has
had no nominations for upcoming awards. Consequently, we need to
be more proactive in getting COE faculty nominated. Kliewer thinks
this lack of nominations may reflect a lack of morale. However, Heston
feels it may be due partly because faculty members do not want to go
through the nomination process.
V. Old Business
A. Management Team Meetings: Meredith stated that last fall the
Senate passed a resolution encouraging him, as Senate chair, to
reinstate the weekly meetings of the COE Management Team. He
reported that those meetings are now taking place on a weekly
basis. COE department heads and directors were very grateful to
the Senate for that initiative. As we are in a period of transition, it
is anticipated that these weekly meetings will focus on the business
at hand. In addition, they have begun to orchestrate some events;
i.e., the upcoming College Visit by President Allen and Interim
Provost Lubker [discussed in IVB above].
B. Curriculum/Graduate Studies Committee: Todd Evans, Chair of
the COE Curriculum Committee, attended the meeting to give an
update on this process. It started in the early fall with a call for
proposals. At that time Donna Douglas, Linda Nebble, Kim
Knesting, Aaron Spurr, and Amy Staples met to set up a schedule.
The Committee decided to have a hard deadline on applications to
be submitted and met with all five departments to discuss the
proposals. Also, in the past if there was graduate content, then
proposals went through the Graduate Studies Committee. This year
both committees decided to meet at same time in order to save
faculty from meeting with two separate committees. It is
anticipated that it will be continue to be handled this way in the
future. The joint committees looked to determine if courses
overlapped, if proposals were consistent, if there money issues or
additional staff needs, etc. Revisions are now being done. When
those are completed, the Committee will then review to make sure
the needed revisions were made and nothing new was added.
However, there do not seem to be any big issues. Evans stated that
the process seemed to run fairly smoothly this year. Heston asked if
there would be written guidelines on how the process worked in
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order to facilitate action next year. It was moved by Else and
seconded by Heston to formally thank both committees for their
enormous amount of hard work. All ayes. Motion carried.
Bartlett distributed copies of proposals she had received, in
addition to the copies provided previously to Evans and Rob Boody.
Meredith stated that the Senate‟s task now is to review these
proposals for implications for the college. We can also use their
guidelines for our review. After Senate approval, packets will then
go forward in April to the next step. Heston reported that packets
are due to the Provost by mid-May or early June. She also
suggested that the Senate slot 1-2 departments into the agenda each
month to address their proposals. It was decided that the Senate
would begin review of these documents in February and then begin
to set departmental meetings so we can finish by April. Bartlett will
provide each department with a copy of the proposals. Meredith
will review the charge and send it out to everyone for their review.
VI. New Business
A. IRB Discussion: Meredith stated that there have been a series of
ongoing discussions revolving around classroom based action
research. We have experienced a large number of students who
have opted out of research. There was some consensus that it is an
authority issue – students can do the research but they don‟t know
if they have permission until the school year is over. Sue Etscheidt
and John Henning have talked with the Literacy Education group
which has been helpful. One outcome from that conversation was
that this issue should come before the Senate to see if this is a
college-wide issue and should be addressed in a formal way.
B. Research Culture – External Funding Mechanisms: Meredith
stated that there is some evidence that external funding is declining
university-wide and that some COE grants are projected to decline
as well. Christensen questioned if the decline is in the number of
proposals or simply a lack of money? Meredith is unsure, but he
thinks it may be a money issue. The good news is that the College
of Education generates 50% of the grant monies generated on
campus. President Allen has made it one of his top priorities to
increase external funding. Heston feels we need to have a clearer
vision of our goal in terms of where we want the College of
Education to go. The COE Management Team as suggested that a
work group be established to look at the issue of external funding in
order to both promote and support faculty, departments, divisions,
etc. in their effort to seek external funding. As a result, Jill Trainor,
Office of Sponsored Projects, has been asked to attend an upcoming
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Management Team meeting. Meredith questioned how the Senate
feels about establishing a working group to consider these issues.
Vanderwall says it is a visible demonstration that we are „on the
ball‟ in terms of the President‟s vision. In addition, it would
demonstrate that grant writing is a huge job and faculty do not have
the resources; e.g., time, support, money, etc. to focus on this.
Heston questioned what the role of the Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies would be. Herring feels we need to look at collaboration in
terms of getting grants, rather than individual faculty members.
Else questioned what makes up the 50% [monies generated by the
COE] -- are those a few large grants or lots of little ones. Meredith
is uncertain but did know that Camp Adventure is not part of that
percentage. Considerable discussion took place concerning
identifying a group that would look at which grants/contracts
would best serve our purpose/vision/strategic plan. Meredith
would like to see that when a grant is written or funding possible
that the College would be strategic in how it would be implemented.
Else cautioned we need additional time to review this before
making a motion to encourage formation of a working group to
pursue development of a strategy for pursuing external funding.
After some discussion, a motion was made by Heston and seconded
by Else that the Senate send an encouragement to the COE
Management Team to pursue a working group that will examine
strategic ways for the College to move forward in the area of
external funding. All ayes. Motion carried. [Else left at 4:47.]
Heston suggested that a one paragraph descriptor be provided to
the faculty in advance. [Dieser left at 4:52.]
C. Other: None
VII. Upcoming Meeting Dates
February 19, 2007
March 19, 2007
April 16, 2007
VIII. Other Dates to Remember
March 3, 2007
March 12-16, 2007
April 9, 2007
May 5, 2007
Spring T.E. Faculty Meeting
Spring Break
Teacher Induction Convocation
Commencement
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IX. Adjournment
The next meeting of the COE Senate will be held on Monday, February 19,
2007 at 3:15 P.M. in the Dean‟s Conference Room in Schindler Education
Center. It was moved by Else and seconded by Kliewer that the meeting be
adjourned. The meeting was then adjourned at 4:55 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary-Sue Bartlett
:msb
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