Minutes of the Faculty Senate Meeting
October 9, 2000
Senators present: David Balaam, William Breitenbach, Terry Cooney, Connie Hale, William Haltom, Jim
Harwood (new student Senator), Suzanne Holland, Martin Jackson, Christine Kline, Juli McGruder, Ryan
Mello, George Tomlin, Keith Ward, Peter Wimberger
Visitors: Alyce DeMarais, Alexandra Peterson
Senate came to order at 4:03 PM.
Senator Ward’s minutes from the meeting of 9/25/00 were accepted with minor amendments.
Announcements
Senator Holland expressed an interest in the Senate discussing extending domestic partner benefits
beyond health care to include education.
Alexandra Peterson informed the Senate that her interest in advocating for a university-run day care
center has led her to the issues of liability and the level of staff training. Her next step is to form a support
network of faculty/staff/students with children. Interested persons were asked to contact her at
abpeterson@ups.edu or via the sophomore class senator box in the student center.
Connie Hale announced that the recent report on instructors can be reached via a link from her personal
web page.
Business- Committee Charges
Note: Charges ultimately passed are numbered with a close parenthesis and bolded.
1. Curriculum Committee- The six proposed charges for the 2000/2001 committee submitted by Steve
Neshyba, chair, (slightly revised from the committee's end of year report) were
1) Conduct quinquennial departmental and program curriculum reviews
2) Set the academic calendar through 2004-2005
3) Review proposed courses for the core
4) Complete fallow-year review of the core and review alternatives to fallow-year review process
5) Review work of task forces on the (proposed) new core and prepare core curriculum package
for the Senate
6) Conduct other business related to the implementation of the (proposed) new core
It was M/S/P unanimously to accept these six charges for the curriculum committee.
2. Library, Media & Academic Computing Committee- Associate Dean Bill Barry submitted two proposed
charges for Mark Reinitz, chair, which were
1) Serve as advisory body for OIS and Library on such issues as computer resources for students,
library book budget formula for departments, journal allocations, etc.
2) Develop instrument for assessment of use of technology in the classroom.
Senators discussed a possible third charge for the committee to re-examine its role, since it often serves
more as a disseminator of information rather than in an advisory capacity to OIS and the library. All who
spoke agreed this activity could be worthwhile. Senator McGruder asked whether the second charge
included assessing the pedagogical value of technology in the classroom, which Associate Dean Barry
affirmed. The third charge was then put forward as
3) For LMACC to review charges to the committee under the By-laws and make appropriate
recommendations
It was M/S/P unanimously to accept these three charges for the Library, Media & Academic
Computing Committee.
3. Student Life Committee- Dean Bartanen requested that the Senate affirm the two proposed charges
from the committee's spring 2000 final report, which were
1) That the SLC continue to examine the Integrity Code regarding internal inconsistencies and potential
ambiguity
2) That the SLC examine student access to, and organization of, information regarding campus
life
Chair Haltom inquired as to whether the Integrity Code takes "fundamental fairness" into account. As he
judged the printed words of the Code, the Integrity Code Board could make a decision in a case, only to
have that decision ignored in the final administrative disposition of the case. Senator McGruder
expressed a worry about the intrusiveness of the off-campus scope of the Code, for example, if faculty
are renting to students.
If was then M/S/P to amend charge (1) to
1) That the SLC continue to examine the Integrity Code regarding internal inconsistencies and
potential ambiguity and the fundamental fairness of implementation procedures.
Then it was M/S/P that both charges be affirmed as amended.
Senator Wimberger asked if the SLC intends to analyze the Integrity Code and the Academic Honesty
Code for consistency. Dean Bartanen replied no, the committee has plenty to do already this year.
At this point Senator Holland asked which Senate committee would examine the extension of education
benefits to non-married partners. Dean Cooney replied that the Faculty Salary committee has examined
benefits issues in the past (though they are not a standing committee of the Senate). Senators McGruder
and Wimberger expressed support for the proposal. Chair Haltom agreed to contact the Salary committee
and find out whether the matter needs to go through the Senate or could be brought to them directly by a
faculty person. Senator Holland said she would prefer that the Senate discuss the matter and send it on
as warranted.
4. Institutional Review Board- The four charges from their final report were
1) That the IRB continue to monitor protocols and maintain and manage records for research
involving human subjects
2) That the IRB upgrade and refine the IRB Web Page with information appropriate for student
and faculty researchers
3) That the IRB, in concert with IRB department designates, develop a system of outreach and
education that promotes IRB review as an integral part of the research-planning process
4) That the IRB report on changes to Thompson Hall related to animal care
Visitor Alyce DeMarais informed the Senate that animal research proposals to the National Science
Foundation require the approval of an institutional animal care and use committee on research with
vertebrate animals. She said the IRB has been reluctant to serve as that committee, but that we should
do everything we can to show that humane research is conducted here. Dean Cooney reminded the
Senate that the By-Laws do charge the IRB with responsibility for overseeing human and animal
research. Senator Wimberger recalled that last year in the Senate the IRB testified that what they
currently do is sufficient, but he agreed with Dr. DeMarais that in light of the NSF requirement, it was not.
Senator Kline suggested the Senate so charge the IRB. Senator Wimberger therefore
M/S/P to amend the fourth charge to the IRB to be
4) that the IRB establish an animal care and use subcommittee that conforms to the NIH
guidelines entitled, "Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
(revised Sep. 1986; reprinted Mar., 1996)"
Senator McGruder M/S/P to amend this amended charge to add "The Senate requests that the IRB
address charge #4 post haste."
The four charges to the IRB, as amended, were then M/S/P.
5. Academic Standards Committee- The ASC requested five charges in their end-of-year report
1) That the ASC review the Pass/Fail system, its uses and implications
2) That the ASC review the new Emergency Administrative Withdrawal Policy
3) That the ASC review 2000-2001 requests for transfer credit for distance learning courses
4) That the ASC review the course repeat policy
5) That the ASC review the process of approval of courses accepted in transfer. Should
departments periodically review all course equivalencies used by evaluators in bringing in
transfer credit?
After a few clarifications, it was M/S/P to charge the ASC with these five items.
6. University Enrichment Committee had requested no charges in its annual report.
Senator McGruder M/S/P that the UEC consider the extension of university research and
conference presentation funds to faculty in the rank of instructor in their first three years of
service.
Senator Mello asked what the UEC policy was on requests for student conference presentation after the
November deadline. Chair Haltom advised him to check with Dean Finney; the Senate could always
charge the UEC later.
The Secretary of the Senate was then asked by the Chair to report the order of vote-totals from most to
least for the six candidates whose names were sent to Dean Cooney after last spring's final ballot for the
Faculty Advancement Committee. Senator Hale read
Anne Wood, Hans Ostrom, Karl Fields, Juli McGruder, Terry Mace, Michele Birnbaum
Dean Cooney commented that the By-Laws specify that the Dean must select from those elected so as to
avoid having two members from the same department on the FAC. Senator Holland requested that this
condition be printed on future FAC ballots, and the Chair then asked the Secretary to do so.
Jim Harwood was introduced as the new student member of the Faculty Senate.
As applause subsided, it was M/S/P to adjourn at 5:27.
Respectfully submitted,
George Tomlin
10/23/00