Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
October 9, 2013
Professor Nelson called the meeting to order at 2:35 PM
Present: Professors Candice Nelson, Lacey Wootton, Barlow Burke, Daniel Abraham, Joseph
Graf, John Douglass, Todd Eisenstadt, Artur Elezi, Larry Engel, Bryan Fantie, John Heywood,
Alex Hodges, Iris Krasnow, Jun Lu, Gwanhoo Lee, Stacey Marien, Glenn Moomau, John Nolan,
Arturo Porzecanski, Gemma Puglisi, Chris Simpson, Matthew Taylor, Elizabeth Worden,
Provost Scott Bass, Dean Phyllis Peres.
Chair’s Report – Candy Nelson
Professor Nelson welcomed everyone to the meeting. She thanked all senators who would be
attending the Leadership retreat on October 11, 2013 and who have volunteered to facilitate
sessions at the retreat. The committee is absolutely serious about individuals bringing their lap
tops, Ipads, smart phones as this will be a very interactive retreat with many opportunities
throughout the day to comment on everything that is going on.
Professor Nelson updated the senate on the status of the Emergency Care Provider. She stated
that the committee met with the two finalists a couple of weeks ago. They are very close in the
bids presented. The committee asked for additional information and should make a decision in a
couple of weeks. Hopefully, if all goes well the service will be available at the beginning of
2014.
Provost’s Report – Scott Bass
Provost Bass stated that each year in the fall the Board of Trustees has a retreat which includes
senate leadership. This year the presentation was from the Education Advisory Board, (EAB) on
“Trends in Higher Education.” Chris Miller, who is the Executive Director of the EAB did a
superb job. Provost Bass stated that he followed with a presentation that indicated what AU had
already done is in the forefront around the country and stated that there is not a single area that
has not been explored by AU already. The Provost stated that the board members left with a
better understanding of how complicated the work is that the university has to do and that their
businesses are so completely different. One board member stated that now he understands where
the university is now and what the university has done. He also better understands the issues of
financing in higher education. The university is in a very solid state and we are headed towards
innovation in higher education.
Provost Bass stated that a draft of the full Middle States report will be distributed in the next
week. There will be an onsite visit on October 24, 2013 from the chair of the committee, Provost
Eric Spina who is the current Interim Chancellor and President at Syracuse University. The
major visit will be in the spring. The report will be issued to the community for comments.
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Robert Blecker and Karen Froslid Jones are the co-chairs for the committee and have done a
tremendous job.
Provost Bass also stated his concerns on retention. The freshmen to sophomore number is down
1.5% from last year. There will be a lot of analysis done to determine if it is the students that are
traditionally more vulnerable. The information will be gathered, analyzed and presented in the
next few weeks. The initial data will be gathered from students that are no longer at the
university. The challenge of diversity and inclusion is twofold. It’s not just about admitting and
welcoming students, it’s being an inclusive setting that provides the financial, social and
academic support. This will all be looked at so the university can find ways to better serve the
students and find ways to reach students that are at risk. Something to talk with and encourage
your colleagues to look for is the “early warning system.” The system entails notifying the
advisor at week seven of any students that are at risk. Provost Bass stated that this system will be
looked at to see if it is too late. The hope is to determine when communication will be effective.
Provost Bass provided the senators with the agenda for the October 11, 2013 Leadership Retreat.
He stated that this program is going to be very intuitive and the theme is “are we demanding
enough and are we providing enough?” The keynote speaker will be Ashley Finley from the
American Association of Colleges and Universities. Time will be spent on the report on
quantitative preparation at AU. We have heard from some alumni that they do not feel they are
prepared when they leave the university or go to graduate school with this skill. Additionally,
there will be a writing panel presentation. The university has partnered with the Educational
Testing Service to work with AU to look at writing in the various specializations and find ways
to assess this and improve the students’ performance levels.
Faculty Senate Oversight of Student Athletes – Candy Nelson
Professor Nelson stated that the new language presented for the Senate by-laws is to replace the
previous process performed by the Committee on Student Learning and Academic Engagement
which is no longer in existence. The language is to meet the expectations of the NCAA and
fulfill the oversight by the Senate of the athletes’ academics. The senate VOTED and approved
the language unanimously.
Senate By-Law Changes – Lacey Wootton
Professor Wotton stated that the review of the by-laws was to organize the structure of the
committees to be similar and to make them easier to compare, clean up language that is no longer
in practice and to clarify some things that did not make sense. After meeting with Lyn Stallings
and reviewing the changes with the Executive Committee these changes are the result of all those
meetings.
•
Article I. Powers and Jurisdiction of the Senate: Moved the process to fill vacancies
that occur over the summer under the Executive Committee.
•
Article II. Membership: Removed the number of senate members since it can change
depending on the appointment of the vice chair. If the vice chair is appointed while in the
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first year of their two year term the membership number is 24 but if they are appointed in
their second year of term, their seat will be filled making the membership 25.
•
Article II. Membership: Clarification of the language was made for the committees and
either the chair or the chair’s designee representation on the senate. The language was
moved from each committee and placed in the membership paragraph.
•
Article III, Officers of the Senate: (B) Language clarification of the Vice Chair and
their continued representation if their term has not expired. The Executive Committee
will nominate someone if no current senator is able to be vice chair. The senate will
confirm this nominee (C) Removal of sentence, “ The immediate Past Chair will resume
his or her representative role” as this was not possible.
•
Article IV. Non-Voting Participants and Observers: Removal of the Dean of
Academic Affairs because she/he is specified already in Article II A. Membership, so
this was removed because of duplication.
•
Article VI. Agenda and Conduct of Meetings: (A) Removed “roll call” because this is
not the practice. (B) Language was changed to meet the current schedule that the senate is
now using. Changed the deadline for submission of documents for the Executive
Committee meeting from fifteen days to seven. (E) Distribution of the agenda and
handouts will be one week prior to the Senate meeting. It was requested to include
language that materials will be sent to all faculty (F) Clarification of the chair’s role
when there is a tie. “The Chair’s position will prevail.”
•
Article VIII. Access to Records of the Senate: Language was updated to reflect that
there will no longer be hard copy books of the senate agenda and minutes and that digital
copies of all information will be available on the senate web site as well as in the
university archives.
•
Article IX. Committees and Functions: Clarification of language to reflect the
relationship of the Executive Committee, the Senate and the Senate committees. (A)
Executive Committee, Language was written to clarify how appointments are made to
the Executive Committee. Language explaining how vacancies are filled on the senate
was moved from the vacancies section at the end of the by-laws to the end of the
Executive Committee paragraph to provide clarification of the process. (1)
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, changes in organization of general
information of committee process to be consistent with all other committees. Further
language was edited to reflect current process of this committee. (2) Graduate
Curriculum Committee, changes were made to reflect the same changes in organization
and process as the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. (3) Committee on Faculty
Actions, due to Faculty Manual changes from last year language was added that term
faculty on multi-year contracts can participate in the vote to elect the members from their
unit. Organizational changes were made to match the previous committees. New
language was added to clarify ineligibility or recusion of a member who will be going up
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for promotion during their term. It was requested to clarify the process for re-election of a
person who can no longer serve. This item will be taken back to the Executive Committee
for review. Additional language was added to include the changes from the Faculty
Manual last year for the CFA to review a term faculty file in the event of a disagreement
between a teaching unit and its dean. (4) Committee on Academic Budget and
Benefits, organizational changes only. (5) Committee on Information Services,
organizational changes only. (6) Committee on Learning Assessment, organizational
changes only. (C) Special and Advisory Committees: (1) Committee on Faculty
Grievances, organizational changes as well as the addition from the Faculty Manual of
term-faculty voting for the Grievance Committee membership. (2) Faculty Hearing
Committee, sentence deleted, “it is also used to hear cases of a formal complaint of
sexual harassment or violation of research integrity.” This is not handled by the hearing
committee. Language added to allow term-faculty to vote for Hearing Committee
members. (B) Committee on General Education, The description of the committee
charge did not exist so a new description has been updated. Some deletions where made
of repetitive language. The addition of the new membership language approved by the
senate last year was added.
Professor Abraham stated that he felt that it was still unclear as to who manages the
committee and has the final approval. He stated that he felt that the current language is
unclear as to who the final decision maker is. Will the Senate review and approve
proposals before they go to the Provost?
Professor Nelson stated that she would recommend getting the chairs of the UCC, GCC,
the head of the honors program and Gen Ed together to go over this issue and come back
with revised language. All agreed.
Article X. Eligibility for, Nominations and Elections to the Senate and Its
Committees, (A) Language was added to reflect the changes made in the Faculty Manual
to add term and Multi-year faculty to vote for members on the Committee on Faculty
Actions and Committee on Faculty Grievances. (E) Vacancies, Language was added to
match the change of the Executive Committee managing vacancies as stated in Article
IX. A. Additional organizational changes were made.
Article XI. Authority of the Senate During the Summer Recess, Change of the title to
“Additional Authority of the Senate” to reflect the practice that there is no recess for the
summer. Additional summer language is being worked on for this section and will be
brought back to the senate.
Professor Wootton stated that the following sections will be revised and brought back to
the senate for further discussion;
a. Article IV Agenda and Conduct – Three minute rule
b. Article IX. Committees and Functions B. 3 Committee on Faculty Actions,
Clarification on the language of replacements if someone has to step down
from their position. Election or dean appointment. (C) 3. Committee on
General Education, (4) Honors Advisory Committee, Revised language
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c. Article XI. Authority of the Senate During the Summer, Revised language
Professor Nelson asked the senate to vote on the by-law changes that the senate did agree on
excluding the four areas that will be brought back for discussion. The Senators VOTED, 20 in
favor, 2 abstentions and 0 apposed. The changes were passed.
For the Good of the Order – Candice Nelson
Professor Simpson asked about the procedure for bringing proposals to the senate floor from the
Committee on Information Services. Professor Nelson explained to have them to the Executive
Committee one week before their next meeting for consideration and then if no revisions will
move forward to the next senate meeting.
Professor Nelson introduced Professor Joe Graf who will be representing the Committee on
Learning Assessment.
Professor Engel stated that there is still time to register for the Department of Energy 2013 Solar
Decathlon. He requested that everyone vote for Lot 115. He stated that the students have done
great work and hopes that they are winners.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 PM
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