MINUTES
Faculty Congress Meeting
November 19, 2010
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. UCB-127
Members present: B. Leonard (Chair), E. DePillis, B. Bays, A. Jacobs, J. Ippolito, K. Commendador, R.
Mendoza, S. Luangphinith, G. Tan, R. Figueroa-Centeno, Y. Qin, N. Arancon, J. Beets,
E. Stacy, S. Marusek and Y. Ohara, F. McCormack, K. Kawai’ae’a
Members absent: K. Stacey, N. Stahl, S. Shehata,
Guests present: M. Sakai, A. Komonaka-Scazzola, J. Pualani Johnson, D. Brown, K. Simmons, K. Daub, D.
Fitzsimmons, R. Hirokawa, K. Morris, P. Castille, K. Hayashi, K. Fuhrman, L. Brown (student)
I.
Report from Chair
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II.
Motion to approve minutes from 10/22/10 meeting. Motion approved by
acclamation.
B. Leonard noted the recent meeting of the All-Campus Council of Faculty Senate
Chairs (ACCFSC) attended with K. Kawai’ae’a.
o She discussed meeting with David Lassner, V.P. for UH System Information Technology
concerning the Distributed Learning Advisory Committee. Need to have system-wide
statement of policy for issues such as who will proctor exams, maintain equipment, etc.
If faculty have questions or concerns about distributed learning, please contact B.
Leonard so that they can be forwarded to the committee.
o There was also a discussion of migrating university email service to Gmail. D. Lassner
stated at that meeting those who choose to stay with the current email system may do
so, but these servers will not be fixed when they break down.
o D. Lassner also discussed recent security break of student emails on an unsecured
website. A Facebook page has been set up by the victims. B. Leonard noted the
university needs to update our procedures used for student hiring as it uses social
security numbers.
o K. Kawai’ae’a reported on discussion about the international engagement document and
areas for improvement. She noted that there was some agreement that sending forward
some strategic suggestions that strengthen the understanding of the focus around the
Pacific and Oceania and some of the areas serving indigenous institutions and indigenous
knowledge. Five principles were shared in the document giving support and autonomy to
our universities and colleges in terms of international initiatives. It was suggested that a
website be developed at the system level with information demonstrating how
international engagement is being done by campuses. B. Leonard said that the ACCFSC
will draft a statement of recommendations for the committee.
General Education Committee
The General Education Implementation Team was been asked to report on implementation of the new General
Education Curriculum, specifically addressing three questions outlined in the agenda of this Faculty Congress
meeting:
1) Has the team worked out a way to allow students who enroll in the fall to take "any" certified General
Education course during their time here at UHH, without limiting them to "only" those courses certified
when they first select a major or if they choose to select the most current catalogue when they graduate?
(This will help our students graduate in a more timely manner.)
2) Has the team come up with a plan to provide incentives to faculty and departments to offer more
General Education courses? (e.g., provide TAs to large enrollment courses certified for Gen Ed.)
3) Has the team a plan in place to ensure that our incoming Freshmen are able to take Eng 100 in their
first year at UHH? (Do we have enough sections and faculty to offer these sections?)
April Komenaka, GEIT liaison to Congress’ General Education Committee, read from the report GEIT Progress
Report to the Congress (November 19, 2010). She noted the two attachments, General Education Transfer and
Catalog Choice and Retroactivity, policies approved by the Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs.
Vice-Chancellor Castille noted that the GEIT Committee has not had a chance to formally address Congress’ three
specific questions, but that he would try to state at this time what he believes would be the answers, one being
to offer students the opportunity to split catalogs (per attachment Catalog Choice and Retroactivity).
B. Leonard asked if incoming freshmen, beginning in fall semester 2011 under the new GE catalog, will be
constrained only to courses certified at that time.
Vice-Chancellor Castille responded that incoming full-time freshmen with no college credits will start off with GE
courses certified at that time. And as more GE courses are certified, these courses can be retroactively applied.
However, the issue is still being discussed with the GE Committee because of uncertainty with the technical
implementation within STAR. This can be done by a program modification with student advisor signature, but it
is not 100% certain what can be programmed as a shifting number of certified courses. Questions remain about
whether we need to wait a year to add new courses or if some can be recognized as the year moves on.
R. Figueroa-Centano mentioned that the GE certified list should grow, not lose courses and was concerned that
program modification paperwork would become standard procedure.
K. Comendador, mentioned a concern from her department that nursing students will have to take 7 extra credits
to graduate since 15 required natural science credits are not GE certified. Vice-Chancellor Castille agreed this is a
problem and responded that GEIT has a list of majors affected by this issue (most in Natural Sciences) of not
having enough certified courses. In response to Congress’ question 2 on the agenda for GEIT, he has discussed
this with the Chancellor, though specifically creating a plan to provide incentives to offer more courses is not part
of GEIT’s charge.
Other points of discussion from Congress members and guests included concerns about whether or not advanced
courses should trump lower-level courses as well as the issue of not letting technical programming issues drive
policy.
J. Ippolito added that there is a problem of departments not submitting courses for GE certification because of
possible over-enrollment. E. Stacey, GE Committee Chair, confirmed these problems with big natural sciences
courses and believes the recent approved motion from Congress requesting teaching assistants will help to
resolve this issue.
R. Figueroa-Centano, Academic Policy Committee Chair, requested a GE policy in writing from Vice-Chancellor
Castille and expressed his concern about the fact that his committee had not seen the presented policies on GE
transfer and Catalog Choice and Retroactivity before this meeting of Congress.
K. Commendador asked how to counsel students for fall 2011 on issue of insufficient amount of natural science
GE certified courses.
III.
Admissions Committee
B. Leonard asked GEIT to comment on availability of English courses for the next fall semester. Vice-Chancellor
Castille responded that it is not a charge of GEIT but rather EMIT who is working hard to make sure that
adequate seats and more funding for an additional instructor position are available. S. Luangphinith added that
the English Department should be given advance notice of the number of seats required.
B. Leonard reported that faculty comments to FCEC give the impression that there’s no problem assigning an
English class for incoming freshman but that assigning electives is the problem. S. Marusek passed around a
folder of written comments from faculty requesting reconsideration of the EMIT proposal on pre-built schedules.
Vice-Chancellor Castille added that there was a variety of feedback from colleges which depended on the size of
their programs. EMIT is looking at changing the number of required pre-built credits as well as a mandatory add
period.
R. Hirokawa reported that Social Sciences Chairs are telling him that pre-built schedule must tell freshman the
proper track to graduation. EMIT must listen to what departments are saying, as they know what’s best for
students in the first year to have them graduate on time. J. Ippolito agreed that the feedback supports the idea
that EMIT is not reflecting the wishes of departments and she proposed having a guaranteed schedule for only 9
hours as it may push students to add additional credits. E. Stacey asked if pre-built schedules should vary in the
number of credits per program.
L. Brown (Student) commented that college is a huge investment and students should be totally free to choose all
their own courses. J. Ippolito responded that the main problem is that freshmen trying to register cannot get
into the courses they need. She again proposed the idea of guaranteeing a few courses but leaving others to
choose from. Students can still drop pre-built courses if they want to. K. Kawai’ae’a added that her college is not
against the idea, but other variables like enough classroom space need to be considered when implementing prebuilt schedules.
R. Figueroa-Centeno proposed the following motion with an agreed amendment from J. Ippolito:
MOTION: Faculty Congress encourages EMIT to have departments choose the core courses for prebuilt schedules for incoming freshmen relevant to majors (but not GE courses which would be
selected by some larger body).
VOTE: 4 approved, 11 opposed, 1 abstention. MOTION FAILS
S. Marusek proposed a new motion:
MOTION: Faculty Congress recommends that the EMIT Committee advise departments to pre-build
incoming freshmen schedules on only the English and Math General Education requirements and
those courses needed for the major.
The rationale is that students should be allowed to choose their own General Education courses when they have
alternatives. This motion was discussed. A possible alternative was suggested: Faculty Congress recommends
that EMIT confine its pre-built schedules to the needs of each department pertaining to their major-specific
courses. A. Jacobs expressed concern about excluding GE from pre-built schedules. S. Luangphinith asked if
departments can come up with a schedule of system requirements plus courses needed to satisfy specific majors.
J. Ippolito proposed a motion to table the current motion. The vote was a tie, broken by the Chair voting against
tabling.
B. Leonard called for a vote on the current motion.
Motion: Faculty Congress recommends that the EMIT Committee advise departments to pre-build
incoming freshmen schedules on only the English and Math General Education requirements and
those courses needed for the major.
VOTE: 12 approved, 3 opposed, 1 abstention. MOTION PASSES
IV.
Assessment Committee
Motion to approve new members to the Assessment Committee: Susan Brown and Errol Yudko. Motion
approved by acclamation.
V.
Academic Policy Committee
Motion to approve new members to the Academic Policy Committee: Kale Langlas, Bruce Mathews and James
Kamaka Pili (student representative). R. Mendoza objected to process for selecting student representative.
Motion amended to approve only faculty members at this time. Motion approved by acclamation.
VI.
Curriculum Review Committee
An updated Curriculum Central log and report on CCRC activities was given by J. Ippolito, Chair, which outlined all
forthcoming new or modified course and program proposals that need to be reviewed by the CCRC. B. Leonard
asks that Jean share committee comments and details before next FC meeting. J. Ippolito added that she would
like to put committee comments and votes on the Faculty Congress website before the next meeting.
R. Figueroa-Centeno recommended the need for a person, representing each considered program, present a brief
executive summary to Congress. Vice-Chancellor Castille noted that ATP programs don’t need BOR approval,
therefore do not need to be voted on by Faculty Congress.
J. Ippolito suggested that Faculty Congress vote on BOR approval programs but only discuss non-BOR programs.
B. Leonard clarified that the Faculty Congress vote is only a recommendation to the Chancellor on whether or not
to approve the program regardless of BOR approval needed. She added that the Faculty Congress Executive
Committee will send emails out asking persons to present program summaries at the next Faculty Congress
meeting.
VII.
Report from the Graduate Council liaison
A.Jacobs distributed a handout on the status of efforts by the Graduate Council Subcommittee on Impact to
define the impact of the proposed DPT (Physical Therapy) program on the campus and would like any feedback.
B. Leonard asked if the Graduate Council is prioritizing new programs. K. Morris added that the timeframe is not
realistic for all new programs without adequate lead time for consideration. Some programs are time critical due
to funding situation. These new programs will be discussed at the December Faculty Congress meeting.
VIII.
Miscellaneous
Vice-Chancellor Fitzsimmons distributed three handouts to Faculty Congress members: A memorandum on
information regarding AED/Defibrillators on the UHH campus, a memorandum on information regarding
synchronous clocks and campus-wide emergency notification system, and copies of the daily public crime log
from campus security.
MEETING AJOURNED 5:15pm