Corrections made at October Meeting (in red)
Academic Senate Meeting
Friday, September 26, 2008
Minutes
I.
Call to Order – President Karen Fuss Sommer called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. at the SETB Third Floor
Conference Room.
Senate Members in Attendance
Abrego, Chuey(s) SOE
Arney, Janna Special Asst to VPAA
Arnim, Leslie(s) SHS
Benton, Steve(s) CSMT
Buckler, Kevin (s) CLA
Cantu, Ethel, Associate VPAA
Castillo, Hector Asst VPAA
Celaya, Pat(s) CATGS
Dameron, Charles VPAA
Davis, Bill(s) CLA
Del Rio, Eduardo(s) CLA
Escotet, Miguel A. Dean SOE
Ferrier, Doug, Dean IS
Fossen, Linda Associate VPEP
Fuentes, Angelica(s) CATGS
Fuss-Sommer, Karen*
Garrido Sanabria, Emilio(s) CSMT
Gawenda, Peter, Interim Dean CATGS/CSMT
Gomez, Richard(s) SOE
Heimmermann, Daniel Dean CLA
Heise, Elizabeth*
Hollier, Gerald(s) SCOB
Jones, Irma*
Lacher, Joe(s) SHS
Lefler, Brett(s) CLA
Linder, Eric(s) CSMT
Malki, Mostafa(s) SCOB
Martin, Jose Provost
Martinez, Rosemary VPBA
Morgan, Bobbette*
Nelson, Eldon Dean SHS
Phelps, Cheryl(s) CLA
Shane, Martin Dean SCOB
Smith, Patrick(s) SOE
Tiwana, Bashir(s) PS
Trevino, Annabel(s) PS
Senate Members Absent
Benavides, Jude (s) CSMT
Olbeter, Grant (s) SHS on leave
Lackey, Charles Dean GS
Nelson, Eldon Dean SHS
Guests
Cohen, Christopher Security Analyst
Fuentes-Martin, Mari Dean of Students
II.
Review and Approval of Minutes – There were quite a few corrections to the minutes of June 2008. Minutes
approved as corrected.
III.
Senate President’s Report — Karen Fuss Sommer
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IV.
TSC Board Meeting
o September 8, 2008
o September 17, 2008
FAC Meeting for UT System
Sue Frenzen Franzen– UT System
Student Regent Visit - Mr. Dower
Field Day – October 10, 2008
HOOP Policy Committee needs a chair.
o Taking suggestions for this process.
Committee Reports
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Welfare Committee Report
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V.
i. Steve Benton was elected Chair of the Welfare Committee
ii. Committee will begin taking up issues/concerns from the August Faculty Survey
iii. Committee will be looking at salary, gender and discrimination.
iv. Discussion of faculty parking.
Treasurer’s Report — Elizabeth Heise
i. Distributed shirts to new members
ii. Will meet with Hector Castillo to check on funds for the Welfare Committee Academic Senate
Dual Enrollment Task Force
i. Eduardo Del Rio There will be a meeting of the Dual Enrollment Task Force in a couple of weeks
to continue its work.
Business Affairs Partnership Committee – Elizabeth Heise
i. Elizabeth Heise will attend meeting and report at the next Academic Senate Meeting.
HOOP Policies
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6.4.2 Disciplinary Hearing and Appeals Procedures (Second Reading) Mari Fuentes-Martin ACTION ITEM
Motion for approval passed.
o 1st Motion – Elizabeth Heise / 2nd Motion – Bobbette Morgan
3.10 Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities (First Reading) Mari Fuentes-Martin ACTION ITEM
WAS TABLED AT FIRST READING IN JUNE First reading motion for approval with corrections passed. The
HOOP ad hoc committee consisting of Bill Davis, Patrick Smith and Irma Jones will review the HOOP and
report at the next meeting with any additional amendments or recommendations.
o 1st Motion – Elizabeth Heise / 2nd Motion – Patrick Smith
10.2.14 Information Resources Acceptable Use Policy –Christopher Cohen (Second Reading) ACTION ITEM
TABLED UNTIL FALL 2008 Motion for approval of second reading passed.
o 1st Motion – Steve Benton/ 2nd Motion – Bill Davis
VI.
Old Business
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HOOP Process Committee - The executive officers of the Senate have put together an ad hoc HOOP Process
committee consisting of Bill Davis, Patrick Smith and Irma Jones to review all HOOPs prior to them coming to the
Senate meetings. This will allow thorough review of the policies and will lessen the time spent at the meeting
trying to review and make recommendations at the same time. All senators are still charged with reviewing the
HOOPs but this committee process is to help facilitate changes.
VII.
New Business
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Faculty Priorities for 2008-2009 – A list of issues generated from the faculty survey in August was
distributed by Bobbette Morgan.
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Parking Issue – Better signage needed. Why can the parking permits not be placed in the paycheck stubs in
August? Rosemary Martinez indicated that they can and will be in the future.
i. Discussion with Campus Police regarding parking spaces.
ii. Rosemary Martinez commented on parking areas, ratios, comparisons with other Universities
iii. Send any suggestions to Rosemary Martinez or Domingo Molina
iv. Working to make distant parking spaces free to encourage the use of these spaces
v. Working to develop commuting system for Spring 09.
vi. Richard Gomez commented on signs to yield for pedestrians and asked is there is a plan to
connect parking areas.
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Committee Assignments for 2008 – List of committee assignments was distributed with the minutes. Each
senator needs to bring to the next meeting, nominees to be considered for committee assignments for those
faculty members whose terms have expired this September 2008. Senate failed to appoint new members in May
when the replacements should be appointed.
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Compliance Training Post – Why can the Training Post not contain all mandatory trainings? Rosemary
Martinez indicated that all faculty have to complete some of the trainings in order for the university to be in
compliance. Those trainings that are not required by everyone are not on the Training Post. Why can’t they be
added? Ms. Martinez answered that because it isn’t mandatory for everyone. When asked who is in charge of
making sure that mandatory lab training be monitored for the University to be in compliance, Ms. Martinez
indicated that each individual faculty member had to keep track of that, not the University.
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Calendar Committee
VIII.
Provost’s Report — Dr. Jose Martin
There has been much work since April to address the recommendations we received from the SACS On-Site
Committee, we submitted our response last Tuesday. I want to thank the numerous faculty and staff who
worked through the summer to ensure that we have been able to provide detailed responses to each
recommendation, including a full expansion of our Quality Enhancement Plan called “The Power of Two.” We
believe that we have satisfactorily addressed each of the On-Site Committee’s concerns. In December, at the
annual SACS meeting, we will receive a final evaluation of our report.
Preliminary Report on Enrollment: We are meeting the budget projections. Remember, however, that the
budget was based on drawing $3.1 million from the reserves, which is not sustainable. We need to find ways to
become more effective.
Dr. Juan Iglesias and Dr. Andrea Schwarzberg have submitted a proposal to facilitate the access of lower-division
students to computer forensics and bioinformatics. We received notification that the grant has been approved.
Please congratulate Drs. Iglesias and Schwarzberg if you see them.
Four faculty members in the Department of Modern Languages have received their doctorate this semester: Drs
Mario Davila, Elena Vega Sampayo, Dania Lopez Garcia and Ignacio Rodriguez. This is a great accomplishment for
our individual colleagues and for the department. Please congratulate them if you see them.
Be aware that there is a new legislative initiative- the so-called “Emerging Research Institutions” that would use
state funding to match federal and private funds for research, but only for a select group of “tier one”
institutions.
Two faculty in the School of Business received their doctoral degrees in August: Drs Tom Coyle and Russell
Adams.
Twenty-eight nursing faculty (LVN, AND, BSN and MSN) attended a four-day National League of Nursing Summit
last week in San Antonio, Texas. Professor Leslie Arnim, ADN faculty, passed the National League of Nursing
Certified Nurse Educator Exam this morning. She is the first nurse at UTB to accomplish this and one of only 40
in the State of Texas.
IX.
Announcements
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X.
Next Academic Senate Meeting —October 17, 2008
SETB Third Floor Conference Room
Adjourn - Karen Fuss-Sommer adjourned the meeting at 4:05 p.m.
Note: Welfare Committee meets immediately prior to the Senate meeting.