College of Education Senate
Meeting of October 14, 2011, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
Minutes
Present: Donna Wiseman, Nelly Stromquist, Gary Gottfredson, Jean Snell, Jing Lin, Emily
Grossnickle, Eileen Kramer, Elisa Klein, Christy Corbin, Mike Wisniewski, Noah Drezner,
Kathleen Travers, Wayne Slater, Tim Rogers, Jennifer Sanderson, Frances Kohl (Rebecca
Silverman’s proxy), Elisa Klein, and Jessica Bancroft. Guest: Maggie McLaughlin.
The meeting began at 9:05 a.m.
1. Dean’s Report
Donna mentioned the budget situation and stated that the State of Maryland has shifted from
giving an additional increase of 8% five years ago, to a decrease of 16% in recent years. There
will be no more cuts, but there will be no increases either. As costs go up, there is a decreased
amount of money to spend. We have to rethink and refocus, to reallocate in order to sustain. No
COLA raises can be expected until January 2013. Dr. Loh thinks the recession will not end until
2018-2019. No indication of merit pay or furloughs. We need to plan hiring, replacement, and
retirement. Any resigned position will go to the dean. We may have to give up some lines in
order to take care of the people who are here and for retention of current faculty. We have 106
faculty members, and we will go down to the lower 90s. We have to identify our signature
programs, such as STEM, brain imaging, and those that have high national reputation. In finding
new areas of revenue, we need to expand programs that generate revenue, such as outreach,
summer institutes. On campus, Dan Mote is in charge of innovation and entrepreneurial
initiatives.
President Loh will work on four focus areas: academic excellence, innovation and
entrepreneurship, internationalization, and fulfilling the land-grant mission. By the last, he means
collaboration with China but other deans have stated that the geographical focus must be wider.
Relating to College of Education and responding to the land-grant mission focus, President Loh
wants College Park to become a top-20 college town by 2020. There continue to be discussion
about the merger between UMCP and UMB. There is resistance at UMB and willingness to
merge at UMCP.
Responding to President Loh’s initiative, a charter school serving grades 7-12 will be
established. It will use media and technology to teach in very different ways and will be
established through a partnership with Prince George’s County and “Connections,” a firm that
operates charter schools.
Donna mentioned that is the year of NCATE. We need to have a report in by November 6th.
Steps are in motion to reorganize the teacher education program.
2. Update on MOU on Jr. Faculty Promotion Procedures
Nelly informed the Senate about actions that took place following the Senate letter to the Dean
supporting the protection of junior faculty. The university lawyer and the associate provost came
and met with assistant and associate professors. The university administrators stated that all
tenured faculty members would have the right to vote on decisions to promotion and tenure, but
that the College could establish procedures to ensure that the voting regarding assistant and
associate professors hired under their old departments would be conducted by faculty members
most aligned with the specialization of the candidates. The Dean is drafting guidelines for
departments to consider and will work together with the Senate in their formulation.
3. New UMD APT Criteria
Guest Maggie McLaughlin, associate dean for Academic Affairs, informed the senate that the
new APT criteria put greater emphasis on teaching. Evidence of excellence of teaching will
require a teaching portfolio by the assistant professors. Also, there will be more demands of
evidence of mentorship by both assistant and associate professors. Across the whole campus last
year, 120 faculty members entered the APT process; of these, 23 withdrew, 83 were promoted,
and 7 were denied promotion. Promotion to full professor is considerably more difficult than
promotion to associate professor.
After the College re-organization, the new departments have to develop a policy for appointment
and promotion consistent with the university policy. The current college policy was last
approved in 1996. That needs to be updated. The College APT criteria on the three areas need to
be much more explicit. Maggie wants the senate to work with her to design new criteria for
promotion. Some changes in the APT process require now that the Dean sit in the APT
committee meetings to understand the nature of discussion and concerns. When voting, if there
is an abstention, a reason must be given. If there are issues of concern, they are to be clearly and
directly addressed.
Maggie will do a draft of the new APT criteria and submit to the Senate, while Andre Rupp will
work with the Faculty Development Committee with another draft. Jean suggests Andre should
do data gathering. She called for better representation by department, methodologies, and ranks.
Nelly suggests to receive the report from Andre first and go from there. The Senate will take
action in the spring.
4. Approval of the minutes of September 9, 2011. Approved with two abstentions (due to non
attendance at the last meeting).
5. Feedback from the campus Senate on the COE Plan of Organization
There were recommendations for greater consistency in terminology and clarification of some
governance procedures. Revisions will be made and sent to the University Senate by Oct. 27th.
Jean Snell made the motion for a vote of confidence, seconded by Frances Kohl, to give Gary,
Jean, and Nelly approval to revise the Plan of Organization and re-submit. A vote was taken and
passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 10:54 a.m.
Submitted by Jing Lin.