EC#19
Approved
March 13, Minutes
Indiana State University
Faculty Senate 2006-07
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Place: Hulman Memorial Student Union 227
Present: Chairperson S. Lamb, Vice Chair B. Evans, Secretary C. Hoffman,
S. Davis, B. Frank, A. Halpern, J. Hughes, M. Miller, T. Mulkey
Ex-Officio: Provost Maynard
Guests: H. Hudson (FAC), C. MacDonald (Grad. Council)
I. Administration Report – Provost Maynard
1) The workshop in Morocco to help establish a quality-assurance (accreditation)
organization for higher education was very successful, attracting 200 participants. The Ministry
of Education is seeking grants to develop the organization, and the ISU College of Education
hopes to attract Moroccan students who will be involved.
2) Nursing + HHP – The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has approved
creation of the proposed college. The original task force will continue to work out issues.
A 12-member search committee (7 or 8 faculty) will be established to select a dean.
3) President Benjamin is in Indianapolis making a budget presentation. On-campus
(internal) budget presentations, by college, will occur April 3-5. Each dean will make a 30minute presentation discussing accomplishments, challenges, and fund-raising efforts, and then
take questions. The deans of Nursing and HHP will make a joint presentation.
II. Chair Report - S. Lamb
Expressed appreciation for assurances by Provost Maynard and the Board of Trustees that the
restructuring of Nursing + HHP will have appropriate faculty governance input.
III. Fifteen Minute Open Discussion -- Points / questions raised:
1) Searches – updates (all updates from Provost):
-- VP for Human Resources: Three candidates have been interviewed. A
recommendation should go to the president soon, following which an offer will be made
and negotiations begun. Anticipated salary range: $120-130K.
-- Faculty: So far 7 offers have been declined, most for salary reasons.
Additional discussion addressed compression and compaction of salaries at ISU.
2) Sabbatical Leaves – update
-- 36 leave proposals submitted
-- 32 approved
The University Leaves Oversight Committee will consider appeals of denials.
Appeal recommendations are due March 31 to the president; final decisions due by April 15.
3) Promotion and Tenure – update
-- No denials of tenure
-- 3 denials of promotion to Full Professor
In all cases of denial (leaves and promotions), Handbook requirements for consultation with
deans, chairs, and department personnel chairs (as appropriate) have been completed.
S. Lamb complimented the provost for his careful and thorough work on promotion and tenure.
4) College of Nursing and Health and Human Services – Further discussion of faculty
governance oversight (primary authority under the purview of CAAC): The provost restated
that the Task Force, chaired by V. Sheets, will continue its work. It was suggested that the
Task Force work closely with governance bodies in Nursing and HHP and that periodic
progress reports to the Exec. Committee and Senate would be most helpful.
5) J. Hughes was asked what he had hoped to accomplish with his letter (published
3/4/07) to the Tribune-Star. He responded that Trustees appear to him not to have acted to
address an obvious problem in the current University leadership, though they have had more than
enough time to do so. Also, he was writing as a private citizen, not as a member of the
faculty or member of University governance. Several members expressed concern with the
published letter, noting that:
-- Trustees and local readers may be unable to distinguish between the private
citizen and the faculty member/Senator/Executive Committee member. Every citizen,
including every faculty member, has a right to express a personal opinion, but in this case
the writer maybe perceived as representing the faculty, particularly faculty governance
leadership.
-- The letter was "not helpful" and may be counterproductive to current efforts
encouraging the Board to resolve our present difficult situation.
IV. Minutes – Minutes #18 (2/27/07): APPROVED (Davis, Frank 9-0-0)
V. Old Business – none
VI New Business
1) FAC – Recommendation re: Students voting on college governing bodies
FAC finds the practice of allowing student members to vote on college governing bodies
to be inconsistent with ISU's Faculty Constitution. Those colleges whose constitutions
stipulate such a practice should be directed to make the necessary revisions to their
documents and submit them for Senate approval."
APPROVED (Halpern, Mulkey 8-0-1)
The Parliamentarian produced the following statement for inclusion in the minutes:
The relevant provision in the University Handbook is Article I, Sec. 3:
“Only tenured and tenure-track members shall be voting members of the University
Faculty.”
It is understood that the voting privileges thus granted pertain to faculty within the colleges
and may be exercised in the context of the respective college governing bodies and
committees. These privileges may also be applied in those instances where faculty vote as a
college or University body.Article VIII Sec. 2 of the University Handbook states that the
constitutions of the colleges must "conform" to the definition of voting members
established in I. 3.Although Article VIII Sec. 3 provides that the “colleges/library shall be
autonomous in matters of internal policy,” the extension of voting privileges to other
groups would go beyond “matters of internal policy,” and therefore be in conflict with the
definition of “voting members” as provided in I. 3.
The word “only” that leads the sentence from I. 3, cited above, excludes all other groups
except tenured and tenure-track faculty members from voting on college governing bodies
and committees. Voting privileges must be explicitly granted; they cannot be assumed to
exist for any group not specifically named in the Handbook.
Therefore, instances in the colleges' governing bodies and committees in which students
(or any other group not specified in I. 3) are given voting privileges are inconsistent with
the University Handbook.
2) Grad. Council -- Recommendation that the Geology MA/MS program be placed on the
"reorganization" rather than the "elimination" list for Program Prioritization.
C. MacDonald was invited to the table. The recommendation states:
This program is currently being reorganized into a track under a broader degree
program, which will be housed in the proposed new department consisting of
Anthropology, Geology, and Ecological and Organismal Biology.
APPROVED (Mulkey, Davis 8-0-1)
3) Academic Integrity – Records and Issues statements to accompany the revised Policy
Minor edits in phrasing. APPROVED (Evans, Hoffman 9-0-0)
The Committee went into executive session (Halpern, Davis 9-0-0).
The Committee came out of executive session (Halpern, Hoffman 9-0-0).
Motion: charge CAAC to investigate whether required processes and procedures concerning the
merger of Government Documents service desk/duties with reference desk/duties, and the
creation of a new Electronic Resources Librarian position, were followed in the recent library
reorganization.
APPROVED (Mulkey, Hughes 9-0-0)
The meeting adjourned at 5:08 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
C. Hoffman, Secretary