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Senate
College of Liberal Arts
March 19, 2012
Campus Center, 3rd Fl, Room 3545
Attendance
Senators present:
Bonnie Miller, American Studies, Jose Martinez-Reyes, Anthropology, Corinne Etienne, Applied
Linguistics, Meredith Hoy, Art, Michael Carr, Economics, Stephen Sutherland, English, Maria
Cisterna Gold, Hispanic Studies, Elizabeth McCahill, History, Claudia Esposito, Modern
Languages, David Pruett, Performing Arts, Adam Beresford, Philosophy, Erin O’Brien, Political
Science, Xioagang Deng, Sociology, Armani El Jack, Women’s Studies, Peter Janson,
Performing Arts Department, At-Large, Ex-officio: Emily McDermott, Dean, College of Liberal
Arts, Visitors: Ken Lachlan, Chair, Communications Studies, Alice Carter, Psychology, and
Russell Schutt, Chair, Sociology.
√ 1. Approved agenda unanimously after taking out items 5(d) and 5(i); these course proposals
will be put on the April agenda.
√ 2. Approved minutes of February 13, 2012 unanimously.
√ 3. Moderator’s Report
 Provided an update on the process of enabling a CLA Senator to serve on the Faculty
Council Feasibility Committee for the implementation of the 4:4 system. The Faculty
Council constituted this committee without a CLA member despite the CLA request.
The CLA Senate moderator asked the Faculty council to revisit the issue but the
request was denied: No CLA senator will serve on the committee. The moderator will
provide copy of all relevant email exchange to any senator interested; reactions on
process are welcome.
 Reported that discussion is ongoing regarding the Senate Academic Affairs
Committee’ workload in order set up a more effective process. The current chair of
the committee, Victoria Weston will not be able to serve next year.
√ 4. Dean’s Report
 The Dean described the FY 2012 budget situation which regrettably is still in flux and
reported on changes to previously communicated information
o Freezes are anticipated to carry-forward Department funds in order to secure a
2% backup account for the university (imposed by new president); however it
is anticipated that permanent cuts will not be made.
o It looks as if there will be no cuts to the Department base budget
 The Dean’s office has been asked to prepare budget for AY 2013
 The Dean apologized for this situation and lack of definitive budgetary information
 The FSU has just signed off on a new 2-year contract that will be effective on July 1
o The legislature was allocated funds to cover a yearly 3.5% raise for merits and
cost of living increase that will be applied in installments (July 1 and January
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o Merit evaluation for AY2009-2010 AND 2010-2011 will happen in June and
merits will be paid retroactively
o Salary floors will be raised as of 7/1/12 ($62,000.00 for an assistant
professor; $72,000.00 for an associate professor; $90,000.00 for a full
professor)
o A new entitlement program for faculty travel has been granted: each faculty
will have $1,000.00 available for travel every year provided they comply with
usual requirements (completion of reimbursement form; expenses itemized
with receipts; chair’s signature; documentation that talk was given). ). The
Dean’s office may be able to augment this amount further. NTT faculty are
not included in this FSU negotiated benefit.
o an increase in the salary anomaly fund has been approved from $20,000.00$30,000.00.
Dean McDermott clarified the following matters in response to senators’ questions
o The anomaly pool is intended to readjust salaries when they fall behind
average because of slow raises and competitive salaries offered to new hires;
only faculty members going through formal personnel reviews are eligible and
are automatically considered by the committee
o The Dean is committed to work out a two/two teaching load plan for CLA;
information on progress of this issue will be soon be provided
o NTTs’ salary floors may be discussed by an NTT negotiating committee that
will meet this semester.
A call for new lines requests will be sent in April
The Dean’s Office has been busy recruiting new faculty and we expect to welcome a
large and talented cadre of junior faculty in the fall.
Dean McDermott clarified that when a course is cross-listed, both departments
receive credits for enrollment based on the number of students who enrolled in each
side of the course.
The University General Education Committee examines courses for general education
or distribution requirements, separately from their approval by the CLA Senate.
√ 5. The Senate considered the following motions from the Academic Affairs Committee to
approve the following new graduate courses:
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Econ 670 Environmental & Energy Economics and Econ 675 Economics of
Renewables were approved unanimously as a block; cross listing will be handled
separately.
PSYCLN613 Lifespan Psychopathology was approved unanimously.
Soc 606 Social Semiotics & Cultural Analysis, Soc 643 Immigration Policy, Soc
644 Gender, Ethnicity & Migration, Soc 645 Sociology of Migration, and Soc 692
Communities and Crime were approved with the friendly amendment to correct
spelling mistakes in course descriptions
√ 6. The Senate considered the following motions from the Academic Affairs Committee to
approve the following new undergraduate courses:
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Econ415 Economic Demography was unanimously approved
Sociology 365 Victimology was unanimously approved with a friendly amendment: the
course description on The One Form needs to be aligned with syllabus course description
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ComStu200 New Media Society, ComStu205 Communication Research Methods,
ComStu220 Interpersonal Communication, ComStu225 Relational Communication,
ComStu230 Intercultural Communication, ComStu240 Organizational Communication,
ComStu260 Psychological Effects of Mass Media, ComStu270 Campaign Design and
Analysis were unanimously approved as a block
√ 7. Motion to approve changes in Econ MA Program was unanimously approved after
Department representative clarified that the requested change was a change of requirements only
and did not involve any request for approving a new course because the additional course
required will be taken in another department and has thus already been approved.
The request for a variable credit course is provisionally approved provided the Department
submitted the duly completed one form to the SEC; the proposal will then be submitted to the
dean directly.
√ 8. Alice Carter from Psychology presented changes to the degree requirements for the PSYCLN
Ph.D.: changes were unanimously approved.
√ 9. Motion to approve the PhD program in Sociology was passed unanimously.
There was a follow-up question about the counting of the tuition of admitted students as revenue
given that these students will have their tuition waived as part of their assistantships, and the
Sociology department has agreed to look into this matter to make sure the proposed budget is
correct.
√ 10 New Business:
The Economics Department has raised an issue about the Registrar's recent enforcement of the
"double-counting" rule that has created problems for students double-majoring in Economics and
Management. This issue has already come before the SEC, and we are currently in the
information-gathering stage. Senators are asked to let the Moderator know if their departments
also have concerns about this issue. The content and application of the "double-counting" rule is
likely to come before the Senate at a later date.
The Sociology PhD proposal shows that there are a lot of partnerships available to sustain the
new program, there was also a suggestion for them to reach out to other Departments within the
University who would also gladly partner with the program and would probably want to teach
some graduate courses as well.
√ Meeting adjourned at 4pm.
Minutes submitted by Corinne Etienne, Applied Linguistics.