Larry G. Pagel, Chair
Tim Hilton, Vice Chair
Mark Shevy, Secretary
Meeting of the Academic Senate
Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 3:05 p.m.
Ontario Room, University Center
DRAFT MINUTES
Present:
Larry Pagel, (Chair), Tim Hilton (Vice Chair), Mark Shevy (Secretary), Paul Lang
(Provost), Ron Sundell (AAUP Liaison), Randy Appleton (Member at Large), Linda
Lawton (Member at Large), Rachel Nye (Member at Large), David Boe (Past Chair),
Jonathan Allen, Derek Anderson, Mike Broadway, Brian Cherry, Zac Cogley, Dave
Donovan, Peter Goodrich, Jill Leanord, Marguerite Moore, Mitsutoshi Oba, Glenna
Pendleton, Cale Polkinghorne, Dave Prychitko, Robert Quinn, Jamal Rashed, Nancy
Redfern, Marty Reinhardt, Bruce Sarjeant, Marge Sklar, Carol Strauss, Mary Jane
Tremethick, Darlene Walch, Harvey Wallace, Kevin Waters, Bitsy Wedin.
Absent:
Richard Eathorn, Robbie Goodrich, John MacDevitt, Russell Magnaghi, Donald
Marquardt, JoAnna Perucco, ASNMU
Guests:
Brent Graves, Dale Kapla, Andy Poe, Robert Winn, David Wood
I.
Call to Order 3:05 p.m.
II.
Additions to/Adoption of Agenda
III.
Approval of Draft Minutes of Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Minutes approved.
IV.
Presentation by Robert Winn and David Wood.
V.
Reports:
A. Chair
No report
B. Vice Chair
No report
C. Secretary
No report
D. Provost
No report
E. ASNMU
Not in attendance
F. GPC Report (Reassigned Time Award Rankings—For Information Only)
G. Graduation List for Fall 2012 (First Reading)
i. Motion to accept the list for first reading: D. Donovan, 2nd: Z. Cogley. A
question was raised of whether all the graduates are listed.
H. EXSEN Report: Liberal Studies Reform Task Force Recommendations to Provost
(First Reading)
i. David Wood and Robert Winn gave a PowerPoint presentation that
highlighted information from the “Phase I Task Force Recommendation”
PDF sent to Academic Senate members several days beforehand. The task
force recommended changing the name of the liberal studies program to
“General Education,” creating a new position called the “Dean of General
Education and University Programs,” and creating a “General Education
Council” to oversee and assess NMU’s liberal studies program. The
rationale for the formation of the council includes perspectives from the
faculty, the Registrar, accreditors, and peer institutions, which indicate
that NMU’s current method of overseeing and assessing liberal studies
(called “General Education” at most other universities) is an anomaly that
risks failing accreditation and does not adequately serve students.
ii. Questions and minor discussion included the following: Z.Cogley asked
why the formation of the council and not one of the other phases is the
first phase. D. Wood and P. Lang answered that the Higher Learning
Commission and others have observed our current inability to manage
the program, so the reasonable first step is to create a structure that has
that ability. M. Reinhardt asked about world cultures courses. R. Winn
and D. Wood answered that world cultures is an integral part of liberal
studies and has been acknowledged from the beginning of the task force.
T. Hilton asked whether it would be better to base the composition of the
council upon areas of expertise (e.g., a natural sciences professor to
judge whether courses meet the objectives for the natural science
division) rather than based upon college. Wood answered that at-large
members on the council can serve this purpose, but also, students should
be able to understand how the objectives of any course mesh with the
objectives of a division, so any faculty member should be able to
understand this as well.
A number of senators asked whether the proposed size of the council
was large enough to assess the large number of liberal studies courses,
and whether council members would receive release time. Answers
stated that courses would be assessed on a 5-year cycle, so no more than
one-fifth of the courses would be assessed per year. The Honors Program
successfully uses such a cycle. Courses that already clearly meet the
objectives of their division would not require much time. Courses that do
not clearly meet the objectives would become the instructor’s
responsibility for revising the course. The task force does not foresee a
disproportionately large amount of work at the onset of the assessments.
The task force doesn’t have the authority to make decisions about
release time at this time. We can address the size of the council if there’s
a need. The size of councils at other universities varied from 2-3
members up to 18.
D. Donovan asked whether the council members have term limits. Winn
answered that the task force is thinking of 3-year terms, allowing two
consecutive terms. The terms should roll over in a manner such that
some council members would remain when others leave, in order to
provide continuity. R. Sundell asked who would run the elections for
choosing faculty council members. Winn and Wood answered that the
faculty members would be selected by a university-wide election run by
the union. The goal is to select faculty members who deeply value
general education. D. Donovan asked whether the Senate is voting on the
creation of an administrative position (Dean of General Education and
University Programs). Wood answered that the Senate is voting to
replace the Liberal Studies Committee with a stronger structure that
includes an administrator. R. Appleton stated that the recommendation
creates a big change, because under the new scheme, the Senate would
not approve liberal studies changes as it does through the current Liberal
Studies Committee. B. Graves responded that the current system is
broken in that scrambling for student credit hours results in gridlock. In
the new system, the Senate would still control policy, and the council
administers the policy.
P. Goodrich stated that the task force has provided a laundry list of
programs that the Dean of General Education and University Programs
might oversee. What is the process by which the Dean’s actual oversight
would be determined? Wood and Lang answered that there would be a
lot of consultation and discussion, and that some programs seem to be
natural fits. It is too early to say what the administrative position will
cover. There are budgetary considerations. The focus right now is on the
General Education program. Z. Cogley asked what the purpose the
administrator would serve on the General Education Council. Wood and
Winn answered that the administrator would provide one vote, provide
an administrative presence, and allow accreditors to hold an individual
responsible for the program. Graves mentioned that an administrator can
help faculty to do the work they need to do. Donovan mentioned that an
administrator provides institutional memory for the counsel, which is
more important than focusing on enforcement. M. Reinhardt asked how
the roles of the council and dean would differ. Wood answered that the
chair would be voted upon by faculty, and would handle specific projects.
The dean would have a more macroscopic focus such as patterns of
enrollment and oversight of programs such as honors, McNair, and
Freshman Fellows.
D. Donovan asked, if CUP approves a course change, would that cause
problems for the General Education Council? Winn and Lang answered
that this a good “nuts and bolts” question, and we don’t know yet how it
will work. The Higher Learning Commission may have a say in this. P.
Goodrich asked whether there is a recursive loop between the council
and the Senate. The task force said it was a good consideration.
Chair Pagel requested that Senators show the recommendations to their
departments, discuss them, and return to the next Senate meeting
prepared for further discussion.
VI.
Unfinished Business
A. GPC Report of November 6, 2012 (Second Reading)
i. The report was adopted.
VII.
New Business
A. None
VIII.
Informal Consideration
A. Z. Cogley observed that Presidential Scholarship interviewers vary in the
methods by which they use the interview rating scales. P. Lang suggested that
we get some guidance to standardize the procedure.
IX.
Good of the Order
A. M. Reinhardt announced four upcoming events in conjunction with Native
American Heritage month: 1) The film “Smoke Signals” on 11/20 at 6 p.m. at the
Whitman Hall Commons; 2) Conversations with an Anishinaabe Elder – Sam
Musqua (Secretary note: The NAS web site says this event has been cancelled.)
3) a beading workshop on 11/27 at 6 p.m. at Whitman Hall 127; 4) The
Decolonizing Diet Project with a female perspective by April Lindala on 11/28 at 6. p.m. in
the Mead Auditorium.
B. Happy Thanksgiving!
X.
Adjournment at 4:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by,
Mark Shevy, Secretary to the Academic Senate Executive Committee