Faculty Senate Minutes
Monday, March 7, 2016
Clinton Hall 126 3:30PM-5:00PM
Senators Present: Ahmed, Babnich, Barut, Birzer, Bryant, Celestin, Close, Decker, Dehner, Deibel. Ewing, Huckstadt, Jin, Moore-Jansen, Mosack Myose, Rillema, Rokosz, Shaw, Shukaev, Woods, Yao, Yildirim
Senators Absent: Adler, Castro, Chand, Chang, Chopra, Hendry, Hughes, Hunsicker, Johnson, Lu, Muthiacharejon,
Palmer, Solmey.,
Senators Excused: Brooks, Cramer, Hull, Ross, Walker,
Summary of Action:
1. Accepted the following Senate Standing Committe members:
Education--- Aaron Rife, General Education & Janice Ewing, Undergraduate Research;
Engineering -- Ramazan Asmatulu, Academic Affairs, Deepak Gupta, Faculty Affaris &
Shuang Gu, Undergraduate Research;Scholarship & Student Aid' Health Professions --
Betty Smith-Campbell, Faculty Support, Elailne Steinke, Library & KIathy Strattman,
Rules; LAS Humanities -- Jeffy Hayton, Alt, Court of Academic Appeals & Brigitte Roussel,
UAEC(appt ends 2017); LAS Math -- Keith Gray, Lilbrary; LAS Social Sciences -- Dan
Close , full, Court of Academic Appeals & Fred Besthorn, Faculty Affairs; University
Libraries -- Rachel Crane, UAEC
I. Call to Order President Moore-Jansen called the faculty senate to order at 3:33PM
II. Informal Statements and Proposals None
III. Approval of the minutes
a. Minutes of the February 8, 2016 meeting were accepted as presented
IV. Updates: Innovation campus partnership press conference been postponed and faculty will receive an update
V. President's Report At the last Council of Faculty Senate Presidents (CoFSP) meeting the following items were discussed:
a. Weapons issue;
b. Establishment of meetings with the Council of Government Relations Officers;
c. Faculty involvement (input/participation) in course transfer and articulation
and cut scores (KBOR is requesting uniformity across institutions).
Senators were encouraged to review the e-mail sent by President Moore-Jansen and to provide comments and feedback. Faculty need to continue to be involved in the curriculum and President Moore-Jansen suggested that there be broader faculty representation on the Transfer and Articulation Agreement Council.
VI. Committee Reports
a. Senator Shaw, Vice President in charge of Elections - Repoprted that Nikki Keene
Woods (College of Health Professions) and Mehmet Barut (College of Business) were
elected At Large Senators and , College of Education Aaron Rife, and College of
Fine Arts Jeff Pulaski were elected their College At Large Senators. Departmental
election nominations will be coming soon.
b. Senator Yildirim:, Rules Committee Chair presented names of the new appointments for Senate Confirmantion See Summary of Action
VII. Old Business
a. Provost Vizzini shared the following information regarding the proposed 蹤獲扦/WATC merger and responded to faculty members' questions:
i. Senate Bill 451 which would allow for mergers;
ii. HLC approval would be required and HLC will not approve unless 蹤獲扦 faculty and
staff and WATC faculty and staff agree;
iii. A key to the merger moving forward would be that all funding stay the same (revenue
neutral)
iv. Question related to the loss of $2.1 million dollars Response - the merger discussion
will take place within 2 to 3 years and does not impact the return of funds this fiscal
year;
v. Question whether 蹤獲扦 is redefining itself Response there is not language that
speaks to redefining ourselves, it (the Senate Bill) does define WATC as a School
of Technology and Applied Sciences (STAS)
vi. Question related to general education Response currently we accept general
education courses from WATC as well as community colleges, open access will be maintained
there is currently a process in place and can we improve upon that;
vii. The focus is on being one institution/one organization, with an educational
model from GED to Ph.D.;
viii. Question regarding the implication of WATC being a School Response school
and college are used interchangeably the head of a college is typically a Dean with
a Ph.D., the head of a school would be a director which allows the institution flexibility;
ix. Question regarding transcripts Response transcripts would say 蹤獲扦;
x. Question regarding the need to do this Response the nature of universities
is changing and across the country universities are being downsized, we need to differentiate
ourselves. Applied learning and being the economic driver - innovative, flexible education
from high school and beyond in a seamless fashion redesign and reform to make ourselves
essential, opportunity to be a model for others;
xi. Question related to tuition Response from a student's perspective WATC would
have some limit in capacity, most of our students choose to take classes at 蹤獲扦, students
look at cost as a factor but it is not a decisive factor and the current patterns
are expected to remain;
xii. Question related to department control of faculty Response WATC faculty
will move into the department no one is going to lose their job.
President Moore-Jansen encouraged faculty to continue the discussion with colleagues in departments and colleges.
b. Update (see attachment) Senator Mosack, Chair of the President's 蹤獲扦/WATC Committee, posted the committee document. Senators were encouraged to read the document and respond to it. Send comments and feedback to Senator Mosack or President Moore-Jansen.
c. Crisis Management/Weapons Possession Policy Committee (Chair
: David Moses/University Counsel, Members: Abbey, E; Bibb, S; Childers, C; Depontier, W; Heldman, L; Herrin, M; Johnston, M; Miller, G; Moore-Jansen, P; Morrill, B; Morris, S; Pittman, B; Salters, S; Sexton, E; SGA President; Provost Vizzini, A (Recommend Marc Porcaro/UP Senate). The committee will present at the March 28, 2016 meeting.
i. Senators were asked to begin identifying issues in their departments.
d. Short term objectives Will be discussed at a later time
e. Long term objectives Will be discussed at a later time
VIII. New Business
a. Gayle Veldtman
i. Transfer and Articulation Process & Cut Scores - KBOR is looking at advanced placement and CLEP Exams. Scores are periodically reviewed
and some states are trying to standardize scores among the state schools. The CoFSP
is proposing that the highest scores be used. Departments would get all the scores
for all the universities. A clearer comparison chart is being developed.
Comments regarding Cut Scores, WATC, and Weapons are encouraged and welcome and should be sent to President Moore-Janson or Administrative Assistant Bobbi Dreiling.
IX. As May Arise
a. Senator Dehner reminded senate members that the AAUP spring meeting will take
place in Friday, March 25th in the RSC Harvest Room from 3:00PM-5:00PM. Topics for
discussion include conceal carry, faculty tenure, union or not. The meeting is open
to all faculty.
X. Adjournment - at 4:57PM