Faculty Senate Minutes
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Faculty Senate Minutes
October 18, 2007 

Call to Order: 
Call to order: 4:20 pm; Riggle Room; ADUC. 

Senators Absent:  Cary Feria, Diana Haleman, Karen Lafferty, Charles Patrick, David Peyton, 

Minutes:  Senator Neeper moved to approve the minutes of October 4, 2007, as submitted.  Motion passed.  

Committee Review:
Academic Policies:  Reviewing Laptop Initiative; Proposal for Advising; Plusses and Minuses to be added to the grading scale 

Communications:  No Report 

Evaluation:  Reviewing FEP’s and will post on the Web site for everyone to view; Agreed that all Chairs and Deans should be evaluated every year 

Fiscal Affairs:    Met with Provost Hughes and Vice President Patrick on the issue of faculty compensation, analyzing the information obtained from the Provost and the Vice President;  Informed the members to contact Drew Henderson regarding email space;  Informed the members that there will be a major restructuring of email capacity in summer 2008 

Governance:   Will present action items under Committee Reports;  Evaluating problems in Standing Committee membership;  Request Senate to remind Standing Committees to review their committee descriptions and forward changes to the Governance Committee;  Received one revision from the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee 

Professional Policies:  PG-61 will be presented today for second reading 

Reports:
Chairs Report:

  • Chair Jerde stated that the last meeting was one of the most productive meetings the Senate has conducted.  Both the President and the Provost commented to Chair Jerde how pleased they were to see the Senate functioning in a substantive manner.

Regents Report:  No Report 

Senate Actions:
Executive Council:

  • The Executive Council presented a “Proposal for a General Education Faculty Council” for Senate review and a vote.  The documents regarding General Education Reform are available at www2.moreheadstate.edu/greatness for review and input.  This proposal is a starting point for the faculty to begin the process of determining curriculum and what learner outcomes should be for General Education.  The Task Force will remain only as a Steering Committee.  The faculty will determine the curriculum.  The Executive Council is proposing the General Education Faculty Council start with one representative from each department to be elected by the faculty of that department.  Election to the General Education Faculty Council should not be considered as a service function.  Representation on the Council should not be appointed by a Department Chair.  For the purposes of the General Education Faculty Council, the Department Chair is considered an administrator not a faculty member.  Chair Jerde would like to present the names of the General Education Faculty Council to the President and the Provost at the convocation on October 31.  

Chair Jerde entertained questions from the Senate members. 

  • After discussion, Regent Irons moved to change the sentence “It is suggested that this council consist of senior faculty (associate professors or professors).” to read, “Members of this council shall be tenured faculty.”  Senator Neeper seconded the motion.  Senator Buck made a friendly amendment to add “if available” at the end of the new sentence.  Senator Harford suggested deleting the last paragraph completely and adding “Members of this council shall be tenured faculty, if available.”  After lengthy discussion, Senator Neeper moved to end debate and vote.  Motion passed.  The members voted on the following motion:  To delete the entire last paragraph and replace it with “Members of this council should consist of tenured faculty.”  Motion passed by a show of hands, 26 for; 9 opposed.
  • Regent Irons moved to change the next to last paragraph to read, “Members of the council will be responsible for communication in the open process, reporting to the Provost, the General Education Task Force/Steering Committee, and the Faculty Senate.”  Senator Buck seconded the motion.  After discussion Senator Wymer moved to end debate and vote.  Motion passed.  The members voted on changing the next to the last paragraph to read, “Members of the council will be responsible for communication in the open process, reporting to the Provost, the General Education Task Force/Steering Committee, and the Faculty Senate.”  Motion passed.
     
  • Senator Wymer moved to change the paragraph that begins, “The Council, once formed, may…” to read “The Council, once formed, may determine its own structure, and whether to establish smaller sub-committees for individual issues.”  Senator Baker seconded the motion.  After discussion, Senator Harford made a friendly amendment to change the sentence to read, “The Council, once formed, may decide whether to add additional members, whether to establish smaller sub-committees for individual issues, and how to proceed with its duties.”  Senator Wymer accepted the friendly amendment.  After discussion, Regent Irons moved to end debate and vote.  Motion passed.  The members voted on changing the paragraph that begins, “The Council, once formed, may…” to read “The Council, once formed, may decide whether to add additional members, whether to establish smaller sub-committees for individual issues, and how to proceed with its duties.”  Motion passed.
     
  • Regent Irons moved to add the statement “All meetings shall be open and meeting times will be publicly advertised.”  Senator Jones seconded the motion.  Regent Irons suggested changing the statement to, “Meetings of the council shall be open and meeting times will be publicly advertised.”  After discussion, Senator Wallace moved to end debate and vote.  Motion passed.  The members voted on whether or not to add the statement, “All meetings shall be open and meeting times will be publicly advertised.”  Motion failed by a show of hands, 12 for; 16 opposed. 
     
  • Senator Neeper moved to end debate and vote on the proposal as revised.  Regent Irons seconded the motion.  Motion passed.  The members voted on whether or not to accept the “Proposal for a General Education Faculty Council”, as revised.  Motion passed.   

Reports:
Provosts Report:

  • The Provost reported that there will be a Special Convocation on Wednesday, October 31, from 3:30 to 5:30 in Button Auditorium.  Classes are cancelled for the time period from 3:30 to 5:30 on the Morehead campus in order to allow everyone to attend.  Classes at the Regional Campuses are not cancelled. 
    • The purpose of the convocation is:
      • To outline the MSU Business Plan
      • To demonstrate the alignment between the Business Plan, the Curriculum Audit and the General Education Redesign
      • To provide an opportunity for the campus community to ask questions
      • To provide information on the Curriculum Audit Proces

The Provost would appreciate the campus community submitting their questions prior to the convocation via the Web site, in order to combine topics to address during the discussion at the convocation however; additional questions will be taken at the convocation. 

  • The Provost met with the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate. 

Senate Actions:
Governance:

  • The Governance Committee presented the following changes to the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee:
     
    • Appointments for at-large positions;
      Brian Reeder to replace Eric Jerde – resignation
      John Modaff to replace Susanne Rolland – retirement
    • Elections in the colleges:
      Education:  Victor Ballestero versus Johnny Newsome
      Original appointment (Tim Simpson) was erroneous due to not meeting a qualification –  was  not tenured as required 

 Humanities:  Ed Reeves versus Ric Caric.
 Original appointment was erroneous (Sylvia Henneberg) due to another individual from the same department already on the committee 

Senator Wymer moved to accept the appointments for at-large positions and elections in the colleges for the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee.  Regent Irons seconded the motion.  Motion passed. 

  • The Governance Committee presented the following Senate members to be voted on by the Senate for the Planning Committee:
     
    • Education:                           Manuel Probst versus Julia Hypes
    • Science and Technology:     Mike Wallace versus Tim O’Brien 

          Julia Hypes and Tim O’Brien were elected to the Planning Committee. 

Professional Policies:

  • Presented PG-61 – Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct to the members for a second reading.  Chair stated that the time was 5:30 and at 6:00, unless a Senator moved to extend the time for the meeting, the meeting would be adjourned.

    • Senator Harford moved that the words “expression of” be placed before the word “political” in line 72.  Regent Irons seconded the motion.  Motion passed. 
    • Senator Buck moved to delete the word “regents” from line 41.  Senator Neeper seconded the motion.  Motion passed.
       
    • Regent Irons moved to change the sentence on line 124 to 127 from, “Conflicts of interest may arise when people are involved in making decisions that affecting any members of their families, relatives, or those with whom they have (or have had) private personal relationships.” to “Conflicts of interest may arise when people are involved in making decisions that affecting any members of their families, relatives, those with whom they have (or have had) private personal relationships, or those with whom they have (or have had) business partnerships.” and delete the sentence, “Decisions affecting present or former business partners should also be avoided.” on line 127 to 128.  Senator Neeper seconded the motion.  Motion passed.
    • Regent Irons moved to delete “PAc-12” from line 171.  Senator Harford seconded the motion.  Motion passed.
       
    • Regent Irons moved to add the word “responsible” in front of the word “stewardship” on line 30.  Senator Wymer seconded the motion.  Motion passed.
       
    • Senator Wallace moved to add the word “staff” in front of the word “employees” on line 200.  Senator Harford seconded the motion.  Motion passed.
         
    • Regent Irons moved to delete the section “Conflict of Commitment” on line 173 to 201.  Senator Buck seconded the motion.  The Vice Chair of Professional Policies stated the Professional Policies Committee would like that section left in and provided the Committee’s reasons.  After discussion, Senator Wallace moved to end debate on deleting the section “Conflict of Commitment” and vote.  Motion passed.  The members voted on deleting the section “Conflict of Commitment” on line 173 to 200.  Motion failed. 

Chair Jerde reminded the members that the meeting would end in three minutes unless there was a motion to extend.  Senator Chatham moved to suspend the rules that require adjournment at 6:00 and continue the meeting.  Ali Ahmadi seconded the motion.  Motion failed.  

Senator Harford moved to table the discussion of PG-61 until the next meeting.  Regent Irons seconded the motion.  Motion passed. 

New Business:

  • Senator Harford asked how the elections in each department for the General Education Faculty Council are to be conducted.  Chair Jerde volunteered the Executive Council to conduct the elections in each department for the General Education Faculty Council.

Adjournment:  6:00 pm.