Faculty Senate Minutes
June 20, 2012
Call to Order: Chair Sharp called the meeting to order at 4:10 pm; Riggle Room; ADUC, with a full quorum
Senators Absent: Jason Applegate, JT Blackledge, Robert Boram, Vincent Cesaro, Scott Davison, Donna Everett, John Hennen, Nilesh Joshi, Gary LaFleur, Lesia Lennex, Barbara Lyons, Beverly McCormick, Lisa McDavid, Manuel Probst, Vanessa Sammons, Denise Watkins, Sam Wright, Yuqiu You
Visitor: Dr. Clarenda Phillips
Minutes: Senator Berglee moved to approve the minutes of May 3, 2012 as submitted. Senator Carlson seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Reports:
Chair’s Report:
• Explained that the Provost withdrew the stipulations she had asked the President for to the version of PAc 27 that was approved by the Senate. The Provost will recommend to the President that PAc 27 go to the BOR for approval as the Senate passed it. The end result is that the administration gets their College Committee, the Deans get their staggered tenure-track reviews, and the Faculty will retain the University Committee as it currently functions.
Regent’s Report: BOR met on 6/7/2012; following are approvals and clarification of items and issues
• approved 2012-13 Operating Budget, Fee Schedule, and Personnel Roster
• $2.8 million was cut from the University budget
• bonds were sold to finance the renovation of West Mignon and East Mignon Halls
• razing Gilley Apartment buildings to construct a practice field for soccer and a site for intramural activities
• enrollment for spring 2012 dropped by nearly 14%, but projections for fall enrollment are very positive
• approved promotions for 11 faculty and 3 librarians, among those being promoted were several Faculty Senators, including Senators Faulkner and Lennex, who were both promoted to full professor, as was recently appointed Senator Bev Klecker; Senator Aleman was promoted to Librarian II, and Senator Bailey was promoted to Librarian IV
• Senator Watkins was approved for an educational leave for spring 2013
• granted Joan Atkins, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Emeritus Status
• After questions from several faculty members regarding the policy, process and salary for administrators returning to faculty ranks, Regent Morrison talked about how the institution determines base pay and administrative stipends for academic administrators. Regent Morrison stated that “this individual’s base salary formula was specified in this individual’s contract at the time this individual entered the administrative ranks”. “PAcs 23 and 24 address this very issue and might be revised to make the process more transparent”. Regent Morrison challenged “the Faculty Senate to study these PAcs during the next academic year and perhaps suggest revisions to the administration in order to clarify this policy”.
• Governor’s Scholars Program will return to MSU in the summer of 2013 under a contract for 3 years
• unanimously voted to extend the President’s contract for an additional year with no changes being made in the President’s compensation package
• “the Board also challenged the President to continue to address faculty and staff salaries and to continue to study educational quality issues, including the use of distance education and the early college program”
• Regent Morrison stated “As is true of any Faculty Regent—in the past, or in the future—all I can hope to do is represent your voice and concerns in this complicated and very sensitive process.”
• BOR will meet in a work session on August 23 at the new location of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. After the meeting, there will be a ribbon cutting for the opening of the KCTM.
General Education Report:
• GEC reduced the number of assessments that must be reported per SLO from 2 to 1 for the fall term
• Approved a revised form for new exchange course proposals
• A part of the above mentioned form will have to be completed for current exchange courses in order to define how the SLO required assessment will be done
• With regard to testing/or not for computer competency, Vice-Chair Chatham read the following from the GEC minutes:
“Based on the survey results and discussion, there was broad consensus among the GEC members that the most effective option is to provide students online modules and/or instructional videos coupled with tutoring. Most GEC members supported an online site (within the Portal) with choices of available modules and/or instructional videos plus information on available tutoring. It was suggested the MSU Tutoring and Learning Center working with the CCL technology lab prepare and provide targeted tutoring for tasks within applications such as MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and others.”
Senate Actions:
Faculty Welfare and Concerns:
Chair Sharp and Senator Rathbun, chair of the Faculty Welfare and Concerns Committee, brought PAc 7/35 back to the senate floor in an attempt to clarify its current status. Because the title of PAc 7, Faculty Work Loads, was changed to Faculty Evaluation Plans the PAc number also had to be changed. It is now PAc 35, Faculty Evaluation Plans.
During the spring semester, the faculty senate approved a version of PAc 35, Faculty Evaluation Plans, by majority vote of its members. The PAc was then approved by the Provost and the President. After the President signed the PAc and before it was sent to the Board of Regents for approval, changes were made in the language of the policy by the administration in cooperation with University Legal Counsel. There was considerable discussion about many highlighted and un-highlighted changes to PAc 35, FEP, as it was presented back to the Senate today.
Some of the issues/questions:
• Is this the most up-to date version of PAc 35, and if not, could one be presented to the Senate members?
• Invite the Provost and University Legal Counsel to the July Senate meeting to explain what changes are being made, the reasons, and the approval process for this PAc.
• Why are salary issues now a legal matter?
• A Senator suggested that Legal Counsel serve on the Reconciliation Committee in the future.
• Knowing the University must be legally responsible, are we mixing legal issues with simple academic policies the administration should be held accountable for?
Senator Wymer moved to table further discussion and vote on PAc 35, FEP, until the July Faculty Senate meeting. A number of issues are presented in the changed document and these issues need to be resolved by:
- Further exploration by Faculty Senate Executive Council, and
- The opportunity for the Faculty Senate to question the administration about these issues.
Motion seconded and passed.
New Business/Announcements:
Next meeting - July 19
2012 – 2013 Senators – Senate Retreat on Thursday, August 16th. Chair-Elect Chatham asked the Senators to be thinking about agenda items for next year’s Senate.
Adjournment: 5:40 p.m.
