Approved Minutes of the Faculty Senate Meeting

February 21, 2001

http://www.scsu.ctstateu.edu/organizations/facultysenate

The eleventh meeting of the 2000-2001 year was called to order at 12:10 PM.

Members Present:

Jirsa, Rao, Brownell, Lavin, Puerschner, A. Sherman, Coburn-Enquist, DaPonte, Landino, Nwachuku, Fullmer, Thorson, Corbett, Carins, Petrie, Hood, Johnson, Kemler, Palma, Verplaetse, Sakalowsky, Judd, Petto, Dunklee, Mick, Laird, Bennett, Grant, Bochain, Wallace, Berman, Young, Prince, Paulson, W. Sherman, Kahlbaugh, Bulmer, MacGregor, Hagemen, Dripchak, Haymes, Ryan, Brucker, Major, Watts

Visitors:

Heidmann, McEachern, Tait

Members Absent:

Maloney (Athletics), Martinelli (Biology), Mee (Exercise Science), Bielefield (Library Science), Schofield-Boyd (Library Services), Nodoushani (Management), Moss (Music), McCormack (Part-time faculty), Volkman (Philosophy), Bidarian (Physics)

Mark Heidmann – Chair of Writing Board

• Professor Heidmann introduced Professor McEachern – Interim Director of the Writing Board.
• Prof. Heidmann discussed the overall framework of the Writing Board.
• Schools across the country have provided support to faculty and students for “L” courses.
• The Writing Board members represent all the schools.
• The goal is to create a culture for writing at SCSU.
• The sign of success is when writing becomes an integral part of all courses, therefore making the Writing Board redundant.
• The Writing Board evaluations have been very enthusiastic. SCSU’s writing program has been cited twice in publications about schools rejuvenating their writing programs.
• A number of applications have been received to get current “L” course approved as new “L” course. The evaluation process is usually hour long.
• The Writing Board requires that “L” courses be reviewed every three times it is taught. This review process is fairly simple – single piece of paper.
• Heidmann, McEachern and another faculty have reassigned time to work on the Writing Board.
• Writing should not overwhelm your class.
• The Writing Program is open to all the faculty, not just “L” course instructors.
• The Writing Program is working on a proposal to require writing in all junior and senior level courses.
• The outcome is the faculty report – does it make a difference for students.
• Will all existing “L” courses have to be recognized as “L” course by the Writing Board? - Depends on what the UCF decides at the end of the pilot program.
• The Writing Board recommends for “L” courses: a) cap of 25 students; b) 25 pages of writing; c) 10 pages of revisions; d) 50% or more of the grade should be based on the writing.
• Each faculty will have to attend the writing workshop at least once in their career.

Minutes of the Faculty Meeting of February 7, 2001 were approved as presented.

Announcements:

• President Adanti disapproved the University Library resolution. He has requested for a little more time to come up with a compromise.
• The faculty senate web page has been updated recently. Contact Aru Rao to have your photo taken for the senate roster.
• The senate will adhere to the attendance policy stated in its by-laws starting today.

A motion was passed to change the order of business: Begin with Old Business, followed by Standing Committee reports and UCF update.

Old Business:

Personnel Policy Committee (Susan Hageman): DEC Hardship Resolution - the resolution was distributed at the February 7, 2001 senate meeting.

· Senator Rita Landino distributed a memo from her department, Counseling Services (signed by all four full-time faculty in the department) – the current P&T document is very flawed but is flexible. It allows a DEC to have only two members. Under the proposed document, a minimum of three members are required to form a DEC, thus resulting in smaller departments such as Counseling Services always having a hardship DEC.

· It was suggested that the members of the DEC should have disciplinary expertise, therefore it is preferable to have faculty from other institutions or emeritus professors serve on Hardship DECs.

· The discussion was refocused to the resolution presented: what departments qualify for Hardship DEC and the new dates proposed.

The resolution passed by two-thirds majority.

A motion was passed to refer back to the Personnel Policy Committee the issue of inviting faculty from other institutions with disciplinary expertise to serve on Hardship DECs in special cases such as Counseling Services, Library Services, and Coaches.

Standing Committee Reports:

1. Personnel Policy: Hardship DEC resolution (see Old Business above)
2. Student Policy: No report
3. Technology:
• Sreadsheets with information about existing computer inventory was mailed to all the departments.
• IT has not yet given an explanation of small/medium/large configuration of computers.
4. Academic Policy: No report
5. Elections: No report
6. Finance:
• Travel money unencumbered is: $1,388.14 – full-time and $1,814.55 – part-time.
7. Rules: No report

UCF Update: N/A

New Business:

The resolution proposed by Senator Larry Prince was discussed briefly. The discussion was postponed to the next senate meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 2:00 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Arundhati S. Rao

Secretary of the Senate