Approved Minutes of the Faculty Senate Meeting

September 13, 2006

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

________________________________________________________________________

The first meeting of the 2006-2007 year was called to order at 12:10 PM.

Members Present:

Emenyonu (Accounting), Vu (Art), Slomba (Art),  Lerud (Biology), Pang (Chemistry), Petroski (Communication), DaPonte (Computer Science), Smith  (Couns/Sch Psych), Fullmer (Earth Science), Mills (Econ/Finance), Diamantis (Education), Madonia (Ed Leadership), Larocco (English), Johnson (English), Pelayo (Foreign Language), Piemontese (Foreign Language), Sakalowsky (Geography), Amerman (History), Madison (History), Dunklee (Journalism), McGinn (Library Science), Clerc (Library Services), Reynaga (Library Services), Stepanovich (Management), Brin (Mathematics), O’Brien (Media Studies), Roman (Part-time Faculty), Young (Part-time Faculty), Capone (Part-time Faculty), Gilliand (Philosophy), Enjalran (Physics), Buterbaugh (Political Science), Sherman (Psychology), Brancazio (Psychology), Smith (Recreation/Leisure), Cameron (Social Work), Keenan (Social Work), Bloch (Sociology), Brucker (Special Ed/Reading), Major (Special Ed/Reading), Nye (Theatre)

Members Absent:

LaDousa (Anthropology), Maloney (Athletics), Jirsa (Com Disorders/MFT), Lawler (Counseling), Blackmer (English), Yang (Exercise Science), Rinehardt (Exercise Science), Prince (Marketing), Dennis (Mathematics), Kuss (Music), Wagner (Nursing), Aronson (Nursing), Anderson (Part-time Faculty), Bulmer (Public Health), Cusat (Science Ed/ Env. Stud), Fields (UCF).

The minutes of May 10, 2006 were approved.

Announcements:

Ø “Muriel’s Wedding” is the Cinema du Monde, showing on Wednesday 9/13 at 7:35 pm.

Ø Dr. Enes Kujundzic will be the lecturer on “Cultural Institutions and Memory” on Thursday, 9/21/06.

Ø Media Studies, Philosophy Dept., the office of the Provost, Psychology department, Public Health, Social Work, Nursing, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences, are sponsoring MEET THE FILMAKERS – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – ANDREW JENKO

Ø Promotion and Tenure Workshop this Friday 1-2 pm in EN B121.  Members of the AAUP, P & T committee, as well as President Norton and Provost Williams will be present.

President’s Report:

Introduction of New Senators:

• President DaPonte asked new senators to introduce themselves and welcomed them to the Senate.
• President DaPonte updated the senators that our colleague Robert Jirsa is recuperating at home from his therapy.  Anyone can email him or call him.  We all wish him speedy recovery and we miss him at the Senate.

The President’s Report was distributed.  President DaPonte highlighted the following:

• President Norton’s third Fall convocation will be held on 9/18/06 at 1 pm in Lyman Center. 
• President Norton was invited to visit the Senate on September 27.
• The remaining Senate meetings for the fall semester are: September 27, October 11, October 25, November 8, November 29, and December 13.
• The Breakfast meetings with the President and executive senate committee will be held on:  September 19, October 18, November 16, and December 11. 
• The dates for the Fall Dialogues with President Norton are:  Thursday, September 21 at 12:30 pm; Monday, October 16 at 1:00 pm; Tuesday, November 14 at 12:30 pm; and Tuesday, December 12 at 12:30 pm.  All dialogues will be in the Adanti Center, Ballroom.
• President DaPonte thanked Professors Schultz, Johnson, Jirsa, Larocco, and Linda Cunningham for assisting him in updating the calendars in the senate document this summer.
• President DaPonte thanked the Senate Executive Committee for helping during the summer with a request for interpretation.
• President DaPonte thanked the Ad Hoc Course Information Committee (CIS) consisting of Professors Bloch, Blackmer, Madonia, McGinn, Shea, and Whitehead.

Orientation to the Senate and Senate Protocols

• President DaPonte provided an overview of senate protocols and the use of Robert’s Rules of Order

UCF Update – Len Brin for Joe Fields:

Ø UCF will be meeting tomorrow Thrusday, September 14, at 9:35 in MO103.  Joe Fields is still the chair.

Graduate Council – Senator Bloch

Ø No report

FASP Committee – Senator Vu

Ø The committee will be meeting this Friday, 9/15/06.

Standing Committee Meetings and Election of Chairs

The senate recessed for 20 minutes to allow the standing committees to meet, elect chairs, and review agendas for the coming year.

Standing Committee Reports

• Academic Policy Committee
•  Senator Bloch was elected Chair.
• Senator Bloch requested that senators provide feedback on the CIS that was emailed to all with the agenda last week.  He invited all comments to be sent to him.

• Elections Committee
• Senator Peter Sakalowsky reported that the members of the committee couldn’t elect a chair at this time.

• Finance Committee
• Senator Brucker, as Senate Treasurer, is Chair.
• Senator Brucker announced that there were 34 Full Time faculty and 15 Part Time faculty that were denied traveling reimbursement last academic year.  She reminded all senators to announce to their departments
• that faculty that doesn’t travel need to free-up the funds allotted to them last semester
• that faculty should submit for reimbursement within 30-60 days of the travel

o The Finance Committee will be working on finding out total number of applicants accepted vs. denied; possible collection of data on amount allotted among other things.

• Personnel Policy
• Senator Brian Johnson was elected Chair.
• The committee will be examining the renewal document this fall and the P & T document next semester.

• Rules Committee
• Senator Wes O’Brien was elected Chair.
• The committee will be examining the constitution of the General Education Task Force.

• Student Policy
• Senator Madonia was elected Chair.
• The committee will continue working with Dr. Heron and review policies on students suicidal and substance abuse and use.

• Technology
• Senator Diamantis was elected Chair.
• The committee will be working on some issues, such as:
• Improving communications at the beginning of the semester to all about the new high-technology classrooms and the keys for the cabinets and about the updates of the computer labs.

o The committee will also try to get update on the University Web page and information on who is responsible for department or faculty page updates.

o The committee would also like to investigate the status of VISTA.

New Business:

o Senator Dunklee requested that a faculty senate roster be emailed to all senators.

o Senator Fullmer presented the following resolution for the Sense of the Senate: 

The current over enrollment has had and will continue to have a very strong adverse affect on:

1. students’ academic progress and standing

2. logistics of classroom and housing

3. quality of instruction

4. students’ opinion of the university

Ø After lengthy discussions the votes were 23 in favor, 11 against, 3 abstentions.  The Sense of the Senate will be reported to President Norton.

Ø Some senators expressed concerns and it was asked that an Ad Hoc Committee is created to present an official resolution on the issue in the next two weeks.  The Ad Hoc Committee will be:  Senators Madison, Dunklee, Slomba, and Mills. 

The senate adjourned at 2:00 PM.

Respectively Submitted,

Dr. Maria Diamantis

Acting Secretary of the Senate