REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

 

 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 – 104 GORE HALL

 

 

 

September 1, 2011

 

 

TO:                  Senators and Executives

 

FROM:            Belinda Orzada, Vice President  

                        University Faculty Senate

 

SUBJECT:       Regular Faculty Senate Meeting September 12, 2011

 

            In accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, September 12th at 4:00 p.m. in room 104 Gore Hall. 

 

I certify that hard copies of the approval page for each undergraduate and graduate studies academic item on the agenda are filed in the Faculty Senate Office with the appropriate signatures of approval up through the Chair of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Committee on Education.  The Agenda will be as follows:

 

AGENDA

 

 

I.                Adoption of the Agenda

 

II.                Approval of the Minutes: May 9, 2011

 

III.             Memorial Tributes: Slide Presentation

 

IV.             Remarks: Provost Tom Apple      

                                                                             

V.                 Announcements: Senate President Jeff Jordan

 

VI.              Consent Agenda:

 

VII.           Regular Agenda:

 

a.      Resolutions:

 

1.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the charge of the University Council on Teacher Education

(attachment 1)

 

WHEREAS,     the University Council on Teacher Education reviews all UD programs preparing educational professionals for work in schools, and

 

WHEREAS,     the description and committee charge of the University Council on Teacher Education found in the Faculty Handbook is badly out of date, and

 

WHEREAS,     NCATE accreditors will be on campus October 2011 for a site visit reviewing UD programs for teacher education, and

 

WHEREAS,     revisions to the Faculty handbook require Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore

 

RESOLVED,   that the Faculty Senate approves the revision and updating of the description and committee charge of the university Council on Teacher Education.

 

2.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Scheduling Ad Hoc Committee (Joerg Busch, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to schedule final exams on the Thursday prior to graduation (attachment 1)

 

WHEREAS,     the Thursday before graduation has been designated 'Senior Day' only since spring 2010, and

 

WHEREAS,     there is a need to preserve the days of instruction during the semester and to avoid the use of Saturday as an exam day, be it therefore

 

RESOLVED,   that in spring semester 2012, and thereafter, the Thursday before graduation be used as a final examination day.

 

3.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the Faculty Handbook Section  1: Organization of the Faculty Standing Committee System of the Faculty and Its Senate – Academic Priorities Review Committee (attachment 1)

 

WHEREAS,     the Academic Priorities Review committee considers matters relevant to the work of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Committee on Education, and

WHEREAS,     the Academic Priorities Review committee meets after the Faculty Senate elections for the coming year, and

WHEREAS,     changes to the committee structure of the Faculty Senate requires Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that the incoming chairperson of the Coordinating Committee on Education be a member of the Academic Priorities Review committee.

4.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the Faculty Handbook Section IV – 6 (attachment 1)

WHEREAS,     there has not been a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate during the month of January since at least 2000, and

WHEREAS,     additions and revisions to the FACULTY HANDBOOK require Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that the FACULTY HANDBOOK be revised to no longer require during January a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate.

5.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the Faculty Handbook Section IV – Personnel Policies for Faculty – Academic Freedom and Standards of Conduct – Guidelines for writing letters of recommendation (attachment 1)

WHEREAS,     the Faculty Handbook currently states: “Letters should address only the relevance of the person’s qualifications for the position about which commentary is sought; reference to an individual’s personal appearance, professional ambition, traits of character, marital status, number of children, etc. should be assiduously avoided” and

WHEREAS,     many graduate schools and law schools ask about an applicant's professional ambition and traits of character, and

WHEREAS,     the Faculty Handbook mandates that reviewers refrain from commenting on professional ambition and traits of character, UD applicants are disadvantaged; be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that the relevant section in the Faculty Handbook as indicated in Attachment 1 concerning faculty recommendations be revised as follows: “Letters should address only the relevance of the person’s qualifications for the position about which commentary is sought; reference to an individual’s personal appearance, marital status, number of children, etc. should be assiduously avoided”

           

 

VIII.        Unfinished Business:       None

 

IX.              New Business:     None

 

X.                 Introduction of New Business:

 

Such items as may come before the Senate.  (No motion introduced under new business, except a motion to refer to committee, shall be acted upon until the next meeting of the Senate.)