REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
November 4, 1991
MINUTES
On Monday, November 4 at 4:00 p.m. Senate President Taggart called to
order the regular meeting of the University Faculty Senate.
Senators not in attendance were: Charles Boncelet, Lawrence Nees, Raymond
Nichols, Christopher Smith
Senators excused were: Steven Dentel, Steven Grant, Bernard Herman, Jerome
Lewis, Carole Marks, Douglas Miller, Frank Murray,
Daniel Rich, David P. Roselle, Carol Rudisell, William
Saylor, Yda Schreuder, Janet Smith, Carolyn
Thoroughgood, D. Allan Waterfield
I. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The Senate adopted the agenda as published.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The Senate approved the Minutes of the October 1 meeting. After notice
from Senator Norris, Art Conservation, the Secretary amends the minutes
of the September 16th meeting to change Senator Norris' absence to an
excused absence.
III. REMARKS BY ASSOCIATE PROVOST ANDERSEN
Associate Provost Margaret Andersen discussed the Middle States
Accreditation Review, the budget, program reduction procedures,
reorganization of Student Academic Support Services, and the plus/minus
grading policy. According to Andersen, the University has negotiated a
planning approach to the Accreditation review, creating task forces on
undergraduate education, graduate studies and research, diversity and
equity, public service, and resources and government. A self-study
should be completed and circulated in January.
Dr. Andersen reiterated the Provost's October announcements about budget
cuts and planning, detailing the procedures by which cuts have been
chosen, and listed the following reductions: 1.8 million from
administrative and support services, 1 million from the Provost's office
(including Instructional Technology Center, Library, special projects,
and faculty development accounts), 2.2 million from academic colleges,
.4 million from PTTP, and 1 million from special state budget line item
requests. The Budget Council is still working on cuts to make up the
remainder of the possible 9 million deficit. Dr. Andersen announced the
status of proposals to cut Medical Technology and Interior Design, and
noted that proposals to cut three additional programs: American Studies,
Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience are beginning the program reduction
review process.
Budget cuts have also created opportunities for sensible reorganization,
Andersen observed, referring to the planned consolidation of ASAP
(Academic Studies Assistance Program) and the Academic Advancement
Office in one Student Academic Support Services Program.
Dr. Andersen confirmed that the official University grading policy is a
non-optional plus/minus grading system.
IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senate President Taggart reiterated Senate attendance policies, pointing
out that The Review story had gleaned its information from published
attendance records of the Senate and that it is the senators'
responsibility to notify the Senate Office about excused absences or
attendance discrepancies in the Minutes.
David Smith, Chairperson of Committee on Committees and Nominations
explained the composition and charge of the Greek Life Task Force,
noting that the Faculty's responsibility for student welfare accounts
for the Task Force's configuration. (Charge and list of Committee
members are at attachment 1).
Announcement for Challenge: There was no challenge, so revisions of the
B.S. in Nursing were unanimously approved.
V. NEW BUSINESS
Item A on the Agenda was a recommendation for the provisional approval
of a Ph.D. program in Economics brought by the Coordinating Committee on
Education (Ken Lomax, Chairperson). (See attachment 2). After discussion
of the evolution and development of the degree program, queries about
and explanations of how the program can be implemented without
additional funds, questions about library support and the organization
of the degree program, the Senate approved the following resolution by a
vote of 47-0-5:
WHEREAS, there is currently a need for Ph.D. graduates with an
emphasis in applied economics, and
WHEREAS, the faculty in the Department of Economics have developed a
curriculum for a Ph.D. program using resources already
available in the department, and
WHEREAS, the faculty in the College of Business and Economics have
given unanimous approval for this program, agreeing that the
Economics Department will still meet all its obligations to
teach undergraduate students, and graduate students in both
the MBA program and in its own master's programs, and
WHEREAS, an open hearing was held by the Committee on Graduate
Studies and an external review team was on campus to
evaluate the proposal, both of which indicated support for
the proposal, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that a Ph.D. program in Economics be approved by the
Faculty Senate for a provisional four-year period.
Item B on the Agenda was a resolution brought by the Coordinating
Committee on Education (K. Lomax, Chairperson) that the Committee on
Budgetary and Space Priorities be represented on the Coordinating
Committee on Education. The Senate approved the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the Coordinating Committee on Education is charged to
consider financial aspects of academic proposals, and
WHEREAS, the Committee on Budgetary and Space Priorities is regularly
apprised of budget matters, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the charge to the Coordinating Committee on Education
(page I-16 of the Faculty Handbook) be amended to include
the Committee on Budgetary and Space Priorities as one of
the enumerated standing committees of the Senate and to be
represented on the Coordinating Committee. The membership
portion of the charge to be changed is as follows: (Words
to be added are indicated in bold type. Words to be deleted
are underlined and in brackets.)
"This committee shall be made up of the President elect of the
Senate who shall chair the committee; the Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs or his or her designee; three
faculty members appointed for three-year terms by the Committee on
Committees and Nominations, [one of whom should be knowledgeable
concerning budgetary matters]; one undergraduate and one graduate
student; and the chairpersons of the following standing committees
of the Faculty Senate. 1. Cte. on Graduate Studies, 2. Cte. on
Undergraduate STudies, 3. Cte. on Instructional, Computing and
Research Support Services, 4. Library Cte., 5. Cte. on
Budgetary and Space Priorities."
C. Senator Nancy Signorielli made a resolution that the Senate again
consider the plus/minus grading policy in light of the fact that
it is no longer being interpreted as optional.
Senator President Taggart adjourned the meeting at 5:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Roof
Senate Secretary