REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
FEBRUARY 5, 1996
MINUTES
Senators excused were: Kenneth Biederman, Gordon Bonner, Hilton
Brown, Steven Helmling, Vera Kaminski,
Bill Lawson, Ajay Manrai, Kent Price, Alvina
Quintana, David Roselle, Carolyn Thoroughgood,
D. Allan Waterfield
Senators absent were: Margaret Birney, Paul Hooper, Lorenzo
Lacey, Lynn Snyder-Mackler, Duane Milne,
Kara Newport Paige, Joelle Perry, Peter
Roe, Wendy Samter, Tracy Smith
I. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved as submitted with the remark that the
Bachelor of Chemical Engineering abbreviation, as stated in
Item A under New Business, should appear as B.Ch.E.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The minutes of the December 4, 1995 meeting were approved as
written.
III. REMARKS BY UNIVERSITY PROVOST SCHIAVELLI
Provost reported, first, that undergraduate admission applications for
the coming academic year are up by approximately 12% for freshmen and
that within the Honors section, they are up about 25%. The overall
quality of the applicant pool is enhanced and we have increased the
lower-end cutoff to a higher SAT score.
Second, the Provost reported that he and other members of his
expected that, with requested support from the legislature, the
budget will be in balance without any budget cuts. The expectation is
that the 1997-98 budget will also be in balance.
During the next two years, changes will be made in the overhead returns,
72% being returned to the several Deans, and, as now, 28% being returned
to the Departments. This arrangement, which will take effect during the
next fiscal year hopefully will encourage external grant activity. The
following year the budgets will be totally under control of the Deans
including monies from vacated lines. This is an attempt to move away
from central control of the basic budget so that the Deans will have
more flexibility and more control over the direction of the college.
In response to a question about the effect of possibly decreased outside
funding, the Provost remarked that the faculty has been remarkably
creative and productive in obtaining extramural support. The number of
proposals to outside agencies is up dramatically over the past two years
and the success rate has remained almost constant.
While there will be a swap of overhead recoveries for basic
budget money, the buy-in cost for a college is on the low side
of what people are expected to generate over the next two
years. During that two-year period, a small contingency fund
can be accumulated to level the effects of varying support
levels.
IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR CHALLENGE
The three items on the list of Announcements for Challenge
were introduced. The following items were adopted without
objection:
1. Revision of the Ph.D. in Economics: Creation of
concentrations in Finance and in Agricultural Economics
2. Revision of the M.Ed. Education major: Creation of
concentration in Student Affairs Practice in Higher
Education
3. New minor in Materials Science
V. OLD BUSINESS - None
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Recommendation from the Committee on Undergraduate
Studies with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education for the establishment of a new
Honors Degree leading to the Honors B.C.E. (Bachelor of
Chemical Engineering).
B. Recommendation from the Committee on Undergraduate
Studies with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education for the establishment of a new
Honors Degree leading to the Honors B.E.E. (Bachelor of
Electrical Engineering).
C. Recommendation from the Committee on Undergraduate
Studies with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education for the establishment of a new
Honors Degree leading to the Honors B.M.E. (Bachelor of
Mechanical Engineering).
The above three recommendations were included as a
package for discussion by President Hall.
The proposal to establish new Honors degrees in Chemical
Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical
Engineering was supported by Professor Robert Brown,
Director of the University Honors Program. He stated
that the Honors Program welcomed the establishment of
these degrees. He also remarked that it was the
understanding that the phrase, "Graduate courses approved
for this purpose by the department may be counted as
Honors courses" is to apply to the honors credits that
are called for in the major department or in courses of
collateral disciplines specifically required for the
major. The following resolutions were passed without
dissent:
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate approves the
establishment of a new Honors Degree
leading to the Honors B.C.E. (Bachelor of
Chemical Engineering).
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate approves the
establishment of a new Honors Degree
leading to the Honors B.E.E. (Bachelor of
Electrical Engineering).
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate approves the
establishment of a new Honors Degree
leading to the Honors B.M.E. (Bachelor of
Mechanical Engineering).
D. Recommendation from the Committee on Undergraduate
Studies (R. Taggart, Chairperson), to amend the
Undergraduate Catalog, under "Changes in Registration."
Professor Taggart introduced the recommendation to change
the portion of the Undergraduate Catalog which sets
deadlines for the dropping of courses without penalty.
While first semester freshmen have an eight-week
deadline, all others have a six-week deadline. It was
the opinion of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies
that many students do not have enough information about
how they are doing in a course by the six-week deadline.
The Committee believes that a change to a uniform eight-week drop
period would be helpful to the students, faculty, administration.
Professor Kenneth Koford, Chairperson of the Committee on
Graduate Studies, stated that his committee had been
asked to look at the deadline for graduate students and
they recommended that the eight-week deadline be extended
to all graduate courses and be so noted in the Graduate
Catalog.
It was agreed to accept the proposal that the
corresponding changes be made in the Graduate Catalog as
a friendly amendment. Without further discussion, the
resolution was passed by unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, the current policy on withdrawal without
academic penalty is set at eight weeks
for first semester freshmen students only
and six weeks for all other students, and
WHEREAS, an eight-week deadline would provide more
adequate academic information for faculty
and students than a six-week deadline,
and
WHEREAS, a single deadline for all undergraduate
students would be less confusing to
students and more workable for college
offices, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Undergraduate Catalog, under
"Changes in Registration," page 16,
paragraph 4, be amended to read as
follows:
Any changes in registration after
the eight-week academic penalty
deadline must be approved by the
dean. Only in extenuating
circumstances will approval be
granted.
E. Introduction of New Business
There being no further new business, the meeting was
adjourned at 4:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas Angell
Secretary
University Faculty Senate
TA/rg