REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

Minutes

February 8, 1999


 


SENATORS EXCUSED: Thomas Church, Costel Denson, John Elias, Dana Johnson, Jeff Jordan, Mary Beth Miele, Melvyn Schiavelli, Roland Smith, Carolyn Thoroughgood

SENATORS ABSENT: Jay Hildebrandt, Ronald Wenger, Richard Wolbers, Stephan Wolohojian

I.    ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
        The agenda was adopted.

II.    APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
        The minutes of the December 7, 1998 meeting of the Senate were approved as distributed.

III.   REMARKS BY PROVOST SCHIAVELLI
        Provost Schiavelli was not on campus.

IV.    ANNOUNCEMENTS
 

 President Keefe introduced Susan Brynteson, who informed the Senators of a new library policy, effective today. Matriculated graduate students will join faculty in being able to use the Aorder this article@ button for next day delivery of articles listed in Current Contents/TOC and World of Science. President Keefe also announced a renumbering of the parts of the Student Complaint Policy that the Senate approved at its last meeting. To avoid revising a number of materials that refer to sections of the Policy by number, the Statement on Professional Ethics (currently B.1) will become a new Section B.3. The new informal student complaint section will be numbered section B.1; the section on sexual harassment will remain section B.2.
    ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR CHALLENGE

    The following were approved without challenge: Revisions to Agricultural Education Major in Food and Resource Economics to accommodate national and state requirements for accreditation; revision of existing major in Mechanical Engineering; establishment of a concentration in Biomechanics, Physical Education Studies, Major Exercise and Sport Science; initiate newly required course for all Accounting majors (ACCT 425) to replace the current requirement of BUAD 441; revision of Environmental Soil Science major, Plant and Soil Sciences, to reflect more accurately course offerings.

    V.    OLD BUSINESS
            There was no old business.

    VI.    NEW BUSINESS
     

      A.    A recommendation for the addition of minors in Environmental Soil Science, Landscape Horticulture, and Plant Biology was presented from the Committee on Undergraduate Studies, with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education and the Executive Committee. The motion, the text of which follows, was approved by the Senate.

      WHEREAS the demand for minors in the areas of landscape horticulture, plant biology, and environmental soil science has been great from students within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and from students in other colleges, and

      WHEREAS the impact of establishing such minors on teaching loads will be minimal as courses in these areas are already being offered, be it therefore

      RESOLVED that minors in landscape horticulture, plant biology, and environmental soil science be established.

         
      B.     A recommendation for the addition of the major and minor in Wildlife Conservation and the revision of the Entomology major was presented from the Committee on Undergraduate Studies, with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education and the Executive Committee. The motion, the text of which follows, was approved by the Senate.

      WHEREAS the concentration in Wildlife Conservation within the Entomology major has experienced strong demand since its inception in 1991, and

      WHEREAS establishment of a major in Wildlife Conservation would allow students interested in this area further to focus their studies and to identify their expertise more clearly for the purposes of employment and post-graduate study, and

      WHEREAS establishment of such a major does not require the addition of any new courses or library resources, be it therefore

      RESOLVED that a major in Wildlife Conservation be established in the department of Entomology and Applied Ecology and be it further

      RESOLVED that a minor in Wildlife Conservation be established in the Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology to accommodate majors in Geography, Biological Sciences, Animal Sciences, and related disciplines who are interested in this subject, and be it further

      RESOLVED in consequence of these changes that (a) the concentration in Wildlife Conservation be disestablished, (b) the concentration in General Entomology be disestablished, and 8 the minor in Entomology be revised to focus on insects rather than accommodating a broader focus on wildlife conservation.

President Keefe asked if there were other items of new business, reminding the Senate that such proposed items could not be acted upon until the next meeting. Fred Stiner proposed a revision to the Student Class Attendance policy so that Ashort military duty@ for students who are members of the National Guard or are on active reserve is included as an excused absence. He noted that he will be sending his recommendation to Student Life for advisement. Hearing no other proposed new business, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen F. Stein, Secretary
University Faculty Senate