REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
APRIL 13, 1998
SENATORS EXCUSED: Joann Browning, Costel Denson, Dana Johnson, Jeffrey Jordan, Larry kalkstein, John Kraft, Mary Martin, Yas Nakib, Fred Stiner
SENATORS ABSENT; John Anderson, Emma Cahill, Pamela Cummings, Rudy D
=Souza, Kelly Druga, John Gallagher, Thomas Ilvento, Leslie Knapp, Albert Neal, Nancy Nobile, Stephan Wolohojian
I. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
The agenda was adopted.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The minutes of the March 2, 1998 meeting of the Senate were approved as distributed.
III. REMARKS BY PROVOST SCHIAVELLI
Provost Schiavelli was happy to report that the Admission
=s Office is doing their job well and that many more students want to come to the University of Delaware than ever before. However, the University is trying to keep the undergraduate population constant and improve the quality of the students. Demographics will help in that regard but the fact that the University has improved dramatically is also helping us. At the moment there are about 20 percent minority students at the undergraduate level that have accepted our offer of admission today than at this time last year. He stated that the quality of the Delaware resident admission is up significantly over last year and it is at its highest level. One thousand more students were offered financial aid this year.
Provost Schiavelli stated that the University is doing a market study. We are asking prospective undergraduate students and their parents, what is it about the University of Delaware that would be particularly appealing to you? We have had interviews with nine hundred such students over the last four months. The common theme was that it should be academically challenging but that it be fun and exciting. The fun and excitement is not a problem! We as faculty colleagues have the opportunity to provide the rigor and the quality in the classroom experience not through tough grading but as a means of quality learning experiences in that classroom.
Provost Schiavelli applauded the work of the Faculty Senate. Beginning as a General Education Committee they decided quickly that it was undergraduate education that they were interested in. Proposals are carefully thought out before going through the Senate and it has set a tone of high quality.
Provost Schiavelli spoke about graduate admissions. He spoke to the number of phone calls he has received from friends and people interested in getting into the University. This increased number tells him that the departments are doing their job in selecting students.
Provost Schiavelli said that faculty have received external support for research by fourteen percent over last year. That
=s a remarkable achievement in the kind of climate we find today and we should congratulate ourselves.
IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS
After making several remarks, President Carroll proceeded to the Announcements for Challenge. There being no challenges, the proposals to change the name of the Department of Accounting to the Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems and minor revisions in the Elementary Teacher Education Program were approved.
V. OLD BUSINESS
Dr. Carol Hoffecker presented an interim report on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on General Education, urging that the Senators provide input on matters pertaining to that report.
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. The proposal to endorse the creation of a new Department of Material Sciences and Engineering in the College of Engineering was adopted unanimously. The proposal has arisen in the College of Engineering and had been endorsed by the faculty of that College and the Senate Coordinating Committee on Education and its Executive Committee.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
WHEREAS: a College wide graduate teaching and degree granting activity in Metallurgy and subsequently in Materials Science and Engineering has operated successfully in the College of Engineering for over 35 years; and
WHEREAS: the Materials Science Program has already operated autonomously for over ten years and discharged the majority of the functions of an independent department, including student recruitment, obtaining and administering sponsored research programs, scheduling, teaching, and hiring faculty and administrative and technical staff; and
WHEREAS: with the establishment of a Program in materials Science and Engineering in 1986 direct funding for teaching assistants and equipment support was established independent of the four engineering departments, and
WHEREAS: the Materials Science and Engineering program has a proposed graduate policy statement and a promotion and tenure document; and
WHEREAS: direct faculty line support and office and laboratory space have been dedicated to the ongoing Materials Science and Engineering activity; and
WHEREAS: at College of Engineering faculty meetings in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, the faculty of the College were informed of development and further plans for a graduate level Materials Science and Engineering Department, and on November 24, 1997, passed by a majority vote, such a motion; therefore be it
RESOLVED: that the Faculty Senate endorses the establishment of a Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.
B. Proposals to make two changes in portions of the
ATermination and Complaint@ procedures of the Faculty Welfare and privileges Committee were approved, after Dr. John McLaughlin, Chair of the Committee, revised the wording of the second resolution for clarity. That resolution now reads, AThe standard of proof for guilt is that the evidence must be clear and convincing.@ The other resolution introduces sanctions for university employees who do not comply with the termination and complaint procedures. The proposal came with the endorsement of the Executive Committee, and was in response to matters raised by Senators at the November 3 meeting, which Dr. McLaughlin has indicated he would take back to the committee for consideration.
The text of the two resolutions is as follows:
WHEREAS: the full participation of all witnesses in hearings before the Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges (CFWP) is essential for the fair and proper conduct of such hearings; and
WHEREAS: under the current procedures for such hearings by CFWP, witnesses who are University employees must participate fully or face sanctions the administration deems appropriate, and
WHEREAS: under current procedures, no provision exists for faculty influence on the content and design of such sanctions; and
WHEREAS: the standard of proof for complaints is not explicit in the CFWP Termination and Complaint procedures; be it therefore
RESOLVED: that the existing Sections IC5g and IIC5g of the CFWP Termination and Complaint Procedures be amended to read
RESOLVED: that the existing section IIC7 be renumbered IIC8 and IIC7 read *The standard of proof for evidence of guilt must be clear and convincing.*
Bracketed [ ]phrases are deleted; bold, asterisked * * phrases or words are added.
C. A resolution of thanks to members of the Gore family was approved. The text of the resolution is as follows:
WHEREAS: Vivian, Robert and Sarah Gore have long been associated with and supportive of the University of Delaware; and
WHEREAS: Vivian, Robert, and Sarah Gore saw a pressing need for a classroom facility at the University; and
WHEREAS: Vivian, Robert, and Sarah Gore generously donated the funds to fill this need and construct this classroom building; and
WHEREAS: Gore Hall provides both a fitting addition to the Mall as well as a state-of-the-art focus for education, be it therefore
RESOLVED: that the University of Delaware Faculty Senate expresses its deep appreciation to Vivian, Robert and Sarah Gore for their gift of Gore Hall to the University community; and be it further
RESOLVED: that the University of Delaware Faculty Senate expresses the sentiment of all faculty and students in celebrating Gore Hall as a superb facility for teaching and learning.
The resolution will be delivered, along with letters from faculty who use Gore Hall, as part of the forthcoming dedication of that building.
D. A recommendation from the College of Engineering concerning its desire to modify the rules governing the role of its College Promotion and Tenure committee was adopted. The motion had previously been before the Senate, had been referred back to the University Promotion and Tenure Committee, and had been sent back to the Senate with the committee=s endorsement.
The text of the amended resolution is as follows:
WHEREAS: for many years, the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the College of Engineering has exercised the process that the representative from each department votes once at the college level, but not at the departmental level, and this practice has received no criticism within the College, and
WHEREAS: the academic subjects and practices in the departments in the College of Engineering are so diverse that input from the departmental representative is needed to fully comprehend the relevance of candidate=s performance and activities; and
WHEREAS: the number of votes available for the decision in the College Promotion and Tenure Committee will become only three under the new University procedure, and the decision based on such a small number has a greater possibility of personal bias; be it therefore
RESOLVED: that in the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the College of Engineering, the departmental representative participates in the discussion and votes on the candidates from his/her own department at the College level, but not at the departmental level.
A motion to add a resolution extending the same right to modify to any other College which has similar procedures, introduced by Senator Mosberg, was referred to the Promotion and Tenure Committee for consideration. The text of his resolution read: RESOLVED, any college may, upon petition to the University Promotion and Tenure Committee, adopt these same procedure for their Department representatives to College Promotion and Tenure committees.@
E. A resolution from the Student Life Committee, Dr. Cynthia Robbins, Chair, which dealt with matters raised at the meeting of May 5, 1997, was introduced and adopted after discussion. Discussion focused particularly on the question of whether the action was premature, given the short life of the new evaluation procedure for fraternities and sororities. It was suggested that the Executive Committee should receive a report annually from the Student Life Committee on progress of the fraternity and sorority system in meeting Senate goals.
The text of the resolution is a follows:
WHEREAS the Faculty Senate in May 1992 passed a resolution
WHEREAS the University of Delaware has implemented the Five Start Chapter Evaluation Program setting a minimum level of standards in the following areas: academics, financial management, university/community relations and service, campus involvement, and membership intake/new member education; and
WHEREAS the academic performance of both the sororities and fraternities has improved in the past year; and
WHEREAS behavioral problems associated with fraternities and sororities have diminished dramatically over the past two years; and
WHEREAS Greek Life enhances a student
=s university experience through leadership opportunities, philanthropy, campus involvement, career networking and community services; therefore be it
RESOLVED that beginning the 1998-1999 academic year, sororities and fraternities be allowed to have a pledge or associate member education program of no more than six weeks in duration.
F. The Senate Secretary made brief comments on the reapportionment report which is appended to these minutes. The recently adopted redefinitions of apportionment, approved by the Senate at its meeting of September 15, 1997, worked very smoothly.
G. President Carroll 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. There being no new items, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted,
Frank B. Dilley, Secretary
University Faculty Senate
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