REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

DECEMBER 6, 2010 – 104 GORE HALL

November 29, 2010

TO:                  Senators and Executives

FROM:            Belinda Orzada, Vice President  

                        University Faculty Senate

SUBJECT:       Regular Faculty Senate Meeting December 6, 2010

            In accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, December 6, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. in 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

The agenda was seconded and approved.

II. Approval of the Minutes: November 1, 2010

The minutes were seconded and approved.

III. Remarks: Provost Tom Apple

- The Provost discussed:

o The progress of the committee reviewing the differences between the faculty handbook and the CBA, particularly with regards to P&T

o Status of cluster hiring

o Work on strengthening writing and communication in the curriculum

o Evaluation of teaching

IV. Announcements: Senate President John Madsen

Faculty Senate Announcements – 12/6/10

1) At the April 2010 meeting of the University Faculty Senate a motion presented by Senator James Morrison to appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate the impact that responsibility based budgeting (RBB) is having on faculty governance and academic quality at the University was seconded and approved.

Faculty Members on the RBB Committee:

Tom Ilvento, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chair, Department of Food and Resource Economics

Bintong Chen, Dual Appointment in the Lerner College of Business and the College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rick Andrews, Lerner College of Business, Chair, Department of Business Administration

Alan Fox, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Philosophy

Martha Buell, College of Education and Human Services, Department of Human Development and Family Studies

John Courtright, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Communication

Additional member on the RBB Committee:

Representative from the Office of the Provost (to be named)

Charge will be generated for the RBB Committee by the Executive Committee, RBB Committee to begin work during the spring semester

2) At the April 2010 meeting of the University Faculty Senate a motion presented by Senator James Morrison that, when there are plans by the administration for reorganization of units within the University, the faculty members of the affected units be informed within one week and the faculty members have an opportunity with sufficient time to discuss the proposal and respond with their recommendations to the Dean and Chair of those units. 

Currently being reviewed by the Executive Committee

3) Faculty Survey on Classroom Scheduling System

561 responses were received from the faculty.

Similar survey has been completed by Administrators (Provost, Deans, Associate and Assistant Deans, Chairs, etc).

Similar survey will be sent to all students later this week/early next week.

Initial evaluation of responses will be undertaken starting in mid-December.

4) Faculty Senate consideration of Student Evaluations of Courses and Evaluations of Teaching

These issues are under consideration with the Coordinating Committee on Education.

5) At the October 4, 2010 meeting of the University Faculty Senate, Senator James Morrison asked the Senate President to look into the 6-10 rule and if it’s being followed.  Senator Morrison indicated he didn’t believe it was being followed and wanted the Senate to look into it. 

This issue is under consideration by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.

From the Faculty Handbook – “Once registration for each term is underway, department chairs will periodically be apprised of enrollment. If it is determined that enrollment is insufficient to justify a particular course section, then the decision to cancel that section should be made by the department chair in time that students can find substitute - normally no less than two weeks before the start of the academic term in question, and the academic department should make every effort to notify the affected students as soon as possible. The absolute minimum enrollment for undergraduate courses is ten students and for graduate courses (500 level and above), six students. Exceptions to these minimums require the formal approval of the Dean in each case.”

V. Item for Discussion: Listing of Religious Holidays on the UD Academic Calendar (attachment)  (attachment)

VI. Consent Agenda

1. Announcements for Challenge: 

a. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Jeff Jordan, Chair) and the Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chair) for the request to revise the English Education Major (attachment)  (attachment)  (attachment)    (email attachment)

The motion was approved.

VII. Regular Agenda

1. Unfinished Business:  None

2. New Business: None

3. Resolutions:

a. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Jeff Jordan, Chair) and the Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chair) for the request to add a new Major in Ecology (attachment)     (attachment)

WHEREAS,     the Department of Biological Sciences has expressed the intent to disestablish the Ecology and Organismic Biology concentration under the BS in Biological Sciences; and

WHEREAS,     the new Ecology major will be interdisciplinary, with the Department of Biological Sciences supplying training in the basic tenets of biology, and the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology offering courses related to the diversity, behavior, and ecological interactions among organisms; and

WHEREAS,     this major will be distinct from the Environmental Sciences major, which is more broadly interdisciplinary, encompassing geological and climatological aspects of environmental issues, and from the Wildlife Conservation major, which focuses on the application of ecological principles for conservation and management of ecosystems and species; and 

WHEREAS,     the Ecology major would provide a broad background that students could apply to many career directions including conservation biology, wetland management, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, city planning (urban ecology), and community health; and

WHEREAS,     upon completion of the major, students would be competitive for graduate programs in ecology and prepared to seek certification in Ecology by the Ecological Society of America; and

WHEREAS,     the Ecology major supports the 10 goals of undergraduate education and the academic priorities of the University's stated goal to promote programs which engage in cross-disciplinary (or cross fertilization) efforts to create integrated and critically reflective solutions to the world's pressing environmental challenges; and

WHEREAS,     the Ecology major has broad support from faculty across the various colleges; be it therefore

RESOLVED,  that the Faculty Senate approves provisionally, for five years, the establishment of a new major entitled Baccalaureate of Science in Ecology, effective January 1, 2011.

The motion was approved.

b. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Jeff Jordan, Chair) and the Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chair) for the request add an Honors Degree in Ecology (attachment)  (addendum attachment)    (attachment support letter).

WHEREAS,     the BS in Ecology is being proposed to be implemented in Spring 2011; and

WHEREAS,     an Honors degree option would enhance the degree program and provide the option for Honors program students; and

WHEREAS,     the Ecology Honors degree has the support of the Honors Program; be it therefore

RESOLVED,  that the Faculty Senate approves provisionally, for five years, the establishment of a new Honors degree entitled Honors Bachelor of Science in Ecology, effective January 1, 2011.

The motion was approved.

c. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Jeff Jordan, Chair) and the Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chair) for the request add an Honors Degree (HBS) in Marine Science with a Concentration in Marine Biology (attachment)

WHEREAS,     the State of Delaware and the University of Delaware have rich traditions connected to the marine environment and the study of marine science; and

WHEREAS,     we are a coastal state and as such, it is imperative to have a citizenry that is well versed in the issues that impact our marine and coastal areas; and

WHEREAS,     there are currently limited opportunities for undergraduate students to study marine ecosystems, species and the rich biodiversity in the region; and

WHEREAS,     a Marine Science degree with a concentration in Marine Biology best reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and is philosophically consistent with our graduate academic programs; and

WHEREAS,     The Honors Program is in support of providing Honors students with an opportunity to academically explore the field of Marine Science generally and Marine Biology specifically; and

WHEREAS,     the Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science provides Honors program students with a solid academic foundation and a complementary pathway for success for entrance into graduate programs or careers in the field; and

WHEREAS,     the Marine Programs within CEOE are internationally renowned academic programs taught by faculty that are leaders in the field, the Undergraduate Major capitalizes on this valuable resource and provides undergraduate students with an intellectually rigorous experience enabling them to emerge as the next generation of leaders; be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that the Faculty Senate approves provisionally, for five years, the establishment of a new major entitled Honors Bachelor of Science in Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Biology effective February 7, 2011.

The motion was approved.

d. Resolution from Senators Galileo, Bruening, Hastings, Morgan, Izard concerning conditions to be followed when changes to an existing policy or the introduction of a new policy are proposed for the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook.  This resolution does not have a recommendation from the Rules Committee and the Executive Committee recommends that this resolution not be approved (attachment)     

WHEREAS,     the business brought before the University Faculty Senate is of vital importance to the operation of the University of Delaware, and

WHEREAS,     it is in the best interest of the University of Delaware that Faculty Senators make the

most informed decisions possible at their meetings, and

WHEREAS,     it is in the best interest of the University of Delaware that Faculty Senate business is

conducted in an efficient manner, and

WHEREAS,     insofar as possible, Faculty Senate business should be conducted in an open, transparent

and straightforward manner, and

WHEREAS,     changes made to the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook potentially affect all

                        Faculty at the University, be it therefore

RESOLVED,   that the following conditions must be met when a Resolution which changes an existing

policy or introduces a new policy in the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook is acted upon by the Faculty Senate.  Any such Resolution that does not meet these conditions shall not be acted upon by the Faculty Senate.

1) The proposed Resolution will be stated on the regular Agenda that is approved by the Vice President of the Faculty Senate and distributed to Faculty Senators at least one week before the Faculty Senate meeting.

2) A proposed Resolution that changes an existing policy will have one attachment (referred to as “Attachment 1”) that states the original policy and contains a strikethrough of everything to be deleted from and underlines everything to be inserted into the original policy.  Additional attachments may be provided as appropriate. 

3) Attachment 1 to a Resolution that introduces a new policy instead will state that the proposed policy is new and not a modification of an existing policy.  It will also contain the proposed policy.

4) If the proposed Resolution is amended on the Senate floor, then it shall not be voted on at that meeting.  Instead, it shall be placed on the agenda of the next regular Faculty Senate meeting for reconsideration and will include a modified “Attachment 1” that incorporates the changes of the amendment.

A motion was made by Senator Morgan, and seconded, to refer the motion back to the executive committee such that the makers of the motion can meet with the executive committee for further discussion.

Discussion followed. The motion past.

A motion to adjourn was made, seconded and past.

VIII.    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.)

/khs