REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
TO:
Senators and Executives
FROM:
Belinda Orzada, Vice President
University Faculty Senate
SUBJECT:
Regular Faculty Senate Meeting
In accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular
meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, September 12th
at 4:00 p.m. in room 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:
Official Minutes
AGENDA
Member Excused: Dean
Robin Morgan, Joseph Daniel, John Gillespie, Jeffrey Heinz, Paul Laux, Santhi Leon, Dean Kathleen
Matt, Phillip Penix-Tadsen, Dennis Prather, Matthew Robinson.
I. Adoption of the Agenda
Approved as presented
II.
Approval
of the Minutes: May 9, 2011
Approved as written
III.
Memorial
Tributes: Slide
Presentation
Side presentation, by
Karren Helsel-Spry, was given to memorialize the following faculty members:
James Soles – Arts and
Sciences
James Thornton –
Business and Economics
Barbara Curry – School
of Education
David Robinson -
Engineering
David Sinkoski - Engineering
IV.
Remarks:
Provost
Tom Apple
Very optimistic of the next year. Provost Apple introduced the three new deans
on campus this year - Lynn Okagaki, Dean,
Middle states commission report – He congratulated the
faculty and the university community on the re-accreditation of the University.
The Middle States commission was chaired by Dr. Jerry Cohen, President of the
Carnegie Mellon University. The Provost said that the university was moving
forward at “breathtaking” pace. UD is in the 100-150 AWRU world university
rankings and has moved up over a 100 spots. He also discussed UD’s current rankings in the US News and World Report.
Work on Diversity and Academic Rigor. This is the subject of
focus for the university this year. Developments will be discussed in the next
meeting. Another point of focus is Academic rigor.
P & T: The Provost said that the CNTT/Tenure Track
discussions will continue this year. He sees one critical difference between
the two types of positions - TT faculty are faculty who should have an impact
at the national level ; CNTT faculty are
faculty who should have impact at the local level.
Questions/Comments: The Provost answered
questions about whether the summer college was closed because of lack of
funding. He said that the summer college was funded from a specific state line.
That specific state line is part of two lines and the line that comes directly
from the state was cut. He said the university was very keen in keeping the
summer college going. He said that we will find a way to pay for it by
restructuring it. He hopes to include a more diverse student body in the summer
college as well.
John Morgan: Diversity – Establishing a reservoir
fund to be tapped into by any department on a matching basis if they can
identify really well qualified students from disadvantaged BGs. Provost – focus on diversifying faculty and
students and make them more successful. Big difference in graduation rates both
at grad and UG level.
Steven Hastings: new students and
families have to pay both at AG college and on campus.
Provost will pass on his concern to the parking department.
V.
Announcements: Senate President Jeff
Jordan
·
First open hearing Wednesday, Sept. 28, 3pm. – whether
·
Oct. meeting – will bring proposal to amend faculty constitution
and handbook and bylaws of the senate – to remove January as a regular
meeting.
·
Anticipated items of business
o
Ad
Hoc calendar committee open hearing
o
P
& T revisions open hearing
o
Open
hearing on faculty suspensions
·
Ongoing
Senate projects: (attachment)
·
3
guiding principles:
A. Protect the interests of students.
B. Enhance faculty governance.
C. Promote
excellence at UD, in all we do.
VI.
Consent
Agenda:
a. Resolutions:
1.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the charge
of the University Council on Teacher Education
WHEREAS,
the University Council on Teacher Education reviews all UD programs preparing
educational professionals for work in schools, and
WHEREAS,
the description and committee charge of the University Council on Teacher
Education found in the Faculty Handbook is badly out of date, and
WHEREAS,
NCATE accreditors will be on campus October 2011 for
a site visit reviewing UD programs for teacher education, and
WHEREAS,
revisions to the Faculty handbook require Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore
RESOLVED,
that
the Faculty Senate approves the revision and updating of the description and
committee charge of the university Council on Teacher Education.
The resolution was approved as
presented.
2.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Scheduling Ad Hoc Committee (Joerg
Busch, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan,
Chair) for the request to schedule final exams on the Thursday prior to
graduation (attachment 1)
WHEREAS,
the Thursday before graduation has been designated 'Senior Day' only since
spring 2010, and
WHEREAS,
there is a need to preserve the days of instruction during the
semester and to avoid the use of Saturday as an exam day, be it therefore
RESOLVED,
that in spring semester 2012, and thereafter, the Thursday before graduation be used as a final examination day.
The resolution was approved as presented.
3.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the
Faculty Handbook Section 1: Organization of the Faculty Standing
Committee System of the Faculty and Its Senate – Academic Priorities Review
Committee (attachment 1)
WHEREAS,
the Academic Priorities Review committee considers
matters relevant to the work of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Committee on
Education, and
WHEREAS, the Academic Priorities Review
committee meets after the Faculty Senate elections for the coming year, and
WHEREAS, changes to the committee structure
of the Faculty Senate requires Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the incoming chairperson of the
Coordinating Committee on Education be a member of the Academic Priorities
Review committee.
The resolution was approved as presented.
4.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the
Faculty Handbook Section IV – 6 (attachment
1)
WHEREAS,
there has not been a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate during the month of
January since at least 2000, and
WHEREAS,
additions and revisions to the FACULTY HANDBOOK require Faculty Senate
approval, be it therefore
RESOLVED,
that the FACULTY HANDBOOK be revised to no longer require during January a
regular meeting of the Faculty Senate.
This resolution will be
approved at the October Senate Meeting
5.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Jack Baroudi, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) to amend the
Faculty Handbook Section IV – Personnel Policies for Faculty – Academic Freedom
and Standards of Conduct – Guidelines for writing letters of recommendation (attachment
1)
WHEREAS,
the Faculty Handbook currently states: “Letters should address only the
relevance of the person’s qualifications for the position about which
commentary is sought; reference to an individual’s personal appearance,
professional ambition, traits of character, marital status, number of children,
etc. should be assiduously avoided” and
WHEREAS,
many graduate schools and law schools ask about an applicant's professional
ambition and traits of character, and
WHEREAS,
the Faculty Handbook mandates that reviewers refrain from commenting on
professional ambition and traits of character, UD applicants are disadvantaged;
be it therefore
RESOLVED,
that the relevant section in the Faculty Handbook as indicated in Attachment 1
concerning faculty recommendations be revised as follows: “Letters should
address only the relevance of the person’s qualifications for the position
about which commentary is sought; reference to an individual’s personal
appearance, marital status, number of children, etc. should be assiduously
avoided”
The resolution was approved as presented.
VIII.
Unfinished
Business:
None
IX.
New
Business: None
X.
Introduction
of New Business:
2 resolutions introduced by Senator
Morgan and Seconded by John Jebb.
Resolution
1
WHEREAS when the University Faculty Senate was established in 1970 there were about 550 faculty and some 40 departments on this campus, but there are now twice as many faculty and about 50 departments, representing a considerably wider diversity of fields now than 40 years ago; and
WHEREAS many faculty wish to elect a senator from their own department to represent knowledgeably their departmental interests in the University Faculty Senate, as has long been the practice in the College of Arts and Sciences and some other colleges; and
WHEREAS the current limit of 50 elected senators originally prescribed by the University Faculty Constitution in 1970, and never increased since then, may soon make it impossible for the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and some other colleges to continue to elect one senator from each department; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED that Section IV-2 of the University of Delaware Faculty Constitution be amended to increase from 50 to 60 the number of elected faculty senators, to take effect at the beginning of Academic Year 2012-2013.
Resolution
2:
WHEREAS the University Faculty Senate bylaws and regulations do not currently provide for any review of changes in procedures for electing senators from each Unit to ensure that the new procedures are consistent with the bylaws and regulations of the University Faculty Senate and free from any other problems,
BE IT RESOLVED that the last sentence of Article X of the bylaws and regulations of the University Faculty Senate be amended to read as
follows:
Any changes shall be reported to the Secretary of the Senate and must be reviewed by the Rules Committee and approved by a simple majority of the University Faculty Senate prior to their implementation to assure their practicability, their adherence to traditional principles of democratic faculty governance, and their consistency with the University of Delaware Faculty Constitution and the bylaws and regulations of the University Faculty Senate."
An
item was introduced by Senator Buell: Post tenure
reviews to be included in the bylaws. Margaret Andersen suggested that the
Provost Office make a recommendation to the departments to include post tenure
review procedures in the departmental by-laws.