REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
DECEMBER 5, 2011 – 104 GORE HALL
OFFICIAL
MINUTES
November
17, 2011
TO:
Senators and Executives
FROM:
Belinda Orzada, Vice President
University Faculty Senate
SUBJECT:
Regular Faculty Senate Meeting December 5, 2011
In accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular
meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, December 5,
2011 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:
Minutes
I.
Adoption
of the Agenda
MOVED SECONDED AND ADOPTED
II.
Approval
of the Minutes: November 7, 2011
MOVED SECONDED AND ADOPTED
III.
Remarks:
Provost
Tom Apple
Questions
Senator
Morgan: Please provide us with an update of the University Budget.
Provost
Apple: President Harker is scheduled to talk to the
senate about this in February. Provided the Senate with a brief report.
Senator
Poorani: In light of what happened at Penn State, are
there any ongoing conversations at UD?
Provost
Apple: The idea is that we should not
have little issues sequestered away. There is a committee/team that meets
regularly to discuss this.
John
Jebb: Are you allowed to say who is in the team that
meets?
Provost
Apple: VPs, Executive VPs, Dr. Apple, Dr. Harker, VP
for student life, Vice Provosts.
Senator
Morrison: Would it be helpful if the President of the Senate was part of this
committee?
Provost
Apple: It is a good suggestion. I really
enjoy working with the Executive Committee and the President of the Senate. The
relations between our
office and the Senate Exec. Council are very good. Very proud of our university metrics.
Senator
Buell: Can we
have access to the datasets that are used to calculate those metrics to see how
our departments are doing?
Provost
Apple: Yes. The how? Contact Heather
Kelly.
Senator
Williams: Progress about changing evaluations?
Provost
Apple: Talked to chairs. It is a departmental process. They are important
but they are the singular measure of how the faculty impact students. It has to
be done at the departmental level. For promotion & tenure what is more important is metrics and comments other than student
evaluations. One of the big issues with student evaluations is the correlation
of that with average grade in that class.
IV.
Announcements: Senate President Jeff
Jordan
Reports: Tom Ilvento
– Chair, RBB Ad hoc Committee
Molly Sullivan – Undergraduate
Student Senator
Reports were presented.
V.
Consent
Agenda
VI.
Regular
Agenda
1. Resolutions:
a. Recommendation from the
Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chairperson) for the request to increase the
number of Senate seats (attachment)
(attachment)
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; be
it therefore,
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.
Requires 2/3 “yes” votes. 55
present. 37 required to pass. 35 voted “yes.” 12 “negative.”
5 “abstained” 3 “did not raise cards” Motion
failed.
b.
Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the
Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chairperson) for the approval of a resolution
concerning the Academic Reorganization of the University of Delaware
WHEREAS,
it is important that the University exhibits complete transparency during the
restructuring of colleges and other academic units,
WHEREAS,
change in academic structure is an issue that benefits from as much input as
possible,
WHEREAS,
faculty and other personnel who have a vested interest in
such proposed changes should have the opportunity to not only be aware of such
proposal but to be afforded sufficient time to enter into debate, be it
therefore
RESOLVED,
that any proposal to restructure a college or any other academic unit initiated
either by an academic unit or by the Provost or any other person in a senior
leadership position at the UD be communicated in writing to the Faculty Senate,
and the Deans, the chairs and the faculty directly impacted by such proposal
within 10 (business) days of the initial public (campus) declaration of the
proposal in any format.
The motion passes.
2.
Unfinished
Business: None
3. New
Business:
Senator Morrison: Consider the
possibility of having/reinstituting an Advisory Budget Committee. It was moved and seconded.
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.)
Motion
to adjourn was moved and seconded.
/khs