REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

FEBRUARY 6, 2012 – 104 GORE HALL

January 25, 2012

TO: Senators and Executives

FROM: Belinda Orzada, Vice President

University Faculty Senate

SUBJECT: Regular Faculty Senate Meeting February 6, 2012

In accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, February 6, 2012 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

Official Minutes

I. Adoption of the Agenda

MOVED SECONDED AND ADOPTED AS AMENDED

II. Approval of the Minutes: December 5, 2012

MOVED SECONDED AND ADOPTED

III. Remarks: Provost Tom Apple

Topics: P & T requirements and Provost’s writing competition

IV. Announcements: Senate President Jeff Jordan

3 open hearings this month. Winter session 2013 – fewer days. The control of the
academic calendar is not a faculty senate matter. It is with the Registrar and President’s
Office.

a. Winter session 2013 – Jeff Palmer and Peggy Botroff

Questions: Can spring break be shortened? Can the semester length be shortened to 7 weeks in general?

V. Consent Agenda

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 (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Middle School Social Studies Concentration within the Elementary Teacher Education (ETE) major (UGS -0112) (attachment revised 11-30-11)

b. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (UGS- 0114) (attachment)

c. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Accounting Major to add back a requirement, and to add a C- requirement in certain required courses (UGS – 0116) (attachment)

d. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Dance Minor (UGS 0119) (attachment)

e. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Major in Public Policy to include a 4 + 1 MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy (UGS 0121) (attachment)

f. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Major in Public Policy to include a 4+1 MPA Master of Public Administration (UGS – 0122) (attachment)

g. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the BS in Organizational and Community Leadership (UGS – 0123) (attachment)

h. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplekov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the MS and PhD in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (attachment)

i. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplekov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the MS and PhD in Mathematics (attachment)

j. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplekov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the MM Master of Music – Performance Concentration (Conducting) (attachment)

The motion passes.

VI. Regular Agenda

1. Unfinished Business: None

2. New Business: None

3. Resolutions:

A. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to endorse policies of Admissions here at the University of Delaware (attachment) (attachment)

Whereas, it is the responsibility of the Faculty of the University of Delaware to determine the educational and academic policies of admission, and,

Whereas, the University of Delaware strives to enroll students who are academically prepared to benefit from curricula offered at the University, and,

Whereas, the Faculty recognize the educational benefits of a student body that represents a diversity of social and cultural backgrounds, talents, and life experiences, and,

Whereas, the University of Delaware strives to serve the residents of the State of Delaware by admitting academically qualified Delawareans, be it therefore,

Resolved, that the Faculty endorse the following policies of admission to the University of Delaware.

 1. Applications for undergraduate admission shall be reviewed for acceptance by an Admissions Committee from the Admissions Office.

2. First-year applicants must complete a minimum of 18 academic units in high school (grades 9-12) from college-preparatory or higher-level courses. These courses shall include at least:

· Four units of English.

· Three units of Mathematics.

· Three units of Science (including two units with laboratories).

· Four units of History or Social Studies (at least two of the units must be in History, and one of the History units must be in World History). An additional unit in Mathematics or Science may be substituted for one of the two Social Studies units.

· Two units of Foreign Language.

· College preparatory electives to bring the total to at least18 units.

 3. First-year applicants must submit scores from the SAT Reasoning Test and/or ACT (with Writing).

4. The Admissions Committee shall monitor the academic performance of University of Delaware students to determine appropriate standards for high school grades and standardized test scores understanding that these may be affected by the rigor of the applicants’ high schools and course selections.

 5. All aspects of a student’s application for admission may be considered. As part of its holistic reading of an application, the Admissions Committee may consider teacher, school counselor and other letters of recommendation, applicants’ admissions essays and other submitted materials, applicants’ extracurricular accomplishments and awards, and other indicators of character or perseverance.

6. Additional components may be required for majors that demand special talents or academic preparation, such as auditions, portfolios, or more stringent math and science preparation.

7. Applicants to the Honors Program may be required to submit additional materials, such as two SAT Subject Tests and an additional essay.

8. Delaware residents are encouraged to meet the requirements outlined in the published “UD Commitment to Delawareans" (Attachment 1) and shall be offered admission so long as they are academically prepared.

9. Home-schooled applicants and applicants from unaccredited high schools must furnish scores from both the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests, or they may submit an ACT with Writing in lieu of the SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests.

10. Additional testing (such as a “TOEFL” or “IELTS” examination) or enrollment in an English language program may be required as a condition of admission in the case of applicants who are not native English speakers.

11. Guidelines shall be set for transfer admission to the University in consultation with the colleges and academic departments.

12.The Admissions Committee may modify the admission requirements or set special conditions of enrollment when necessary to admit students with unique or non-traditional educational backgrounds, such as returning adult students, home-schooled students, or special needs students, or students who for other reasons would be strong additions to the University community on either the Newark or the Associate in Arts Program campuses so long as compelling evidence exists that they are academically equipped to handle curricula at the University.

13.Personal behavior and ethical conduct may be considered as factors for admission, and admission may be denied or rescinded when a student’s conduct has been inconsistent with the principles set forth in the University’s Student Code of Conduct.

14. The Faculty shall review annually, through the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, the educational and academic admissions policies of the University, recommend changes to the Faculty Senate for approval, and advise the Director of Admissions on their implementation.

Lou Hirsch and Deni Galileo were available to answer questions.

The resolution passes

The following resolution was added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting prior to adopting the agenda. The agenda was adopted with the addition of the following resolution:

Whereas the time of instruction for a UD course is a Faculty Senate matter; and,

Whereas Winter Sessions over the past ten years have had 22 to 25 days of instruction; and,

Whereas the Faculty Handbook holds that class meeting time during the winter and summer sessions should be equivalent to that scheduled in other academic terms; and,

Whereas Winter Session 2013, because of various scheduling factors, can have only 21 days of instruction, and Winter Session 2014 can have either only 20 days of instruction or Spring semester 2014 can have only 66 days of instruction; and,

Whereas a course of length 105 minutes for 21 days or 105 minutes for 20 days of instruction would equal 2,205 minutes and 2100 minutes, respectively of total meeting time; be it therefore

Resolved that beginning Winter Session 2013, daily course meeting times increase from 90 minutes to 105 minutes, and the Faculty Senate in the spring of 2014 will review the desirability of 105 minute daily class meeting times during a winter session.

Resolution on Winter Session

· Motion on the floor to defer this resolution till the May meeting – 18 votes in favor; 30 against

· 38 in favor of original resolution; 8 opposed.

· Resolution passes.

B. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to disestablishment of the Southern Delaware Bachelor of Science in Education – Elementary Teacher Education Program (UGS-0111) (attachment) (attachment)

Whereas, the Southern Delaware Bachelor of Science in Education - Elementary Teacher Education Program was granted provisional status in 2000 and permanent status in 2005, and

Whereas, the program was intended to admit a 15 member cohort each year, and

Whereas, the degree program, despite its merits, has been unsuccessful with regard to admitting a full 15 member cohort each year, and

Whereas, the School of Education and the College of Education and Human Development has determined that this program is not sustainable in Southern Delaware, be it therefore

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends the disestablishment of the Southern Delaware Bachelor of Science in Education - Elementary Teacher Education Program.

Resolution passes.

C. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplekov, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to disestablish the MS and PhD in Operations Research (attachment)

Whereas, the Department of Food and Resource Economics (FREC) in the college of Agriculture and Natural Resources has limited faculty and budgetary resources to continue to support a full MS degree in Operations Research, and

Whereas, FREC has seen a reduction in applicants for this program over the past 5 years, and

Whereas, the FREC Graduate Committee has recommended folding the Operations Research courses into a concentration in AREC or STAT MS degrees, and

Whereas, the FREC faculty voted unanimously to end the ORES Ph.D. degree and to begin accepting future students interested in Operations Research into a concentration in AREC or STAT, and

Whereas, the FREC has agreed to continue funding and course work for existing ORES MS students so they can finish their degree by 2013, and be it therefore

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends ending the ORES MS degree beginning Fall 2012.

Resolution passes.

D. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplekov, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request for a new PhD in Biomedical Engineering (attachment) (attachment) (attachment) (attachment policy statement 2-2-2012) (attachment 2-2-2012) (attachment 2-2-2012) (attachment resolution)

Whereas, the proposed Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Biomedical Engineering provides a new graduate course of study in a rapidly growing occupational field that bridges the gap between engineering and the biological sciences, and

Whereas, the proposed program builds upon the research strength, educational resources and infrastructure of Departments across the Colleges of Engineering and Arts & Sciences, as well as from the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, the Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, and the Delaware Rehabilitation Institute, and

Whereas, the proposed program contributes to the scholarly and educational missions of the University—to disseminate scientific, humanistic, and social knowledge for the benefit of the larger society and to produce graduates who are prepared to contribute to a global society, addressing the critical needs of the state, nation and global community, and

Whereas, the proposed program fosters multi- and interdisciplinary research and educational collaboration across campus, providing a critical component to University’s strategic priorities in life and health sciences, and serving as a pillar of UD's Path to Prominence, be it therefore

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends provisionally, for seven years, the establishment of a new program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Engineering, effective June 1, 2012.

Resolution passes.

E. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Resource Economics Majorand to change the name to Environmental and Resource Economics (UGS – 0118) (attachment)

Whereas,   the focus of research activities and course offerings in the Department of Food and Resource Economic have changed in the last several years, and

Whereas, the name of the Resources Economics major in no longer indicative of the content of the major, and

Whereas, a name change will provide branding consistency of the course offerings of the department and is broader and more inclusive of the focus of the program, and

Whereas, the name change as the support of the Department, the College and the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Faculty Senate, be it therefore

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate approves a name change for the Bachelor of Science in Resource Economics to Environmental and Resource Economics, effective June 1, 2012.

Resolution passes.

F. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies(Andrew Teplekov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to disestablish the MS in Bioresources Engineering that is in provisional status only (attachment) (resolution attachment)

Whereas, in the spring of 2011, the Department of Bioresources Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources voted to disband the Department of Bioresources Engineering by September 1, 2016, according to the principles outlined in Attachment #1,

Whereas, disbanding of the Department of Bioresources Engineering will result in no further need to offer the M.S. Degree in BioresourcesEngineering,

Whereas, the Graduate Studies Committee of the University of Delaware Faculty Senate has approved the discontinuation of the M.S. Degree in Bioresources Engineering, in a manner that allows all current students to complete their graduate degree programs, be it therefore,

Resolved, that the University of Delaware Faculty Senate approves the discontinuation of the M.S. Degree in Bioresources Engineering by September 1, 2012.

Resolution passes.

IV. 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 recommended and passed.  

/khs