REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
I. Adoption
of the Agenda
Approved
II.
Approval of
the Minutes: November
2, 2009
Approved
III.
Remarks: Deputy
Provost Havidan Rodriguez for Provost Tom Apple. On November
1st the Institute for Global Studies, a part of the University’s Path
to Prominence, was established to expand international partnerships. The
Institute is housed in Elliott Hall and reports to Deputy Provost Rodriguez. The
institute is currently involved in four initiatives: enhancing the study abroad
program, establishing research grants and contracts, enhancing global
partnerships, and developing community engagement and outreach. A new website is being created by the Office
of Communication and Management for the Institute for Global Studies. A council
for global studies is being formed with representation from all colleges and
other organizations on campus.
The University of Delaware has had discussion with South Korea to establish
academic programs in the Incheon Free Economic Zone. South Korea plans to fund and develop a global
university campus; currently seven United State universities are looking to
collaborate. South Korean students would
spend three years at the South Korea campus and then one year at UD. Currently,
a marketing and feasibility study funded by South Korea is underway by UD.
Currently, the Office of the Provost conducts Annual Periodic Reviews (APRs)
for department not externally accredited. The Office of the Provost has proposed
to move the reviews to the college level. This has been discussed with the
deans. In addition, APRs of the colleges will be initiated; these reviews will
be conducted by the office of the Provost.
Advisement for undergraduates at UD is very diverse among departments. In the
past, outside reviewers have made comments that undergraduate advisement is not
consistent at UD. The Provost’s Executive Committee is having discussions about
improving undergraduate advisement. One item under consideration is that students
may be required to obtain advisor’s permission before registering for classes.
IV.
Announcements:
Senate President Cihan Cobanoglu.
The University recently announced that a pilot study is underway with students
with Google Apps and Gmail. The students maintained their udel.edu email address
and UD branding. Using Gmail will permit
students to keep their udel.edu address for life. This will allow academic units
to maintain contact easier with graduates. Pilot students currently are enrolled,
and a roll out for all students is planned for the spring semester. The Faculty
Senate committee, Instructional, Computing, and Research Support Services (ICRSS)
chaired by Fred Hofstetter, will review the planned
move to Gmail. Dr. Cobanoglu will get more information
on how the decision to move to Gmail was made and what are the future plans for
Gmail. Dr. Hofstetter made an open invitation for senators to attend
the ICRSS meeting December 10 at 3:00 in Studio C of Pearson Hall.
Dr. Cobanoglu announced that it has been a time
consuming process converting Faculty Senate minutes into a searchable database
website. The site should be available in
the spring semester in D-Space.
Maureen Querey – Manager, Office of Equity and Inclusion. This newly formed office offers training across all areas of diversity for employees and students. The office currently is focused on four areas: women affairs; the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community; diversity; and affirmative action. The Office is developing its mission and goals, and works with Human Resources for recruitment and retention. The Office reports to Vice President of Administration J.J. Davis. Students feeling they have been harassed or assaulted should contact the office. The website is http://www.udel.edu/diversity.
V.
Item for
Information: Breadth Requirement
Memo (attachment)
VI. Consent Agenda
1. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Robert Opila, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (John Madsen, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Cihan Cobanoglu, Chair) for the request to add a Non Thesis option to the MS in Bioresources Engineering (attachment)
Approved
VII.
Regular
Agenda:
A. Unfinished Business: None
B. New Business: None
C.
Resolutions
1. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Robert Opila, Chair) and the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Beth Morling, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (John Madsen, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Cihan Cobanoglu, Chair) for the request to add a 4+1 program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (attachment)
Whereas, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has
offered successful programs leading toward the Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree and the Bachelor of Environmental Engineering degree, providing graduates with the skills needed to enter the profession at an entry level, and
Whereas, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has offered a separate and successful Master of Civil Engineering degree, providing students with more advanced training in their chosen field of specialty, and
Whereas, industry is demanding more advanced training and education of our engineering students and there is a need to provide alternative, cost-effective, and accelerated programs for obtaining the Masters degree in Civil Engineering, and
Whereas, a 4+1 Bachelors/Masters program will provide students with the advanced skills needed in a shorter amount of time, be it therefore
Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends that a new 4+1 program be established provisionally for five years that will allow students to complete the Bachelor of Civil/Environmental Engineering and the Master of Civil Engineering degrees concurrently.
Approved
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.)
A senator
asked for an explanation of the role of the Faculty Senate in the APRs and the procedures
involved in the review process at a future meeting.
A senator asked for the Faculty
Senate to investigate handicap access to the lower floor classroom of Mitchell
Hall. A University committee has been formed that will go building by building
on campus to see what is needed to make buildings handicap accessible.
Adjourned: 5:00
Submitted by
Donald Lehman